With Euro 2016 just hours away, it’s time to prepare our DraftKings lineups for the first round of contests and bring you news of a special opening offer for Fantasy Football Scout visitors.

Sign up to DraftKings via our site and you’ll get the opportunity to take on my Fantasy Football Scout lineup in Saturday’s “Kickoff Special” contest – if you beat my points tally, you’ll earn back your $3 entry fee whilst also competing for a share of the $10,000 prize pot on offer.

We’re even going to help you out with a few clues to my current thinking via our first set of player recommendations.

Saturday’s three encounters include England’s opener against Russia, the early clash between Switzerland and Albania and an evening meeting between Wales and Slovakia.

Heart rules head somewhat when it comes to assessing England’s chances, whilst Switzerland will surely be driven to open their account with a first win against the unfancied Albanians. Wales’ meeting with Slovakia looks far more difficult to predict, although, like so many of the group openers, a low-scoring draw seems the most likely outcome.

We’ve translated our current thinking on those fixtures into a set of player tips for Saturday’s DraftKings contests, providing big-budget names that are likely to be pivotal figures and a set of value makeweights that may just prove equally vital acquisitions.

The Essentials

Harry Kane, England – $10,800
The most expensive forward on offer in Saturday’s contests, we’re settled on the Spurs marksman to do the heavy lifting in our DraftKings squad ahead of Wales’ Gareth Bale. While the latter was afforded just a brief appearance as a sub in his nation’s final friendly due to his recent Champions League exertions, Kane has been a mainstay for England leading up to the tournament. We’ve doubts on Russia’s ageing backline and while we’ve tried to temper our enthusiasm for England’s potential, we can see Roy Hodgson’s men achieving victory with Kane the most likely to trouble the scoresheet.

Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland – $7,400
While a draw wouldn’t be disastrous for any team in their opening group match, it’s fair to say that Switzerland will be seeking a first win against tournament newcomers Albania. We’re expecting them to dominate possession, with Gianni de Biasi’s side presenting a stubborn barrier. The Stoke City playmaker will be charged with picking the Albanian lock, providing both the creative spark and a potent goal threat. Shaqiri is a pricey DraftKings option but will reap in the crosses from open play and set-pieces, particularly if the Swiss spend the match pressing as we anticipate.

Ricardo Rodriguez, Switzerland – $5,100
Given Albania’s likely defensive stance and the fact they notched just seven goals in qualifying, registering the fewest shots, it’s wise to target the Swiss defence. Rodriguez will likely be our weapon of choice from their backline throughout the tournament due to his significant attacking threat via raids the left flank, plus his share of corner kick duties with Shaqiri. Those corners could be vital in breaking down the Albanians – no nation scored more goals (seven) direct from corners than Switzerland during qualifying.

The Value Propositions

Blerim Dzemaili, Switzerland – $4,900
There’s merit in packing your DraftKings rearguard with Swiss assets, with Juventus full-back Stephen Lichtsteiner also a prime consideration given that he provides crosses and won more fouls than any of Vladimir Petkovic’s players in qualifying. If you have a spare slot in attacking positions, however, Genoa’s Dzemaili is another name to consider. Keenly priced at just $4,900, he’s emerged as Switzerland’s most threatening attacker in recent friendlies, firing in 13 efforts on goal over his last four outings – more than any team-mate over the same spell.

Peter Pekarik, Slovakia – $3,500
Slovakia’s right-back has stood out as a creative force in recent outings, topping their ranks for key passes and crosses supplied over the previous four matches. The clash with Wales will doubtless be a cagey affair and Slovakia will need to concentrate their efforts on nullifying the threat from Bale. Achieve that, and defensive returns could come their way, with Pekarik providing regular forays forward to boost his opening tally.

Remember, if you’ve signed up via Fantasy Football Scout you can enter your squads in the “EUROS Kickoff Special” $3 entry contest and take me on over Saturday’s matches.

Look out for the FFS_Mark squad and, if you can better my tally, you’ll earn your entry fee back and have the opportunity to get amongst the $10,000 cash prize in the process. Watch for posts on social media on Saturday for further clues on my lineup.

DraftKings is available only to those aged 18 or over. Be sure to take note of their Terms and Conditions here.