Scout Picks – Gameweek 1

Having revealed our first Scout Picks Squads earlier this week, it is now time to showcase our final selection for the first Gameweek of the 2017/18 season.

Everton’s home clash with Stoke City offers a rare chance for us to select a member of their rearguard before their horror show schedule over the next four Gameweeks (mci, che, TOT, mun). Against Mark Hughes’ troops, we are backing Toffees stopper Jordan Pickford (5.0) to hand us a clean sheet as well as save points. Only Burnley’s Tom Heaton kept more shots at bay than the 11%-owned former Sunderland keeper last season.

Our new-look Scout Squad articles now feature the picks of career Hall of Fame leader Peter Kouwenberg. This week he joined Paul, Mark and myself in placing Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso (7.0) as our top defender. The inclusion of the 13.8%-owned left wing-back was never in doubt – he scored six last season and takes on a Burnley side at Stamford Bridge that shipped 35 goals on the road last time out.

But choosing FPL’s most expensive defender for our 83m-budgeted XI has come at a cost, and we have had to seek cut-pice alternatives to our preferred defenders, Manchester United right back Antonio Valencia (6.5) and Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand (5.5).

In Phil Jones (5.0) we are hoping he can at least earn us a clean sheet for West Ham’s visit to Old Trafford, even if he lacks the attacking intent of his Ecuadorian team-mate. Given his ban for the Red Devils’ Super Cup loss to Real Madrid midweek and their next European match, we believe he will be preferred for the opening league matches. An early run of fixtures could also see a rapid price rise as he sits in a mere 0.6% of Fantasy Premier League teams.

The 5.0 price tag of Southampton’s Jack Stephens, who also only has 0.6% ownership, earns him the nod as our Bertrand replacement for Swansea City’s visit. It was a tight call over Maya Yoshida, but we believe his 10 bonus points in 15 starts last season, compared to eight in 23 for his fellow centre-back, gives him a slight edge.

To squeeze in three 10m+ priced players in attacking positions, we have had to look for further savings, which has seen us turn to a 4-4-2 formation and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold (4.5). He is set to deputise for the injured Nathaniel Clyne at right-back for their trip to a Watford side that had the Premier League’s fifth worst goal-scoring record last season.

Despite his 10.0 price tag, Kevin De Bruyne earns a spot by virtue of being the cheapest option among Manchester City’s premium players, with forwards Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero costing 0.5 and 1.5 more respectively.

A strong pre-season – which included four assists – should ensure he rewards our faith when he drops by the Amex Stadium on Saturday evening to face a newly promoted Brighton side that shipped three against Athletico Madrid last weekend. Only Spurs’ Dele Alli can boast a higher ownership among midfielders than the Belgian’s 28.5%.

A similar pricing rationale applies to the selection of Mohamed Salah (9.0), who costs 0.5 less than fellow Liverpool winger Sadio Mane and, with an ownership of 21%, is the most popular Reds option. His four pre-season goals underline the threat he will pose to hosts Watford.

A goal and two assists over the summer make Wilfried Zaha (7.0) our prime Crystal Palace target as we look to take advantage of promoted Huddersfield’s visit to Selhurst Park.

The 25% owned winger’s seven goals and 11 assists in 2016/17 give us further confidence in his selection, as does Huddersfield’s poor clean sheet tally of 12 in the Championship last season.

Nathan Redmond (6.5) completes our midfield quartet as we tap into Southampton’s kind home fixture against a Swansea side that kept just one away clean sheet in nine away trips under Paul Clement.

All of our Scout Squad selections included Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku (11.5) as either first or second choice, and it is no surprise to see him survive the cut ahead of West Ham’s visit.

Over the summer, our Captain Poll’s runaway leader racked up four goals for his new club, including one against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday. The Belgian, whose 48.5% ownership makes him FPL’s most popular player, is also rather fond of scoring against West Ham – having found the net in nine of his last ten Hammers encounters.

Harry Kane (12.5) was another with universal support, with the Spurs striker and Golden Boot winner for the last two seasons travelling to promoted Newcastle United. Despite winning the Championship title, the Magpies kept just eight clean sheets and conceded a goal a match at St James’ Park last season. Meanwhile, the 37.6%-owned Kane scored 12 on the road in 2016/17, a tally bettered by only Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez.

New Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer looks set to field Patrick van Aanholt (5.5) in a left wing -back role, which offers strong prospects of points at both ends of the pitch for Huddersfield’s visit. The Dutchman is unlucky to only make our bench after registering five goals last season.

Mark was keen to select Chelsea’s Willian as our midfield bench player after the Brazilian registered eight goals and two assists in just 15 starts last season. But he has been persuaded by Paul to instead include team-mate Cesc Fabregas (7.0). A home goal involvement rate for the Spaniard of 43.6% in 2016/17, more than any other Chelsea player, proved a powerful argument in his favour.

Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini (7.0) missed out on a starting place in our picks over Redmond on price, but remains a worthy selection. He has emerged as the favourite to lead the Saints’ front line after notching two goals and an assist during a late pre-season burst of form.

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.

This week’s champion is BabyB, who has also opted for a 4-3-3 formation of: Pickford; Phil Jones, Cedric, van Aanholt, Danilo; De Bruyne, Alli, Iwobi; Kane, Aguero, Benteke.