Scout Picks – Gameweek 19

With the Gameweek 19 deadline only a matter of hours away, we’re getting in early to reveal our latest batch of Scout Picks.

We put faith in Tom Heaton (4.9) for a Gameweek 18 home clash against Middlesbrough, and he repaid us with a nine-point Fantasy Premier League haul, including a maximum bonus return and a clean sheet.

With Sunderland visiting Turf Moor next, we see no reason for a change between the sticks. Another shut-out looks on the cards given that the Black Cats have scored just five goals in nine away trips. It is also worth noting that only Burnley themselves, and Middlesbrough, have mustered fewer goal attempts on the road than David Moyes’ troops.

We are also sticking with Manchester United’s Phil Jones (4.9), despite handing us just two FPL points when Sunderland dropped by Old Trafford in Gameweek 18. Next up for the 3.5% owned centre back is a promising home tie with ‘Boro, who, as we have already mentioned, are among the most shot-shy teams on the road.

Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso (6.4) makes the cut yet again. With a home tie against a Stoke City side that has scored nine goals in as many road trips, we believe he will earn his 11^th clean sheet of the season and also offers the prospect of attacking returns. The Potters have shipped 15 away goals, while the 9.4% owned left wing-back has a goal and two assists so far this term.

We see a drab goalless encounter at St Mary’s when West Brom pay visit to Southampton, prompting us to pick a defender from each side.

For the Saints, Virgil Van Dijk (5.8) is another to make a return to the picks, given that the Baggies have only netted seven times on the road.

Meanwhile, the south coast side have scored just three goals in their last five home league matches, which boosts Chris Brunt’s (5.0) prospects of clean sheet returns.

Three of our Gameweek 18 midfield selections earn a recall with the fixture list once again shining brightly on them.

Alexis Sanchez (11.9) may have blanked against West Brom, but it was not for want of trying. The Chilean’s nine goal attempts was the highest tally of any player in Gameweek 18, giving us hope he will be able to breach Crystal Palace’s backline, in spite of the Eagles’ expected bus-based tactics under Sam Allardyce.

Chelsea schemer Eden Hazard (10.4) is also retained after getting back amongst the goals against Bournemouth in Gameweek 18.

With Stoke City arriving next, we are backing the 35.8% owned Belgian to once again deliver at the Bridge: he has scored seven of his nine league goals and notched all but one of his five double-digit returns on home turf.

Costa also appeals this week, given that he has only failed to score or assist on three occasions this term, but a 10.7 valuation sadly proved just too much for our 84 million budget.

The dismissal of Swansea boss Bob Bradley has convinced us to promote their dead-ball specialist Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.5) from last week’s bench to the first XI this time around.

During Bradley’s dire 11-match reign, the Welsh side won just two matches, but his departure could herald an upturn in fortunes for the 9.5% owned Icelander, who last delivered attacking returns in Gameweek 15. Visitors Bournemouth have managed just one clean sheet away from home and have conceded 19 goals on their travels.

The last of our Gameweek 18 picks to retain a starting berth is Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.6), who handed us a 15-point FPL return with a goal and two assists against Sunderland.

Visitors ‘Boro are the next defence to attempt to stop the 42% owned Swedish juggernaut, who has scored an impressive eight goals in his last seven league starts. Aitor Karanka’s troops have conceded just ten in nine road trips but surely face a tough task repelling the in-form striker, who is bidding to become 2016’s top goalscorer in Europe’s top leagues.

Romelu Lukaku (9.4)’s goal against Leicester City in Gameweek 18 and this evening’s clash away to Hull have prompted a return to the picks for the Belgian.

Granted, that strike against the Foxes came from his only shot of the game, but against the porous Tigers defence, we envisage an upturn in output for the 26.6% owned Lukaku: no team has conceded more shots in the box than Mike Phelan’s side.

Another scorer in Gameweek 18 to catch our eye is West Ham’s 2.9% owned Andy Carroll (6.2), who racked up his second goal in five appearances against Swansea City. The big target man visits a Leicester City side that are without a clean sheet at the King Power since the beginning of October.

We’re turning to Everton’s budget option Mason Holgate to fill our defender slot on our bench. The 4.0 candidate earned a first start since Gameweek 3 at Leicester City and, as part of a three-man backline, helped the Toffees to just a fourth clean sheet of the campaign. He should retain a starting role against a Hull side with just nine goals from as many home matches.

Leicester’s concession of 19 headed goal attempts in their eight home matches has propelled West Ham’s 10.2% owned Michail Antonio (6.8) into our thinking. No player has scored more goals with their head than the winger’s tally of six.

Our faith in an upturn in Swansea City’s fortunes with the departure of Bradley, coupled with a lack of confidence in Bournemouth defenders away from home, reserves a place for Fernando Llorente (6.3) on our bench. The 5.9% owned striker has delivered attacking returns in all of his last three home appearances, racking up a total of 33 points over those fixtures.

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 Boris Bodega, who achieved a 33-point margin of victory over us in Gameweek 15.

GWK 18’s champion Kryten was beaten by the Scouts 59-50.

This week’s lottery has selected Game of Throw Ins to represent the community. This is his seventh season, with 2015/16 finish of 24,193 his best yet. He has opted for a 3-4-3 line up of: Heaton; Azpilicueta, Holgate, A Valencia; Sigurdsson, Alli, Hazard, Lallana; Aguero, Lukaku, A Carroll.