Scout Picks – Gameweek 24

Having published our Scout Squad article yesterday, revealing the players under consideration for a place in the Gameweek 24 Scout Picks, we now reveal our final 14-man squad.

Heurelho Gomes (4.9) comes in as our budget keeper as Watford host a persistently travel-sick Burnley this weekend.

Although the long-limbed Brazilian has kept just two clean sheets at Vicarage Road this term, it’s worth noting that the previous shut-out arrived in his last home appearance. That offers us room for optimism ahead of his meeting with a Clarets outfit with just four away goals to their name to this point. Gomes has also returned a save point in four of his last six Gameweeks.

There’s no such shortage of attacking talent in defence at West Brom, Everton and Spurs, with all three treated to home comforts.

For the Baggies’ Hawthorns clash with Stoke City, Chris Brunt (5.1) earns a place on the back of three FPL double-digit hauls in seven home starts. Sitting in just 3.4% of Fantasy Premier League teams, he remains a key differential heading into the weekend.

Our Everton spot goes to Seamus Coleman (5.7), who now looks to have the edge over team-mate and fellow full-back Leighton Baines.

With four goals this term, and attacking returns in each of the last three, the Irishman appears to be a potent threat, whether at right-back or right wing-back. Visitors Bournemouth will once again be without injured left-back Charlie Daniels and have shipped 10 goals in their last four – more than any other side over that spell.

An injury to Danny Rose, who limped off in Spurs’ goalless draw at Sunderland, has seen us turn to his team-mate Kyle Walker (6.2) ahead of Middlesbrough’s visit to White Hart Lane. With six assists this term – more than any other defender – the right-back looks a more than able deputy as Mauricio Pochettino’s men go in search of an eleventh clean sheet of the campaign.

A wealth of midfield options has persuaded us to opt for a 3-5-2 formation this time around.

After notching a goal and seven assists in the last eight Gameweeks, we welcome Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling (7.7) into our five-man midfield. Such consistency bodes well as he prepares to host a Swansea City defence that has conceded 24 times and only earned one clean sheet on the road.

The England international narrowly edged out Gabriel Jesus in our Picks. After Pep Guardiola suggested that the Brazilian could be fielded on the wing to accommodate Sergio Aguero’s recall, we wanted to gather more evidence before joining a bandwagon that has seen the Brazilian starlet scoop more than 100,000 new FPL managers since his 11-point return at West Ham on Wednesday night.

Christian Eriksen (8.8) is another consistent scorer, particularly at home where he has amassed a remarkable 60 FPL points – and four double-figure hauls – across his last five White Hart Lane outings. Such form will be put to the test against visitors Middlesbrough, though – the Teesside team have conceded a mere 12 goals on the road, a record only bettered by their hosts and Chelsea.

Reliability of attacking returns has also driven us to once again hand a place to Alexis Sanchez (11.9), who has delivered at least a goal or assist in all but one of his last 11 league outings. Like Eriksen, though, he faces another mean defence. Chelsea, have conceded just six times and earned seven clean sheets at Stamford Bridge but, with the Gunners driven to earn a victory, we see the influential Chilean among the points again.

Completing our midfield quintet are two budget players with a keen eye for goal, up against obliging defences at home.

Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha (5.5) books his place after an impressive return to the fray against Bournemouth on Tuesday evening.

Marking his return to the Eagles line-up following Africa Cup of Nations duty for the Ivory Coast, the winger was fielded in an advanced central role and matched Christian Benteke’s three goal attempts. Although he failed to score against the Cherries, Zaha looks primed for returns against visitors Sunderland, who have shipped 22 goals on the road and are without a single shutout.

West Brom’s opponents Stoke City have leaked 11 goals in their last six, which ensures that winger Matt Phillips (5.9) survives our final shake-down. Owned by 21.6% of FPL managers, the Scot has already served up two goals and five assists at The Hawthorns this season.

With Phillips and Zaha on board, we have enough in reserved to splash out on Spurs striker Harry Kane (11.2) for Middlesbrough’s trip to the Lane.

Kane has fired eight goals at home – more than any other FPL forward – including a hat-trick in the previous league outings in front of his own fans, when West Brom visited in Gameweek 21.

Romelu Lukaku (9.6) also gets a call-up for Everton’s home encounter with Bournemouth.

Like Kane, he’s failed to net in the last two Gameweeks, but both those matches were on his travels. The Belgian has bagged two goals and an assist in the last two at Goodison Park ahead of a clash with the Cherries’ struggling rearguard.

Scott Dann warms our bench after serving up a 15-point haul in midweek – the highest of Gameweek 23. The Palace centre-half grabbed his third goal of the season at Bournemouth, while a first clean sheet in six under Big Sam suggests the new manager is finally making an impact ahead of Sunderland’s visit to Selhurst Park.

Bournemouth’s poor defensive form hands a bench spot to Everton schemer Ross Barkley (7.0), who has two assists in his last four and has created more chances (10) than any team-mate over that period.

Another Eagles asset on our radars this weekend is Christian Benteke (7.3).

Having ended a seven-match drought with a goal at the Vitality Stadium, he will fancy his chances against a Sunderland outfit that are the only side yet to keep a clean sheet on their travels all season. The Black Cats have also allowed more headed goal attempts than any other Premier League side – a weakness that Allardyce and Benteke will surely seek to exploit.

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.

The Gameweek 23 champion is Oddjobleff who has opted for a 4-4-2 line up of: Foster; Coleman, Baines, Brunt, Alderweireld; De Bruyne, Mane, Eriksen, Zaha; Aguero, Lukaku.