SOCCER

Premier League: 4 FanDuel Value Plays for Matchweek 32

Charlie Austin could provide big value as he returns from injury this week. Who joins him among the best point-per-dollar plays on the board?

As the early spring international break comes to a close, the Premier League will back in action this weekend. And, for us, that means a big seven-game slate of FanDuel EPL action.

Matchweek 32
Saturday, March 31st
Leicester at Brighton
Southampton at West Ham
Swansea City at Manchester United
Bournemouth at Watford
Huddersfield at Newcastle United
Manchester City at Everton
Burnley at West Brom


At the top, Alexis Sanchez is the most expensive player at $12,500. A total of 26 players are priced at or above $9,000 on the post-break slate.

Ashley Young leads all defenders at $7,500. An even 30 defenders are priced at or above the $6,000 mark.

The expected starting keepers range from $5,500 to $4,000, a $500 increase over the normal range.

With the lay of the land complete, let's look at where the value is this weekend.

Forward

Charlie Austin ($6,500): After spending some time sidelined by a hamstring injury, Southampton's striker is looking to return for a massive match with West Ham. The Saints are currently in the relegation zone, just two points back of this week's opponent.

When these two teams met in August, Austin had the game winner from the spot in stoppage time. He is the club's top scorer and should step right back in as the penalty kick taker for this one.

West Ham has given up 13 more goals than Southampton, so Austin should be able to find time in front of the opponents' net and make the most of his opportunities.


Before his injury, Austin was in great form. He scored five goals in seven games and his two goals against Everton helped Southampton score a season-high four times.

Austin will want to impress new manager Mark Hughes, set to take control of his sixth Premier League club. The forward has been been nothing but positive despite the club's standing, so it seems that Austin is embracing the pressure of the relegation race and the chance to help Hughes succeed.

If Austin is not in the side on Saturday, look to the Bournemouth forwards against Watford.

Midfielder

Dale Stephens ($7,500): Stephens is dealing with his own hamstring injury, but it was never considered serious. Stephens is less of a household name than Austin, but both should see playing time this weekend.

Stephens has been with Brighton since the Championship, and he has played well after his team's promotion. The central midfielder is one of the team's highest rated players overall and the highest rated Brighton player defensively. He has registered three assists, but the 28-year-old is known for shielding his back line -- he averages seven defensive actions per match in the Premier League.

Brighton has a good record at home against Leicester as they have taken seven points from three matches at the Amex. Stephens also averages more passes at home than any of his teammates, allowing Brighton to stay balanced. Expect that to continue this weekend.

Defender

Terence Kongolo ($5,000): In maintaining the theme, Kongolo is returning from an undisclosed injury ahead of Huddersfield's match against Newcastle. Manager David Wagner confirmed as much before the international break, saying Kongolo "looks good" and indicating that he should be ready to return for this one.

Kongolo is one of Huddersfield's top-rated players. Since coming over from Monaco, he has played a big part for the team, averaging nearly 10 defensive actions per match. That includes four clearances per match after averaging 4.7 clearances in his three appearances for Monaco.

Kongolo averages 15.3 FanDuel points, but he's tallied more than 20 in three of his last four games.

Keeper

Tom Heaton ($4,500): Heaton has been injured since September 10, but has now played four full matches for Burnley's youth squads and now appears ready to challenge Nick Pope for the starting spot in net.

Heaton had a clean sheet going before succumbing to injury back in September. He had 10 clean sheets last year and led the league in saves as Burnley's number one. He also faced among the most shots in the league, so he shouldn't be too worried about anything West Brom -- the club with the fewest goals scored this season -- could possibly unleash.

In the event that Heaton can't go, look toward Kasper Schmeichel at a reduced rate ($4,500).



Douglas Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Douglas Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username aquemini03. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her
articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.