Our Premier League DFS picks week 9 are set, with the first kickoff on Saturday 31 October at 15:00 UTC, about 15 hours away. It is a nine-match round on Fanteam, with a 111 budget and a maximum of three players per club. We also cover the DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo Saturday slates below, each with its own rules and prices.
Clean sheets are scarce this week. Tottenham at home to Crystal Palace is the one clear exception, and almost every other team sits between roughly 17% and 29% to keep a shutout. Goals will decide most of the contests.
Premier League DFS picks week 9: Fanteam captains
Erling Haaland is our top projection of the round at 4.99 points, with a 39.6% chance to score. He is the captain in our best lineup, and Harvey Barnes (4.49) is the vice-captain. Manchester City are projected for 2.16 goals against Brighton, the highest team total on the board.
Haaland is not on our safe list only because his start probability is 84%. The near-certain starters are listed below. Rayan of Bournemouth projects at 3.99 with an 89% start chance, so he is the floor-first alternative if you want to avoid the City team-news question.
Captain options, week 9
| Type | Player | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safe | Rayan | BOU | LEE | 9.6 | 3.99 | 9.4 |
| Safe | Antonín Kinský | TOT | CRY | 10.8 | 3.98 | 8.1 |
| Safe | Marcus Tavernier | BOU | LEE | 10.7 | 3.78 | 9.0 |
| Upside | Johan Manzambi | AVL | FUL | 12.0 | 3.99 | 10.2 |
| Upside | Mohamed Belloumi | HUL | IPS | 9.6 | 3.91 | 9.8 |
| Upside | Rayan Cherki | MCI | BHA | 13.2 | 3.72 | 9.2 |
Our big-swing picks are Johan Manzambi, Mohamed Belloumi and Rayan Cherki. Manzambi has a ceiling of 10.15 against a 3.99 average, but his minutes carry some risk because he has been taken off early recently. Cherki is the most volatile of the three. His 79% start chance means City team news matters before you commit to him.
We do not captain Dominic Solanke, even at 4.18. His start probability is 50%, and a captain who does not start is a wasted double. If he is benched, the safety net moves in a cheaper forward who starts, but the armband is lost. Kinský at 3.98 is a fair goalkeeper captain, though a goalkeeper’s ceiling (8.05) is well below what the outfielders offer.
Fanteam stacks
The Liverpool pairing of Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo is the most-used stack in our lineups, in 5 of 15. It costs 15.5 for a combined 8.2 projection. Gakpo at 7.8 is the best points-per-salary attacker on the board, at 4.36 and third overall in our rankings.
Best stacks, week 9
| Stack | Team | Salary | Proj | In our lineups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florian Wirtz + Cody Gakpo | LIV | 15.5 | 8.2 | 5 of 15 |
| Kevin Schade + Igor Thiago | BRE | 23.2 | 7.8 | 3 of 15 |
| James Maddison + Dominic Solanke | TOT | 24.8 | 8.3 | 2 of 15 |
| Cody Gakpo + Bradley Barcola | LIV | 14.9 | 8.1 | 2 of 15 |
| John McGinn + Johan Manzambi | AVL | 23.8 | 7.8 | 2 of 15 |
The Tottenham pair of James Maddison and Solanke has the highest projection at 8.3, but it costs 24.8 and relies on Solanke starting. Brentford’s Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago (7.8 for 23.2) are a sensible home-attack pairing. Forest are short of forwards, which helps them. The Aston Villa pairing of John McGinn and Manzambi sits at the same 7.8.
The stacking penalty only matters if you load up on goalkeepers and defenders from one side. Our best lineup runs two Tottenham defenders, Andrew Robertson and Jan Paul van Hecke, so keep that in mind if you add a third Spurs defender or their goalkeeper.
Fanteam value plays
The cheapest useful points are in midfield. Crystal Palace are projected for only 1.09 goals and a 13.23% clean-sheet chance, but their cheap midfielders still rate well because the projections are about minutes and shots. Anan Khalaili (5.7, 3.45), Adam Wharton (5.4, 3.24) and Dwight McNeil (5.1, 2.75, 74% to start) are the names. Khalaili has the best value score at 0.61.
Elsewhere, Harry Wilson at 6.6 projects 3.5 and Alex Iwobi at 6.8 also projects 3.5. Shea Charles (5.5) is a floor play at 2.99. Morgan Gibbs-White at 7.0 and 3.98 is the best cheap premium in our lineup. He takes penalties and free kicks for Forest, which gives a path to points even when the team struggles.
In goal, Alisson at 7.3 projects 3.45, only half a point behind Kinský at 10.8. That saving funds a premium forward elsewhere. Robin Roefs at 8.6 (3.65) is our pick in the best lineup.
Underdogs and set pieces
The best underdog attackers are Liverpool’s Gakpo, Barcola and Wirtz, all with a 32.8% win chance against Arsenal, plus Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (3.99) and Thierno Barry (3.69) at 32.35% against Newcastle. Brighton’s Charalampos Kostoulas has only a 22.18% win chance but a 23.7% chance to score. His 79% start chance is the only caveat.
Penalty takers are the cleanest source of upside: Haaland, Solanke, Gibbs-White, Thiago and Barry. Set-piece roles add floor for McGinn (corners), Marcus Tavernier (corners and free kicks) and Cherki (corners and free kicks). Barry at 8.8 is a rare cheap forward with a 27.0% chance to score and penalty duty.
DraftKings Premier League DFS: Saturday slate
DraftKings Classic uses 8 players (1 GK, 2 D, 2 M, 2 F, 1 UTIL) and a $50,000 cap. The Saturday slate has five games: Brentford v Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth v Leeds, Hull v Ipswich, Manchester City v Brighton and Coventry v Sunderland. Value is projected points per $1,000. The tables show 0 for players with less than a 50% chance of starting.
Haaland tops the projections at 10.28 for $10,300. Right behind him is Kostoulas at 10.26 for $6,500, a value score of 1.58. Belloumi at $6,300 projects 9.8 with an 84% start chance. Cherki ($8,200, 9.64) and Doku ($8,600, 8.67) round out the City options. Jack Rudoni at $7,100 (8.61) is the best Coventry play.
Cheap defenders and midfielders anchor the value. Antonio Silva at $3,200 projects 5.06 with an 89% start chance, matching Kostoulas at 1.58 value. Matt Grimes ($3,700, 5.8), Leif Davis ($4,300, 6.36) and Caleb Yirenkyi ($3,400, 4.93) round out the group.
DraftKings top projections, Saturday 31 Oct slate
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | F | MCI | BHA | 10,300 | 10.28 | 1.00 |
| Charalampos Kostoulas | F | BHA | MCI | 6,500 | 10.26 | 1.58 |
| Mohamed Belloumi | F/M | HUL | IPS | 6,300 | 9.80 | 1.56 |
| Rayan Cherki | M | MCI | BHA | 8,200 | 9.64 | 1.18 |
| Jeremy Doku | F | MCI | BHA | 8,600 | 8.67 | 1.01 |
| Marcus Tavernier | M | BOU | LEE | 8,400 | 8.66 | 1.03 |
| Jack Rudoni | M | CVC | SUN | 7,100 | 8.61 | 1.21 |
| Pascal Gross | M | BHA | MCI | 6,900 | 7.98 | 1.16 |
| Maxim De Cuyper | D | BHA | MCI | 6,600 | 7.86 | 1.19 |
| Elliot Anderson | M | MCI | BHA | 6,100 | 7.48 | 1.23 |
FanDuel Premier League DFS: Saturday slate
FanDuel has 7 players (1 GK, 2 DEF, 4 FWD/MID), a $100 cap and at most 4 players per team. The slate has six games: the five above plus Spurs v Crystal Palace. Value is projected points per salary point. With only two defenders required, the four attacking slots decide the lineup.
Kostoulas leads at 17.78 for a salary of 15.0, with a value score of 1.19, the best on the slate. Haaland (24.0, 17.7) and Belloumi (21.0, 16.29) are the premium options, while Marmoush at 16.0 projects 14.25 against Palace. Cherki, Tavernier and Doku all project above 13 but carry higher price tags.
The value list is led by Yirenkyi at 9.0 (8.61) and Mateus Fernandes at 10.0 (9.59, 79% to start). Elliot Stroud at 10.0 projects 9.49, and McNeil at 11.0 projects 10.34 with a 74% start chance. Those cheaper options are what let you afford two of the premium forwards.
FanDuel top projections, Saturday 31 Oct slate
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charalampos Kostoulas | FWD/MID | BHA | MCI | 15.0 | 17.78 | 1.19 |
| Erling Haaland | FWD/MID | MCI | BHA | 24.0 | 17.70 | 0.74 |
| Mohamed Belloumi | FWD/MID | HUL | IPS | 21.0 | 16.29 | 0.78 |
| Omar Marmoush | FWD/MID | TOT | CRY | 16.0 | 14.25 | 0.89 |
| Rayan Cherki | FWD/MID | MCI | BHA | 21.0 | 14.19 | 0.68 |
| Marcus Tavernier | FWD/MID | BOU | LEE | 22.0 | 13.59 | 0.62 |
| Jeremy Doku | FWD/MID | MCI | BHA | 18.0 | 13.41 | 0.74 |
| Jack Rudoni | FWD/MID | CVC | SUN | 17.0 | 13.19 | 0.78 |
| Igor Thiago | FWD/MID | BRE | NFO | 16.0 | 12.45 | 0.78 |
| Rayan | FWD/MID | BOU | LEE | 18.0 | 12.07 | 0.67 |
Yahoo Premier League DFS: Saturday slate
Yahoo uses 11 players (1 GK, 3 D, 4 M, 2 F, 1 UTIL), a cap of 200 and a maximum of 6 per team. The slate has seven games: all six above plus Aston Villa v Fulham. Value is projected points per salary point.
Haaland projects 8.39 at 33.0, and Kostoulas projects 6.9 at 24.0. Manzambi (25.0, 6.34) is the main Villa play and Belloumi at 20.0 projects 6.16. The standout price is Omar Marmoush at 13.0 for 5.82, a value score of 0.45. Kinský at 15.0 (5.56) is the goalkeeper to beat.
Jean-Philippe Mateta at 11.0 projects 5.3 with the best value score (0.48), despite Palace being the underdog at Tottenham. Matt Grimes (10.0, 4.26), Gonzalo Garcia (10.0, 4.17, 79% to start), Stroud as a defender (12.0, 4.69) and Roefs in goal (12.0, 4.5) are the other cheap options.
Yahoo top projections, Saturday 31 Oct slate
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | F | MCI | BHA | 33.0 | 8.39 | 0.25 |
| Charalampos Kostoulas | F | BHA | MCI | 24.0 | 6.90 | 0.29 |
| Johan Manzambi | M | AVL | FUL | 25.0 | 6.34 | 0.25 |
| Mohamed Belloumi | F | HUL | IPS | 20.0 | 6.16 | 0.31 |
| Rayan Cherki | M | MCI | BHA | 24.0 | 5.84 | 0.24 |
| Omar Marmoush | F | TOT | CRY | 13.0 | 5.82 | 0.45 |
| Antonin Kinsky | GK | TOT | CRY | 15.0 | 5.56 | 0.37 |
| Jack Rudoni | M | CVC | SUN | 18.0 | 5.44 | 0.30 |
| Marcus Tavernier | M | BOU | LEE | 28.0 | 5.36 | 0.19 |
| Jean-Philippe Mateta | F | CRY | TOT | 11.0 | 5.30 | 0.48 |
Fades and pivots
Arsenal are the main fade. Away or at home, the Liverpool game gives them only a 26.08% clean-sheet chance. Riccardo Calafiori projects 3.22 but has only a 60% start chance, so a starting spot is not secure. David Raya (3.65) is still a playable keeper, but we prefer Kinský or Roefs. Declan Rice (75%) and Noni Madueke (50%) are also listed with fitness concerns.
We rate several forwards below the popular view. Nicolas Jackson (3.31, rank 64), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (3.39, rank 59) and Alexander Isak (3.43, rank 52) are fine players, but our numbers do not push them into the main lineups. Gibbs-White, Thiago and Barry project higher for less.
On the other side, we are higher than the market on Gakpo despite his rotation risk. He projects 4.36 at 7.8, and the points per salary are too good to skip. We also like Spurs defenders more than their prices suggest, though Robertson (79%) and Solanke (50%) carry minutes risk.
Newcastle and Forest attackers are the risky group. Yoane Wissa projects 3.4 and may start with forwards injured or doubtful. Dan Ndoye (1.3) and Eli Kroupi (0.82) are not in our plans, and Bobby Thomas at 1.34 is a doubt for Coventry.
Final checks before lock
Projections update until lock, so check late team news before the deadline. Four checks matter most:
- Manchester City: Cherki’s start (79%) and the make-up of the attack decide whether to captain Haaland alone or build around the City attack.
- Tottenham: Solanke’s squad status (50% to start) and Robertson at 79%.
- Arsenal: Calafiori, Rice and Madueke are all flagged with fitness questions.
- Aston Villa: Manzambi’s minutes (79%) and McGinn’s role in midfield.
On Fanteam, the safety net covers a benched starter with the closest-priced cheaper teammate in that position who starts. It does not cover your captain, so make that call last.
Full, sortable projections for every player, with a CSV download for your own optimizer, are on our Premier League DFS projections page, for Fanteam, DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo.