With unanimous backing for Everton’s four-goal hero Romelu Lukaku last week, Mark, Paul and I are in confident mood as we go forward with our candidate nominations for Gameweek 25’s Scout Picks.

The Scout Squad article aims to give a greater insight into the decision-making process behind our selection, as the three of us list the 18 players we believe have the best chance of success across the four positions, listing them in rank order.

The discussions and disagreements that will take place behind the scenes are then showcased, as we each seek to back our players for a place in the Scout Picks, as well as our Spot the Differential article.

Finally, we will also reveal the Community Champion who has been selected by our lottery to represent the community and be in with the chance of winning a £100 Amazon voucher.

Goalkeepers

Three nominations and top place billing from Paul and I, make Stoke City’s Lee Grant (4.4) the hot favourite to claim the goalkeeper spot in this Friday’s picks.

Crystal Palace’s visit looks to be the perfect storm for the 8.4% owned Potters’ custodian in terms of both save and clean sheet points. Over their last four, the Eagles have converted just two goals from 50 attempts.

West Ham’s Darren Randolph (4.4) is another budget keeper in strong contention: he’s awarded top spot in Mark’s picks and second place in mine.

While the Hammers have shipped a total of six goals in their last four at the London Stadium, all were conceded to tough opponents – Manchester City and Manchester United.

Against Hull and Crystal Palace over that spell, they earned two shut-outs, with a third now looking a strong possibility ahead of West Brom’s Gameweek 25 visit.

The Baggies are among the worst five Premier League sides in terms of goal attempts away from home, scoring just 10 goals from 12 road trips.

Everton’s Joel Robles (4.7) away to Middlesbrough, Sunderland’s Vito Mannone (4.3) at home to Southampton and Swansea City stopper Lucasz Fabianski (4.8) are also in the frame.

The Swans man looks the most likely to oust Randolph and Grant in our thinking: the Welshmen welcome a Leicester City side to the Liberty Stadium that has failed to find the net in their last five.

Defenders

The Foxes’ dire recent form has also prompted Paul and I to put forward Swans centre-back Alfie Mawson (4.5) for consideration. Points at both ends of the pitch look a possibility for the differential defender, who has scored twice since he cemented a starting berth back in Gameweek 15.

“While Gylfi Sigurdsson is the obvious choice in attack, Alfie Mawson has emerged as an intriguing budget option under new Swansea boss Paul Clement. Netting in two of the last five Gameweeks since the departure of Bob Bradley, the centre-half boasts a mere 0.1% ownership ahead of a plum home clash with a Leicester side that’s scored once in seven Gameweeks. Definitely one to consider for not only for this week but as a route to navigating the upcoming blanks.” – Paul

Palace’s penalty box profligacy is also targeted by Paul’s selection of Stoke City’s Erik Pieters (4.6), another potentially cheap source of both attacking and defensive returns. In his last seven matches, Pieters has earned two assists and has also helped the Potters earn six clean sheets over the season.

Winston Reid (5.1) is put forward by Mark as an alternative to Randolph for West Ham defensive cover, should we look beyond the Hammers’ stopper for our custodian.

Elsewhere, our defender picks are dominated by medium to premium priced assets who can offer us attacking promise.

Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia (5.6), Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny (6.3), Seamus Coleman (5.8) of Everton and Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso (6.7) all gain unanimous backing.

Of this quartet, Valencia looks to be in the box seat having claimed two top votes, from Mark and I.

The 9.3% owned Ecuadorian rewarded Mark and Paul’s support last week with an 11-point return away to Leicester City, where he earned two bonus points, an assist and clean sheet.

Next up for the raiding right back is an Old Trafford clash with Watford, a side that has failed to find the net in three of their last five road trips.

Midfielders

Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.4) and Alexis Sanchez (11.8) both appear certainties for Friday’s selection having gained three votes and top spots in our nominations.

The Swansea schemer, who has been acquired by more than 100,000 FPL managers this week, appears to be the strongest of the pair, with form and fixture seemingly perfectly aligning on Sunday.

Liberty Stadium visitors Leicester have shipped 10 goals in their last four, while the Icelander has three goals and an assist over that spell.

The same would have been said of Sanchez prior to Marco Silva’s appointment at Hull.

But since the Portuguese took over as head coach, the Tigers have earned shut-outs against Liverpool and Manchester United, with the underlying statistics suggesting that they can present a stubborn barrier at the Emirates Stadium.

Nevertheless, Paul is unperturbed and is backing the Chilean with top billing among his midfield quintet.

Raheem Sterling (7.8) is the only other midfielder to earn universal support, with the Manchester City winger preparing for a Monday evening collision with a very obliging Bournemouth defence.

The Cherries have conceded 16 goals over their last six, while the 11% owned Sterling is in bloom, with eight assists in his last nine outings.

“Sterling is unfortunate because his consistent spell of FPL scoring has now coincided with the emergence of Gabriel Jesus and our heads have been turned. In many ways, I’d be content with opting for Sterling over the Brazilian in this week’s Picks, purely because I’m still not convinced that Sergio Aguero will remain frozen out.” –Mark

There is far less agreement across the remaining nominations.

Mark has been dazzled by Eden Hazard (10.2)’s wonder goal, at home against Arsenal last weekend and hands him a vote ahead of Chelsea’s trip to Burnley.

But mindful of the 30.3% owned Belgian’s poor away form, Paul and I are giving him a wide berth. Just two of his 10 goals and one of his six double-digit FPL points hauls have arrived on the road.

“Hazard was bewitching against Arsenal and his underlying numbers were off the scale compared with his previous three outings. It’s true that Burnley will be a stubborn opponent but I feel that Hazard’s trickery will be the factor to unlock their resistance and the confidence he gleaned from the Gunners’ goal may just see him kick on in this and the rest of his short-term fixtures.” – Mark

Elsewhere, Paul and I have been impressed by Manchester United’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan (8.8)’s goal and assist against at the King Power Stadium last time out. Mark is less convinced and has turned his back on the Armenian, ahead of Watford’s visit to Old Trafford.

I’m handing Henrikh Mkhitaryan a chance to impress after he bagged a season-high 14-point haul in the previous Gameweek. With his confidence on the rise, he now entertains a Watford defence with a single clean sheet in 14 attempts. As mentioned in this week’s Big Numbers, the Armenian has become United’s go-to man in the final third over the last six Gameweeks and, as evidenced by Sunday’s win at Leicester, his influence in their attack is growing with every appearance. – Paul

Paul takes his turn as odd man out in shunning the selection of Stoke City’s Marco Arnautovic (7.1). The Austrian has two goals and an assist in his last four and welcomes a shell-shocked Palace side that surrendered four goals to Sunderland at Selhurst Park last time out.

Instead, Paul prefers Michail Antonio (7.0)’s chances of a haul against the visiting Baggies defence. The 12% owned winger is set to continue in his striker’s role alongside Andy Carroll. Antonio has scored or assisted 66% of West Ham’s goals when on the pitch at the London Stadium.

Forwards

It seems fitting that Zlatan Ibrahomovic (11.6), who has often touted god-like status, should claim all three of our top picks ahead of Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus.

Suffering heavy FPL sales this week but still found in 41% of squads, we feel that the Swede will punish those who ushered him out when Watford arrive at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The Hornets have shipped 22 goals on the road, while Manchester’s resident deity will be looking to add to his 15-goal tally.

Despite claiming just two starts, Jesus (9.2) is already turning heads, with three goals and a frequency of penalty area attempts that surpasses even his illustrious team-mate, Sergio Aguero.

More than 127,000 FPL managers have secured the Samba starlet ahead of his trip to Bournemouth.

Jermain Defoe (7.8) delivered two of Sunderland’s four goals in the Selhurst Park destruction of Palace and the Black Cats’ striker is another to garner three votes.

With 14 goals already this season, the veteran marksman looks a likely shoo-in this Friday, given that visitors Southampton have conceded 11 times in their last six.

Lacking the formidable central defensive partnership of the injured Virgil Van Dijk and the departed Jose Fonte, we feel that Defoe will find joy among the Saints depleted backline.

Diego Costa (10.5) also gets full backing, albeit lower down our squad list.

If anyone is likely to breach Burnley’s resilient rearguard, which has five clean sheets in 13 Turf Moor outings, it will be the 34.2% owned Chelsea striker, who has eight goals on the road and has scored or assisted 71% of the Blues’ away goals when in the XI.

“Should Hazard fail to get the nod then I’m going to fight hard for Costa. Burnley will be a battle and the Spaniard should revel in that scenario and, while I can appreciate concerns on Hazard’s away form, there’s not such worry with Costa who has scored or assisted 71% of the Blues’ goals on the road.” – Mark

The fickle nature of Fantasy Football is highlighted this week with our four-goal hero of Gameweek 24, Romelu Lukaku, gaining just a single vote, a token fifth place nomination from Mark.

Paul and I feel that the Belgian will find this weekend’s trip to Middlesbrough a tricky prospect, given that Aitor Karanka’s side boast four shut-outs at the Riverside Stadium and have conceded a modest 14 goals in 12 home ties.

Elsewhere, Spurs’ Harry Kane (11.3) gains a tentative nod in my five-man selection ahead of a trip to Anfield. Only Sanchez has had more goal attempts than the 20.5% owned England striker over the last four Gameweeks, while Liverpool last kept a clean sheet back in Gameweek 19.

Meanwhile, Paul will be hoping to persuade us that Stoke City’s telescopic differential Peter Crouch (4.9) is deserving of Scout Picks consideration, as either a cheap third striker or perhaps as a Spot the Differential candidate.

With four goals in his last six starts, there is certainly a strong case for opting for the veteran target man, particularly with the hapless Palace defence in town.

The Community Champion

Representing the Community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek will be Alfrankofredane. This is his seventh season, with 2013/14’s finish of 81,755 his best final rank to date.

The community champion who has the biggest lead over the Scouts during 2016/17 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).

Last Gameweek’s champion Oddjobleff was beaten 63-58 by the Scouts.

The current champion to beat is Boris Bodega, who achieved a 33 point margin of victory over us in Gameweek 15.