Scout Picks – Gameweek 35

After listing the players under consideration in our midweek Scout Squad article, the time has come to reveal who has earned a coveted spot in the Gameweek 35 Scout Picks.

Claudio Bravo had been earmarked for a slot ahead of Manchester City’s trip to shot-shy Middlesbrough, who have scored just 14 times at the Riverside – the worst total of any Premier League side at home.

However, after the Chilean hobbled off with a possible season-ending injury in last night’s Manchester derby, we have turned to team-mate Willy Caballero (4.7), who is owned by a mere 0.8% of FPL managers.

Problems at Manchester United have also influenced our defensive decisions, with Timothy Fosu-Mensah also picking up a shoulder injury last night to further limit Jose Mourinho’s options.

This is likely to see Daley Blind (5.2) retained at the heart of defence for Swansea City’s visit this weekend. With two clean sheets over Gameweek 34 and bonuses in eight matches this season, the 4.5%-owned Dutchman looks primed for points against the Welshman who have scored just once in their last four road trips.

The inclusion of 0.6%-owned differential Martin Kelly (4.2) is also influened by misfortune. He looks certain to start, given injuries to fellow defenders James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho, as Crystal Palace welcome a Burnley attack that has scored just ten times away from home this season.

An own goal in Leicester City’s 1-0 midweek defeat to Arsenal will have dampened interest in Robert Huth (4.9), but we think he will bounce back for the trip to a West Brom outfit seemingly counting down the days to their summer holidays.

The Baggies have failed to score, while conceding four times, over their last quartet of matches, which presents points potential at both ends of the pitch for the 2%-owned German. Huth has two goals and an assist in his last seven since Craig Shakespeare took charge of the Foxes. He also loves to quieten a crowd – all six of his league goals for the Foxes have come away from home.

This week we have managed to construct an XI nearly four million below our 84m budget, thanks primarily to the inclusion of two budget-friendly attacking midfielders with favourable fixtures.

Bournemouth’s Josh King (6.1) offers exceptional value as he travels to Sunderland on the back of ten goals in his last 11 starts. He also earns a place given the Black Cats’ porous defence, which has conceded nine times over the last six matches.

King’s ownership has leapt to 16.1% on the back of his recent goalscoring heroics, with 47,000+ bringing him in this week.

Three goals in his last four home matches makes Stoke City’s Marko Arnautovic (7.1) another attractive investment, particularly as he prepares for a visit from a West Ham side that has shipped ten in their last six.

With a mere 1.2% ownership, he looks a strong differential option for those looking to take a one-week punt ahead of a Gameweek 36 Wildcard.

That’s plenty of spare change accumulated, so we’re able to splash out on Chelsea schemer Eden Hazard (10.4), who has picked up double-digit FPL points hauls in four of his last nine starts, scoring six times and providing two assists over that period.

The 31.6%-owned Belgian will attempt to maintain this fine run of form against a resilient Everton defence that has only conceded 13 times at Goodison Park – a tally only bettered by Manchester United and Spurs.

Dele Alli (9.2) is another in-form midfielder we’re backing ahead of the North London derby at White Hart Lane. The 35.1% owned Spurs man is particularly prolific at home, scoring in four of his last five league run-outs in front of his own fans.

Arsenal’s concession of nine goals over their last six has prompted us to double up on Spurs assets and recruit the 17.2%-owned Harry Kane (11.6).

He is another to enjoy home comforts, with 15 of his 20 goals arriving on familiar turf. Kane’s taste for local bragging rights, scoring in the last four North London derbies, sweetens the deal further still.

The only player with a better home scoring record than the Spurs talisman is Everton’s Romelu Lukaku (10.5). His 16 successful strikes at Goodison Park hand him a place, particularly as visitors Chelsea have not kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 22.

Despite his good home form and Chelsea’s problems at the back, the Toffees marksman has been jettisoned by 56,000+ FPL managers this week.

Our three-man frontline is completed by Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini (6.4), who tops our Gameweek 35 captain poll ahead of Hull City’s visit to St Mary’s.

The Tigers have been abysmal on their travels, shipping 13 in their last four road trips and losing seven of their last eight away matches – the worst Premier League record of 2017.

The Italian marksman’s assist midweek against Chelsea could herald a return to his early form for Southampton, when he scored four in as many matches after joining in January. His finishing is deadly – those goals have come from just seven shots on target. Hull’s generous defence look ill-equipped to silence Gabbiadini.

With 59,000+ transfers, the Saints striker is the most popular acquisition in FPL’s transfer market this week.

Charlie Daniels’ (5.2) four goals and three assists this term, coupled with Sunderland’s meagre two-goal tally over their last nine, offers the prospect of returns at both ends and earns the Bournemouth left-back a bench spot.

Middlesbrough’s tendency to concede to top sides at the Riverside has ensured we find space among our substitutes for Manchester City’s Leroy Sane (7.6). The German winger has two goals in his last five, while Boro have shipped two against Arsenal and three to Manchester United in recent weeks.

Christian Benteke (7.4), who has been drafted in by 51,000+ FPL managers this week, is unlucky to only make the bench ahead of Burnley’s visit, given he has scored five goals in his last six and Sean Dyche’s troops have shipped 33 on their travels. On the downside, only three of his 14 league goals this season have come at Selhurst Park.

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.

This week’s champion, Kings of Lyon, has opted for a 3-4-3 line up of: De Gea; Valencia, Blind, Kompany; Townsend, Hazard, Firmino, Arnautovic; Jesus, Defoe, Gabbiadini.