This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
10:00 am: Aston Villa vs. AFC Bournemouth
10:00 am: Brighton & Hove Albion vs. West Ham United
10:00 am: Everton vs. Watford
10:00 am: Norwich City vs. Newcastle United
10:00 am: Southampton vs. Liverpool
12:30 pm: Manchester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Forwards
Gabriel Jesus, MCI v. TOT (£21): It's pretty surreal last year's Champions League runners-up are the biggest underdog on the slate as Tottenham travel to the Etihad in Manchester City's first test of the season. Raheem Sterling (£26) is coming off a hat trick in City' 5-0 demolition of West Ham last Saturday and is cheaper than Harry Kane (£28) and Mohamed Salah (£28), making him a priority if you can fit him in. Sergio Aguero (£26) was left on the bench last week, with Jesus the preferred option at forward. The Brazilian opened the season with a goal on two shots (both on target) in 69 minutes before being replaced by Aguero. If Jesus is back in the starting XI, I think he's the best option due to his role as the target man in attack, and price point, which would allow you to also get a share of the Liverpool attack, namely Salah. Kane has shown he can score against anyone, but being the co-most expensive player as the biggest underdog, who are also playing away, doesn't give me enough confidence to roster him.
Divock Origi, LIV at SOU (£17): Sadio Mane (£26) played 120 minutes in Wednesday's Super Cup win over Chelsea, scoring both Liverpool goals. That amount of playing time makes me weary he returns to the starting XI against Southampton, especially after missing nearly the entirety of preseason training. Origi started the opener against Norwich City, scoring a goal and wining three tackles, helping him to 14.55 fantasy points. He's a bit more expensive this week (he was £14 last match) but Liverpool are the second-biggest favorite on the slate and Origi is the cheapest option in an attack while also having the sixth-best anytime goal scorer odds. He's goal-dependent for the most part, which is reflected in his price. Mohamed Salah (£28) is the best option in my opinion, especially after taking the majority of Liverpool's set pieces, and having the second-best goal scoring odds. The two-time Golden Boot winner finished last Friday's win with an assist and goal on two shots (one on target), which was good for 17.10 points. Salah figures to be the highest-owned player on the slate, but all signs point to the Egyptian being a necessary own. Roberto Firmino (£23) is your final option for the Reds' attack, and is likely to be the least-owned if Salah and Mane start. The Danny Ings (£17) revenge game is certainly in play as he faces his former club for the first time after being eligible last season because of his loan agreement. He failed to impress in last week's 3-0 loss to Burnley and might be worth skipping in a tougher matchup. Che Adams (£10) started up front last Saturday with Ings and lasted 73 minutes. Unfortunately, he didn't have much to show, as he finished in the red with minus-0.75. I list him because he's minimum price and could return to the starting XI, and would be a viable contrarian play in tournaments.
Neal Maupay, BRI v. WHU (£16): The forward bargain bin has a few different options to choose from. Maupay opened his Brighton account with a goal in 26 minutes off the bench and could be vying for a start against a West Ham backline that shipped five goals to Manchester City last weekend. On the other side of the ball, Sebastien Haller (£20) is a doubt due to injury, potentially opening playing time for Andriy Yarmolenko (£16) or Chicharito (£16). Teemu Pukki (£15) was solid despite Norwich's loss to Liverpool, as he gave the Canaries their first top flight goal of the season. He took two shots (one on target) and added a tackle won and interception to finish with 13.45 points. Newcastle was a top-half defense last season, but Norwich are more than capable of finding the back of the net after scoring 93 goals in the Championship last season.
Midfielders
Riyad Mahrez, MCI v. TOT (£20): Predicting Pep Guardiola's starting XI is basically guesswork, but luckily we have the benefit of knowing lineups as they come out. Mahrez picked up a pair of assists last weekend and is appropriately priced, while also being one of the cheaper options in City's attack. His inclusion in the lineup against West Ham left Bernardo Silva (£25) on the bench, while David Silva (£22) and Rodri (£18) rounded out the midfield. Kevin De Bruyne (£27) is the chalkiest play of City midfielders, though City curiously only took one corner against West Ham. Christian Eriksen (£27) and De Bruyne are the two-most expensive midfielders, though Eriksen didn't make the starting XI against Aston Villa. His place on the bench allowed Erik Lamela (£18) to take the majority of free kicks, boosting his value moderately. Your best bet is to avoid the Tottenham midfield because they're the biggest underdog, and the cheapest options are stuck with defensive duties, limiting their attacking upside.
Philip Billing, BOU at AV (£14): After being minimum price against Sheffield United last weekend, Billing's 9.25 fantasy points in that matchup brought his price up £4. He was a defensive stalwart, as he produced four tackles won and four interceptions on top of two shots (one on target). I recommended Ryan Fraser (£17) last weekend, but he returned a 1.75 dud in their draw against Sheffield. Despite that performance, I'm still considering him due to his set-piece monopoly. Jack Grealish (£16) won five fouls, four tackles and blocked two shots against Tottenham, helping him to a respectable 7.50 fantasy points. He's more involved in Villa's attack than Conor Hourihane (£13) despite Hourihane taking the majority of set pieces. Another player to look at is John McGinn (£13) after he scored Villa's lone goal last week and also took two shots (one on target), while winning two fouls and four tackles along with one interception.
Robert Snodgrass, WHU at BRI (£14): Despite getting plowed over by Manchester City last weekend, West Ham still carry a decent amount of fantasy value, particularly Snodgrass if he can make the starting XI. He played the last half hour of Saturday's loss and took all of the set pieces. Felipe Anderson (£20) is facing a late fitness test, which could bring Snodgrass in the lineup. Additionally, Michail Antonio (£15) is also an option and may be asked to play as a forward if Haller is ruled out.
Defenders
Andrew Robertson, LIV at SOU (£17): Virgil van Dijk (£19) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£19) are almost expensive enough where anything less than an assist and clean sheet, or goal, would be a disappointment. Robertson provides a slight discount while still being in line for a clean sheet and ability to provide in attack on top of his defensive work. He finished with 6.70 points against Norwich City, which would be enough of a return against Southampton to justify his inclusion. Joe Gomez (£15) and Joel Matip (£14) are options if you want to play for the clean sheet bonus, though their upside isn't nearly as high as van Dijk's, Alexander-Arnold's or Robertson's.
Lucas Digne, EVE v. WAT (£16): Seamus Coleman (£14) outplayed Digne from a fantasy perspective last week, scoring 12.20 on the back of four interceptions, two blocks and a clean sheet. That being said, I still prefer Digne due to his much higher ceiling. His ability to contribute accurate crosses and accuracy on set pieces was his strong suit last season, and that shouldn't change this year despite a poor performance against Crystal Palace. Yerry Mina (£14) is another defensive option for Everton, though he doesn't have much attacking upside due to his role as a center-back. He's always a danger on free kicks and will look to build on the 8.80 points from last week.
Tyrone Mings, AV v. BOU (£13): Mings had an impressive Premier League return as he finished with 11.15 points in last weekend's loss to Tottenham. He made five blocks, two interceptions and provided an assist for Villa's consolation goal. An easier matchup against Bournemouth awaits, which could provide another platform for Mings to produce against his old club. Chris Mepham (£13) scored Bournemouth's only goal against Sheffield, which will be tough to depend on again, but his cheap price and defensive capabilities make him worthy of a consideration if your budget is low.
Goalkeepers
Adrian, LIV at SOU (£14): Alisson Becker (£19) has already been ruled out for a few weeks and Adrian played the hero in Wednesday's Super Cup win. Unfortunately, he suffered a bizarre ankle injury that could force him to miss the match, which would bring Andy Lonergan (£10) into the fold as Liverpool's starting goalkeeper. Either option is solid and cheap enough to include in the starting XI, especially considering Liverpool's clean sheet odds. Despite Ederson (£19) and Tottenham having the best clean sheet odds, it's tough to believe that Tottenham's attack will be held out of the net. Aaron Ramsdale (£10) is set for another start, this time against Aston Villa, and would be easy on the pocket book in a relatively even matchup.
