Ahead of this evening’s deadline, we take time to name the players from our midweek squad article who have earned a place in our Gameweek 5 Scout Picks.
With expensive assets from Spurs, Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs enjoying strong fixtures, we’ve been forced to ramp up our search for value.
This starts in goal with the selection of Newcastle United’s cut-price stopper Rob Elliot (4.1), who has a potentially favourable match-up of his own, hosting a Stoke City side that has managed a mere three penalty area efforts away from home this season.
He also offers us the chance of extra points should he keep the Potters at bay, after notching a bonus point in Newcastle’s 1-0 away victory against Swansea in Gameweek 3 on the back of just three saves.
We have deployed a 4-4-2 line up this week due to the array of keenly priced defenders with enticing home games, which gives us further opportunity to divert funds towards a premium attack.
Our most expensive rearguard pick is Ben Davies (5.7), who offers exceptional value as the Fantasy Premier League’s top points scorer. A visit from a Swansea City side with the worst record in terms of goal attempts, chances, close range efforts and shots on target gives us optimism for clean sheet points from the Welshman.
His 13 key passes – more than any defender and also more than any of his team-mates – and corner taking duties further strengthens his case for inclusion. With nearly 300,000+ new FPL owners, he is this week’s most popular player in the transfer market.
Brighton scored three goals against West Brom last weekend, but with the joint lowest tally of shots in the box this season, we are still far from convinced the Seagulls are enjoying an attacking renaissance.
This gives us hope of clean sheet points for Bournemouth’s Charlie Daniels (4.9) from the visit of Chris Hughton’s troops to the Vitality Stadium tonight. With Bournemouth’s only goal this season, and four successful strikes in 2016/17, he also offers us the prospect of returns at both ends of the pitch. Despite 285,000 FPL managers ditching him since the start of the season he still sits in an influential 12.9% of squads.
Manchester United’s Phil Jones (5.1) is another value defensive pick with strong shut-out potential. Everton are the visitors to Old Trafford on Sunday, and they currently languish, with Swansea City, at the foot of the shots on target table, with just seven accurate goal attempts.
In a Gameweek where sides involved in the midweek Champions League schedule may look to rotate, the 6.6%-owned Jones also offers us security of a start, having missed Tuesday’s encounter with Basel through suspension.
Another cheap starter is Trent Alexander-Arnold (4.5), who was rested for Liverpool’ midweek Champions League encounter with Sevilla and looks a shoo-in for selection when Burnley drop by Anfield.
Granted the Reds have conceded eight across his two league starts, but both of these were away, and Jurgen Klopp’s side have kept clean sheets in both of their Anfield league ties this season. However, with four goals in their two road trips, the Clarets will present a stern test for the 2.1%-owned full-back.
Like Davies, Alexander-Arnold boasts his share of set-pieces, another factor in our selection policy.
The failure of Sean Dyche’s troops to keep a clean sheet in those two away days, plus the absence of influential keeper Tom Heaton through injury, has prompted us to spend 9.1 of our 83m budget on Reds winger Mo Salah. The 30.7%-owned Egyptian has two goals and as many assists in his four matches, which is even more impressive considering he was a substitute in two of these appearances.
Dele Alli (9.5) is another of our selections who looks certain to start having missed his side’s Champions League midweek fixture through suspension. The Swans’ concession of 40 close range efforts, an unfortunate tally only Bournemouth can beat, gives us hope the English midfielder can add to his two goals scored.
On the road, David Silva (8.2) is emerging as Manchester City’s chief creator, making eight key passes – a league-high away tally that only Burnley’s Robbie Brady can match. He claims a place in our XI ahead of a trip to a Watford. Pep Guardiola’s side eased to a 5-0 victory on their previous visit.
Our final midfield place goes to West Ham’s Michail Antonio (7.5), who had three shots against Huddersfield Town on Monday and travels to a West Brom side that has shipped four in their last two matches. With a mere 0.7% ownership, he looks an intriguing, money-saving midfield differential for those looking to replace the injured Paul Pogba.
FPL’s two most expensive and in-form forwards, Harry Kane (12.4) and Romelu Lukaku (11.7), complete our line-up.
After his annual August drought, the Spurs talisman has been busy making up for lost time, scoring a brace against Everton last weekend and another two in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley. Those dire Swansea defensive statistics suggest more goals are coming for the England forward, who has been signed up by more than 179,000 FPL managers this week.
Lukaku’s four league goals in as many matches, plus a successful strike in the Champions League against Basel on Tuesday, make the 56.6%-owned Belgian a vital part of our Scout Picks. Also in his favour is that his former employers, Everton, visit Old Trafford having shipped five goals over the past two Gameweeks.
Now that Roy Hodgson has taken over from Frank de Boer, we are anticipating a back-to-basics approach at Crystal Palace for Southampton’s visit. Traditionally for the Eagles this has meant well-drilled set-pieces that home in on the presence of the 0.8%-owned defender Scott Dann (4.9), who just misses out on a place in our starting XI.
Dann has had more penalty area shots than any other defender and this week he also has the chance of defensive returns – the Saints have failed to score in three of their four matches.
Strong underlying statistics also earn Huddersfield midfielder Tom Ince (6.0) a mention. Even though he has yet to score this campaign, 14 goal attempts, half of which have been in the box, offer us hope he can reward his meagre 1.2% ownership.
Another with impressive numbers is Magpies striker Joselu (5.5). He scored against West Ham at home in Gameweek 3 and has fired off 12 goal attempts, three-quarters of which were on target. Stoke’s visit looks an ideal time for the 0.5%-owned Spaniard to once again bring the St James’ Park crowd to their feet.
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 Gregor, who has opted for a 4-3-3 line up of: Begovic; Walker, Trippier, Valencia, Mendy; Alli, Ritchie, Salah; Morata, Aguero, Rashford.
