Scout Picks- Gameweek Thirty Six

Here we go, then. It’s the big one. It’s easy to get caught up in the ensuing double Gameweek frenzy, so we’ve tried to give the side a little balance, drafting in a couple of players with just a single fixture apiece. Given the fact that many mini-leagues are now on the line in a make or break week for many, we’ve thrown in one or two differentials, though – with eight teams handed a pair of fixtures, now is hardly the time to play it safe.

Tim Howard gets the nod between the posts. With five clean sheets in his last six at Goodison, the omens look good ahead of Fulham’s visit tomorrow afternoon, while Everton will hold no fear heading off to the Britannia, either. The Potters have scored just six times in their last five home games, making the 5.4 priced US international a strong bet ahead of his pair of fixtures.

With Benoit Assou-Ekotto now injured for the season, Kyle Walker looks likely to offer the most attacking potential from the Tottenham back-line. The right-back’s marauding raids down the flank could prove crucial to his side’s cause against Blackburn and Bolton this Gameweek. Blackburn arrive at the Lane having failed to score in their last two away from home and, with just a single goal conceded in their last three road trips, Harry Redknapp’s side will arrive at the Reebok for Tuesday’s clash against Bolton with little trepidation.

John Terry makes his way into the picks, with a couple of home games on the horizon. Chelsea have been strong at home under Roberto Di Matteo, conceding just a single goal in three at the Bridge, and with Terry already notching four times this term, he offers the potential for points at both ends of the pitch. QPR pay visit first – one goal in their last three on the road sums up their insipid away form. Newcastle are a different case altogether, though with Branislav Ivanovic back from suspension for the Magpies clash, Chelsea will be a little more confident of dealing with the threat of Papiss Cisse.

A couple of upcoming home games sees Robert Huth drafted in. The German awaits the arrival of Arsenal and Everton to the Britannia this Gameweek and has conceded just two goals in his previous four home games. While it may well prove tricky to repel his opponents’ attacks, Huth has upped his offensive returns of late, scoring in two of his last three appearances. If the Potters fail to keep a clean sheet, he’s the man most likely to pick up the points at the other end of the pitch from Stoke’s defensive options.

Gareth Bale has been more than a little unlucky over the last few Gameweeks. The Welshman has returned just a couple of assists in his last six but he’s had plenty of attempts to find the net. Up against two of the bottom three, Bale has already picked up seven double-figure points hauls this term and could put Blackburn and Bolton to the sword over the next few days as Spurs attempt to get their Champions League bid back on track.

Clint Dempsey is nailed-on here. The top scoring midfielder in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) thus far, the US international hasn’t been the best away from home, although with his last road trip producing 15 points, he’s more than capable of picking up a huge points haul. Dempsey pays visit to Liverpool and Everton and, while the Toffees game may pose problems, Liverpool have returned a single clean sheet in the last five at Anfield, offering plenty potential for his 24% of Fantasy owners.

A home game against Wolves looks tempting for Gylfi Sigurdsson. Swansea’s talisman may only have a single match ahead but with Terry Connor’s side down and out in the battle to beat the drop, morale will be anything but high ahead of their trip to the Liberty. The Icelandic international grabbed a 14 point haul in his previous home game and, with the visitors shipping 26 goals in 10 games since Terry Connor’s installation, a repeat performance could well be on the cards tomorrow afternoon.

We’ve opted for Rafael Van der Vaart over Emmanuel Adebayor for our third Spurs slot. The Dutchman has, quite simply, been in better form of the two, notching twice and returning five bonus points in his last six. With Bolton and Blackburn in desperate need for points, both the Lancashire sides cannot afford to simply sit back and hope to absorb the pressure – it’s likely to be a couple of attacking encounters and Van der Vaart, with just 6% ownership, may well prove to be a decisive differential over his pair of fixtures.

With two of the league’s in-form forwards handed a pair of fixtures apiece, filling the first couple of places in our front line is pretty straightforward. Papiss Cisse’s goalscoring exploits show little sign of letting up – he’s been instrumental in the Magpies push for a Champions League slot and has played a part in 11 of their last 13 goals. Cisse’s recent exploits have seen him snap up an outstanding 17 bonus points in his last six games and, with trips to Wigan and Chelsea up next, he’s top of the Captain’s Poll ahead of tomorrow morning’s deadline.

Nikica Jelavic is another obvious candidate. The Everton man has added an extra dimension to the Toffees forward play and, with six goals in just six starts since joining in January, is already their leading goalscorer. The Croatian has notched twice in each of his last two games and, up against travel-sick Fulham at Goodison before making his way to Stoke next Tuesday, is another strong armband candidate for the Gameweek ahead.

Now it’s time for a punt. We welcome Fernando Torres to the picks, with two home games on the agenda for the Chelsea forward. With Didier Drogba likely to be wrapped in cotton wool for the upcoming couple of finals, Torres looks odds-on to start against QPR and Newcastle next week and, with the Blues desperate for the points in their chase for a fourth place finish, this could well be the time for Torres to step up. Having notched against Barcelona on Tuesday, his confidence will surely be boosted heading into the Gameweek.

Steven Caulker makes the bench ahead of the visit of Wolves. Terry Connor’s side have found the net just once in their last four games and with Swansea’s strong home defensive form, allied with Caulker’s ability to pick up bonus, he’s a strong budget option this weekend.

Steven Pienaar’s recent form cannot be overlooked. The on-loan South African has been in outstanding form, picking up attacking returns in each of his last four Gameweeks for a total of 31 points. Eight goals in their last two matches, including four at Old Trafford, is indicative of Everton’s attacking potential right now and if David Moyes’ men are to extend their four-match unbeaten run at the hands of Fulham and Stoke, the 7.1 priced midfielder looks a strong candidate to play a significant part.

Finally, we’re calling up Peter Crouch. Similar to Torres, he has two home games to grab the goals, as Arsenal and Everton roll up to the Britannia. Crouch’s recent home record gives Fantasy managers hope – he has found the net in three of his last four home appearance, scoring against Swansea, City and Wolves. While Jonathan Walters continues to spectacularly misfire, Crouch seems the one man Tony Pulis can count on to grab the Potters’ goals over the upcoming Gameweek.