The Scout Squad – Gameweek 31

Big might be beautiful, but small ones are more juicy, and it doesn’t get much smaller than Gameweek 31’s four-fixture schedule.

Some Fantasy managers have been plotting for weeks to provide sufficient cover for this blip of a weekend, others will be throwing their Free Hit chip at it and pretty much everyone will have three Liverpool players in their teams whatever their strategy.

And so it will be with the side selected by our ‘expert’ panel of Fantasy Football Scout behemoths Mark, Paul and Jonty and Career Hall of Fame colossus Peter Kouwenberg.

These Fantasy giants have taken li’l Gameweek 31 and shaped it around the mighty talents of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

Yes, that means going without the Liverpool defence but their front three appear to win the day, with the rest of the Picks to come from some much more unlikely lads.

Huddersfield Town striker Steve Mounie is looking good for a rare run-out up front, while Junior Stanislas is well backed in midfield and returning Fantasy titan Leighton Baines should get the nod at the back.

The goalkeeping slot is very much up for grabs, however, and what formation will be utilised is another big bone of contention that will be picked clean by argument over the next day or two.

We’ll be back later in the week to see who joins the Liverpool trio in the Scout Picks side, but for now here are our panel’s initial choices and the towering logic behind them.

Peter Says…

Those playing their Free Hit chip in Gameweek 31 will be scrutinising this week’s choices judiciously as they have the same opportunity to enjoy a Fantasy one-night stand without any long-term consequences or pressure.

With some of the league’s lesser lights in action, though, squad selection is not a formality.

Indeed, I’ve made my task that much tougher by eschewing any West Brom or Watford players due to their poor away form and have painted myself into a corner by needing 18 selections from just six sides as a result.

Bournemouth’s rearguard may well concede to West Brom on Saturday, but the opposite net should bulge on several occasions too. I’m hoping that Junior Stanislas and Callum Wilson can get in on the action, assuming the latter gets reasonable pitch-time.

Arguably the most significant match of the weekend involves Huddersfield and Crystal Palace in what could easily become a high-scoring affair if an early goal goes in and the other side has to chase.

That said, the Terriers aren’t exactly prolific, so my only attacking selection from their ranks is Steve Mounie.

The Eagles surely have to go on the offensive regardless, and Patrick van Aanholt, Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke will all be vital for Palace’s purposes.

The bet365 features two dire attacks in Stoke City and Everton, so I’ve chosen Jack Butland, Moritz Bauer, Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines, the three defenders boasting some attacking potential in case the deadlock is broken.

Xherdan Shaqiri and Cenk Tosun are in relatively good form and also feature.

Mohamed Salah could set a new record as the most-captained player among active managers this week and, with Roberto Firmino already firmly entrenched in nearly half of all teams, there is a strong argument for the third Liverpool slot to be filled by either Andrew Robertson or Virgil van Dijk, with the visiting Hornets far from potent away from home recently.

However, as we’ll all be well below budget this week, I’ve gone for the pricier attacking option of Sadio Mane as my final selection.

Paul Says…

Although I reckon that Liverpool are the likeliest source of a Gameweek 31 clean sheet, I expect us to opt for alternatives at the back and focus on the Reds’ front three instead.

With that in mind, I’ve loaded up on attacking full-backs to compensate.

Since cementing his starting berth for Huddersfield in Gameweek 24, no defender has produced more successful cross than Florent Hadergjonaj’s 11, while only Antonio Valencia has bettered the right-back for key passes (11 to ten).

Adam Smith has started the last two Gameweeks as a right winger for Bournemouth and has a goal and assist in their previous two home encounters ahead of West Brom’s visit.

Meanwhile, van Aanholt’s back-to-back goals against Man United and Chelsea showcase his attacking potential for Palace’s trip to the John Smith’s.

Further up the field, Shaqiri has played a part in 80% of Stoke’s goals under Paul Lambert, averaging 5.9 points per match.

Stanislas and Steve Mounie more than merit their spots in our XI.

The former has scored against Chelsea and Spurs in the last six Gameweeks and has fired more shots (22) than any other FPL midfielder.

Mounie, meanwhile, has two goals and a pair of assists in the last four and has already notched twice against his weekend opponents, Palace, in Gameweek 1.

Jonty Says…

A contentious issue could be which Liverpool player joins obvious picks Salah and Firmino.

With nine shots in his six Reds run-outs, van Dijk has merit, but I’ll be arguing that Mane is more deserving.

It’s all about floors and ceilings for me and, with two goals and an assist in his last three league matches, the Senegalese winger has the edge.

That leaves eight more slots to fill, with a cast of hidden gems, punts, differentials and nostalgia picks vying for our attention.

Among Everton assets, Theo Walcott is among the most underserving, with just two shots on target over his previous four matches, the last of which saw him beaten for pace by Brighton’s own goal-scoring left back Gaeten Bong.

I’ve swerved this former Gunner and am instead backing Cenk Tosun, Baines and, to a lesser extent, Coleman.

The veteran left-back is my favoured option of this trio, with two goals and as many assists in his last four league matches. He could also be on penalties, given Wayne Rooney was pushed to the back of the spot-kick queue following his miss against the Seagulls last weekend.

However, Tosun, who has scored in each of his last two starts, may just snatch them off Baines.

Huddersfield and Palace offer plenty of differential options with goal threat.

Only Firmino has fired in more on-target shots than winger Rajiv van La Parra among Gameweek 31 assets over their last four matches. Meanwhile, Mounie’s 14 shots over that time frame – the same as Salah – has also impressed me.

Bournemouth hosting West Brom also looks like it could feature plenty of goals, as they are the two worst sides over the last six Gameweeks in terms of conceding shots. They have also shipped 28 goals between them over that period.

For the Cherries, Stanislas looks key. His 16 shots over his last four is a record among Gameweek 31 assets.

For the visitors, Salomon Rondon’s 12 shots in his last quartet of run-outs has also caught my eye, as has the aerial threat of Craig Dawson.

Mark Says…

The spine of Friday’s Picks appears to be a formality, with a trio of Liverpool attackers and three forward-thinking defenders likely to help form a 3-5-2.

The majority of midfield places appear booked out, though I’m still going to argue strongly in favour of Walcott for the fifth midfield slot.

He’s understandably fallen behind Stanislas in the pecking order, but I still feel that Walcott has a goal threat that should not be ignored.

Since arriving on Merseysid,e his 10 shots in the box is bettered by only three midfielders – two of which are Mane and Salah.

Up front, the place alongside Firmino looks up for grabs and while Mounie makes a strong case, I feel that Josh King could run him close.

For me, Bournemouth are the the next team to back after Liverpool and if we can be certain on King’s start, I think he is deserving of getting a Picks berth.

Memories of last season’s Gameweek 28 hat-trick still linger, and the fact that he grabbed spot-kicks from Callum Wilson last time out is also a factor.

The Community Champion

Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 30 will be FantasianPL, who is in his fifth campaign and is currently 15,858 in the overall rankings.

The champion who has the best lead over the Scouts during 2017/18 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).

Last week’s contender, Fusen, beat the Scouts 53-46.

The one to beat remains Gregor, who achieved victory over the Scouts by a 33-point margin in Gameweek 5.