Daily Fantasy Premier League 2015: EPL Week 27 DraftKings Matchups to Exploit
Two delayed matches over the Premier League's Week 27 weekend slate make finding the right matchup plays tougher than usual, but there remain a number of viable options for Daily Fantasy aficionados.
There are six matches to choose from in DraftKings' Saturday slate, along with two high-caliber affairs on Sunday to pick from. Chelsea and Tottenham's weekend matches are delayed due to their upcoming Capital One Cup final, but 16 of the 20 clubs are in action.
With only $6,250 set aside per player to make your lineup picks, going under that price for a handful of players is a must in order to have the funds available for top-dollar guys later on. Let's take a look at five affordable options with that in mind.
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Hull City F Dame N'Doye: $6,000 (at Stoke City)
Ever since being acquired from Lokomotiv Moscow in the January transfer window, striker Dame N'Doye has been just what the doctor ordered for Hull City.
It's no coincidence that Hull have won two straight with N'Doye now in the fold. He's been a sight to behold in three EPL matches with the side, scoring in his last two and accruing 46 fantasy points in those three contests.
| 2/21 QPR | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| 2/10 Aston Villa | 1 | 1 | 3 | 27 |
| 2/7 at Manchester City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
N'Doye has five shots on goal and eight shots total in his last two outings, which suggests he'll be featured in front of goal early and often against a Stoke City defense that forces less interceptions per game than 14 of the 20 EPL clubs.
Aston Villa M Scott Sinclair: $5,000 (at Newcastle)
On loan from Manchester City, midfielder Scott Sinclair of Aston Villa is looking to prove himself on one of the league's worst clubs and has been turning heads of late.
Without a goal in five league matches for Aston Villa entering last weekend's game versus Stoke, Sinclair burst onto the scene with 15 fantasy points and his first goal of the season. Villa have rekindled their attack under new manager Tim Sherwood, and Sinclair has been one of the central figures in that effort.
Saturday's opponent Newcastle are reeling, ranking just 17th in the Premier League's form guide. Aston Villa's hopes of ending a big drought rely heavily upon Sinclair, which makes him highly valuable at $5,000.
Liverpool M Philippe Coutinho: $5,600 (vs. Manchester City)
Liverpool were eliminated from the Europa League in rather disappointing fashion Thursday against Besiktas, but the Reds got some much-needed rest for midfielder Philippe Coutinho. Manager Brendan Rodgers elaborated on Coutinho's absence, indicating he'll be ready for the weekend, per James Pearce of Liverpool Echo:
"I’ve had to leave out young Coutinho. He hasn’t travelled with us. He’s an outstanding young player for us, a key player and he’s played a lot of games consecutively for us.
This was a game that I’d earmarked to give him some recovery in knowing he can stay at home, not travel and prepare and get ready for the weekend.
"
Liverpool have a daunting task ahead as they host surging Manchester City on Sunday, but as the 11th-highest-priced midfielder on the day, Coutinho is a steal. He scored a wondrous goal last time out against Southampton and has surpassed double-digit fantasy totals in five of his last 10.
Manchester City are still getting back to form in the midfield with Yaya Toure making his second appearance since the African Cup of Nations. If Liverpool have success in the middle, it should be led by Coutinho.
West Ham D Carl Jenkinson: $4,400 (vs. Crystal Palace)
West Ham's back line is the starting point in finding valuable defenders, facing a Crystal Palace squad with a league-worst 39.5 percent possession rate per game. Targeting Carl Jenkinson is a cheaper option than the more reliable Aaron Cresswell ($4,700), and he stands to have a similar fantasy output.
Jenkinson was lauded for his performance last weekend in a draw to Tottenham, being named on a European team of the week in Spain, per TheIronsCircle.com:
In each of their last 10 outings, Jenkinson has 47 crosses (the easiest way to points for defenders) to Cresswell's 26. He's averaging 8.1 fantasy points per game in that span, while accruing just four shots and one assist.
Manchester United GK David De Gea: $5,600 (vs. Sunderland)
David de Gea of Manchester United's salary trumps that of every other goalkeeper on Saturday's slate, but with good reason.
The Spanish goalkeeper gave up multiple goals last weekend at Swansea City. However, that ended a 21-game streak in which he gave up one goal or less in each game. Saturday's matchup is a kind one, going up against a Sunderland club who are scoreless in their last three outings and produce just 3.2 shots on target per game—second-to-last in the league.
Sunderland's lack of offensive presence may leave de Gea without many saves, but it should keep his clean sheet intact.
Advanced club and player stats courtesy of WhoScored.com unless otherwise noted.
Steven Cook covers Daily Fantasy world football for B/R. Follow and interact with him on Twitter (@steventerrycook).
