SOCCER

4 FanDuel Premier League Studs to Target for Matchweek 25

Liverpool are the slate's biggest favorite by a wide margin, putting their stars in a great spot. Which high-priced Reds are worth investing in?

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 forwards in soccer. Not only are the top-end forwards expensive, they are the ones most likely to put the ball in the back of the net, and goals are often the difference between winning and losing in DFS.

This article will cover FanDuel's main slate, which begins Saturday at 10:00 a.m. EST and features seven matches.

Matchweek 25
Saturday, February 1st
Southampton at Liverpool
Norwich City at Newcastle United
Brighton at West Ham
Sheffield United at Crystal Palace
Aston Villa at Bournemouth
Everton at Watford
Wolves at Manchester United


This isn't going to shock you -- Liverpool are the slate's biggest favorites. Listed at -380 (79.2% implied odds) to beat Southampton, per Soccer odd, Liverpool are by far the biggest favorite on this slate. Other than them, no one else has implied win odds of even 50%, so it's a very balanced slate with the exception of the champions elect.

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.

Mohamed Salah, FWD, Liverpool

FanDuel Price: $23

As we just touched on, the Reds are massive home favorites (-380) against Southampton. That would make them appealing regardless of what the rest of the slate looked like, but considering the other six games are one big shrug emoji, Liverpool should be wildly popular.

Salah is the slate's most expensive player, but the ceiling here is hard to ignore.

The Egyptian superstar will be on penalties as long as James Milner stays sidelined, and with Sadio Mané out, Salah should shoulder even more attacking responsibility. Salah has three goals in his last six league games, creating 15 chances in that span while putting nine shots on goal. He's -155 to score anytime in this one, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

While the salary is steep and he'll surely come with a bunch of ownership, Salah is in a smash spot.

Callum Wilson, FWD, Bournemouth

FanDuel Price: $15

Other than Liverpool, the team most likely to win, per oddsmakers, is Bournemouth, who is +110 at home versus Aston Villa. It's a key clash as both sides are fighting for their Premier League lives. Sometimes these six-pointers can become stale, but FanDuel Sportsbook has the two most likely results being a 1-1 draw (+600) and a 2-1 Cherries win (+750), so we should see some goals.

After a good start to the campaign, one in which he netted four goals in his first seven EPL matches, Wilson has been hampered by injuries. Last time out versus Brighton, he scored his first goal since September and created a pair of chances. Just a year ago, he tallied 14 goals and nine assists in a stellar season.

Villa have struggled defensively in their first year back in the top flight, giving up 45 goals in 24 matches overall, including 24 goals in 12 away fixtures, tied for the most in the league. They've kept a clean sheet only once in their last 11 league matches.

At +100, Wilson has the best odds to score in this match, and he's one of the most attractive non-Liverpool players on the slate.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, DEF, Liverpool

FanDuel Price: $15

It's laughable that Alexander-Arnold is just $15 and is priced the same as Mason Holgate. TAA is averaging 22.35 FanDuel points per match -- 9.35 more than Holgate and just 3.09 fewer than Salah, who is $8 more expensive. Until Trent has a salary that puts him in his own tier at defender, you should keep plugging him in without mercy.

Alexander-Arnold had a rare down game midweek at West Ham, finishing with just 9.9 FanDuel points, his first single-digit outing in his past seven. But even in that one, he created two chances, and he has been credited with at least one chance created in each of his last 17 EPL matches. He had one assist apiece in his two prior games before West Ham, and his corner duties as well as his ability on free kicks gives him a ceiling that's unmatched at the position.

Southampton will likely pack it in at Anfield, which should lead to Liverpool playing balls out wide for Alexander-Arnold to launch into the box. He makes for a great stacking partner with any of the Reds' front three, and Trent can also be paired with Alisson in hopes of doubling up on the clean-sheet bonus.

Alisson, Goalie, Liverpool

FanDuel Price: $15

Speaking of Alisson, he has by far the best win odds on the slate, and three of the four most likely scorelines, per FanDuel Sportsbook, involve a Liverpool clean sheet. A clean-sheet win gets him 17.0 FanDuel points before factoring in points for saves.

This Liverpool side are such a machine and Alisson is so good that he has kept a clean sheet in eight of his past nine league games, including four straight at Anfield.

Spending up at keeper means you're sacrificing somewhere else, but given the makeup of the slate, it shouldn't be too hard to find value in other spots. Plus, with no other big favorites, the floor is low for every other keeper.