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Manchester United and Aston Villa, both unbeaten in their last five games in the English Premier League (EPL), will face each other on Friday at Old Trafford. Here is a look at the breakdown of players to consider for your roster from the DraftKings Showdown contest.
Set your DraftKings fantasy soccer lineups here: EPL Showdown $35K Counter Attack [$10K to 1st] (MU vs AVL)
Captain
Bruno Fernandes ($17,700)
One way to look at selecting your fantasy Captain could be to pick the player you don’t want to leave out instead of the one you want. Among the 22 players that will start the game, Fernandes will be the one player I wouldn’t want to leave out because he has the ability to perform in almost any role. He also takes penalties, which could also play a crucial role if Aston Villa isn’t careful in the final third.
Others to consider: Jack Grealish ($15,600)
High-priced flex options
Jack Grealish ($10,400)
Grealish has been Aston Villa’s best player dating back to 2019. It’s just not his offensive capability, but his ability to help his club win free kicks and create set-pieces for Aston Villa’s tall center-halves. Now, here is some statistical evidence of his proficiency. He has scored five goals, tied for second in Aston Villa, with a team-leading six assists. He has also taken 40 shots, also the highest in his club.
Anthony Martial ($8,000)
Martial hasn’t quite hit the same offensive level as the 2019-20 season. Still, it wouldn’t be a wise move to count him out, especially at home when Manchester United has found its rhythm moving forward. He has chipped in with three assists and 21 shots taken. As this season progresses, you will see these numbers go up substantially.
Anwar El Ghazi ($9,600)
El Ghazi was picked as a punt play from Aston Villa’s management after his late gamewinner on the road against Wolves. He has repaid that faith with consistency. He now has five goals this season, tied for second in Aston Villa. Despite not having started too many games this season, he has taken 24 shots, third most for his team. He has averaged 16 DKFP per game.
Others to consider: Marcus Rashford ($9,200)
Value flex options
Scott McTominay ($5,600)
If you’re fine with a holding midfielder that can capitalize on space in the middle of the pitch, McTominay is your pick. Manchester United has shown a preference for the counter-attack. McTominay often leads that charge with interceptions (16 this season) and then turning a defensive phase into a quick 1-2 or through ball to Rashford, Martial or Fernandes. An average of 6.7 DKFP per game for this price isn’t too bad at all.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka ($4,800)
Aston Villa has been a solid team at the back this season. In fact, the team has kept the most clean sheets in the EPL, with eight. That is an important consideration because it means that Aston Villa does not move the ball at a rapid pace. Manchester United, at home, will be a hard team to keep a clean sheet against. Wan-Bissaka might benefit from that. He could also contribute with an assist with his runs down the right wing.
Others to consider: David de Gea ($6,200)
Set your DraftKings fantasy soccer lineups here: EPL Showdown $35K Counter Attack [$10K to 1st] (MU vs AVL)
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Nikhil Kalro is the Founder and CEO of Altletics Esports.