Daily Fantasy Football: Ultimate MondoGoal Week 27 Lineup
What could you do with $100 million? MondoGoal's Daily Fantasy Football 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
With Sunday's League Cup final firmly in the minds of most, four teams are out of action. Manchester City, Newcastle United, Liverpool and Everton have a Premier League stay, as the Reds and Sky Blues meet at Wembley Stadium to crystallise the Capital One Cup.
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For the other 16 clubs, though, it is business as usual. Arsenal vs. Manchester United is the golden fixture from the weekend, but since it takes place on Sunday, it doesn't fall into this article's fantasy football jurisdiction.
Leicester City are Saturday's highlighted club. Losing to Arsenal before the FA Cup's fifth-round fixtures, Claudio Ranieri's men have been on a vacation of sorts for two weeks. Hosting Norwich City at the King Power Stadium, three points would help their improbable title aspirations, extending a two-point lead over their nearest competitors to five.
| Date | Time (GMT/EST) | Fixture |
| February 27 | 12:45 p.m./7:45 a.m. | West Ham United vs. Sunderland |
| February 27 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Leicester City vs. Norwich City |
| February 27 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Southampton vs. Chelsea |
| February 27 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Stoke City vs. Aston Villa |
| February 27 | 3 p.m./10 a.m. | Watford vs. Bournemouth |
| February 27 | 5:30 p.m./12:30 p.m. | West Brom vs. Crystal Palace |
Elsewhere, the relegation scrap and battle for European places intensifies, with a dozen matches and 36 points left to parse for all involved.
Our mission is not necessarily to look for star names but to locate value from Saturday's slate.
Here's a prospective XI, using the 3-4-3 formation.
Goalkeeper and Defenders
Kasper Schmeichel ($7.2 million) and Wes Morgan ($7.2 million) will marshal Leicester City's defence vs. Alex Neil's Norwich City. Undone by a late stoppage-time Danny Welbeck winner vs. Arsenal, they would have considered their trip to the Emirates Stadium as two points dropped rather than one point earned. The only remedy for that sour taste is a clean sheet against the relegation-zone-hovering Canaries.
Stoke City's Ryan Shawcross ($7.1 million) faces arguably the worst team in recent Premier League history, Aston Villa, at the Britannia Stadium. Mark Hughes has brought a continental flair to Potters football, but the backbone of Shawcross is paramount to Stoke's mid-table existence.
The back four's final component is its most expensive piece, Abdul Baba Rahman ($8.0 million).
Injury to Chelsea captain John Terry opened the door for the 21-year-old full-back to prove himself. Playing well in recent weeks, Guus Hiddink has a selection crisis on his hands when Terry returns. The veteran centre-back is not scheduled to return vs. Southampton—meaning more time for Branislav Ivanovic at centre-back, Cesar Azpilicueta at right-back and Baba continuing his stint as first-choice left-back.
Midfielders
Norwich have the worst defensive record in the Premier League, joint with Villa. Conceding 50 goals thus far in 2015/16, Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez ($12.2 million) is the ideal footballer to unlock their leaky defence. Tricky, dynamic and possessing the indelible glide of a world-class player, Mahrez's ability to create offence will determine how long the Foxes' run can last.
In the weekend's first match, our most expensive footballer gets his run-out. West Ham United's Dimitri Payet ($13.0 million) has been a revelation this term. Not many expected the Reunion-born Frenchman to flourish in his first Premier League season from Marseille, but the midfield dynamo has shined. Nineteenth-placed Sunderland, in their last trip to Upton Park, will have their hands full.
On the subject of dangerous wingers, Wilfried Zaha ($7.1 million) has that market on lockdown. Crystal Palace's league form has been woeful since the turn of the year, but in the FA Cup, Zaha has been magical. If the Zaha who played vs. Tottenham Hotspur plays vs. West Bromwich Albion, WBA manager Tony Pulis will be sweating heavily under his trademark baseball cap.
Willian ($11.1 million) has been Chelsea's best player of the season. It would be a travesty if the Brazilian did not receive (at least) that honour. Southampton have the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, but the 27-year-old, over the past three weeks, has shown a disregard for any and all defensive structures.
Forwards
Willian's partner in crime, has been Diego Costa ($10.4 million).
The Brazilian-born Spaniard has enjoyed his time under Hiddink. Whether by happenstance or something more sinister under Jose Mourinho, Costa has looked his usual combative, yet scoring self since the Dutchman arrived at Stamford Bridge. If Chelsea score at St. Mary's Stadium, the likely culprit would be Costa.
Much like Willian and Costa, Mahrez's Leicester City partner in crime has been Jamie Vardy ($10.3 million). Three goals clear in the Golden Boot race, Vardy is enjoying the season of his life, Norwich's porous defence are in for a rude awakening if the Englishman comes to play, which is a safe assumption.
Closing our XI, is Stoke City's Bojan Krkic ($6.3 million). Again using Aston Villa shocking defensive record against them—their last outing a 6-0 drubbing by Liverpool—if Hughes' men are in the mood, they could pick a number and probably get what they want. Bojan, being their attacking focal point, is a solid value purchase.
Recap
As shown, this squad used $99.9 million.
Check out MondoGoal to construct your own XI.
*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.
