4 FanDuel Premier League Studs to Target for Matchweek 31

As is the case when playing any sport on FanDuel, it’s imperative to hit on high-priced studs, the players in which you’ve made the biggest investment. This is especially true with strikers in soccer as goals are often the difference between winning and losing in DFS.

Let’s take a look at some high-priced players -- all across the pitch -- who, despite costing a good chunk of change, are worth the investment.

This article is geared toward FanDuel's main slate, which begins at 11 a.m. EST Saturday and features four matches.

With the F.A. Cup going on this weekend, the main slate is a short one with just four matches. Liverpool are at the center of everything as the Reds are massive 2.0-goal home favorites with an implied total of 2.75 goals. Outside of Liverpool, Bournemouth is a 0.5-goal favorite, and the two other matches are listed at pick'ems. With a 1.5-goal implied total, Bournemouth are the only other team with an implied total above 1.25 goals, so outside of Liverpool, oddsmakers aren't expecting many goals.

Here we go.

Forward

Steve Mounie, Huddersfield

FanDuel Price: $8,000

Liverpool's front three will all be popular, and you can certainly make a case for using Roberto Firmino ($12,000) up top. But with pricing the way it is, it'll be hard to stack Firmino and Salah, and it's so scary to fade Salah right now.

That leads us to Mounie, who has been in good form. The Huddersfield forward has racked up at least 18.75 FanDuel points in three of his past four outings, putting up days of 28.25 and 33.0 FanDuel points in that span. He's got two goals and one assist across those four matches, and he recorded 18.75 FanDuel points last time out without the benefit of a goal or assist.

Mounie has a solid home matchup with Crystal Palace. The Eagles have surrendered 25 goals in 15 away games this season, and they've been beaten for 11 goals in their last six EPL contests.

With Bournemouth as the second-largest favorite (0.5-goal favorites) with the second-highest implied total (1.5 goals), Callum Wilson ($8,500) has some appeal as a GPP play. But he's extremely goal-reliant and has been woefully inconsistent this season, so he can't be touched in small-field contests.

Midfielder

Mo Salah, Liverpool

FanDuel Price: $13,000

Fade Salah at your own risk. He's coming off his worst fantasy day of the season -- an output of 4.25 FanDuel points at Manchester United -- but prior to that dud, he'd put up at least 20 FanDuel points in 10 of his last 11 matches, with the lone exception being a 16.0-point day. He's got 11 goals and 5 assists in that 11-game span, and no one else on this slate comes close to matching his combination of solid floor and elite ceiling.

Liverpool are comfy 2.0-goal home favorites with a massive 2.75-goal implied total against Watford. The Reds have netted 33 goals in 15 home matches, and they've scored 14 goals across their last six league fixtures. Watford have been solid defensively this season, but they have conceded 24 goals in 15 away matches.

The Reds should control this match, and Salah is the slate's top play.

Defender

Andrew Robertson, Liverpool

FanDuel Price: $6,500

It's not a great slate for high-priced defenders, but Robertson is a cheap way to get exposure to Liverpool. The former Hull City man has become Jurgen Klopp's first-choice left-back, and in a match in which Liverpool should see a lot of the ball, Robertson will likely be bombing forward early and often.

Robertson has been credited with seven chances created over his past four outings, but only one of those has turned into an assist. That came in a home match against West Ham, and he finished that one with 29.25 FanDuel points thanks to the assist, 15 points from passes, 3 tackles and 3 clearances. He could be in line for a similar type of performance against Watford.

Goalie

Jack Butland, Stoke City

FanDuel Price: $5,500

Butland and Jordan Pickford -- the two guys who are thought to be competing for the role of England's starting keeper for the upcoming World Cup -- will square off as Everton and Stoke City meet up.

Stoke sit in 19th and desperately need to get something from this game in their battle to avoid relegation. Manager Paul Lambert has made Stoke tougher to break down since he took over, and Butland has posted three clean sheets over his last seven games.

That's obviously great for his DFS value, but what makes Butland such a nice play is that he's still being called into action often, averaging 5.8 saves per match over his last five, so the floor is there for a decent day even if he concedes a goal. As such, Butland has put up at least 10 FanDuel points in 11 straight games, and the upside is there, too, as he turned in a 6-save, 31.5-FanDuel-point clean sheet two games ago.

Austan Kas is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Austan Kas also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username akas247. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.