Teams to target: Manchester City, Newcastle United
Manchester City vs. Nottingham Forest
The Premier League champions are the only side with five wins from five this season and they will be confident of extending their 100% start to the season.
Last season they thrashed Nottingham Forest 6-0 at the Etihad with both Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez heavily among the points.
Everyone has the former going into GW6 and it’s probable Alvarez will be the most brought player given his electric start to the campaign. In a free hit side both are an absolute must.
Nottingham Forest have been good this season, but you’d still want a triple up of City assets and with the two attacking options already selected, Ruben Dias appears a good defensive pick.
Manchester City team news could be leaked with the game among the first before the deadline, as a result the defensive pick of Dias could change, but he appears a lock in the side at the moment.
Sheffield United vs. Newcastle United
Newcastle United have lost three of their first five games this season; however defensively their stats are impressive, especially given the difficulty of their fixtures.
Only Manchester City and Arsenal have conceded a fewer xGA this season, despite Newcastle facing five of thesides that finished in last seasons top nine already.
There is a possibility of rotation for Newcastle going into this one, but you’d like to think Sven Botman and Kieran Trippier will start on Sunday.
A clean sheet appears a good bet here, with Sheffield United creating the second lowest xG this season and least on average per game, with Burnley in 20th playing a game less.
A defender combined with a risk on Callum Wilson who appears likely to start in the league with Alexander Isak getting minutes in the Champions League.
Opposition to target: Luton Town, Burnley
Luton Town vs. Wolves
Luton Town have lost all four matches in the Premier League this season and few would bet against them finishing in the bottom three.
Performances in losses to West Ham United and Fulham have been alright, but they do look short of the required quality to survive.
Wolves’ at home is a good fixture, but you’d still back the away side to get a result on Saturday.
Pedro Neto has rediscovered his form prior to a horrible injury at Fulham a few years ago and has made a superb start to the campaign.
Neto has four assists in his last three matches and would be my cheap differential pick would I free hit this week. The Portuguese international is just 1.5% owned and costs just £5.5m.
Burnley vs. Manchester United
Manchester United have been nothing short of woeful this season; however they do have a favourable fixture in GW6 and I’d be holding their midfield assets for at least one more week.
Burnley claimed their first point of the season on Monday in a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, but they’ve looked slightly naïve against stronger opposition.
A high line was exposed by Aston Villa and Tottenham, with Matty Cash and Son Heung-Min hauling in respective away victories.
I’d want at least one United midfielder in a free hit side and Marcus Rashford is perhaps the better bet, with the positioning of Bruno Fernandes still uncertain.
Other options
Crystal Palace vs. Fulham
Fulham have done well to claim seven points from what has been a difficult start to the season.
Despite this they remain comfortably at the bottom of the xGA table and travel to face a Crystal Palace side who scored three in their last home game.
Odsonne Edouard has four goals already this season, whilst Eberechi Eze continues to look excellent, even if the FPL points are alluding him at the moment.
Reluctantly I’d probably go with zero Palace options on a free hit, but either of the above are good options.
Brentford vs. Everton
Everton have just one point from five games and have also only scored in one of those games this season.
Their stats though haven’t been awful and can perhaps consider themselves unlucky not to be closer to the seven points their xPTS suggest they should be on.
Despite that, you’ve got to fancy the in-form Bryan Mbeumo on Saturday and I’m between him and Eze for the final midfield spot.
Liverpool vs. West Ham United
Liverpool produced a superb comeback last weekend to beat Wolves and their start to the campaign continues to go under the radar.
Mohamed Salah has returned in all five matches this campaign, recording a 10 pointer at Molineux in GW5, his highest score of the season.
He was given a breather in the Europa League midweek and he’d be a lock in my free hit side.
West Ham have been good this season and as a result I’d only want the one Pool asset.
GW6 Dream Team: Flekken; Trippier, Dias, Botman; Salah, Rashford, Mbeumo, Neto; Haaland (C), Alvarez, Wilson
