Yahoo Focus – Gameweek 24

There is yet another big-money contest on offer from our partner game Yahoo this weekend.

They are offering a Premier League £3k Saturday contest which takes in all seven matches from 3pm onwards on Saturday, finishing with the 5.30pm encounter between Manchester City and Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium.

The contest is guaranteed to run, costs £5 to enter and is a multi-entry game, which means you can select up to six teams. The top 173 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £10, with £300 going to the first place.

Driven by Opta statistics, the Yahoo game has a unique scoring system which is tailor-made for members of our community seeking out a Daily Fantasy Sports game.

If you’re new to Yahoo, you 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 having a look over our Strategy Guide before selecting your line-ups, as this gives you a better idea of the Yahoo game and the types of players who tend to benefit.

FFS Strongest XI

Ederson – £17
Nicolas Otamendi – £17
Hector Bellerin – £15
Ben Chilwell – £12
Kevin De Bruyne – £26
Xherdan Shaqiri – £16
Aaron Mooy – £15
Marc Albrighton – £15
Sergio Aguero – £27
Marko Arnautovic – £20
Callum Wilson – £19

Ederson is one of four Man City players in our starting XI as we back Pep Guardiola’s side to recover from their first domestic loss of the season. The Etihad men have allowed fewer shots (70) or efforts in the box (39) than any side in front of their own fans and, at home to a Newcastle outfit with just two goals in the last four Gameweeks, look well on course for their twelfth clean sheet of the campaign. He also benefits from the Yahoo scoring system – keepers earn points for wins or draws and pick up double the number of points as defenders for a clean sheet.

We’re doubling up on Guardiola’s defence, with Nicolas Otamendi’s penchant for points at both ends of the pitch a major factor. Second only to Marcos Alonso for shots (24 to 45), efforts on target (nine to 17) and goals (four to six) among defenders, the Argentine’s distribution is also favoured by the Yahoo scoring system – he’s made more successful passes (1,871) than any player in the top-flight.

Back-to-back goals against Chelsea and Bournemouth earn Hector Bellerin a place in our lineup as Arsenal welcome Crystal Palace to the Emirates. The right wing-back places among the top three defenders for shots (24), efforts in the box (18) and attempts on target (eight). Arsenal have tended to fare better defensively when weaker opposition visit – they have conceded just once in six home matches against teams outside of the top six.

At a cost of just £12, Ben Chilwell offers a budget-friendly route into a Leicester City defence that’s served up four straight clean sheets in all competitions. That run could be extended against a visiting Watford side that have scored just twice in their last four road trips. Rested for the midweek FA Cup clash with Fleetwood Town, the youngster has started seven of the last eight league matches he has been available for.

We also turn to Marc Albrighton(£15) for the Foxes home fixture. When on the pitch, the wide man has played a part in 50% of his side’s goals since Claude Puel arrived – just behind first-placed Riyad Mahrez, who sets you back £24 in Yahoo by comparison. Albrighton has produced two goals and five assists in that run, supplying more successful crosses (16) than any team-mate, and hosts a Hornets defence without a clean sheet in 10 attempts.

Xherdan Shaqiri is one of two mid-priced midfielders selected for Stoke’s head-to-head with Huddersfield at the bet365 Stadium. With the visitors conceding in each of their last eight away matches, new manager Paul Lambert will be pinning his hopes on the Swiss international to help steer the Potters to three points in his first match in charge. Ranked among the top seven midfielders for successful crosses (35) and key passes (47), he is second only to De Bruyne for big chances created by 11 to 12. Shaqiri has also fired more shots on target (19) than any team-mate.

Similar to Shaqiri, Huddersfield set-piece Aaron Mooy is another player whose game is well-suited to Yahoo. The Terriers’ leading player for successful crosses (28) and completed tackles (69), he’s scored four times and has supplied more than double the number of key passes (33) than any team-mate. That bodes well against a defence that’s conceded more goals (50) than any side.

Kevin De Bruyne ticks a number of boxes in the Yahoo scoring matrix for their home encounter with the Magpies. At the Etihad, the Belgian is Man City’s number one player for completed crosses (19), shots on target (16) and successful tackles (22). With more chances created (42) and assists (nine) than any team-mate at home, he looks poised to pick up the points against a defence with one clean sheet in their last nine road trips.

With six goals in his last seven outings across all competitions, Sergio Aguero has upped his form ahead of the Newcastle encounter. The Argentine’s record against the Tyneside team makes for convincing reading – he’s netted eight times in five home clashes, which includes a five-goal haul in 2015/16. He is also Man City’s number one for shots (35) and efforts inside the box (32) in front of his own supporters.

Five goals and three assists in his last five appearances earns West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic a place in our line-up. Two of those recent strikes were against his weekend visitors Bournemouth in Gameweek 20, with the Cherries struggling for resilience at the back – they are without a clean sheet in the last 10 matches. Over his last six matches, Arnautovic is the Hammers’ leading candidate for shots (19), efforts in the box (14), attempts on target (seven) and key passes (13).

We’re also backing Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson to profit at the London Stadium. Similar to Arnautovic, he was also among the goals when the two sides played out a 3-3 draw at the Vitality Stadium last month. Over the last four Gameweeks, Wilson has scored in all but one of his appearances and fired eight shots on target – only Harry Kane (12) has managed more. West Ham, meanwhile, are without a shutout in their last five league fixtures.

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

The Weekend Contests

As well as the Premier League £3k Saturday contest, Yahoo are also offering a Premier League £1k Sunday contest.

This takes in the remaining two matches of the Gameweek – Southampton vs Tottenham Hotspur on 4pm Sunday and Swansea City’s Monday night match with Liverpool at the Liberty Stadium.

This is also guaranteed to run, costs £5 to enter and is a multi-entry game, which means you can select up to two teams. The top 50 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £10, with £100 going to the first place.

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.