This article is part of our TheSix Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
10:00 a.m: Huddersfield v. Burnley
10:00 a.m: Bournemouth v. Everton
10:00 a.m: Newcastle v. Brighton
10:00 a.m: Chelsea v. Stoke City
10:00 a.m: Liverpool v. Leicester City
10:00 a.m: Watford v. Swansea City
12:30 p.m: Manchester United v. Southampton
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
STRIKERS
Alvaro Morata, CHE v. STK (€9M): Morata snapped out of a mini-slump on Boxing Day, scoring for the first time in four games and likely injecting a boost of confidence into the Spaniard. As Chelsea's go-to goalscorer, his price is well worth targeting in a favorable home fixture versus Stoke.
Anthony Martial, MUN v. SOU (€7M): Martial missed out Tuesday, but he could make his way back into the lineup after Zlatan Ibrahimovic (€5M) was pulled at halftime. He's a cheap way into the Manchester United attack, but just keep in mind there may be safer values who emerge in the earlier games considering there is no late swap.
Dominic Solanke, LIV v. LEI (€6M): Solanke featured off the bench on Boxing Day, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him handed a spot start due to fixture congestion. With no early games on this slate, there's a good chance we'll see several values turn up once starting lineups come in. If Solanke starts, he saves a good bit of cash while providing exposure to a lethal Liverpool attack.
MIDFIELDERS
Cesc Fabregas, CHE v. STK (€9M): Fabregas topped 15 points in his return to the starting lineup Tuesday, and while his price jumped €1M, he still jumps out as one of the best values on the board. With Chelsea likely to be in control from the opening whistle, we can expect Fabregas to continue to rack up both defensive and attacking stats.
Paul Pogba, MUN v. SOU (€9M): Pogba piles up the peripherals on The Six, and he's averaging over 14 fantasy points per game since returning from suspension two games ago. He's done all this without making a contribution on the scoresheet, but he's fired off four shots in each of his last two games. The Frenchman is already pushing out strong scores, but Pogba would be an absolute game changer if he connects on one of his shots.
Sadio Mane, LIV v. LEI (€8M): Mane is nearly half the price of teammate Philippe Coutinho (€15M), but he has the ability to emerge as the top scoring Liverpool attacker on any given slate. Liverpool's attack is firing on all cylinders, so any time we can get exposure at a discount it's worth jumping at the opportunity.
DEFENDERS
Luke Shaw, MUN v. SOU (€7M): Shaw was active on both sides of the ball against Burnley on Tuesday, compiling 107 touches on the way to a double-digit performance. As is the case with any Manchester United player on this slate, rostering Shaw comes with a bit of risk since we won't know who starts until after lineups lock. If his effort on Boxing Day is any indication, Shaw might be a risk worth taking at €7M.
James Milner, LIV v. LEI (€7M): Milner featured off the bench Tuesday, but he's a candidate to start Saturday due to holiday fixture congestion. The versatile Milner has seen the field as a defender and more recently a midfielder, and any time you can roster a defender playing closer to goal it's worth sitting up and taking notice.
Joel Matip, LIV v. LEI (€7M): Matip started Tuesday for the first time in six games, managing 13.9 fantasy points. He's no stranger to double-digit points when he's on the field, and at home against Leicester serves as another opportunity for Matip to provide value if he's back in the starting lineup.
GOALKEEPER
Asmir Begovic, BOU v. WHU (€7M): Begovic is the cheapest projected starter on the slate, but keep an eye out for any min-priced bargains that could emerge once starting lineups are announced. It's a guessing game as to which goalkeeper comes through to win the goalkeeper lottery, and with so many intriguing attackers in the player pool, saving some funds at the position can go along way in working the high-end targets into your lineup.
