4 FanDuel Premier League Players to Avoid in Matchweek 3

As with any new fantasy format, DFS players must adjust their play to the scoring and learn which players will have the biggest impact within the scoring system. FanDuel places a massive emphasis on goals, assists and shots on target, which makes attacking players crucial. When making an investment into any player, it is important to determine which players will likely contribute in those emphasized areas.

All 10 games in Matchweek 3 will be played on Saturday or Sunday, giving fantasy players a full-slate of players to choose from. Let's take a look a four players who should be avoided in the upcoming matches.

Forward

Marko Arnautovic, Stoke City

FanDuel Price: €8.4 million

Arnautovic made two tackles, drew one foul and had one shot off target against Manchester City in Matchweek 2, producing a meager 3.25 FanDuel points. Arnautovic has yet to produce a shot on goal with six of his attempts ending up off target to start the season. The striker scored 11 goals last year, but just 3 of those came away from Britannia Stadium. Stoke's Matchweek 3 match is against Everton at Goodison Park.

Arnautovic is the 14th-highest priced forward, and after a fairly inconsistent campaign last year, he has proven nothing different at the start of this season. Everton is the favorite in this match and should control the possession. Although the 2.5 over/under is intriguing, fantasy players should look at other forwards in Arnautovic's tier. There is no doubt Arnautovic will score goals this season, but until he get on track, it's probably wise to pass on him, especially when he's on the road.

Midfielder

N'Golo Kanté, Chelsea

FanDuel Price: €10.9 million

Kanté had 2 interceptions, 2 tackles, 1 chance created and 1 shot off target, producing 13.5 FanDuel points against Watford in Matchweek 2. Kanté has only recorded two shots in his first two matches with his new club and has averaged 12.75 FanDuel points per match. Kanté and Chelsea will return home to Stamford Bridge in Matchweek 3 to face a Burnley squad that is flying high after shocking Liverpool.

Kanté is a great player,and has shown why he was considered one of the best transfers of the summer. The defensive midfielder has performed decently well for fantasy players this season. His relentless defensive activity gives him a high floor, and Chelsea should be able to maintain possession against Burnley as Liverpool possessed the ball for 80% of the match against the Clarets.

Kanté is the sixth-highest priced midfielder this week, behind three players who have yet to start a match (Cesc Fabregas, Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan). Arguably, those three players will find more time on the pitch in the weeks to come (possibly this week). However, with those players not really a fantasy option at this time for varying reasons (fitness and team selection), Kanté hypothetically moves up to the third-highest priced option.

He has yet to show involvement in the offense as a defensive-minded midfielder who doesn't score goals or produce many shots on target. There a bound to be weeks when Kanté produces play equivalent to his price, but with the likelihood of Burnley packing it defensively, it is probably wise to look elsewhere for a midfielder in Matchweek 2.

Defender

César Azpilicueta, Chelsea

FanDuel Price: €9.4 million

Azpilicueta had one interception and two tackles versus Watford in Matchweek 2, producing 8.25 FanDuel points. The defender has averaged 8.75 FanDuel points in two matches, only generating one shot, which was off target. This is Azpilicueta's second straight week on the avoid list, and if his price continues to climb (€9.3 million in Matchweek 2), he may find himself a frequent visitor in the series.

What was mentioned above about Kanté's match against Burnley can be said about Azpilicueta. He is the the second-highest priced defender -- behind Christian Fuchs -- and is rarely involved in Chelsea's attack. When paying up for defenders, DFS players hope for shots but expect the defender to be involved offensively via sending in crosses that may lead to assists or key passes. Azpilicueta has only sent in two crosses this season.

Burnley will likely pack it in defensively, giving the defenders a chance to push up and cross the ball, but Chelsea has favored Branislav Ivanovic (10 crosses) instead of Azpilicueta while attacking. Chelsea is a large favorite and should control the possession, limiting Azpilicueta's ability to earn other defensive stats -- tackles, clearances and interceptions.

Keeper

Fraser Forster, Southampton

FanDuel Price: €8.5 million

Forster made three saves while conceding two goals in Matchweek 2 against Manchester United. It's hard to use Matchweek 2 against Forster as he faced a red-hot Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who netted both goals. Forster conceded one goal in Matchweek 1 against Watford, although his squad was up a man for the final 20 minutes of the match. Forster faces Sunderland at home in Matchweek 3.

Forster is the third-highest priced keeper on FanDuel. Keepers do not need a clean sheet to be productive, but they do need to make saves (three points each). Southampton is the favorite, and the over/under is set at 2.5. Southampton has controlled possession in their first two matches while Sunderland has possessed the ball less than their opponents in both of their fixtures.

Facing a relegation-threatened side in the Black Cats, Forster may not see a ton of activity. He's also not in good form, failing to maintain a clean sheet in his last 14 league matches, half of which have been at home. This is probably not the week to gamble and pay up for him.