Yahoo DFS Soccer: Wednesday Premier League Picks

Yahoo DFS Soccer: Wednesday Premier League Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.

MATCHES (EST)

2:45 p.m: Swansea City v. Manchester City
2:45 p.m: Newcastle v. Everton
2:45 p.m: Southampton v. Leicester City
3:00 p.m: Manchester United v. Bournemouth
3:00 p.m: Tottenham v. Brighton
3:00 p.m: Liverpool v. West Brom
3:00 p.m: West Ham v. Arsenal

PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS

FORWARDS

Sergio Aguero, MCI at SWA (£26):Harry Kane (£27) leads the league in shots while Mohamed Salah ($£27) leads the league in goals and shots on goal (Kane is only one behind him), but Aguero appears to be the most likely to start and play 80-plus minutes given the expected rotation. Kane and Salah are both at home, and Kane has the best anytime goal scorer odds on the slate, but Aguero is well rested and has just as much upside as any player in the Premier League. Stacking all three makes the rest of the lineup pretty weak, but Aguero is the only one with something to prove after failing to start City's last two matches.

Roberto Firmino, LIV v. WBA (£22): Salah continues to be the Liverpool attacker who gets all the attention, but it shouldn't be ignored that Firmino has five goals in his last four starts. After being left out of the starting XI for the Merseyside derby, Firmino should slot back in against a West Brom side that's looked better defensively lately, though a quick look at their opponents (Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Swansea) helps explain it. Firmino has taken at least three shots in five of his last seven starts, putting at least two on goal in four of those, and there shouldn't be much doubt that he can keep that going.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, MUN v. BOU (£16): In the name of rotation, we come to Ibrahimovic, who has made five substitute appearances since returning from a long-term knee injury. Teammate Romelu Lukaku (£22) is mired in a slump that has seen him score just twice (and once in Premier League play) in his last 13 appearances, and Wednesday's home match against Bournemouth seems like an ideal time to make a change. Ibrahimovic is unlikely to play all 90 minutes, but after averaging 4.25 shots, including 1.70 on goal, per 90 minutes last season and coming in with the fifth-highest anytime goal scorer odds on Wednesday's slate, the salary-saving Swede could provide a big return. It also doesn't hurt that Bournemouth have allowed the most shots this season among teams on the slate.

MIDFIELDERS

Philippe Coutinho, LIV v. WBA (£25): Coutinho's 4.66 shots per 90 minutes are the third-most in the Premier League this season, and he's been in incredible form lately, putting up four goals on nine shots (six on target) and two assists in his last two starts. He played only 12 minutes off the bench in Sunday's Merseyside derby, so he's fully expected to slot back into the starting XI on Wednesday. Liverpool are the biggest favorites on the slate and no team has a higher implied goal total, leaving little hesitation in using Coutinho against a West Brom side that's allowed the third-most shots and third-most accurate crosses among teams on the slate.

Erik Lamela, TOT v. BHA (£14): Lamela has yet to start since returning from a long-term injury absence, but Wednesday seems like an ideal time to give one of Spurs' regular starters a rest. He's made three appearances off the bench so far, and last weekend's match against Stoke City showed what he could do, scoring 3.55 points in only 23 minutes. It may be asking too much for Lamela to go 90, but even 60 minutes at this price with how big of a favorite Spurs are over Brighton could be worth it. Christian Eriksen (£26) is likely to get some attention after his recent good run of form, but without a goal or assist he'll struggle to score enough for that price.

Jack Wilshere, ARS at WHU (£12): An injury to Aaron Ramsey (£20) could allow Wilshere to get his first Premier League start since April 15. He has been excellent during Arsenal's latest Europa League matches, scoring 12.80 fantasy points without a goal or assist against FC Koln before dropping 22.80 on BATE Borisov thanks to one goal on three shots (two on goal) and one assist. Yes, Wednesday's matchup is tougher than those, but an in-form Wilshere shouldn't be ignored at this price if he starts.

DEFENDERS

Danny Rose, TOT v. BHA (£15): A home match against Brighton should put most defenders in play, while Rose provides a little extra floor thanks to his attacking exploits. He's scored more than six fantasy points in three of his last four games, none of which included a clean sheet. Rose followed up back-to-back games of winning five corners by putting up two consecutive matches with four tackles won, showing that he contributes on both sides to give him a strong fantasy floor. Add in the fact that Spurs are overwhelming favorites with the best clean sheet odds and Rose easily becomes one of the top plays at the position.

Cedric Soares, SOU v. LEI (£13): Cedric's clean sheet odds aren't as good as Rose's (or anyone's from Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United or Arsenal), but his return from injury comes at a great time, as he'll line up against a Leicester side that has allowed the second-most crosses and accurate crosses on the slate. Some of that comes from corners, which Cedric won't be on, and if that's something you'd prefer then you can pivot over to Ryan Bertrand (£14). Cedric has also won multiple corners and tackles in numerous games this season, so it's not like the clean sheet is his only upside.

Andrew Robertson, LIV v. WBA (£13): Robertson put in a solid shift during the Merseyside derby, scoring 5.45 fantasy points without a clean sheet. It was his third match this season with at least 5.00 points, and only once did it come with a shutout, something that actually looks possible Wednesday against West Brom at Anfield. Robertson completes a solid number of passes too, and his willingness to take a shot or two gives him a decent floor.

GOALKEEPER

David de Gea, MUN v. BOU (£16): Because we have four dominant favorites, de Gea's ownership may not be quite as high as it normally would be when Manchester United host Bournemouth at Old Trafford. De Gea's game log is peppered with double-digit fantasy points, and there's little doubt that United should be able to handle the Cherries. Tottenham have the best clean sheet odds on the slate, which could push fantasy players toward Hugo Lloris (£16), though it's worth nothing that he hasn't posted a clean sheet since Oct. 14 against Bournemouth.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew M. Laird
Andrew M. Laird, the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year, is RotoWire's Head of DFS Content and Senior Soccer Editor. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
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