After a slow start to the previous season, Shane Long finished 2015/16 in promising form.
Having netted five times in the opening 25 Gameweeks, Long produced five goals and four assists in his final 11 Premier League outings as Southampton clinched a sixth-placed finish in Ronald Koeman’s last year in charge.
With the Dutchman now departed, the Saints are looking to regroup under new manager Claude Puel.
The summer departure of last term’s top scorers, Graziano Pelle and Sadio Mane, has persuaded the Frenchman to move away from the 4-2-3-1 system utilised by Koeman and opt instead for a midfield diamond system behind a two-man front line.
This has brought Dusan Tadic (£7.5m) into a central supporting role, with fellow midfielder Nathan Redmond (£6.0) intriguingly utilised as a centre-forward.
The results have been encouraging.
Southampton have won five and drawn one of their six pre-season matches, with Long netting the winner in a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in their final summer friendly.
Fantasy Premier League managers have been quick to act.
Owned by 14.8%, Long is the most popular forward priced at £6.5m and under as the Saints prepare to host a Watford side still struggling for cohesion under new manager Walter Mazzarri.
Since moving to a 3-5-2 set-up, the Hornets have managed just one clean sheet in their final four summer fixtures, conceding twice in each of the last two.
Southampton were particularly prolific in front of their own fans last term, scoring 39 times – a tally bettered only by Manchester City.
Although the Saints visit Manchester United and Arsenal in the first five Gameweeks, home encounters with Sunderland and Swansea City over that period offer Long the chance to maintain any momentum gained from Saturday’s opener.