The Scout marks Fantasy Premier League managers' cards as to which defenders they should be considering after the 2017/18 fixtures were published.
Cedric Soares (Southampton)
Despite the temptation to pick team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Bertrand, Soares could again be a cheaper route into the Southampton defence.
In 30 starts, the right-back recorded more successful crosses (43) than any other FPL defender.
Soares created 39 goalscoring chances, a tally bettered only by Leighton Baines, of Everton (46), and Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne (45).
Only three teams surpassed Southampton’s 14 clean sheets last season, and their early schedule provides clear appeal.
If that is not enough, Southampton face only one of last season’s top six over the first 11 Gameweeks.
Southampton's start to 2017/18
| GW | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1 | SWA (H) |
| 2 | WHU (A) |
| 3 | HUD (A) |
| 4 | WAT (H) |
| 5 | CRY (A) |
| 6 | MUN (H) |