SOCCER

Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 8

With Arsenal's injury woes, the Gunners offer several value plays on the back line, including promising youngster Rob Holding.

The international break is over, and the Premier League will resume play on Saturday with many players returning from their national team. FanDuel will feature a six-game main slate on Saturday to welcome the Premier League back.

Matchweek 8
Saturday, October 14th
West Ham at Burnley
Chelsea at Crystal Palace
Stoke City at Manchester City
Huddersfield at Swansea City
Bournemouth at Tottenham
Arsenal at Watford


The total number of players priced at or over $9,000 this week has dropped to just 20, with Harry Kane being the most expensive player on the board. As one may assume, the top-priced players come mainly from Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City.

The value plays will mostly move away from those teams, so let's see who to target this week.

Forward

Marko Arnautovic ($6,500): It has not been a smooth transition to West Ham for the Austrian winger. He missed the previous matchday in the Premier League due to an illness, but was able to show that he was fully recovered over the international break.

He caused Serbia plenty of headaches on October 6th -- when he scored once and may have distracted the keeper just enough on the game-winning tally. Arnautovic played the full match against Serbia and put in 81 minutes against Moldova on October 10th.


Arnautovic's value is increased by the presence of Manuel Lanzini, who seems likely to return to the starting lineup this weekend. Lanzini will require more attention in the center of the park, allowing Arnautovic more space on the left side of midfield.

West Ham have won their last four against Burnley. Burnley still leads the league in shots allowed per match at 21. Per oddsmakers, Arnautovic is among the top three Hammers most likely to score a goal this week, and the matchup is a good one for Arnautovic to finally make a mark for West Ham.

Midfielder

Yohan Cabaye ($6,500): Crystal Palace have been the worst team in the Premier League. They have yet to score a goal or record a point this season. However, Cabaye has been solid despite being relegated to the bench the first three weeks of the season. He averages slightly more than 15 FanDuel points per match and is still in the mix for set-piece duty.

Cabaye has created 11 chances in the four matches he started for Palace. He was credited for eight crosses in the last match against Manchester United despite a 4-0 loss. He also produced 18 defensive actions in those four starts and will be asked to help the back line this weekend against Chelsea.

Cabaye's value could also be buoyed by the return of Wilfred Zaha. Zaha was the driving force for Palace last year and has been greatly missed. He will likely line up just ahead of Cabaye and provide a better outlet option for passes and open space for Cabaye to sneak in behind. Chelsea have only averaged a split in possession (50.8%) through the first seven weeks of the season, so Zaha will allow Palace to see more of the ball.

Defender

Rob Holding ($4,500): Arsenal is facing major injury concerns on their back line that will push Holding into the starting lineup for the foreseeable future. Shkodran Mustafi looks set to miss a considerable amount of time after sustaining an injury during World Cup qualifying for Germany. Laurent Koscielny has an Achilles issue, and Calum Chambers is nursing a groin problem, though he may play through it. Nacho Monreal should be available this weekend against Watford.


Holding should be part of a back three with Monreal and Per Mertesacker. They may be somewhat unfamiliar with one another outside of practice as a back line system, but the team should have confidence. They have won their last five away matches against Watford, and Arsenal have also kept a clean sheet in their last four Premier League matches.

Only Mertesacker and Arthur Masuaku are priced lower than Holding among those currently expected to start on defense on Saturday. Holding is less of a household name and should have lower ownership.

Keeper

Hugo Lloris ($4,500): It is not often that Tottenham's keeper can be considered a value buy. He is $1,000 cheaper than the most expensive keeper, but Lloris is tied for the cheapest among other starting keepers. Once again, there is a limited range of pricing for starting keepers.

Tottenham are on great form, having earned a clean sheet in four of their last five matches across all competitions. They have a favorable matchup with Bournemouth, a team that is only averaging about three shots on target per match. Bournemouth have scored a mere four goals all season.

Lloris and Tottenham have another shot at a clean sheet, and it is not often he is a part of the lower-priced tier of keepers, even with the limited gap from top to bottom.