Yahoo Focus – Gameweek 8

The return to domestic action also means it is time to drop in on our partner game Yahoo, who greet us with a big Premier League £8k Saturday contest for the upcoming Gameweek.

This consists of the six Saturday matches that take place from 3 pm onwards, ending with the 5.30 pm clash between Watford and Arsenal at Vicarage Road.

It’s guaranteed to run, costs £5 to enter and is a multi-entry game, allowing you to select up to 10 teams. The top 382 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £10, with £1,000 going to the first place.

Our selected XI will, therefore, focus on this contest, which offers the biggest payout over Gameweek 8.

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

New players can sign up and claim a free £50 in credit to your account when you deposit just £5. Promo code: Fantasy50.

It’s also worth checking out this Strategy Guide before selecting your XI to give you a better idea of the mechanics of the Yahoo game and those players who are likelier to profit.

My Strongest XI

Ederson – £16
Ben Davies – £17
Marcos Alonso – £16
Kyle Naughton – £13
Kevin De Bruyne – £26
Eden Hazard – £22
Manuel Lanzini – £14
Robbie Brady – £13
Jonathan Hogg – £10
Harry Kane – £29
Alexis Sanchez – £24

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

Man City stopper Ederson seeks a fifth successive clean sheet when Stoke City make their way to the Etihad Stadium. Certainly, his prospects of further returns seem promising – the Potters have scored just once in three road trips, while Pep Guardiola’s men have allowed fewer shots in the box (eight) than any side at home. With keepers earning points for wins or draws, as well as double the number of points than defenders for a shut-out, the Brazilian looks worth the outlay.

Spurs’ Ben Davies offers the prospects of points at both ends as Bournemouth roll up to Wembley. The wing-back has already supplied two goals and three assists and his delivery from the flank is ideal for the Yahoo game – Davies is the second top defender for crosses (40). With three clean sheets also accrued, his average of 10.5 points per game is more than any regular defender.

We’re backing Marcos Alonso to return to form as Chelsea make their way to Crystal Palace. Ranked number one defender for attempts on goal (11), he’ll be looking to benefit from his hosts’ problems on the right flank – they’ve conceded 34 chances created on that side of the pitch, compared with just 18 on the left. The Blues will also be confident of earning a clean sheet, considering that Palace have yet to find the net this season.

Kyle Naughton is our Swansea defender of choice for a home clash with a Huddersfield side that have scored just a single goal in their last five Gameweeks. Paul Clement’s side have created 42.9% of their chances down Naughton’s right flank, second only to Burnley’s 45.5% over the first seven Gameweeks. Placed among the top seven defenders for successful tackles (17) and interceptions (16), he goes in search of a fourth clean sheet of the campaign.

With perhaps some concerns over the pitch time of Gabriel Jesus for Man City’s clash against Stoke, we’re turning instead to the security of Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian has played every minute of City’s home matches this season and, after netting the winner at Chelsea last time out, has produced a goal and three assists in the last four outings. He’s the top-ranked midfielder this season for both successful crosses (19) and chances created (24).

A brace for Belgium over the recent internationals suggests that Eden Hazard is back in top form as Chelsea visit basement-dwellers Crystal Palace. With Alvaro Morata likely to be sidelined for the Selhurst Park encounter, Hazard could retain a central role against a side that is ranked bottom for shots in the box conceded (70) and goals against (17). Seven midfielders in the Yahoo game are more expensive than Hazard’s £22 right now, but a big performance against Roy Hodgson’s side will surely elevate him back into the premium bracket.

We’re keeping our eye on the teamsheets at Turf Moor as West Ham make their way to Burnley. Manuel Lanzini stepped up his injury recovery with a run-out off the bench last time out, and his impact could be key as the Hammers attempt to break down a defence that’s conceded just once in front of their own fans. From the point of Dimitri Payet’s departure last term, the Argentine produced more shots and created more chances than any team-mate.

The Clarets’ Robbie Brady is even cheaper on the budget at £13. Ranked among the top four midfielders for crosses (51) and successful crosses (17), his total of 13 chances created is at least double all but one team-mate. With ten attempts on goal so far, he looks vital for Sean Dyche’s side against a Hammers defence that’s shipped ten goals in four away matches.

Huddersfield’s Jonathan Hogg (£10) could prove a perfect budget enabler for those looking to free up funds. A regular for the Terriers last term, Hogg has finally recovered from injury to start each of the last two matches in central midfield. Granted, he offers little attacking potential but his defensive contribution benefits from the Yahoo scoring system. Seven successful tackles and five interceptions over that pair of matches suggests he could retain a spot on David Wagner’s teamsheet for the trip to Swansea, despite the return to fitness of Danny Williams.

Harry Kane picks himself for Spurs’ clash with Bournemouth. Granted, he’s yet to score at home, but the numbers are very much in his favour – he’s top for shots, efforts in the box and attempts on target this season. Having recorded three goals and an assist in his last two home league outings against the Cherries, the priciest player (£29) in the Yahoo game justifies the outlay.

Alexis Sanchez completes our line-up as Arsenal make their way to Watford. He’s hinted at a return to form, supplying back-to-back assists, and fired eight attempts on goal against Brighton last time out – more than any player in the Gameweek. The Chilean has history against the Hornets, too – he supplied a goal and two assists in the corresponding fixture last season.

This Week’s Contests

The Saturday 3 pm slot – which covers the six matches from that time onwards – offers the four biggest prize contests of the weekend.

All of them are guaranteed to run.

As mentioned above, the Premier League £8k Saturday contest offers the largest pay-out.

There’s the Premier League £2k Saturday, which costs £10 to enter and has a minimum win-back of £20 to the top 60 Yahoo managers. You can submit up to two teams for this contest, with the winner earning £200.

And there are two Premier League £1k Saturday contests to dip into.

One costs £25 to enter, with the top 13 Yahoo managers sharing the prize pool. First place earns you £200, with a minimum win-back of £50.

The other is just £1 to enter and pays out to the top 235 places, with a minimum win-back of £2. You can enter up to 10 teams, with £100 going to the first-placed manager.

Yahoo are also running a Premier League £1,000,000 Perfect Lineup Cup, which takes place over Gameweek 1-19.

It’s free to enter, with £500 in prizes and £50 for the best team every week. Over the 19 Gameweeks, 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.