Our midweek regular returns this evening as we give you an early heads-up on our Scout Picks thinking for the Gameweek ahead. This list of 22 players also includes some names in contention for a place in our Spot the Differential article, though will, of course, be subject to change, depending on the injury situation as the week unfolds.

For Gameweek 8, here’s who is currently in our thinking…

Keepers

Sunderland drew blanks in their last three league outings and have tallied fewer shots inside the box (32) than any side this term, enhancing Adrian’s (5.0) clean-sheet prospects ahead of a trip to the Stadium of Light. Joe Hart (5.7) should be fit to return for a home clash against a Newcastle outfit that’s failed to net a single goal on their travels.

Defenders

Aleksandar Kolarov (6.1) ranks top for attempts (12) and joint-top for key passes (12) ahead of the Magpies encounter. Simon Francis (4.5) is neck-and-neck with the Serbian in terms of key passes and enjoys a home tie against a Watford team that’s positioned at the foot of the table for goals scored (five).

Scott Dann (5.0) boasts a goal and an assist already and scooped all three bonus points in Crystal Palace’s 1-0 win over Watford. Back-to-back shut-outs could be on the cards, given that West Bromwich Albion rank second-bottom for big chances (five) this term.

Craig Dawson (5.0) ranks fourth among defenders for attempts (seven) and serves as the safest route into a Baggies rearguard that’s amassed more cleans sheets (14) than any team in the Premier League this year.

Jordan Amavi (5.0) recorded assists in two of his previous four starts and is pitted against a Stoke backline that’s conceded the most big chances (21) in the league. Meanwhile, Aaron Creswell (5.6) also has two assists to his name as the Irons gear up for a trip to Wearside.

Midfielders

Fresh off a hat-trick against Leicester City, Alexis Sanchez (11.1) will be relishing the opportunity to take on a Manchester United outfit that’s conceded four goals in their last two road clashes. With three strikes in as many domestic starts, Kevin De Bruyne (10.1) is emerging as a consistent performer for Manchester City.

Eden Hazard (11.3) has delivered attacking returns in the last two Gameweeks and ranks second among midfielders for key passes (nine) over that period. Juan Mata (8.8) carded three goals and two assists in his previous four appearances, ensuring that Arsenal will have to monitor the Spaniard closely when the Red Devils pay a visit on Sunday.

No midfielder in the league has chalked up more shots on target (11) than Riyad Mahrez (6.5), who next faces a Norwich City side that’s conceded the second most number of big chances (16). Dimitri Payet (7.9) has posted just two blanks in seven starts since making the switch to West Ham, underlining his potency in the mid-price bracket.

Everton triumphed 3-1 over Chelsea in their most recent home encounter, which bodes well for Ross Barkley’s (6.9) prospects ahead of the Merseyside derby. Yannick Bolasie (6.2) could profit from the Eagles’ excellent trio of upcoming match-ups, the first of which pits them against a Baggies side that’s carrying some injuries at the back.

Elsewhere, Wes Hoolahan (5.1) sits atop the assists chart (five) in the lead up to Leicester’s visit, rendering him a top pick in the budget-midfielder bracket. The Republic of Ireland international has played a part in three of Norwich’s four home goals this far.

Forwards

Sergio Aguero (13.2) is struggling for returns, yet is ranked second for attempts (10) and first for penalty-box touches (21) over the past two Gameweeks. The Magpies’ visit to the Etihad promises goals, considering that they’ve registered just two clean sheets in their previous 18 league ties.

Daniel Sturridge (10.5) announced his return to relevancy on the Fantasy scene last Gameweek, notching a brace in a 3-2 victory over Aston Villa. In spite of their strong start, the Toffees shipped five goals in their three home fixtures. Diafra Sakho (6.6) has been somewhat overshadowed by Payet’s exploits yet lays claim to three goals in four outings.

Jamie Vardy (6.5) is the league’s form forward, with five goals in the Foxes’ last quartet of fixtures – no frontman tallied more shots on target (seven) over that stretch. Watford’s Odion Ighalo remains a snip at 5.2, having netted three goals in as many starts and registered the sixth most number of shots inside the box (16) among forwards this campaign.

The Community Champion

Having scrapped the weekly vote idea from last season, we now operate a lottery system to pick our weekly candidates. 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 Scouts did well last week, notching an impressive 58 for their Gameweek 7 picks. Sadly for us. though, community champion The Blue of Leicester proved a more than equal opponent, netting an incredible 69-point haul, with his midfield alone bringing in 50 points. However, this was not enough for him to overhaul Massive, who beat us by 16 points in Gameweek 6 and stay in the lead to claim the £100 Amazon voucher.

Supersonic has won the Gameweek 8 lottery and presents another challenge for us. Now in his 10th season of FPL management he is a wily veteran, finishing last season in 386th and with two other top 10,000 finishes under his belt.