Scout Picks – Gameweek 28

After listing the players under consideration in yesterday’s Scout Squad article, we now reveal who has made the final cut for Gameweek 28’s streamlined set of fixtures.

With just eight teams involved due to FA Cup quarter-final scheduling, our limited search for clean sheets takes us to Goodison Park, where we believe Everton have a strong chance of a shut-out against West Brom.

Robert Koeman’s troops have shipped just ten goals and kept five clean sheets at home, while the Baggies are among the Premier League’s most weary travellers, scoring just 12 goals away from The Hawthorns.

This has prompted us to double up on the Toffees’ rearguard by handing places to both their keeper Joel Robles (4.7) and full-back Seamus Coleman (6.0).

Attacking returns in five of Coleman’s last seven league starts heighten his appeal.

Liverpool’s Nathaniel Clyne (5.8) is another raiding right-back with a potentially favourable home tie.

His place at the top of the defenders’ chance creation table gives us hope of attacking returns should the Reds’ backline be breached. Given that all but one of Burnley’s eight away goals have come in their last six road trips, Sean Dyche’s troops look more than capable of scoring.

Our final defender also provides ample attacking potential. Swansea City’s Alfie Mawson (4.6) travels to Hull City having scored three goals in the last eight Gameweeks. His eye for an opportunity may come in handy considering that the Tigers have scored six in their last three KCOM stadium league ties.

While we have reservations about Liverpool’s clean sheet potential, there are no such qualms over their ability to find the net at Anfield.

With Burnley shipping 28 and earning just one clean sheet on the road, we have doubled up on Reds’ midfield assets, with Sadio Mane (9.5)’s fine home form making him a shoo-in.

The Senegalese winger, who has been subject to 214,000 transfers in this week, has found the net eight times in front of his own fans, a record among midfielders he shares with Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.

Philippe Coutinho (8.2) may have scored just once since returning in Gameweek 21 from a long injury lay-off, but the underlying statistics suggest more are to come. Over his last four matches the Brazilian’s total of 20 goal attempts is more than any other player.

Consistency gives Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.7) a berth in our starting XI, as he travels to the KCOM having produced attacking points in seven of his last eight stats.

The Tigers have proven more resilient under new boss Marco Silva, but with just one clean sheet at home all season, Sigurdsson has a good chance of adding to his season tally of eight goals and 10 assists.

Goals look inevitable at the Vitality Stadium when West Ham visit Bournemouth, with both sides in appalling defensive form. Over their last six matches the hosts have conceded 15 times, a record over that period, while the Hammers have shipped 11.

This hands the final two slots in our midfield quintet to the Cherries’ Josh King (5.5) and Hammers winger Michael Antonio (6.9).

King has scored five in his last six starts for Eddie Howe’s troops and also has spot-kicks up his sleeve due to the absence of Callum Wilson and Junior Stanislas.

Meanwhile, Antonio has eight goals and seven assists so far this season and should be well rested following his one-match ban during Gameweek 27. Like King, there’s a chance he could also be fielded up front if Slaven Bilic opts for a 4-4-2 on the south coast.

Bournemouth’s porous defence is weakened by the absence of Tyrone Mings through suspension, while captain Simon Francis remains a big doubt through injury.

This prompts us to opt for a pair of Hammers attackers and hand a place to 3.3% owned Andy Carroll (6.2). As Mark pointed out in our Scout Squad article, the big Geordie is likely to relish squaring up to a backline that may include Baily Cargill, the Cherries’ 21-year-old defender who made his league debut as a late substitute in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

Captain Poll leader Romelu Lukaku (10.1) takes our final Scout Picks place on the back of a strong home form that has seen him score 10 of his 18 goals at Goodison Park.

With attacking returns in each of his last quartet of home encounters, the Belgian looks primed to reward the 215,000 FPL managers who have transferred him in this week.

The imposing presence of Harry Maguire (4.4) in Hull’s backline has been key to their recent defensive improvement. With more goal attempts than any other defender over their last six matches, the Tigers’ centre-half can threaten attacking points should Marco Silva’s side concede.

For those in search of a budget differential, our midfield substitute Ryan Fraser (4.8) looks ideally placed to offer immediate returns; the 1.9% owned Bournemouth winger has registered two goals and four assists since cementing a first team place in Gameweek 19.

Fernando Llorente (6.4), who is this week’s top transfer target with more than 225,000 new owners, is unlucky to only make the bench on the back of five goals in six. But with hosts Hull improving markedly in terms of conceding headed attempts under new Marco Silva, we feel the Spaniard’s momentum may be somewhat curtailed at the KCOM.

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 28 champion is Baked Baines who has opted for a 3-5-2 line up of: Boric; Baines, Coleman, Daniels; Coutinho, Mane, Firmino, Sigurdsson, J.King; Lukaku, Llorente.