Draft Kings has seven games on Saturday’s slate. Eden Hazard of Chelsea garners the highest price tag. I do love Hazard. The aggressive midfielder played just this past Wednesday in the Caraboa Cup, but didn’t come into the match until the 61st minute. Hazard has earned double-digit fantasy points his last four matches.
Man City is on the slate against Crystal Palace. Who will play? Welcome to the Man City merry-go-round. Take caution — Crystal Palace may be the 15th-ranked club, but it’s not because of a weak defense. The Eagles rank eighth in shots against and ninth in goals against. It’s the third-least goals that make Man City defenders worth a higher price tag.
The standard lineup at Draft Kings consists of two forwards, two midfielders, two defenders, one goalkeeper, and one utility player. Saturday’s fixtures are below. The Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR) comes from the Fantasy Premier League website. The rating is from 1-5 with one being the lowest difficulty rating and five being the highest difficulty rating (higher the rating, better the team).
Fixtures for Dec. 22, 2018
| Home Team | FDR | Away Team | FDR |
| Bournemouth | 3 | Brighton | 2 |
| Chelsea | 4 | Leicester | 3 |
| Huddersfield | 2 | Southampton | 2 |
| Man City | 5 | Crystal Palace | 2 |
| New Castle | 2 | Fulham | 2 |
| West Ham | 2 | Watford | 3 |
| Cardiff | 2 | Man United | 4 |
Man City, D, Kyle Walker ($4,600): Kyle Walker averages 6.7 fantasy points per game, and a clean sheet is very possible going against the Eagles. The Citizens’ defender has been on the pitch the full 90 minutes and should be again this Saturday with Benjamin Mendy still out. I’ve been burned before by Man City, so check the lineup. If Walker doesn’t start, Oleksander Zinchenko is a good substitute ($4,100).
Cardiff, M, Callum Paterson ($5,100): Paterson averages 7.1 fantasy points per game and offers a high ceiling. Cardiff plays at home against Man United who have conceded the fifth-most goals. One concern is this will be the Red Devils’ first match with a new manager. However, Cardiff is trying to avoid relegation, and the Scottish midfielder should be instrumental to that.
