Yahoo Focus – Gameweek 5

It may be too late to tinker with Fantasy Premier League line-ups, but in our partner game Yahoo, the Gameweek is yet to get underway.

This Saturday morning we check in and roll out our latest selection of player picks ahead of their weekend slate.

Driven by Opta data, the Yahoo game offers a scoring system that is ideal for members of our community on the search for a Daily Fantasy Sports offering.

To get started, you can sign up and claim a free £50 in credit to your account when you deposit just £5.

Before selecting your squad, it’s worth having a read of our Strategy Guide, which assesses both the mechanics of the Yahoo game and the type of players who tend to profit.

My Strongest XI

David de Gea – £14
Ben Davies – £17
Marcos Alonso – £16
Scott Dann – £12
Eden Hazard – £22
David Silva – £21
Georginio Wijnaldum – £15
Vicente Iborra – £12
Harry Kane – £27
Mo Salah – £25
Marcus Rashford – £19

As Yahoo allows late swaps up until each kick-off, our listed line-up could be subject to change.

With goalkeepers earning points for wins or draws (and bettering defenders by six points to three for a clean sheet), we’re opting for a safe pair of hands between the sticks. David de Gea has racked up four clean sheets in five outings and has yet to concede in three matches at Old Trafford across all competitions. Visitors Everton, meanwhile, won just four times on their travels last term and have so far produced a mere seven efforts on target – joint-bottom with Swansea City.

Ben Davies is one of two premium defenders for Gameweek 5 as Spurs welcome Swansea to Wembley. The left wing-back has already returned a goal and two assists in his first four outings and is ranked third overall for chances created in the top-flight. Davies sits second for both crosses and successful crosses and faces a defence that have conceded 25 chances down their right flank – more than any other side.

Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso also comes into the reckoning as Arsenal make their way to Stamford Bridge. Ranked number one defender for shots (10), efforts on target (four) and goals (two), the Spaniard found the net in a 3-1 home win over the Gunners in the previous campaign. Placed third for key passes (six) at the back, Alonso’s delivery down the left looks key for Antonio Conte’s side – only Cesc Fabregas has supplied more crosses in the Blues’ opening four fixtures.

A home clash against Southampton affords Roy Hodgson the chance to make an immediate impact as the new manager of Crystal Palace. Tellingly, the Saints have conceded more aerial attempts (16) than any side, which bodes well for the prospects of Scott Dann. Despite failing to find the net, the centre-half has fired more shots inside the box (six) than any defender. He’s also ranked top among all players for interceptions (14) in the first four.

After appearing off the bench in the last couple of matches in all competitions, we’re backing Eden Hazard to be unleashed from the start at home to Arsenal on Sunday. The Chelsea winger has scored in three of his last four home league appearances against the Gunners and, at £22, offers a slightly cheaper route into the hosts’ attack than Alvaro Morata (£23).

Man City’s David Silva boasts a fine away record ahead of a trip to Watford. The Spaniard has supplied an assist in his three away appearances across all competitions this season as Pep Guardiola’s side look for a repeat of last season’s 5-0 romp at Vicarage Road. The Hornets are a tougher side under Marco Silva, but the City playmaker could prove their undoing – he’s created more chances than any team-mate (12) yet comes in £5 cheaper than Kevin De Bruyne.

Georginio Wijnaldum’s home form persuades us to take a gamble on the Liverpool midfielder for the visit of Burnley. All 17 of the Dutchman’s league goals over the previous two campaigns have arrived in front of his own supporters – including the winner at home to the Clarets in the same fixture last season. Sean Dyche’s side have allowed their opponents an effort every 4.9 minutes this term. Only Swansea (4.8) boast an inferior record.

We’ll be keeping an eye on Saturday’s 3pm teamsheets in the hope that Vicente Iborra earns his first start for Leicester City away to Huddersfield. The summer signing from Sevilla stepped up his recovery from injury by scoring in a 90-minute run-out for the reserves earlier this week. Having netted seven times in each of the previous three La Liga campaigns, the Spaniard could offer us a handy budget enabler at just £12.

After failing to find the net in August, Harry Kane has roared back into form with four goals in his last two appearances in all competitions. A home clash with Swansea could barely be more persuasive – he sits top for shots (28) and efforts in the box (21) and scored twice in the corresponding fixture in 2016/17. The Swans have conceded more shots in the box (40) than any team in the Yahoo Gameweek’s upcoming nine matches.

Mo Salah earns the nod as our preferred Liverpool forward for the Burnley clash. He and Roberto Firmino bagged a goal apiece in the midweek draw with Sevilla and will boast the Merseysiders’ main threat with Sadio Mane out through suspension. Salah has produced twice the number of shots inside the box as Firmino (12 to six), while no player has bettered his total of nine shots on target in the first four Gameweeks.

Utilised as a substitute in Tuesday’s Champions League win over FC Basel, Marcus Rashford looks set to return to Man United’s XI for the visit of Everton. The youngster’s midweek goal off the bench means he has now scored in three successive matches in all competitions for Jose Mourinho’s side. A total of seven shots on target is bettered by only four players in the Premier league, suggesting that a £19 price tag could be excellent value for money against the Toffees.

This Week’s Contests

The biggest pay-out this weekend is the Premier League £10k Saturday game, which takes in the six Saturday matches from 3pm onwards.

It’s £5 to enter and is a multi-entry offering, allowing you to select up to 10 teams. The top 450 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £10, with £2,000 going to the Yahoo manager who finishes in top spot.

That’s just one of a whole host of contests to enter in Gameweek 5.

You can select the nine-match option, which takes in the fixtures from Saturday onwards, starting at 12.30pm when Crystal Palace entertain Southampton in Roy Hodgson’s first match in charge.

There’s also another six-fixture option for Saturday which consists of the matches from 3pm onwards, while a third contest involves Sunday’s two matches.

Among the big pay-outs, the Premier League £2k Saturday costs £10 to enter a team, with the top 75 in the money. Guaranteed to run, this one offers at least £35 to the top ten.

The Premier League £1k Sunday costs £5 to enter a team and is also guaranteed to go ahead. The top 50 all pick up at least £10 cash, with the winner earning £100.

And here’s another reminder that Yahoo have launched their Premier League £1,000,000 Perfect Lineup Cup, which takes place over Gameweek 1-19.

There’s £40k in prizes on offer, with £30k shared among the top 5,000 and £10k going to the winner. The Yahoo Cup also has a “£1,000,000 challenge”, which gives away £1m to any user who selects the perfect line-up in any given Gameweek to score the maximum possible points.

You can open an account and get started immediately.

If you register and deposit £5 or more, Yahoo will also give you a £50 bonus to be used as cash to enter paid contests.

Register here to claim the bonus.

You must be over 18 years of age, resident in the UK, and of legal capacity to register with Yahoo Daily Sports and open an Account. If you sign up, please always play responsibly.