SOCCER

3 FanDuel Premier League Under-the-Radar Plays for Matchweek 13

With four elite sides in action, there will be plenty of star power on display. That means Yohan Cabaye could go overlooked despite his excellent run of form.

If you have played daily fantasy sports for a while, you know the importance of being contrarian in large-field tournaments. Recognizing which players are going to be owned by the masses and finding others who you think have a similar point projection but will come at much lower ownership can really separate yourself from your opponents.

The same goes for DFS Premier League. Even though the large-field tournaments aren't quite as large as they are for other sports, there is still value in identifying quality under-the-radar plays.

This article will discuss FanDuel's main Saturday slate, which starts at 10:00 a.m. EST and features six matches.

Matchweek 13
Saturday, November 25th
Brighton & Hove Albion at Manchester United
Bournemouth at Swansea City
Stoke City at Crystal Palace
Watford at Newcastle
West Bromwich Albion at Tottenham
Chelsea at Liverpool


Matchweek 13 is highlighted by Chelsea visiting Liverpool. As is usually the case when two elite sides meet, this will limit the fantasy upside of both teams’ players. The two remaining elite sides on the slate have excellent home matchups with Manchester United hosting Brighton and Tottenham hosting West Brom. Manchester United are the largest favorite on the slate, with a spread of 2.0 goals, and Tottenham are the second-largest favorite with a spread of 1.5 goals.

With Chelsea and Liverpool limiting each other’s upside, this slate will center on Tottenham and Manchester United. There is very little to separate these two sides in terms of match outlook, but in terms of FanDuel salaries, there is a difference. Due to the inconsistent starting rotation of Manchester United’s attack, both Anthony Martial ($8,500), and Marcus Rashford ($9,000) are underpriced, and Romelu Lukaku ($11,500) is a full $1,000 cheaper than Harry Kane. In the midfield, all of Tottenham’s options are cheaper than Paul Pogba, but more expensive than whoever José Mourinho decides to play alongside him.

Overall, it will be easier to stack Manchester United options than Tottenham options, but that will come with increased ownership. Due to this, lineups centered on Manchester United players will need to be more contrarian in the remaining roster spots than lineups centered on Tottenham.

With that in mind, here are three under-the-radar players to consider for Matchweek 13.

José Holebas, Watford

FanDuel Salary: $6,000

Watford are 0.5-goal underdogs on the road against Newcastle, which actually lends itself to Holebas’ style of play. As a wingback, he benefits from a two-way game where he can generate FanDuel points on both ends of the pitch.

With Kiko Femenia potentially sidelined with an injury, it opens the door for Holebas to start in his place. He's been boom or bust this season, but his booms offer the kind of upside required from a defender for large field tournaments. He has three performances of over 20 FanDuel points this season, all of which came on the road. He also has one performance of over 30 FanDuel points, which came early in the season against Liverpool.

Newcastle have been stingy at home this season, allowing only five goals in six matches. However, Watford have been excellent on the road, scoring a shocking 12 goals in six matches. When these two forces meet, Holebas should benefit on both ends of the pitch.

Xherdan Shaqiri, Stoke City

FanDuel Salary: $8,500

With his track record this season, Shaqiri’s upside needs no introduction. While he certainly won’t be low owned, he should be underowned compared to his value in a matchup against Crystal Palace. He is the same price as Sadio Mane and Cesc Fabregas, $500 less than Dele Alli, and $500 more than Heung-Min Son. Being surrounded by options on elite sides should suppress his ownership.

While Crystal Palace have certainly become more competitive as of late, they are still conceding goals at an alarming pace, with five allowed in their last three matches. Even as 0.5-goal favorites over Stoke City, they are likely to provide Shaqiri with a handful of chances in front of goal.

Stoke City have been scoring at a decent pace this season and have scored five goals over their last three matches. In those matches, Shaqiri had three assists and a goal. Operating at the center of everything Stoke City does in the final third, Shaqiri has a chance to outscore all of the midfielders on elite sides this weekend at lower ownership.

Yohan Cabaye, Crystal Palace

FanDuel Salary $7,500

On the other side of the pitch from Shaqiri, Cabaye has an excellent chance to continue his incredible run of form. Over his last three matches, Cabaye has scored 34.75, 24.5, and 28.25 FanDuel points, all without a single goal or an assist. That kind of floor is insane, and he is doing it with production on both ends of the pitch.

Over those three matches, he has averaged 3 chances created, 2 clearances, 2 fouls drawn, 2.5 interceptions, and 4 tackles per match. As a center mid in Crystal Palace’s preferred 4-4-2 formation, he is the engine that makes them run. Regardless of how this match goes, Cabaye will be heavily involved. If he does manage to get his first goal or assist of the season this weekend, his already sky-high floor opens up a ceiling that is more than capable of winning a large-field tournament.