Just three days on from our previous selection, the Scout Picks return with another 15 names that fit snugly within our allocated £84 million budget.
With premium picks in all our outfield positions, we have once again sought value between the sticks, and the reliable mainstay, Lee Grant (4.2), fits the bill perfectly.
The Stoke City stopper welcomes Leicester City to the bet365 Stadium in strong form, delivering three clean sheets in his last four Gameweeks. Each of those shut-outs has come packaged with Fantasy Premier League bonus points, including a maximum haul against Southampton in midweek.
Another shutout looks likely for the 5% owned keeper, given that the Foxes’ boast an unenviable record of just six goals from their eight away trips.
There are further savings to be made by drafting in Bournemouth’s Nathan Ake (4.4) into our four-man backline.
The 4.6% owned defender is another with form and fixture to back up his inclusion. Since breaking into the first XI in Gameweek 12, the on-loan Chelsea starlet has racked up two clean sheets and scored twice with five bonus points accued.
Vitality Stadium visitors Southampton have conceded just three goals in their last four league matches, which may minimise the chance of a third goal for Ake, but another clean sheet looks a strong possibility. The Saints have mustered just three goals in their previous seven Gameweeks.
Sunderland’s Patrick Van Aanholt (5.0) costs a little more but is an attack-minded, buccaneering defender that, on occasions, can tick all the Scout Picks boxes.
He certainly looks worthy of consideration for the visit of Watford.
In the last four Gameweeks, no defender has created more chances or fired in more attempts than the 4% owned Dutchman. Meanwhile, the Hornets have shipped eight goals over that same four-match spell.
This thrifty trio enables us to set aside part of our budget to secure the services of two of FPL’s most expensive defenders.
Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso (6.3) is refusing to budge from our weekly selection.
With eight clean sheets, two assists and a goal in his last ten outings, it’s tough to find a reason to overlook him.
However, the 8.3% owned left-wing back travels to a Crystal Palace side that will test the resolve of the Blues backline, with 14 goals in their last six outings.
Our second premium defensive pick is Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld (6.3), who takes on a Burnley attack at White Hart Lane that has yet to score a single strike from open play on their travels.
Spurs have allowed just one Premier League goal at home with Alderweireld on the teamsheet.
In midfield, away specialist Alexis Sanchez (11.8) gets the nod ahead of Arsenal’s visit to Manchester City.
No player has scored more away goals than the 36% owned Chilean’s nine on the road.
Pep Guardiola’s troops have conceded in six of their eight league matches at the Etihad, to strengthen the Chilean’s case.
Our final midfield picks are taken up by two of Gameweek 16’s star performers: Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen (8.5) and Liverpool’s Adam Lallana (7.2).
The pair both delivered a 19-point FPL haul in midweek and once again face obliging opposition.
Eriksen, who has fired in more attempts than any other player over the last four Gameweeks, takes on a Burnley defence that has shipped 16 goals on the road.
Meanwhile, the 13.1% owned Lallana visits an Everton side in the Merseyside derby that last kept a clean sheet back in Gameweek 10.
Our three-man forward line features the season’s most consistent player, Chelsea’s Diego Costa (10.9).
His blank away to Sunderland midweek was just the third occasion he has failed to deliver attacking returns this season: Costa has yet to fail in successive Gameweeks.
A trip to Palace appears to provide a platform to ensure he retains that record: the Eagles have conceded 12 goals at Selhurst Park and registered just one clean sheet.
We are sticking by 20% owned Harry Kane (11.3), who, like Costa, was another of our Gameweek 16 picks who failed to deliver.
With his lucky charm Mousa Dembele perhaps in contention to play against Burnley on Sunday, we are backing the Tottenham talisman to rekindle the strong recent form that has seen him deliver five goals in six home matches.
Jermain Defoe (7.8) claims another forward spot ahead of Watford’s visit to the Stadium of Light. The Sunderland veteran has scored five goals in six home matches and will be pitted against a Hornets’ backline that has conceded 16 times on the road.
West Ham’s Aaron Cresswell (5.3) is perhaps unfortunate to find himself on the bench on the back of a clean sheet against Burnley at home in Gameweek 16.
The Hammers wing-back faces another obliging home tie when Hull City drop by the London Stadium. The Tigers have scored just four goals on the road and have the fourth-worst record in terms of away goal attempts.
With Marko Arnautovic suspended, the threat of rotation for Stoke’s Jonathan Walters (5.6) has diminished ahead of Leicester’s visit. We’ve handed the 0.1% owned differential a place on the bench, with his goal and assist at home to Burnley in Gameweek 14 fresh in our minds.
Hull’s porous defence, which tops the away goals conceded table, puts another Hammer, Andy Carroll (6.1), on our radar.
At home to Burnley midweek, the 2% owned Geordie impressed in what was only his second start of the season, firing in six goal attempts. A third start and a second goal of the season look a strong possibility this weekend.
The 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 Bash Villa beat the Scouts 80 to 61.
This week’s lottery has selected Badgevilla, who is currently ranked 20,040, to represent the community. He has opted for a 3-4-3 line up of: Randolph; Ake, Walker, Van Aanholt; Eriksen, Pogba, Mane, Payet; Kane, Costa, Carroll
