Scout Picks – Gameweek 5

After listing the players in our Scout Picks Squad earlier in the week, the time has come to reveal our Gameweek 5 selections.

The search for spare change, given our 83m budget, has driven our selection of Crystal Palace’s 4.4 goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. He entertains a Stoke side that has only managed to score twice this season, the joint-lowest tally along with West Brom.

Heading our defender selections is Leighton Baines (5.5), who has the triple potential of clean sheet, attacking points and FPL bonus points. The 10.6% owned Everton left-back, who is on penalties, faces a shot shy Middlesbrough side that is in the bottom three in terms of goal attempts in the last two Gameweeks. In addition, on Monday he showed his strong bonus point potential, picking up two thanks to an all round style of play covering tackling, chance creation and passing.

John Stones (5.0) must surely be on a final warning from his patient 30.9% of FPL owners, after failing to pick up a single clean sheet this term. We are giving him one last shot, too, hoping that he can belatedly deliver at home to Bournemouth.

Two raiding full-backs take the final two defender spots. Southampton’s Cedric Soares has dipped under the radar this season with a lowly 1% FPL ownership but looks on the cusp of a big points haul. He is currently joint top in terms of shots on target among defenders and only Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia has made more crosses than the 5.0 right back among defenders.

Christian Fuchs (5.4) has so far failed to deliver the attacking form of last season, which saw him finish on 150 points in FPL with four assists and an impressive 25 bonus points. But with Leicester buoyant after their debut Champions League victory midweek and hosting a Burnley side which has posted the league’s lowest amount of goal attempts, we believe an upturn in the 8.4% owned defender’s fortunes beckons.

We’ve opted for a premium priced midfield this Gameweek, which has forced us to turn to a more budget friendly 4-3-3 formation and reduce our options in the centre of the park.

Alexis Sanchez (11.0) is our top Arsenal pick for the London side’s trip to Hull. With a goal (and two assists) in his last away league match against Watford in Gameweek 3, and another strike on the road midweek in the Champions League, the 13.5% owned Chilean certainly has form on his side. Hull offer him a stellar fixture as well, as the Yorkshire side currently languishes in the bottom three in terms of home goal attempts conceded both in and outside of the box.

Kevin De Bruyne was to be our Manchester City selection, but his 10.5 price tag proved prohibitive. Instead, we’ve opted for his cut-price team-mate Raheem Sterling (8.3), who should also do well in City’s home clash with Bournemouth. The 15.1% owned England winger brought in a 16-point FPL haul in his last home appearance for City. Be warned, though – with Sterling racking up 79 minutes of Champions League action midweek he may face reduced minutes this weekend thanks to City’s wealth of attacking midfield options, including Nolito (9.0) and Leroy Sane (7.8).

Eden Hazard (10.3) completes our heavyweight midfield trio. Last Gameweek’s away trip to Swansea was the only league match this season where the Belgian failed to bring in attacking returns. But at home it’s a different story, with double-digit FPL points hauls in both of his Stamford Bridge league outings this season. Liverpool may have the second best record in terms of goal attempts conceded in the box this season but with no clean sheets and seven goals against, the 34.3% owned Belgian looks a strong bet to once again profit on familiar turf.

Romelu Lukaku (9.2) has deservedly picked up 167,000 new FPL managers this week on the back of his impressive 11-minute hat-trick against Sunderland on Monday. At home to Middlesbrough, the Everton striker faces another kind fixture to continue his dramatic upturn in form.

After being rested for the majority of Manchester United’s Europa League tie against Feyenoord, Zlatan Ibramimovic (11.9) is a certain starter for the Red Devils trip to Vicarage Road. With a 63.3% FPL ownership, he is the game’s most popular player and faces a Watford side that has failed to keep a clean sheet this season. Considering no player has managed more goal attempts than the big Swede it is no surprise to him at the top of our captain poll.

With Sergio Aguero sitting out the second of his three-match suspension, Manchester City are set to rely on Kelechi Iheanacho (7.0) to lead the line. The young striker looks an excellent deputy for the Argentine having scored in both last weekend’s Manchester Derby and midweek in the Champions League. With an ownership of just 4.7% he could also provide an ideal one match differential this weekend for those looking to wildcard to bring Aguero back in Gameweek 6.

Antonio Valencia (5.6) drops to the bench but still offers strong prospect of returns for Manchester United’s visit to Watford. The right back was rested in the Europa League and put in an impressive performance in the Red Devil’s last league away fixture, picking up maximum bonus against Hull in Gameweek 3.

Another that is unlucky to find himself on the bench is the 7.9% owned Christian Eriksen (8.4), who looks to be returning to the creative form that saw him earn 16 assists for Tottenham in 2015/16. Last weekend he picked up two assists in the league, away to Stoke, and he currently tops Spurs’ chances created, corners and crossing tables.

Christian Benteke (7.5)’s salmon like leap to score against Middlesbrough last weekend looks set to be the first of many headed goals from the Crystal Palace striker. His team-mates are certainly geared up to deliver him service as no side has put in more crosses than the south London outfit. Stoke will have to reach new defensive heights to keep the 5.6% owned Belgian at bay on Sunday.

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. The current champion to beat is Grand Thibauto,who had a single point lead over us in Gameweek 4.

This week’s champion Tokyo Rising Sun has opted for a 3-4-3 formation of: Schmeichel; Walker, Baines, Bellerin; Nolito, Bolasie, Eriksen, Firmino; Ibrahimovic, Lukaku, Bony.