Daily Fantasy Football: Ultimate MondoGoal Week 20 Lineup
What could you do with $100 million? Daily Fantasy Football's MondoGoal is handing you an opportunity to find out, and Bleacher Report's here to provide counsel on which Premier League stars could bolster your matchday XI.
Setting the Table
We've reached the midway point of the 2015/16 Premier League campaign.
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The calendar's flipped, the title race, top-four battle and relegation scrap are heating up and points are becoming increasingly more arduous to collect.
Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur start their new year on Sunday, but Week 20's Saturday slate is primed for action. Possibly the most intriguing match has nothing to do with the title but Sunderland hosting Aston Villa. If either club is to rise from the drop zone, a victory's vital in this relegation six-pointer.
| January 2 | 12.45 p.m./7.45 a.m. | West Ham United v Liverpool |
| January 2 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Arsenal v Newcastle United |
| January 2 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Leicester City v Bournemouth |
| January 2 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Manchester Utd v Swansea City |
| January 2 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Norwich City v Southampton |
| January 2 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Sunderland v Aston Villa |
| January 2 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | West Brom v Stoke City |
| January 2 | 5:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. | Watford v Manchester City |
| January 3 | 1:30 p.m./8:30 a.m. | Crystal Palace v Chelsea |
| January 3 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Everton v Tottenham Hotspur |
Not necessarily looking for star names but locating value is your mission.
Here's a prospective XI, using the 3-4-3 formation, that could make your first Daily Fantasy Football outing of 2016 a success.
Goalkeeper
Many expected Monday's Manchester United vs. Chelsea match to be a snoozefest. In the immediate aftermath of Everton 3-4 Stoke City, it probably was on a relative scale, but that was only thanks to outstanding displays from both goalkeepers.
Thibaut Courtois and David De Gea ($7.6 million) contributed to an interesting (if not entertaining) 0-0 at Old Trafford, with the Spanish goalie making some spectacular saves, most notably from a John Terry bullet header in the first half.
Rebounding from a horrid Boxing Day display against Stoke City, De Gea's value is still cheap, considering his world-class talent. Facing an impotent Swansea City (who've only scored 16 EPL goals this season, second worst in the division), back-to-back clean sheets at home should take pressure off England's largest footballing enterprise.
Defenders
In front of De Gea, his best centre-back, Chris Smalling ($8.2 million), should also enjoy proceedings. Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis are Swansea's only legitimate attacking threats. Normally enjoying the lion's share of possession (66.6 percent against Chelsea for example), if the burgeoning English defender can marshal his back four against counterattacks, smooth sailing can be expected.
Southampton's Ryan Bertrand ($6.9 million) had a poor display December 28 vs. West Ham United, but one less-than-customary display from the 2014/15 PFA Team of the year member should not dissuade from finding value. Attempting eight crosses in Saints' last match of 2015, Chelsea's former academy star sees plenty of the ball, and that should continue vs. Norwich City.
Rounding out our defence is the oft-overlooked captain of Leicester City, Wes Morgan ($6.9 million). Lost in the hype surrounding Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, the 31-year-old centre-half has been able to provide his club with needed stability. Drawing 0-0 with a potent Manchester City side in Matchday 19, and with Bournemouth arriving at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, more of Leicester's improving defensive prowess should be expected.
Midfielders
The first name on Earth's teamsheet is Mesut Ozil ($16.0 million).
In the form of his Premier League life, he is MondoGoal's most expensive player, and his numbers since October leave no mystery. The Germany international's been directly responsible for 19 goals (three scored, 16 assisted) this season and shows no signs of slowing. His one assist and a goal against Bournemouth on December 28 further demonstrated his ravishing form.
His next opponent, Newcastle United, should be well aware.
Not far behind Arsenal's lynchpin, is Leicester City's Mahrez ($14.4 million).
During Vardy's record-breaking goal streak, some placed Mahrez on the back burner, but the 24-year-old Algerian has quickly established himself as Claudio Ranieri's primary playmaker. Thirteen goals and seven assists have him slightly atop the responsible-for category, one ahead of Ozil. Mahrez has initiated or finished 20 Leicester goals, meaning you probably want him in your team before he cools down—Bournemouth at home is an opportunity.
Kevin De Bruyne ($13.0 million) was the summer's biggest signing, and has proven his worth on a weekly basis. Five goals and eights assists from 15 appearances make him Manchester City's most effective offensive player. Though he'll be facing a stern Watford, the Belgian's quality is virtually unmatched.
Southampton string-puller Dusan Tadic ($6.6 million) is our cheapest midfield option. There are quality defensive-minded midfielders—such as Fernandinho ($6.3 million)—available, but the obvious attacking threat Tadic provides on his day was difficult to overlook against a leaky Norwich City.
Strikers
Our expensive midfield trio of Ozil, Mahrez and De Bruyne was funded in part by cutting corners in attack.
Stoke's Marko Arnautovic ($7.5 million), Liverpool's Christian Benteke ($6.6 million) and Manchester United's Anthony Martial ($6.1 million) are the strike force offered this week.
Facing West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United and Swansea City respectively, each forward's club should have possession, create chances and place shots on target.
Arnautovic, Austria's answer to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has scored four goals in his last five Premier League outings and looks an in-form striker. Benteke—though taking criticism—has netted in two straight games in which Jurgen Klopp's side has won 1-0. Martial is playing in a United side devoid of overt creativity, but whatever creativity they do have, he provides it.
Odion Ighalo ($13.2 million) and Sergio Aguero ($12.4 million) are Saturday's premium striking options, but their salaries seem rather hefty as they'll be facing each other and there's only one football to kick.
Recap
As shown, this squad used all $100 million—the permutations are endless.
Check out MondoGoal and build your team.
