These are our final Premier League DFS picks week 7, and the round starts soon. The first ball is kicked on Saturday 17 October at 14:00 UTC, about 20 hours from now, and Fanteam’s EPL Weekly Special covers nine matches with a 120 budget and no more than three players per club. We also cover the Saturday slates on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo. Most of the week’s shape was clear in the early look. The late movement has come from fitness news, and that is where the edge sits.
Projections update until lock. Check late team news before the deadline, especially at Manchester City and Liverpool.
What changed since the early look
Several players have climbed back into the picture. Brian Brobbey was flagged as injured earlier in the week and is now expected to start, moving from zero to 3.27. Trey Nyoni went from unexpected to expected and now projects 3.28, which makes him one of our better cheap midfielders. Phil Foden is also now expected, at 3.6. Rio Ngumoha and Ross Barkley jumped too, but both are still marked unexpected, so their higher numbers come with real bench risk.
The big drop is Dominik Szoboszlai, down from 3.91 to 1.0 as his status slipped to possible. We would not build around him.
What changed since the early look
| Player | Team | Early | Now | Change | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Ngumoha | LIV | 0.44 | 4.17 | +3.73 | unexpected |
| Brian Brobbey | SUN | 0.00 | 3.27 | +3.27 | injured → expected |
| Ross Barkley | AVL | 0.41 | 3.50 | +3.09 | unexpected |
| Phil Foden | MCI | 0.63 | 3.60 | +2.97 | unexpected → expected |
| Ibrahim Mbaye | AVL | 1.02 | 3.98 | +2.96 | possible |
| Dominik Szoboszlai | LIV | 3.91 | 1.00 | -2.91 | expected → possible |
| Trey Nyoni | LIV | 0.40 | 3.28 | +2.88 | unexpected → expected |
| Bruno Guimarães | ARS | 1.15 | 4.01 | +2.86 | possible |
Premier League DFS picks week 7: Fanteam captains
Erling Haaland at home to Ipswich is the obvious captain, and our numbers agree. He leads the round at 5.5 points with a 44.1% chance to score and is on penalties. City’s game sits between European fixtures, so rotation is a genuine worry. Our projections still treat him as a near-certain starter.
The interesting part is how close Johan Manzambi gets. He projects 5.49, barely behind Haaland, and his ceiling of 12.38 is actually a touch higher. He costs 8.6 against Haaland’s 15.8. Villa carry the best match profile on the board at Newcastle, with a 58.95% win chance and 2.05 projected goals. John McGinn, also at Villa, sits third at 5.21 and takes corners. Captaining Manzambi frees salary that can buy a stronger defence or a second premium.
For big-swing picks, Lewis Koumas is the one we like. He projects 4.53 with a 28.2% chance to score and a ceiling of 10.25 at only 7.5. Bradley Barcola and Declan Rice fill out that list, though Rice’s 5.9% scoring chance makes him a niche choice. Liverpool’s projected goals against Brentford are modest at 1.26, so treat any Liverpool captain as a contrarian move.
Bukayo Saka is widely seen as the next captain after Haaland. We are cooler on him. He projects 4.72 and is on penalties, which is respectable, but he trails both Villa midfielders while costing more than either.
Captain options, week 7
| Type | Player | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safe | Erling Haaland | MCI | IPS | 15.8 | 5.50 | 12.2 |
| Safe | Johan Manzambi | AVL | NEW | 8.6 | 5.49 | 12.4 |
| Safe | John McGinn | AVL | NEW | 8.8 | 5.21 | 11.6 |
| Upside | Bradley Barcola | LIV | BRE | 8.8 | 3.67 | 8.9 |
| Upside | Declan Rice | ARS | NFO | 11.3 | 3.58 | 8.1 |
| Upside | Lewis Koumas | LIV | BRE | 7.5 | 4.53 | 10.2 |
Fanteam stacks
The Villa pair of McGinn and Manzambi is our top-projecting stack at 10.7 for 17.4 of salary. It appears in 5 of our 15 lineups. The Manchester United duo of Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo shows up even more often, in 6 of 15, projecting 10.3 for 19.3. Fernandes owns penalties, corners and free kicks, and Mbeumo is the United attacker most likely to finish a move. United’s projected 1.85 goals at Leeds supports the idea that this fixture is kinder than it looks.
Haaland with Antoine Semenyo projects 10.4 but eats 31.1 of the budget, so we only use it in 3 lineups. Villa also offers combinations with Nicolas Jackson or Emiliano Buendía, but remember the three-per-club limit. With Zion Suzuki in goal, a Villa midfield pair already fills the quota.
Our best lineup projects 54.3 points with Haaland as captain and Manzambi as vice. It pairs the two Villa midfielders with Suzuki, both United midfielders, and Haaland with Semenyo. It also uses Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel together at the back. If both Arsenal defenders keep a clean sheet, the stacking penalty applies, so that is a deliberate trade for their attacking upside.
Best stacks, week 7
| Stack | Team | Salary | Proj | In our lineups |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bruno Fernandes + Bryan Mbeumo | MUN | 19.3 | 10.3 | 6 of 15 |
| John McGinn + Johan Manzambi | AVL | 17.4 | 10.7 | 5 of 15 |
| Erling Haaland + Antoine Semenyo | MCI | 31.1 | 10.4 | 3 of 15 |
| Nicolas Jackson + Emiliano Buendía | AVL | 17.6 | 8.3 | 3 of 15 |
| John McGinn + Emiliano Buendía | AVL | 17.5 | 10.1 | 2 of 15 |
Fanteam value plays
Goalkeeper. Suzuki is the standout. He projects 3.84 at 6.2, the best goalkeeper number of the round, behind a Villa side with a 31.68% clean sheet chance. David Raya is the popular clean-sheet pick and projects 3.52, but at 11.5 he costs nearly double. We would rather spend that difference up front.
Defence. Villa defenders dominate our points-per-salary list. Victor Lindelöf leads at 3.39 for 5.4, followed by Matty Cash at 5.8 and Aaron Wan-Bissaka at 5.2. Pau Torres is only a possible starter. The catch is the club limit and the stacking penalty, so pick one Villa defender if you are already using Suzuki or two Villa attackers. Neco Williams at 5.1 projects 3.25 but is a coin-flip starter. Leif Davis at 3.5 projects 3.42 with a ceiling of 8.84, which is outstanding for the price, but he too has a 50% start probability.
Calafiori is the defender that gets the most attention this week, and he does top our defensive projections at 3.53. His minutes are the problem. We list him as a 50% starter. Gabriel, at 3.47 and a near-certain starter, is the safer Arsenal buy.
Midfield. Nyoni at 6.0 is the cheapest reliable midfielder we have, projecting 3.28 with a 16.6% chance to score. Beyond him, the Villa and United pairs offer strong points per salary for players in the 8.6 to 9.7 range.
Forward. Brobbey at 8.3 projects 3.27 now that he is expected back, and his ceiling of 9.68 is the second-highest among forwards. Jackson at 8.9 is the steadier option at 3.47 and a near-certain starter.
Underdogs and set-piece takers
No clear underdog stands out in our numbers this week, so set-piece duties are the better tiebreaker. Haaland, Fernandes, Buendía, Saka and Morgan Gibbs-White all take penalties. Fernandes adds corners and free kicks on top.
Pascal Gross is a name we like more than his price might suggest. He projects 4.44, takes penalties, corners and free kicks, and Brighton host a Crystal Palace defence that has been giving away plenty through the middle. Brighton’s projected 1.84 goals backs that up. Gibbs-White projects 4.33 and creates heavily for Forest, but he carries a muscular injury with a 75% chance of playing. If he is confirmed, he is a fine pivot. If he is not, leave him out, because a non-starter scores nothing.
Rayan Cherki takes corners and free kicks for City and projects 4.6, but his status is only possible. Foden’s return makes City’s midfield harder to read.
DraftKings Premier League DFS: Saturday slate
The Saturday slate on DraftKings has three games: Fulham v Hull, Manchester City v Ipswich and Brentford v Liverpool. The Classic format uses eight players (one goalkeeper, two defenders, two midfielders, two forwards and a utility spot) under a $50,000 cap. Value here is projected points per $1,000 of salary.
Haaland is the top play at $10,400, projecting 12.16 with a 16.42 ceiling. He is also good value at 1.17, so paying up does not hurt. Florian Wirtz at $7,700 projects 8.86, and Semenyo at $9,100 adds flexibility with his F/M eligibility.
The value is concentrated at Liverpool. Nyoni at $4,200 projects 6.4 for the best value on the slate at 1.52. Koumas at $5,300 projects 7.43 with a 28.2% chance to score, and Barcola at $7,000 sits at 8.51. Jeremy Jacquet at $3,000 and Ronald Araujo at $3,100 are cheap defenders who let you fit Haaland and Wirtz together. Gianluigi Donnarumma at $6,000 is the goalkeeper we project highest. Gonzalo Garcia is a speculative forward at $6,100, a coin-flip starter with plenty of chances behind him but no goals to show for them lately. Players with less than a 50% chance of starting show 0 in the tables.
DraftKings top projections, Saturday 17 Oct slate
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | F | MCI | IPS | 10,400 | 12.16 | 1.17 |
| Florian Wirtz | M | LIV | BRE | 7,700 | 8.86 | 1.15 |
| Antoine Semenyo | F/M | MCI | IPS | 9,100 | 8.56 | 0.94 |
| Bradley Barcola | F | LIV | BRE | 7,000 | 8.51 | 1.22 |
| Lewis Koumas | F | LIV | BRE | 5,300 | 7.43 | 1.40 |
| Elliot Anderson | M | MCI | IPS | 7,200 | 6.79 | 0.94 |
| Trey Nyoni | M | LIV | BRE | 4,200 | 6.40 | 1.52 |
| Gonzalo Garcia | F | FUL | HUL | 6,100 | 5.11 | 0.84 |
| Phil Foden | M | MCI | IPS | 8,000 | 5.11 | 0.64 |
| Gianluigi Donnarumma | GK | MCI | IPS | 6,000 | 4.94 | 0.82 |
FanDuel Premier League DFS: Saturday slate
FanDuel’s Saturday slate adds Newcastle v Aston Villa to Fulham v Hull, Manchester City v Ipswich and Brentford v Liverpool. You pick seven players (one goalkeeper, two defenders and four FWD/MID) under a cap of 100, with a maximum of four from one team. Value is projected points per salary point.
Haaland leads at 22.66 for 25. Manzambi at 20 projects 19.94, and McGinn at 17 is the better value at 1.08 while projecting 18.38. A Villa core of both midfielders plus a defender fits comfortably inside the four-per-team limit.
Defenders are where this slate gets cheap. Cash, Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka all cost 9 and project between 12.35 and 13.4, with Cash on top at a value of 1.49. Ruben Dias at 10 is a City alternative. Boubacar Kamara at 13 is a quiet midfield value at 13.27, and Wirtz and Barcola at 16 each sit just above 15.
FanDuel top projections, Saturday 17 Oct slate
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | FWD/MID | MCI | IPS | 25.0 | 22.66 | 0.91 |
| Johan Manzambi | FWD/MID | AVL | NEW | 20.0 | 19.94 | 1.00 |
| John McGinn | FWD/MID | AVL | NEW | 17.0 | 18.38 | 1.08 |
| Florian Wirtz | FWD/MID | LIV | BRE | 16.0 | 15.15 | 0.95 |
| Bradley Barcola | FWD/MID | LIV | BRE | 16.0 | 15.09 | 0.94 |
| Antoine Semenyo | FWD/MID | MCI | IPS | 21.0 | 14.18 | 0.68 |
| Elliot Anderson | FWD/MID | MCI | IPS | 18.0 | 14.07 | 0.78 |
| Matty Cash | DEF | AVL | NEW | 9.0 | 13.40 | 1.49 |
| Lewis Koumas | FWD/MID | LIV | BRE | 15.0 | 13.33 | 0.89 |
| Boubacar Kamara | FWD/MID | AVL | NEW | 13.0 | 13.27 | 1.02 |
Yahoo Premier League DFS: Saturday slate
Yahoo uses the same four games: Fulham v Hull, Manchester City v Ipswich, Brentford v Liverpool and Newcastle v Aston Villa. Lineups have 11 players (one goalkeeper, three defenders, four midfielders, two forwards and a utility spot), a cap of 200 and up to six from one team. Value is projected points per salary point.
Haaland at 32 projects 10.23 and Manzambi at 24 projects 8.66. Those two are the backbone. McGinn at 25 projects 6.85, a bigger gap behind his teammate than we would like at that price.
The savings come from Liverpool again. Koumas at 12 is the top value at 0.48, followed by Nyoni at 10, Barcola at 13 and Wirtz at 14. Suzuki at 14 is an efficient goalkeeper at 5.43, and Cash at 11 fits as a cheap defender. Jackson costs 27 for 5.44, so he is hard to justify unless you need a Villa forward to complete a stack.
Yahoo top projections, Saturday 17 Oct slate
| Player | Pos | Team | Opp | Salary | Proj | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erling Haaland | F | MCI | IPS | 32.0 | 10.23 | 0.32 |
| Johan Manzambi | M | AVL | NEW | 24.0 | 8.66 | 0.36 |
| John McGinn | M | AVL | NEW | 25.0 | 6.85 | 0.27 |
| Lewis Koumas | M | LIV | BRE | 12.0 | 5.78 | 0.48 |
| Elliot Anderson | M | MCI | IPS | 20.0 | 5.66 | 0.28 |
| Florian Wirtz | M | LIV | BRE | 14.0 | 5.66 | 0.40 |
| Antoine Semenyo | M | MCI | IPS | 22.0 | 5.63 | 0.26 |
| Nicolas Jackson | F | AVL | NEW | 27.0 | 5.44 | 0.20 |
| Zion Suzuki | GK | AVL | NEW | 14.0 | 5.43 | 0.39 |
| Bradley Barcola | F | LIV | BRE | 13.0 | 5.30 | 0.41 |
Fades and pivots
Raya to Suzuki. Raya is a trusted clean-sheet keeper, but Suzuki out-projects him for 5.3 less salary.
Semenyo to Manzambi. Semenyo ranks sixth in our projections at 4.89, but he costs 15.3 and his shooting has been thin. Manzambi projects more at 8.6.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin. He takes penalties and gets chances, so goals may come. We still have him at just 2.6 against United, far down our list.
Yoane Wissa. He has been playing deep with few box touches and is a 50% starter in a Newcastle side that has been leaking goals. At 11.3 we pass.
Maxim De Cuyper. His attacking role against Palace is appealing, but we project him at only 3.05, well behind the cheaper Villa defenders.
Liverpool doubts. Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo all project near zero. Kevin Schade at Brentford is in the same position.
Final checks before lock
- City’s teamsheet decides Haaland’s partners. Foden, Cherki and Jérémy Doku are all minutes risks.
- Confirm Gibbs-White and Barkley, both at 75%.
- Check that Calafiori, Davis and Williams start before relying on them, as all three are 50% starters.
- Watch Liverpool’s lineup for Nyoni and Koumas, the cheap core on several slates.
- In Fanteam, keep the three-per-club cap in mind with Villa, and weigh the stacking penalty before doubling up on defenders from one side.
Our projections keep moving until lock, so check the late news before the deadline on Saturday.
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.