We can now reveal who has made the cut from our midweek squad list to earn a coveted Scout Picks place ahead of this evening’s deadline.
Two fixtures each mean Southampton and Arsenal assets feature prominently in our XI, particularly in defence, where we have decided to double up on Gunners players for their trip to St Mary’s and an Emirates clash with Manchester United.
Petr Cech (5.3) earns a spot with the Southampton match in mind for a clean sheet, given that Claude Puel’s troops have only scored in one of their last four at home. With 16 saves in his last three matches, he also offers us the security of points should the Red Devils stick to the form book, which has seen them score eight times across their last four road trips.
We’ve decided to spend a little extra on the security of starts Laurent Koscielny (6.1) offers, particularly with the news that fellow centre-back Shkodran Mustafi is back in training to threaten the cheaper Gabriel’s starting berth.
With 19 bonus points – more than any other defender – the 11.4%-owned Frenchman joins his Czech team-mate in offering us multiple routes to points.
Another secure starting double Gameweek asset to win a place is Southampton’s 4.6%-owned Maya Yoshida (4.5), who is also a useful enabler for our 84m budgeted XI. Of his two fixtures, the home match with Arsenal looks the likelier for shut-out points as Arsene Wenger’s charges have failed to find the net in two of their last four away days.
Our remaining two rearguard picks are claimed by two of the Premier League’s most attacking defenders facing favourable home ties against travel-sick sides.
Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso (6.8), who has five goals and as many assists this season, takes his place ahead of a Stamford Bridge encounter with a Middlesbrough side that has only scored in one of their last four on the road. The Spaniard’s credentials are boosted further by the fact that he has attempted the most shots (39), and is second for touches in the opposition penalty area (67), among defenders this season.
We have also turned to the goal scoring and clean sheet prospects offered by Robert Huth (4.9). His Leicester City side host a Watford attack that has failed to find the net in all of their last four away days.
The Hornets’ concession of 22 goals from crosses and 11 from corners – an unwelcome record only beaten by Hull City – also gives us hope that the imposing German, who has netted twice in his last seven, can deliver attacking returns.
With a mere 2.1% ownership, the Foxes defender is an intriguing differential option for the season run-in.
Just one double Gameweek player earns a start across our midfield and forward picks, which shows how poorly we view Arsenal’s and Southampton’s attacking form.
Both sides have managed a mere three goals apiece over their last four, with only West Brom, Watford and Sunderland scoring fewer over that time frame.
But if any attacker is to break this slump, we believe it will be Arsenal’s top scorer Alexis Sanchez (11.5), who has netted 19 times and assisted a further nine this season. Although just one of the Chilean’s goals has come in the last six matches, his 16 shots over that period suggest that he is a player we cannot afford to ignore.
His form might be patchy, but his pedigree is not in doubt – only Romelu Lukaku, with 30, has more goals and assists combined than Sanchez’s 29 this season.
Lack of form is something Eden Hazard (10.5) certainly cannot be accused of, with the 33.3%-owned Chelsea schemer facing Boro on Monday on the back of four goals and an assist in his last five.
It’s a good time to be bringing that run to face Middlesbrough’s defence – they’ve conceded 17 goals in their last nine fixtures (1.9 per match).
Another in-form goal scoring midfielder we’ve included is Bournemouth’s Josh King, who continues to make a mockery of his initial 5.5 price tag having claimed 11 goals in his last 12 league matches.
The Norwegian, who is now priced at 6.2 and has attracted 67,000 new owners this week, collides with a Stoke City defence that has shipped 10 in their last six on the road. The Potters have also kept just one clean sheet in their last seven fixtures.
We wanted to include a Spurs midfielder in our selection, but both Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli’s price tags proved prohibitive. Instead, we have turned to the value offered by Manchester City winger Leroy Sane (7.7), who hosts Crystal Palace at the weekend.
The German differential, who is only 6.6% of teams, has a goal and assist in his last four and Sam Allardyce’s troops are in poor defensive form, without a shut-out from their last four.
In the absence of Eriksen or Alli, Harry Kane (11.7) is our sole representative from Spurs, who travel across town to take on West Ham.
The 18.9%-owned England striker has struggled to replicate his home form on the road, with only five of his 21 goals scored away from White Hart Lane. But we think his love of the capital, and West Ham’s shaky home defence, will ensure he prospers at the London Stadium.
Kane’s last 15 goals in all competitions have all been scored in London and he thrives in both local derbies – 18 strikes from his last 20 of those – and when facing the Hammers, against whom he has scored five times in his last four appearances.
Slaven Bilic’s side has shipped 27 goals in front of their own fans, which ranks them as the Premier League’s third-worst home defensive unit, ahead of only Swansea City and the already relegated Sunderland.
Gabriel Jesus (8.7) has hit the ground running after a seven-week injury lay-off, scoring in his first start on his return away at Middlesbrough last week. In fact, he now has four goals from just five shots on target during his fledgeling Premier League career.
We anticipate another start and more attacking returns for Palace’s visit, particularly given that the Manchester City striker has three goals from his last four run-outs, which included a five minute Etihad cameo in Gameweek 34 against Manchester United.
With 147,000+ new owners, the Brazilian is by some distance the week’s biggest attraction in FPL’s transfer market, beating Sanchez’s 100,000+ acquisitions with ease.
As the best-priced defender, according to FPL’s season value list, Charlie Daniels (5.2) is unlucky to only make the bench ahead of Stoke’s visit to the Vitality Stadium. The Potters have only scored four times in their last six, while the Bournemouth left-back has hit four and assisted a further three this campaign to offer the prospect of returns at both ends of the pitch.
Despite having the sixth best total points tally among FPL defenders, Daniels is still only in 9.9% of teams.
If Swansea City are to beat the drop, they will need our second substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.4) to deliver at home to Everton. Attacking returns in his last two, following a five-match drought, indicate he has the form to reward the 11% of managers who have clung on to him and punish the 19,000+ who have moved him out this week.
Having delivered just one assist since returning in Gameweek 33 from an injury lay-off, Southampton’s Manolo Gabbiadini (6.5) can count himself lucky to earn inclusion.
The Saints tough pair of fixtures – Liverpool and Arsenal – also count against him. But with four goals in his first three starts when he joined from Napoli in January, we have handed the 8%-owned Italian a substitute’s role in the hope he can recapture that impressive early form.
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.
This week’s champion, Coleymc3, has opted for a 3-4-3 line up of: Jakupovic; Cahill, Cook, Maguire; Mahrez, De Bruyne, Lallana, Tadic; Kane, Costa, Jesus.
