This article is part of our TheSix Fantasy Soccer series.
RotoWire is pleased to announce a new partnership with The Six, a fantasy soccer site offering games for a plethora of leagues including the Premier League (England), Brazil Serie A, Chinese Super League, Liga MX, Ligue 1, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Major League Soccer and UEFA Champions League, among others . We'll be offering our recommendations each week for their Premier League contests, which include a number of different contest types including winner-take-all, head-to-heads and more.
Before we dive into this Saturday's recommendations, let's break down the rules:
• €100,000,000 salary cap
• Teams must consistent of 11 players but can be done with the following formations: 3-5-2 (three defenders, five midfielders and two strikers), 3-4-3, 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 5-3-2 and 5-4-1.
• Statistical categories and point values:
MATCHES (EDT)
7:30 a.m: Liverpool v. Manchester United
10:00 a.m: Burnley v. West Ham
10:00 a.m: Crystal Palace v. Chelsea
10:00 a.m: Manchester City v. Stoke City
10:00 a.m: Swansea City v. Huddersfield
10:00 a.m: Tottenham v. Bournemouth
12:30 p.m: Watford v. Arsenal
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
STRIKER
Harry Kane, TOT v. BOU (€15M): Kane has the best anytime goal-scoring odds while leading the line for a Spurs side that is heavily favored against the struggling Cherries. No player has put more shots on target than Kane, who also comes in having scored seven goals in his last three club matches in all competitions.
Gabriel Jesus, MCI v. STK (€11M): Jesus has the second-highest anytime goal scoring odds, while Manchester City have the highest implied goal total. The 20-year-old Brazilian hasn't scored for City since Sept. 16, but a home matchup against Stoke while Sergio Aguero (rib) is out injured should be the recipe to get him back on track.
Roberto Firmino, LIV v. MUN (€9M): The matchup against Manchester United won't be easy, but Firmino's price allows us to get solid upside without paying through the roof. And while he hasn't been quite as good as he was last season, Sadio Mane's injury could actually be a blessing in disguise, as it allows Philippe Coutinho to move back into the front attacking three, which should feature Firmino in the middle. Additionally, no forward on Saturday's slate has completed more passes than Firmino, and he's tied for fifth at the position in touches. If the matchup against United is one you'd rather avoid, Swansea City's Jordan Ayew profiles similarly to Firmino, though he'll cost €4M more.
Michy Batshuayi, CHE at CRY (€4M:) Batshuayi is not guaranteed to start, but he might be worth the risk given that Alvaro Morata could miss out with a hamstring injury. Batshuayi has been solid in spurts off the bench, though it's really his low salary and solid goal-scoring odds that make him an attractive fantasy option. (note: there is no late swap)
MIDFIELDER
Christian Eriksen, TOT v. BOU (€14M): Eriksen gets the same benefit as Kane in terms of facing an overmatched Bournemouth side, and his near total involvement in the Spurs attack makes him an excellent floor player with plenty of upside. Only four players have more shots on goal in the Premier League than Eriksen, and he has significantly more accurate passes and touches than anyone else in the top 12 in the category. Sticking with Spurs, Son Heung-Min offers tremendous exposure to the attack at only €6M, though his spot in the starting XI isn't nearly as secure.
Eden Hazard, CHE at CRY (€7M): Hazard's price is depressed because he was injured to start the season, but he's a €15M player when fully healthy (which he is now). It's unclear exactly what his role will be, as he could be used as a false 9 if Morata doesn't play and Batshuayi doesn't get the start, or he could be on the wing as usual. Either way, Hazard has way too much upside while playing the worst team in the Premier League to not get serious attention at this low price.
Ander Herrera, MUN at LIV (€7M): Herrera has found regular playing time hard to come by this season, but injuries to both Paul Pogba (hamstring) and Maroune Fellaini (knee) should allow him back in the starting XI. Herrera's upside isn't terribly high because he barely shoots, but he should provide a solid floor thanks to his tackles, touches, passes (he completed 95 in his start at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League last month) and duels won, as only Fellaini averages more of the latter per 90 on the team.
Wilfried Zaha, CRY v. CHE (€3M): Zaha has been out since playing 90 minutes in the Premier League opener, but he returned to full training and could make his way back in the starting XI. Palace will be without Christian Benteke, making Zaha's role as a playmaker even more important. The matchup against Chelsea is certainly tough, especially considering Palace haven't scored a single league goal yet this season, but Zaha's dirt cheap price is too low to pass up for a player who won over 10 duels per 90 minutes last season.
DEFENDER
Ben Mee, BUR v. WHU (€10M): Mee is tied with teammate James Tarkowski (€10M) for the Premier League lead in blocked shots, and while he hasn't won as many tackles as his fellow centerback, he does have more shots on goal, interceptions, passes and touches (he's won one fewer duel). Both players are fairly similar, hence the same price, and they should have no problem continuing their fine play against the inconsistent Hammers.
Serge Aurier, TOT v. BOU (€6M): Aurier is an attacking fullback capable of providing fantasy value over a number of different stat categories. Additionally, he provides solid access to a team with good clean sheet odds while costing a fraction of his teammates, such as Toby Alderweireld (€11M), Jan Vertonghen (€13M), Ben Davies (€10M( and Davinson Sanchez (€11M).
Per Mertesacker, ARS at WAT (€3M): Mertesacker hasn't played a single minute in the Premier League this season, but he may be called upon as Arsenal will be without Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring) and possibly Laurent Koscielny (Achilles). If manager Arsene Wenger decides to stick with the three-man back line he's used lately, Mertesacker would line up alongside Nacho Monreal (€15M) and Rob Holding (€8M). Monreal is the only one that's basically guaranteed to start, but if Koscielny is ruled out then both Mertesacker and Holding could be in the first XI, offering tremendous salary savings for a group that's likely to have the ball quite a bit.
GOALKEEPER
Thibaut Courtois, CHE at CRY (€11M): Despite playing away from home, Chelsea have the second-highest clean sheet odds, and with Crystal Palace desperately looking for their first goal of the season, it seems likely that they'll shoot as much as possible. Chelsea's defense is good enough to make those shots poor, which hopefully leads to a few saves and a shutout for their starting keeper.
Heurelho Gomes, WAT v. ARS (€10M): Gomes leads the league in punches, and while his 15 saves aren't much to write home about, he has made at least two in all but one start this season. Arsenal's attackers could be tired after playing difficult World Cup qualifiers over the last week, which only works in Gomes' favor for weak shots heading his way.
