Yahoo Focus – Gameweek 31

There may only be four matches in a reduced Gameweek 31 slate but our partner game Yahoo are once again rolling out another big-money contest for Fantasy managers this weekend.

They are offering a Premier League £2k Saturday contest, which takes in all four of tomorrow’s fixtures. This gets underway with the three matches at 3pm and concludes with the 5.30pm encounter between Liverpool and Watford at Anfield.

The contest is guaranteed to run, costs £5 to enter and is a multi-entry game, which means you can select up to four teams. The top 100 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £10, with £200 going to the first place.

Driven by Opta data, the Yahoo game has a unique scoring system which is ideal for those members of our community on the lookout for 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.

Before getting started on your lineup, it’s best having a read over our Strategy Guide, which takes a look at the types of players who profit from the rule set.

FFS Strongest XI

Loris Karius – £16
Emre Can – £16
Florent Hadergjonaj – £13
Adam Smith – £11
Junior Stanislas – £19
Xherdan Shaqiri – £18
Badou Ndiaye – £15
Sadio Mane – £25
Mohamed Salah – £27
Steve Mounie – £18
Theo Walcott – £22

As the only top eight team set to play in Gameweek 31, we’re backing Liverpool at both ends of the pitch for the visit of Watford. The Yahoo scoring system, which awards goalkeepers points for wins or draws and earn double the number of points as defenders for a clean sheet, earns Loris Karius the spot between the posts. Jurgen Klopp’s side have won five of their last six at Anfield and, along with Man City, are one of only two teams that remain undefeated in front of their own fans. Meanwhile, the Hornets roll up to Merseyside on the back of a run that’s produced just a single goal in their previous six road trips.

Listed as a defender in Yahoo this week, Emre Can offers strong out-of-position potential. Across the last six Gameweeks, the German midfielder has served up two goals and a pair of assists and sits among the top three for Liverpool when it comes to successful tackles (13) and interceptions (six). Can has made more successful passes (379) than any team-mate over his respective last six appearances at Anfield.

Huddersfield’s Florent Hadergjonaj has caught the eye in recent weeks thanks to his impact in the final third. Since nailing down a starting role in Gameweek 24, the raiding right-back is ranked top among defenders for crosses (44) and successful crosses (11), and sits second for key passes (ten) ahead of a visit from Crystal Palace. His defensive contribution could also be key as the Terriers go in search of a seventh home clean sheet – Hadergjonaj is ranked top among team-mates for blocks (five) over that period.

A single clean sheet in 17 Gameweeks is anything but convincing as Bournemouth welcome West Brom to the Vitality Stadium. Nonetheless, Adam Smith looks a handy budget enabler at a cost of just £11 – after emerging from the bench to score at home to Newcastle in Gameweek 28, he’s started the last two as a right winger and also chipped in with the assist for the Cherries’ opener against Spurs last Sunday.

With the goals drying up for Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas is our preferred Bournemouth attacker against the Baggies. Since recovering from injury and returning to contention in Gameweek 24, he’s supplied three goals and two assists in seven league outings, netting against the likes of Chelsea and Spurs. Over the last six Gameweeks, Stanislas is second only to Harry Kane for shots (22 to 29), while no midfielder has managed more than his eight efforts on target.

With three goals and an assist in Stoke’s seven matches under Paul Lambert, Xherdan Shaqiri has played a part in 80% of their strikes since the change of manager. At home to an Everton defence that’s conceded 14 times in their last five road trips, the playmaker looks essential to their chances of success – he ranks among the top six midfielders for successful crosses (42), key passes (63) and big chances created (14).

We also call upon the Potters’ winter signing Badou Ndiaye, whose style of play looks well-suited to the Yahoo scoring matrix. Since being handed his debut in Gameweek 26, the all-action Senegal international has fired more shots (13) and made more successful tackles (17) than any team-mate.

At home to a Watford side with a single clean sheet in their last eight away matches, Liverpool pair Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah will be among the most popular picks for Gameweek 31.

Mane has upped his attacking threat in recent matches, with five goals and an assist in his last five matches across all competitions. Indeed, over the last four Gameweeks, he’s identical to the Egyptian for both shots (14) and chances created, with eight apiece.

Salah, meanwhile, is second only to Harry Kane (14) for shots inside the box over the last four rounds of fixtures, bettering Mane by 13 to ten. The Egyptian remains relentlessly consistent under Jurgen Klopp, producing a goal or assist in 12 of his 14 home starts this term.

Two goals and a pair of assists in the last four Gameweeks showcases the form of Huddersfield Town target man Steve Mounie for the visit of West Brom. The Frenchman matches Salah and Mane for total attempts (14), firing 12 efforts inside the box as he prepares to collide with a Crystal Palace defence that he scored twice against back in Gameweek 1.

Passed fit for Everton’s trip to Stoke, Theo Walcott offers numerous ways of scoring points in Yahoo. Since arriving on Merseyside, he has fired more shots (13) and efforts on target (six) than any team-mate, finding the net twice. Second only to the injured Gylfi Sigurdsson for crosses (33) and successful crosses (six), the winter signing places third for successful tackles (14) among the Toffees’ contingent and has been fouled 19 times – only Eden Hazard (24) has suffered more often from Gameweek 24 onwards.

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 £2k Saturday contest, Yahoo are also offering two guaranteed to run Premier League £500 Saturday contests.

This one costs £1 to enter and is a multi-entry game, which means you can select up to five teams. The top 124 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £2, with £50 going to the first place.

This one costs £25 to enter and is a single-entry game. The top 6 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £50, with £150 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.