As always on a Tuesday evening, we give you an early heads-up on our Scout Picks thinking for the Gameweek ahead. This list of 22 players will also include 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 16, here’s the players currently on our radar…
Goalkeepers
With five save points and six bonus points in his last five starts, Jack Butland (4.9) – who looks destined for our final XI – serves as the choice route into a Stoke outfit that’s carded four clean sheets in five road trips ahead of a trip to West Ham United.
Coming in at 1.2 cheaper than Chris Smalling, David De Gea (5.7) furnishes us with an affordable source of Manchester United defensive coverage as they make the trip to Bournemouth.
Defenders
Tottenham head into their White Hart Lane showdown against Newcastle United with the second-best home defensive record (five goals conceded), imploring us to field one of their rearguard assets. To that end, Toby Alderweireld (5.6) gets the nod over the out-of-position Eric Dier and Danny Rose, given that he’s notched two goals and as many assists and offers the most threat from set pieces.
Sunderland’s improvement at the back under Sam Allardyce has harvested three shut-outs in six fixtures, bringing Patrick van Aanholt (4.6) back onto our radar. The Dutchman has benefitted from a wing-back berth, chalking up a goal and an assist in his previous four starts ahead of a home tie against Watford.
Save for an erroneous offside call, Alberto Moreno (4.9) would have recorded his maiden goal this term against Newcastle. West Bromwich Albion’s trip to Anfield harbours strong clean sheet potential, bolstering the Spaniard’s chances of making the cut.
Hector Bellerin (5.9) and the Arsenal rearguard as a whole will fancy their chances of rebuffing the advances of an Aston Villa team that netted just two goals in their last four road clashes.
Although Manchester City have conceded seven times in their previous trio of match-ups, Aleksandar Kolarov (6.4) registered a goal and an assist during that period and should enjoy attacking Swansea’s generous defence at the Etihad.
By virtue of his security of starts, Chris Smalling (6.9) remains the solitary viable path into the Red Devils’ diligent defence.
Midfielders
Notwithstanding the Sky Blues’ lacklustre showing at the Britannia Stadium, Kevin De Bruyne (10.8) is a dead-cert for the Scout team ahead of a plum home clash with struggling Swansea.
No side has conceded more goals (30) than Newcastle this term, which has encouraged us to explore the possibility of a Tottenham double-up. If we pursue that line of action, Christian Eriksen (8.5) will be the man to accompany Harry Kane.
Chelsea’s abysmal away form suggests that they are unlikely to silence Leicester at the King Power, with Riyad Mahez (6.8) primed to capitalise on their defensive frailties.
Philippe Coutinho (8.4) boasts four goals and one assist in his last three starts, rendering him a prime pick if he can shake of a niggling hamstring complaint.
You’d have to track back to Gameweek 6 to pinpoint the last matchday that Mesut Ozil (9.6) drew a blank, highlighting the German’s incredible consistency. Team-mate Aaron Ramsey (8.0) represents an intriguing alternative to the former Real Madrid man. The Wales international is set for a run of starts in the double pivot (a position that yielded 10 goals during the 2013/14 season) with Santi Cazorla on the sidelines and immediately profited with a goal and an assist against Sunderland.
The Eagles will be bristling with confidence when Southampton roll up at Selhurst Park, having demolished Newcastle in their last home encounter. Yannick Bolasie (6.1) is an erratic player but one that demonstrated his capacity for explosive returns with a brace against the Magpies, making him a potentially rewarding gamble.
Ross Barkley (7.4) triumphs over Gerard Deulofeu in the battle of the Everton midfielders by way of his more potent goal threat (three strikes in as many starts).
With a sublime brace against Man City, Marko Arnautovic (6.1) boosted his tally to five goals for the season, surpassing his career-best haul (2013/14: four) for the Potters. The Austria international is certainly benefitting from an enhanced license to run beyond the opposition’s defence and vacate his wide berth, piquing our interest ahead of a trip to the Boleyn Ground.
Forwards
Although he’s posted back-to-back blanks, Harry Kane (9.7) is a prime candidate for our forward line as he faces off against a Newcastle defence that ranks joint-second for away goals conceded (18).
Jamie Vardy’s (7.6) historic scoring streak was terminated at Swansea, but he still hasn’t drawn a blank since the second Gameweek of the season after delivering an assist at the Liberty.
No team has mustered fewer clean sheets (one) than Norwich City, which instill us with confidence that Romelu Lukaku (9.1) can extend his goal spree to six matches.
Looking beyond his own goal against the Black Cats, Olivier Giroud (8.9) has been quietly efficient as the spearhead of Arsenal’s attack, racking up five goals in seven starts. With Theo Walcott perhaps more likely to contend for a role out wide, the Frenchman’s pitch time looks a little more secure in light of the Gunners’ injury concerns.
Odion Ighalo (5.9) directly contributed (eight goals and five assists) to 13 of Watford’s last 15 goals, illuminating how integral he is to the newly promoted outfit’s survival. His strike partner, Troy Deeney, has also excelled of late with five goals and two assists in six matches, but the former’s consistency over a longer period gives him the edge.
On Standby
Switching our attention to those Premier League recruits on the verge of cutting the mustard, Daniel Sturridge (10.2) has a great shot at making our Picks if Jurgen Klopp elects to rest him in midweek – a strong possibility given that Liverpool are already through to the next stage of the Europa League. We’ll be keeping a keen eye on whether there’s any validity to the unconfirmed rumours that he’s suffered a hamstring injury setback, though.
In terms of the midfielders on the periphery of our thinking, Dele Alli (5.0) netted twice in his previous four outings and accrued nine attempts in the process, while Theo Walcott (8.3) could carve open Villa with his electric pace. Xherdan Shaqiri (6.6) was irrepressible against Manuel Pellegrini’s troops and will be hard for the Hammers to contain if he approaches next Gameweek in a similar fashion.
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.
Gameweek 15’s community champion Jose’s Magic Omelette narrowly lost to the Scout Picks by 37 points to 38. Massive stays in the lead to claim the £100 Amazon voucher, then, after beating us by 16 points in Gameweek 6.
Gameweek 16’s Community Champion as selected by our lottery, is Shaktimaan. He is currently a respectable 66,278th in the FPL overall rankings and is now in his fourth season. His highest finish was 2013/14 when he reached 18,162.
In addition to a shot at the £100 Amazon prize, FantasyBet are offering a chance for further prizes to Community Champions that are eligible to play their games. More details can be found here.
