Week 34 is a short one as we have only four games on Saturday’s FanDuel slate but there’s plenty of options at every position and a few matches that shape up to be fun if nothing else. As usual, I’ll go match by match and highlight some value. Let’s go!
Hull City – Watford
Hull City are favored here and deservedly so. They’ve played better as of late, earning three wins in their last six matches. The home field advantage is huge for them as they’ve only lost five matches at home versus nine on the road. The books expect this one to be low scoring so I wouldn’t target too many players, especially since both teams are expected to be cautious.
M’Baye Niang’s price has risen but on a slate without a ton of forward options, he is viable in tournaments and has goal upside. Etienne Capoue scored last week but shouldn’t be considered here as he’s extremely overpriced and hadn’t found the back of the net since November before last weekend. Kamil Grosicki is a player who should be owned in GPPs. With no points being awarded to crosses on FanDuel, it’s tough to play Grosicki in cash games, but his goal and assist upside is great for tournaments. He has a total of three assists in his last two home games, where he’s eclipsed 19 fantasy points in each one. Harry McGuire’s scoring run will likely end soon, but he can contribute in multiple categories and can be considered in tournaments. In cash games, the price is too high.
Swansea – Stoke City
Paul Clement believes this to be a “must-win” game and deservedly so. They are two points behind Hull City and with only six games left in the season, they must make up ground to escape the relation zone. They haven’t played well lately, so changes to the lineup could be coming. One constant, however, should be Gylfi Sigurdsson. He is underpriced on FanDuel at just $9,200 and with a lack of other expensive options on the slate, he is a must-play. He hasn’t been that great in the past three games, but they were all either tough matchups or road games, and regression to the mean is expected here. Fire up Gylfi.
On the other end of the ball, Xherdan Shaqiri has impressed in the past few weeks and is also underpriced. He is just $6,300 and deserves serious consideration, at least in tournaments. Swansea have allowed the most goals in the league and Shaqiri will look to take advantage here. Lee Grant is expensive but will face a high number of shots. If Gylfi shoots from distance often, there is upside in both him and Grant being played in the same lineup.
Defenders in this game are heavily underpriced. There is value across the board depending on starting lnieups, but Glen Johnson stands out as an option.
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West Ham – Everton
Everton are fighting for a top six spot while West Ham have very little to play for outside of pride. That makes this game hard to evaluate. Everton are favored by sportsbooks but they are traveling and that will make it tough to score multiple goals. Their players are largely overrated, especially considering the circumstances, and trusting any of them is difficult at these prices. Romelu Lukaku has an upside only matched by Gylfi, but he is a lot more expensive and very goal dependent. Without any places to spend up, he will likely be a heavily owned player and you could be in trouble if he scores, making this decision a tough one.
Manuel Lanzini continues to play well in the absence of Michael Antonio and deserves consideration here. He should be very low owned and a good tournament option. Andre Ayew is expensive but in a very similar situation. Darren Randolph should face plenty of shots, making him viable due to save potential alone. If the Hammers do keep a clean sheet, he’ll likely have a GPP-winning score. Defensively, Ashley Williams has crushed due to assists but those are not very predictable or likely, making him a good fade at the price. Winston Reid is interesting if he starts in his return from injury.
Bournemouth – Middlesbrough
This could be the game to target in terms of fantasy potential. Bournemouth and Middlesbrough both struggle in the back and have been involved in some high scoring affairs this season. Bournemouth are on the edge of “being safe” from relegation, so they certainly have reason to try. Middlesbrough are on the end of the spectrum, where they barely have a shot at survival but there’s enough hope at the end of the tunnel to keep trying. They should go out and attack from the beginning, opening themselves up to counters.
Speaking of counters, Joshua King is someone who can capitalize on them. He is expensive but well worth it in a game expected to go over 2.5 goals. He is both cash and tournament viable. If Ryan Fraser starts, he can be targeted in tournaments only. Brad Guzan will start again in place of Victor Valdes and is wildly underpriced. He is viable in all formats and should face plenty of shots from Bournemouth. Amongst defender, Charlie Daniels has improved his play of late and can be considered.
Good luck tomorrow everyone!
