Best lineup strategy for Manchester City-Arsenal Showdown

The English Premier League will officially be back on Wednesday, and Manchester City will be playing Arsenal in a midweek match at 3:15 p.m. ET. Neither side has played in three months, but we’ll break down some ideal DraftKings picks to keep an eye one following the long break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic below. You can set your lineups here.

Captain’s Picks

Kevin De Bruyne ($18,600) hasn’t played since February because of a back injury, but has been a full participant in practice ahead of his team’s matchup with Arsenal. He’s City’s second leading scorer and leads the entire EPL in assists (16). Even if he hasn’t played at full speed competitively in a while, I think he has the highest floor and ceiling in this contest. Arsenal ranking 16th defensively against midfielders makes De Bruyne’s case stronger, as he scored two goals the last time he face the Gunners.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ($13,800) isn’t as versatile as De Bruyne, but his pace and scoring prowess sets him apartment from most of the forwards in the EPL. Only Leicester’s Jamie Vardy has scored more goals than the Arsenal captain this season. Although City has one of the EPL’s better defenses, I think rust could play a factor in how well it communicates. That could open up room for Aubameyang to make the net bulge.

Flex Plays

Benjamin Mendy ($6,200) is an inexpensive defensive option with significant upside. The left back’s floor is bolstered by his accurate passing, and he’s able to reach double-digits in fantasy points fairly easily when he sends in crosses. He’s aggressive getting up field and could be very busy against one of the fastest front lines around.

Mesut Ozil ($5,600) is an option that can do a little bit of everything. He’s an efficient passer who can send in crosses and draws fouls. While he scored or assisted a ton in his 18 appearances this term, he’s averaging a shot every other game.