Draft Kings Picks: Gameweek 8

After what feels like an international break that lasted a lifetime, the Premier League is finally back in full force this weekend. This leaves us with a great Draftkings slate on Saturday morning, with plenty of opportunity to win big. There have been some injuries over the break to bear in mind, and Saturday’s matches feature some exciting matchups. Let’s jump right in and take a look at some players you might consider rostering.

Goalies

Lee Grant ($5,100)- Grant should get the start for Stoke City against Sunderland on Saturday. Although Stoke have gotten off to a horrendous start this season, I would expect them to be able to turn things around with the amount of talent on their roster. Nothing helps turn things around quite like a home match against Sunderland, who are early relegation candidates. Grant should be able to accrue some saves and have the opportunity for a win and clean sheet. He represents a safe option at a fairly reasonable price.

Ben Foster ($4,100)- This is obviously a far riskier selection, and I would suggest him in cash games, but Foster is at home against a Tottenham team that is without their most potent weapon on offense (Harry Kane). Tottenham take a ton of shots, which means there’s a decent chance Foster can get a ton of saves against them. West Brom are one of the most organized teams on defense in the Premier League, and without Kane in the lineup to provide a killer instinct, it’s more than possible WBA come up with an upset. It’s never a bad idea to think about taking a cheap goalie, because they are more likely to get saves. The money you save could make a huge difference in the rest of your lineup.

Defense

Hector Bellerin ($5,200)- There aren’t a ton of high priced defenders that really catch my eye for this week, which is why I will most likely look to find cheaper defenders. If you want to spend up, then I would suggest Bellerin. Arsenal are big favorites at home to Swansea, and Bellerin should be involved in Arsenal’s attack. He doesn’t cross the ball too much, but Bellerin has the capability of being involved in a goal tomorrow. The fact that Arsenal are big favorites means that a cleansheet bonus is very likely for Bellerin.

Adam Smith ($4,600)- Bournemouth face a good matchup at home against Hull, and Smith is one of my favorite defenders for a number of reasons. His price isn’t outrageous, but he should be very involved in the attack and should put up a good amount of crosses. Smith has also taken penalties for Bournemouth in the past, and although it’s no guarantee, it’s never bad to have in your back pocket. Combine all of that with a reasonable chance at a shutout, and Smith becomes one of the best plays for our defense.

Aaron Creswell ($3,900)- He’s no guarantee to start, but West Ham are facing real issues on defense and Creswell was a staple in their stingy defense last year. He is yet to play this year, which means this pick is risky, but his numbers last year were really strong and his price is so low. He’ll likely be very busy with Palace’s wingers, which means tackles and interceptions could be important. He is also very offensive minded, and I have a suspicion that West Ham turn things around and control this game.

Midfield:

Xherdan Shaqiri ($7,300)- Shaqiri is the focal point of Stoke City’s offense, and facing a favorable matchup against Sunderland only adds to his value. Shaqiri’s price is still relatively low because he is recently coming back from injury, and until it gets in the eight thousand range, I consider him a guy that needs to be rostered. He is yet to play a Premier League home match, but is still averaging over 12 points a game. He’s the type of guy who boosts an extremely high floor because of his crossing, but still has the ability to score goals and pick up assists. Fire him up in your lineup and you shouldn’t be disappointed.

Junior Stanislas ($6,400)- Another guy who has a relatively high ceiling and is facing a good matchup. Stanislas has had a good start to the year, with one goal and an assist in 4 appearances. He should have some corner and set-piece duties. Again I think he faces an easier matchup at home against Hull, a game Bournemouth should control. Like most players who are the offensive focal points of mid-table teams, they typically put up more points in favorable matchups at home.

Dimitri Payet ($10,000)- If you are going to spend big bucks on a player for Saturday’s slate, I would put my money on Payet. It’s no secret that when on his game, he’s one of the best fantasy players in the Premier League. West Ham have certainly had their struggles this season, but that really hasn’t slowed Payet down. He is now fully fit and I suspect West Ham could control this game. This is even better news for Payet.

Forward:

Callum Wilson ($6,800)- Wilson should start at centre forward for Bournemouth in a game they have the potential to dominate. If Bournemouth do score goals on Saturday, your best bet would be that Wilson is the guy scoring them. He hasn’t had the best start to the season, but he did score in his last game and I suspect he’s going to start scoring in bunches for the cherries. His relatively low price means that even just one goal will mean he already paid dividends.

Alex Iwobi ($5,900)- Iwobi is a bit of a risk because he does not have the highest floor, but his matchup is too favorable to ignore. Arsenal are home against Swansea, and if Iwobi is involved in just one goal, his low price will justify our selection. It can be difficult to predict who scores the goals for Arsenal sometimes, but Iwobi is clearly an important piece to their offense. Given his low price and Arsenal’s favorable matchup, he is too tempting to resist.

Nolito ($7,500)- City face an interesting matchup at home against an Everton side that have started the season flying. I personally don’t love City in this game, considering they are still without Kevin De Bruyne. This is why I wouldn’t advise picking Aguero, and instead might look for a cheaper option in Nolito. He should get the start here, with Sterling likely out with an injury. If he does, he’s averaging 14 ppg (some games he has come off the bench), and has the capability to score multiple goals. While I am somewhat skeptical about this game for City, it is also difficult to bet against Pep and Nolito should find himself in the thick of City’s attack.