Harry Kane and Eden Hazard are the headline options in the Scout Picks selection for Gameweek 8.
This is the first one of the season not to feature Fantasy Premier League veteran Sergio Aguero.
Once again, we’ve picked the best options from Paul, Joe, Az and Peter’s Scout Squad selections, and have come in under our £83m budget by £1.7m.
Goalkeeper
Joe Hart (£4.6m) gets a second successive inclusion in the Scout Picks after three of our pundits chose him as the best option for Gameweek 8. Az was the only one to look elsewhere for the top goalkeeper slot but still had the Burnley man in second place. The Clarets face a plum fixture this week with goal-shy Huddersfield Town coming to Turf Moor. No side has produced fewer big chances than the Terriers away from home this season.
Defenders
Kieran Trippier (£6.2m) swept the board with top picks from every one of our pundits. Spurs face a Cardiff side that has registered the fewest shots on target away from home this season, so a clean sheet is looking likely. Meanwhile, Trippier is joint-second for chances created among defenders in the last four Gameweeks.
Marcos Alonso (£6.9m) comes back into the Scout Picks XI for his fifth appearance of the season. Two of our pundits selected the Chelsea man in their squads (Paul and Az) for a favourable trip to Southampton. The Saints are without a goal in their last two matches and also have the fourth-worst Expected Goals Conceded over the last four Gameweeks. Returns at both ends of the pitch are a possibility for Alonso this weekend.
On the back of an 18-point haul in Gameweek 7, Harry Maguire (£5.5m) makes his Scout Picks debut for 2018/19. The only pundit to select him in their squad was Peter, but there are some impressive stats behind the England World Cup hero. Leicester are currently third-best for shots on target allowed at home this season, only Man City and Liverpool have conceded fewer. Meanwhile, their next opponents Everton are second-bottom for shots in the box in away matches, only Huddersfield are worse in this respect. Meanwhile, Maguire has had more shots than any other defender last four Gameweeks.
Luke Shaw (£5.1m) returns to the Scout Picks for the first time since Gameweek 1. The Manchester United left-back also has potential in defence and attack against Newcastle. The Magpies have just one goal on the road in 2018/19 and boast the lowest shot tally in away fixtures so far. Shaw, who has some corner-taking responsibilities, should benefit from Newcastle’s vulnerability down his side of the pitch too. Rafa Benitez’s men have allowed more crosses down their right-hand side than any other side this season.
Midfielders
With many of the popular premium midfield options cancelled out by a big fixture in Gameweek 8, Eden Hazard (£11.1m) comes to the fore. The Chelsea man was selected as the best option in this position by all of our pundits. That’s not surprising considering he has delivered attacking returns in all but one Gameweek so far this season and is set to face a Southampton side that has conceded an average of 1.57 goals per game in 2018/19.
After delivering again in Gameweek 7, James Maddison (£6.9m) gets back into the Scout Picks for a second successive week. No player has created as many chances as the Leicester man in the last four Gameweeks, and he sits second for Expected Goal Involvement over that time. As we explained in our differentials article, Maddison’s colleague Jamie Vardy has history against Everton, so we’re hoping the former Norwich man can join the party.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson (£5.9m) gets promoted from the Scout Picks’ bench to the starting XI for Gameweek 8. We named him as a substitute last week before he laid on a goal and an assist at Cardiff. This time we’re not taking any chances and sticking him in the team for real. Huddersfield are particularly vulnerable in the air, ranking third-bottom for headed attempts conceded this season, adding to Gudmundsson’s set-piece appeal.
Forwards
Harry Kane (£12.5m) has been a heated discussion topic among FPL managers this week, but the Scout Squad crew have nailed their colours to the mast. All four of our pundits selected the Tottenham man as their leading forward pick for Gameweek 8. Kane is top for shots on target in the last four Gameweeks, while Cardiff have the joint-worst Premier League defence with 16 goals conceded so far this season.
Alexandre Lacazette (£9.5m) was another forward mentioned by all of our pundits for Gameweek 8. Az and Peter believe he is second only to Kane this weekend, with Paul and Joe selecting him in fifth and third place respectively. More goals look likely for Lacazette as he prepares to face a Fulham defence that has allowed more big chances in the last four Gameweeks than any other side. Meanwhile, the Arsenal man has actually attempted more shots in that time than Kane, and the same number as Raheem Sterling and Mohamed Salah.
Marko Arnautovic (£7.0m) completes a clean sweep of strikers who were name-checked by all four pundits. West Ham face a Brighton side that sits second-bottom for Expected Goals Conceded over the last four Gameweeks. That suggests the Austrian will have an opportunity to avenge the 3-0 home defeat to Brighton nearly a year ago.
Substitutes
Matt Doherty (£4.6m) is our backup defender. Wolves travel to Crystal Palace in Gameweek 8, one of just two sides yet to score a home goal in 2018/19. Doherty has two double-figure hauls to his name already and two assists.
Anthony Knockaert (£5.5m) is our substitute in midfield after some impressive form. He has created 10 chances in the last four Gameweeks, the same as Hazard and one fewer than David Silva.
Troy Deeney (£6.1m) is our alternative forward as Watford prepare to host Bournemouth. Deeney has had more shots on target in the last four Gameweeks than Sergio Aguero and Salah, while the Cherries have shipped an average of 2.33 goals per game away from home.
Community Champion
Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 8 is Hazard is an FPL legend(ConteClub). He has opted for a bold 5-2-3 formation of De Gea; Trippier, Rose, Smalling, Shaw, Alonso; Hazard, Pereyra; Kane, Vardy, Deeney.
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 Scouts have won four and lost three so far, with Boris Bodega defeated 79-59 in Gameweek 7.
Eden Wizard still leads the way, with his Gameweek 2 victory over the Scout Squad crew coming by a 77-68 scoreline.
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