Scout Picks – Gameweek 38

Home players looking to sign off 2016/17 in style feature strongly in our final Scout Picks of the season.

But as our midweek Scout Squad article detailed, there are some goal-hungry away day stars who also look impossible to ignore.

With 58 saves at home – a Premier League record he shares with Jordan Pickford – Tom Heaton (5.1) has been a fantastic servant to the Scout Picks this season. The visit of a West Ham side that has only scored in two of their last road trips means we’ve rewarded the 18.4% owned stopper with our season-finale goalkeeper spot.

Burnley’s six shut-outs at Turf Moor add further weight to the inclusion of a player who started the season priced at just 4.5 and is currently Fantasy Premier League’s (FPL) top-scoring keeper.

Another stalwart of our weekly selections is Marcos Alonso (6.9). FPL’s leading defender has rewarded our faith on multiple occasions thanks to his six goals, five assists and 14 clean sheets this season. Rested against Watford on Monday, the 16.2%-owned Spaniard looks set to earn a recall for the visit of a Sunderland side that has scored just four goals and conceded 22 times since Gameweek 24.

Our home-dominated defence also includes Liverpool’s Joel Matip (5.3), who is second only to Alonso in terms of shots in the box among defenders. His three attempts against West Ham in his last run-out indicate he is edging closer to his first goal since Gameweek 10.

Visitors Middlesbrough give us hope of returns at both ends of the pitch for the 2.5%-owned Cameroon international, given that they have shipped 13 and mustered just five goals in their last six.

Maya Yoshida looks undroppable for Southampton after starting every league match since Gameweek 19.

As well as security of starts, his 4.5 price tag looks ideal for our 84 million budgeted XI. The 5.7% owned Japanese international also has a strong fixture to justify a place, with the Saints hosting a Stoke City side that has only found the net in one of their last seven away days.

Our midfield quintet is heavily focused on in-form attacking players with favourable home ties.

This includes Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho (8.6), who with 192,000+ new managers since the weekend is FPL’s top transfer target. His brace and 19 point FPL return against West Ham last weekend is a key factor, as is that woeful Boro backline. In addition, the Reds need to avoid defeat if they are to hang on to their top four berth at the expense of Arsenal.

A place among Europe’s elite next season should the Reds slip up will motivate Gunners’ top-scorer Alexis Sanchez (11.6). He who also has an outside chance of winning the Golden Boot race, although he needs to score four to leapfrog current leader Harry Kane’s 26-goal tally.

It sounds like an impossible task, but he has four goals from his last six starts and the Spurs talisman managed a similar feat in just one match at Leicester City on Thursday. The Chilean needs, and could be on for, a monster points haul when he hosts an Everton side that has conceded in four of their last six road trips.

Like Alonso, Cesc Fabregas (6.9) also found himself on the Chelsea bench for Watford’s visit on Monday. This gives us confidence he will earn a run-out for the Blues as they continue their title-winning celebrations, against Sunderland, at Stamford Bridge.

The Black Cats’ poor defensive record looks tailor-made for this 3.1%-owned differential to carry on impressing his own fans – he’s produced a goal or assist in 10 of his last 11 home matches.

The inclusion of Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.4) continues a season awards feel to our final selection. The 10.6%-owned Swansea set-piece specialist has been another to frequently reward our faith – across the campaign he has scored nine, assisted a further 13.

He also hosts a West Brom side that has failed to earn a clean sheet in their last six and has four goals in all competitions against the Baggies – his joint most against any Premier League side.

Our midfield’s only away player is Josh King (6.2), who with attacking returns in 10 of his last 12 matches is a Picks favourite that we are happy to turn to again. Another points haul looks likely when the Norwegian international, who sits in 19.3% of teams, travels to a shell-shocked Leicester side that was battered 6-1 by Spurs in midweek.

Harry Kane (11.8) was instrumental in that King Power rout, with an assist to add to his four strikes, and he looks impossible to leave out. He has a comfortable two-goal lead over Romelu Lukaku in the Golden Boot race, but has said he can’t be complacent and will be in similar attacking mood when he travels to Hull City.

With just one shut-out in their last six KCOM matches, the relegated Tigers will struggle to keep this determined striker, who has attracted 55,958 new managers this week, at bay.

Our away day-focused frontline also features another striker, Gabriel Jesus (9.0) who could well challenge Kane for next year’s Golden Boot if he can match his current form. The Manchester City striker drops by Watford on the back of six goals in only seven starts since joining in January.

The hosts are in woeful form and are ravaged by defensive absentees, shipping 11 and keeping just one clean sheet in their last six.

The Brazilian is the most popular striker acquisition in FPL this week, with 97,000+ transfers.

While the quality of Leicester’s defence was ruthlessly exposed by Spurs, there are no such concerns around the ability of striker Jamie Vardy (9.9) to prosper. The 14.1%-owned England forward is unlucky to only make our bench, having scored or assisted in all but three of his last 12 league games, while the visiting Cherries’ backline has conceded 10 in their last six.

Manchester City winger Leroy Sane (7.7) is another potent threat we think deserves a mention. The 7.3%-owned German’s seven close range efforts over Double Gameweek 37 was more than any other player and suggests he will build on a recent track record of three assists and a goal in his last six when he visits Vicarage Road.

Ben Davies takes our final bench place ahead of Spurs’ trip to Hull, thanks in part to his security of starts as deputy for the injured Danny Rose since Gameweek 23. With three assists and seven clean sheets over that period, the Welshman continues to offer excellent value at 5.0.

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.

Last week’s champion QPRUTD was beaten 127 to 135 by the Scouts.

This week’s champion, Rossendale Rover, has opted for a 3-4-3 line up of: Heaton; Keane, Matip, Alonso; Sane, Coutinho, Sanchez, Fabregas; Kane, Jesus, Llorente.