Scout Picks – Gameweek 3

After listing the players in our Scout Picks Squad earlier this week, the time has come to reveal our Gameweek 3 selections.

With a large chunk of our £83 million budget tied up in two seemingly undroppable strikers, the search for value dominates our thinking.

Budget-friendly options from Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Brom are called upon as we head into the weekend with another top-heavy set of picks.

As with last season, a community champion will be going head-to-head with our weekly picks. Both teams have the same budget restrictions.

West Brom stopper Ben Foster (4.6) let us down last week after conceding to twice to Everton at home. But with Middlesbrough visiting the Hawthorns this weekend, we feel the fixture demands his inclusion once again. With nine saves already, the 13.0%-owned keeper also offers us another viable points route should he concede for the second week in a row.

All three of our defenders offer the prospect of points at both ends of the pitch. Having netted in Crystal Palace’s midweek League Cup win over Blackpool, Scott Dann (5.5) looks in the mood to replicate last season’s five-goal form. A home clash with Bournemouth also offers a strong chance of clean sheets – the Cherries have registered just 17 goal attempts so far, the third worst in the Premier League. Dann is also a strong differential this week, with just 6.7% FPL ownership.

Virgil Van Dijk (5.5), who is owned by 11.6% of FPL managers, is another with an eye for goal, scoring on three occasions last season. He faces an injury-hit Sunderland side that have yet to pick up a point under David Moyes.

Hull have been this season’s surprise package so far, with victories over Leicester and Swansea. The Tigers face a far tougher test at home to Manchester United tomorrow night, which propels Red Devils right-back Antonio Valencia (5.5) into our thinking. Although left-back Luke Shaw (5.6) emerged as the more attack-minded defender within United’s ranks at home to Southampton last Gameweek, we are sticking by Valencia, who put in a strong performance in Gameweek 1’s away trip to Bournemouth.

Despite the tight budget we have found room for one premium midfielder.

It was a close call between Eden Hazard (10.1) and Riyad Mahrez (9.5) to fill this role, but we’ve decided to opt for the Chelsea man. No side has conceded more shots both in and outside of the box in the Premier League than Burnley this season. With a goal and assist already to his name, a home clash against the Clarets offers the third most popular FPL midfielder a golden opportunity to add further attacking returns.

Ross Barkley is the fourth most transferred in player in FPL, with 190,000+ new investors this week. This has seen his price rise to 7.7 and ownership increase to 17.7% on the back of a goal, assist and a 15-point FPL total this season. Saturday’s encounter with Stoke marks the start of a strong run of fixtures for Everton, making Barkley a shrewd investment for this week and beyond.

Nathan Redmond (6.1) offers an out of position option for Southampton’s home encounter with Sunderland. Stationed up front alongside Shane Long, the summer signing from Norwich has already netted on his St Mary’s debut and sits joint second amongst midfielders for shots inside the box. So far, he’s sitting in 12.1% of FPL squads.

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend (6.5) is another budget-friendly midfield option, who is joint second among midfielders in terms of goal attempts. If new Palace striker Christian Benteke grabs significant minutes against visitors Bournemouth, the 5.7% owned Townsend could also see a boost in his assist potential, given Alan Pardew’s penchant for crosses.

Sergio Aguero (13.1) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.7) are the culprits behind our penny pinching this Gameweek. With three goals and two sets of maximum bonus each they seem indispensable on current form. It is little wonder that both are now owned by more than half of all FPL managers.

The Manchester United frontman travels to a Hull side that has conceded 41 shots already this campaign, while Aguero is at home to a dejected West Ham side that tumbled out of Europe last night and have doubts over star man Dimitri Payet.

With little cash left over we have opted for West Brom’s Salomon Rondon (6.5) as our pick of the mid-price strikers this Gameweek. The Venezuelan faces a Middlesbrough side that, along with Burnley, has the joint worst record of conceding shots in the box. Rondon, meanwhile, is currently third in the shots in the box table. Just 3.7% of FPL managers have him in their side.

Arsenal’s Rob Holding (1% ownership) is our bench option at the back. The Gunners collected a clean sheet away to Leicester last time out and, at 4.5, he offers a cheap route into a rearguard that served up 18 shut-outs in 2015/16.

We’re also backing Dusan Tadic (7.4%) for Southampton’s home match against Sunderland. Eight shots on goal and as many key passes in just two appearances suggest he’s been very unlucky not to get amongst the points for his 4% owners.

After building up his fitness and committing his future to Everton, for this season at least, Romelu Lukaku (9.0) hosts a Stoke outfit that have conceded five times in the first two matches. With veteran Shay Given still deputising in goal, the 6.1%-owned Belgian could be in line to open his account at Goodison tomorrow.

The Community Champion

The community member who beats our picks by the biggest margin over the campaign will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Contributors and Moderators League for the following season.

This week’s champion is Jac The Cat who has selected a 3-4-3 formation of Foster; Valencia, Stones, Souare; Ozil, Mane, Pogba, Redmond; Kane, Vardy, Costa.