This article is part of our TheSix Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
7:30 a.m: Leicester City v. Stoke City
10:00 a.m: West Brom v. Huddersfield
10:00 a.m: Liverpool v. West Ham
10:00 a.m: Bournemouth v. Newcastle
10:00 a.m: Burnley v. Southampton
10:00 a.m: Brighton v. Swansea City
12:30 p.m: Watford v. Everton
STRIKERS
Guido Carrillo, SOU at BUR (€8M): Carrillo seems to be finding his feet with his new club, as he's averaged 10 fantasy points per game over two consecutive starts. It'll be difficult to roster Carrillo if we use a striker from the early game and want to leave a spot open for the heavy hitters, but he's on the radar based on price alone.
Fousseni Diabate, LEI v. STK (€7M): Diabate has started two straight since joining the Foxes last month. While he's failed to open his Premier League account, he did bag two FA Cup goals in Leicester's 5-1 win over Peterborough recently.
MIDFIELDERS
Darren Fletcher, STK at LEI (€8M): Fletcher can be seen as a lineup filler (if he starts) who consistently produces around a point per euro. Since we'll know who's locked in for points prior to roster freeze, it makes sense to have exposure to any salary savers from the first game.
Riyad Mahrez, LEI v. STK (€7M): Mahrez is back in the mix after a spell away from the squad since a potential move to Manchester City fell through over the recent transfer window. He topped double figures in each of his last three starts, and playing in the early game we'll get that peace of mind knowing if he's back in the starting lineup for sure.
Jordan Henderson, LIV v. WHU (€7M): Henderson is one of several potential values from a Liverpool squad that we'll want heavy exposure to, but good luck pinpointing who's in Jurgen Klopp's starting lineup Saturday. Henderson is a workhorse when he's on the field, and when given a full allotment of minutes he generally hovers near 15 points.
DEFENDERS
Virgil van Dijk, LIV v. WHU (€9M): VvD has been a boss since entering the Liverpool starting lineup, making both defensive and attacking contributions. He's helped Liverpool earn back-to-back clean sheets, getting forward on set pieces and it's just a matter of time before he connects on one of his lethal free kicks.
James Milner, LIV v. WHU (€8M): Milner is a bit of a dice roll given his sporadic starts and fact there's no late swap on The Six, but if he's named to the starting lineup it'll likely be in a more advanced role rather than a true defender. I'd feel a lot better about deploying Milner if I was confident he would be starting, but plugging van Dijk in for €1M more is the safer play in this spot.
Danny Simpson, LEI v. STK (€6M): Simpson is in play here as someone who -- if he starts in the first game of the day -- brings guaranteed points at a value price. He doesn't do much to hit double digits, but if he can get us in the seven-to-eight point range that'll do here since we're mainly using Simpson to free up funds for the heavy artillery.
GOALKEEPER
Martin Dubravka, NEW at BOU (€7M): Dubravka played his part in upsetting Manchester United in his Premier League debut, making three saves to preserve the clean sheet. His performance likely earned him the starting job for the foreseeable future, and even on the road at Bournemouth he's worth a roster spot at €7M.
