Scout Picks – Gameweek 17

We tackle rotation fears head on this afternoon and reveal the players from yesterday’s Scout Squad article who have earned a Scout Picks berth ahead of tonight’s 6.45pm deadline.

As this is the second of three Gameweeks within a packed ten-day period, we have looked to select as many sure starters as possible.

That begins in goal, with Manchester United’s David De Gea (5.8) getting the nod.

The Spaniard has started every league match this season and looks ideal for an enticing home clash with Bournemouth.

The Cherries have failed to find the net in half of their eight road trips, but should De Gea’s goal line be breached, he also offers us potential points having notched 14 save points and earned bonus on four occasions.

Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi (6.0) is another who is unlikely to be rested with fellow centre-backs John Stones and Vincent Kompany sidelined.

The Argentine’s ability to earn points at both ends of the pitch is another driver for his selection. He tops the defender scoring table with four goals and travels to a Swansea City side that has scored a league-low five goals at home.

Since the weekend, when he scored the winner at Old Trafford, more than 161,000 FPL managers have acquired Otamendi’s services.

Doubts over the fitness of Burnley defenders Ben Mee and Matt Lowton means that Sean Dyche can ill afford to rest his top FPL asset Stephen Ward (5.2), who has a goal, assist and nine bonus returns this campaign. No side have conceded fewer goals at home than the Clarets’ (three).

Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen (5.5) has started the last six league matches and has also looked immune to rotation to this point. We are banking on him to make the starting XI for the Blues trip to Huddersfield.

The Terriers are the joint third worst side for shots at home (79), and it is worth noting that Christensen has looked a threat at set-pieces, mustering five shots, all from close range, over his previous six outings.

Jurgen Klopp rested a raft of players for Sunday’s Merseyside derby, which has offered us some clues as to who may start at home to West Brom on Wednesday.

Although full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold (4.2) has been used only sporadically this season, having been benched against Everton, and with recent starts against Southampton and Brighton, he looks poised to get the nod at right-back against the Baggies.

He also offers considerable assist potential. In his Gameweek 15 away clash with the Seagulls he racked up more successful passes in the final third (20) and more crosses (four) than any of his team-mates and has created 11 chances in just five appearances.

Another Red to earn a Scout Picks spot after being benched at the weekend is Philippe Coutinho (9.0), who has been in exceptional form, scoring two and assisting a further four in his last three league starts.

With 11.1% ownership, he also looks a shrewd captaincy pick for those seeking a dramatic rise up the rankings.

Mohamed Salah (9.9) joins the Brazilian in a Liverpool midfield double-up.

The Egyptian was substituted after 66 minutes against Everton suggesting that he will again start on Wednesday evening. Even so, Salah would have been difficult to ignore given that he is leading the Golden Boot race with 13 goals and has racked up seven double-digit hauls.

Antonio Conte’s revelation that striker Alvaro Morata will miss tonight’s clash at the John Smith’s Stadium should lock in a start for Eden Hazard (10.9) – possibly even as a false nine. After the Blues’ loss to West Ham last time out, Conte will be less inclined to rest the Belgian, who has scored three and picked up two assists in his previous trio of road trips.

David Silva (8.1) has started all but one league outing for Manchester City this season. Add in goals in back-to-back matches and a league-high eight assists, and the playmaker makes the cut in our midfield.

Harry Kane (12.9) is now a “lock in” for the Scout Picks. He’s started every league encounter when fit and scored his fifth brace of the season, against Stoke City at Wembley, at the weekend. He now faces a Brighton side on a woeful run of defensive form, having shipped ten goals in the last five Gameweeks.

After his weekend heroics, the Spurs striker sits at the summit of our Captain Poll and is the most popular transfer target this week, with more than 172,000 new owners.

We have just enough left in our 84m budget to opt for in-form Southampton striker Charlie Austin (6.2), who hosts a Leicester side that has just one clean sheet and shipped 13 goals on their travels. Over his last three starts, the forward – who has picked up more than 119,000 new managers this week – has netted four times.

Everton are looking far more resilient under new boss Sam Allardyce, earning a clean sheet against Huddersfield and restricting Liverpool to just a single goal.

For their trip to Newcastle we have handed a bench place to Jonjoe Kenny (4.3), who looks set to continue to deputise for the injured Seamus Coleman at right back.

Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha (6.9) also claims a sub role at home to a Watford side that have conceded an average of two goals per game over their last five away fixtures.

Handed a role up front, the Ivory Coast international has scored or assisted in all but one of the Eagles’ last five at Selhurst Park and looks set to profit against a Hornets defence hit by injury and suspension.

Another Everton asset to earn a bench spot is Dominic Calvert-Lewin (5.3), who became FPL’s best value forward with his fifth assist of the campaign against Liverpool.

We have high hopes of returns against a Magpies team which, along with Stoke, has conceded more goals (11) than any other side over the last four Gameweeks.

The 20-year-old is another popular transfer target, with more than 144,000 FPL managers securing his services this week.

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 Hordar, who has opted for 4-4-2 formation of: Pope; Alonso, Rose, Kolasinac, Bardsley; Martial, Willian, Coutinho, Sanchez; Aguero, Firmino.