Scout Picks – Gameweek 6

After listing the players in our Scout Picks Squad earlier in the week the time has come to reveal our Gameweek 6 selections.

Thanks to some excellent budget options in defence and midfield we’ve been able to afford a top-heavy frontline in our preferred 3-4-3 formation.

Among the value picks who are helping us squeeze 11 players into 83m this week, is Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford. An impressive eight saves against Tottenham last weekend, coupled with a rock bottom price of 4.0 were our initial drivers for his selection. However, we also believe the 9.6% owned stopper could bring in clean sheet points, too, as visitors Crystal Palace will be without their current chief goal threat, Scott Dann, through injury.

With Watford left back Jose Holebas (4.5) emerging as an injury doubt we had to look around for another value defensive pick to replace him. For Manchester City’s trip to Swansea, John Stones (5.0) looks ideally placed to step into the breach and earn clean sheet points against a side that has scored only four times this term.

Leighton Baines (5.6) is another left back with a kind Gameweek 6 fixture, when he travels to Bournemouth. The 12% owned defender already has an assist and couple of clean sheets and also seems to be on spot-kick duties for a match overseen by Bobby Madeley, who has awarded three spot-kicks already in the Premier League this season.

Liverpool right back Nathaniel Clyne (5.5) was to have completed our trio but Holebas’ injury meant we had to find some extra cash. Luckily his team-mate Dejan Lovren looks nailed on for ‘Pool’s favourable home tie against Hull and at 4.9 offers us a handy cut-price replacement. The Tigers currently sit in the bottom four in terms of shots in the box.

Our midfield is also awash with value this Gameweek with Robert Firmino and Raheem Sterling the two most expensive picks at just 8.4.

Firmino is Liverpool’s most creative player by some distance and thanks to being fielded as a false nine at times this season the 9.5% owned Brazilian also offers strong goal threat. For the visit of Hull City, Sadio Mane (9.0) is another strong, albeit slightly more expensive, option.

Sterling’s underlying statistics can’t compete with his Manchester City team-mate Kevin De Bruyne, but with just one FPL point less than the 10.7 priced Belgian, we think the price difference gives the England winger the edge, particularly for those wildcarding and looking to draft in as many premium picks as possible.

Manchester City attacking assets look key this week for their visit to a Swansea side that has yet to keep a clean sheet at home.

West Ham’s Michail Antonio, the highest goalscoring midfielder this term and current leader of the midfield goal attempt table, offers sensational value at just 7.3. With Southampton conceding four goals in their two away fixtures this season, they look ideal visitors for the 17.5% owned England winger to add to his five strikes.

Completing our midfield is the best bargain of them all, Etienne Capoue. As FPL’s top points scorer it is little surprise to see his ownership swell to 35.8% and price rise to 5.0 from an initial valuation of only 4.5.

His underlying statistics suggest regression is on the cards, with four goals from just seven shots, but, at just a kind price, he’s difficult to ignore away to Burnley.

Topping the bill of our premium priced front line is Sergio Aguero (13.0) who is set to return to the Manchester City side after a three-match suspension. The 28% owned striker has registered a shot in the box every 20 minutes, faster than any other player, and is up against a Swansea side in the bottom three in terms of conceding close range attempts at home.

Romelu Lukaku (9.3) is expected to recover from a toe injury in time to lead the line for Everton’s visit to Bournemouth. Having bagged four goals and an assist in the last two, the 11.8% owned Belgian looks impossible to ignore this.

With four goals and two maximum bonus point returns Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic is FPL’s top scoring forward. The penalty taker faces a Leicester City side that has the second worst away record in terms of defensive blunders in an Old Trafford match overseen by Mike Dean, who has awarded four spot-kicks already this term.

Kyle Walker is unfortunate to find himself benched ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s visit to Middlesbrough. The 30.9% owned defender’s 5.8 price tag was marginally too steep for us this Gameweek but as FPL’s top points scoring defender he looks another strong pick.

For our reserve midfielder Nathan Redmond’s potential away to a West Ham side which has conceded eight times in their last two Premier League matches gives the 8.5% owned Southampton man the nod. Crystal Palace’s Jason Puncheon (5.5) and Everton’s Yannick Bolasie (6.0) were also under consideration.

Our pick of the mid-price strikers this week is Vincent Janssen (7.8) who is expected to lead the line for Tottenham while Harry Kane recovers from an ankle injury. A convincing display could see his 1.5% ownership rocket after the ‘Boro clash.

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 VS10_ has opted for a 3-5-2 formation of: Stekelenburg; Coleman, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Payet, Mane, Coutinho, Chadli, Sterling; Aguero, Austin.