The time has come for us to reveal our chosen line-up for Gameweek 13.
It has been a long wait for the latest weekend of Fantasy Premier League action to come around but we are well prepared.
After our four pundits Paul, Joe, Az and Peter selected their squads earlier in the week, we have whittled down their options to a 3-5-2 XI-man side under a budget of £83m.
Goalkeeper
Rui Patrício (£4.6m) gets back into the Scout Picks XI for the first time since Gameweek 9. After some tricky fixtures, the schedule has turned back to blue for Wolves as they host Huddersfield Town this weekend. Gameweek 13’s visitors to Molineux have scored just four times away from home this season, only Newcastle and Cardiff have found the net fewer times on their travels.
Defenders
Receiving the support of three of our pundits this week was Andrew Robertson (£6.5m), who represents the only member of the premium contingent to make it into the Scout Picks XI. Joe was the only one from our four-strong panel not to mention him. The Liverpool man assisted in his last outing, his third of the season. Jurgen Klopp’s men remain in strong defensive form, only two teams allowing fewer big chances than them over the last four Gameweeks. The Scot has also proved a bonus points magnet with 12 to his name in 2018/19.
Lucas Digne (£4.8m) was chosen as the top defensive option for Gameweek 13 by three of our pundits this week. Joe, Az and Peter all tipped him for great things while Paul still put his belief behind the Everton defence by selecting Michael Keane. The Toffees have kept two clean sheets in their last three Goodison Park matches while Cardiff have the lowest goal tally away from home this season. Meanwhile, Digne offers some attacking threat from his role in set pieces. In our recent study, we identified dead ball situations as Cardiff’s Achilles’ Heel in 2018/19, which bodes well for Digne as the primary corner-taker.
Matt Doherty (£4.9m) has been given the all-clear to return to action following a facial injury ahead of Gameweek 13. For that reason, we can throw him back into the Scout Picks XI after a tough few weeks. Paul chose the right-back as his best defensive option for the week, while he occupied the second-place spot among defenders for Joe, Az and Peter. Doherty’s defensive potential has already been covered in our section on Patrício, his true appeal coming at the other end of the pitch. No defender has had more goal attempts in the last four Gameweeks than the Irishman, and he tops the charts in that position for shots on target in that time too.
Midfielders
Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) returns to the scene of his first competitive goal for Liverpool this weekend as the Reds travel to Watford. The Egyptian has been handed the backing of all four of our pundits for the match, with Paul his biggest fan with his selecting him as the best midfield option for Gameweek 13. Salah has five goals in two Premier League matches against Watford while no player has registered more goal attempts in the last four Gameweeks than him.
Raheem Sterling (£11.2m) gets into the side with the support of Paul, Joe and Az. The Manchester City midfielder should start against West Ham given that he is yet to miss an away league match this season. The Hammers have just one clean sheet at the London Stadium in 2018/19 and the defending champions are certain to find the net on Saturday afternoon. No player has had more touches in opposing penalty boxes since Gameweek 9 than Sterling so he is likely to be involved in attacking returns.
Anthony Martial (£7.6m) has ridden his recent form into a first Scout Picks XI appearance of the season. Six goals in five matches was a record simply too hard to ignore, and the Frenchman is now registering underlying statistics that suggest he can sustain it.
Richarlison (£7.0m) was the headline midfield option as far as our Scout Squad pundits were concerned. He was chosen as the best player in this position for Gameweek 13 by Joe, Az and Peter. He has three goals and an assist since Gameweek 8, averaging 6.6 points per game. Meanwhile, Cardiff will arrive at Goodison Park on the back of 11 goals conceded in five away matches this year, 2.2 per game.
Johann Berg Gudmundsson (£6.0m) completes the midfield after Joe tipped the Burnley playmaker. In our recent study into specific team weaknesses, we saw just how susceptible Newcastle were to set pieces. No team in the whole division has conceded as many chances from dead-ball situations as the Magpies. That’s where Burnley set piece taker Gudmundsson comes in, with the potential to heap further set-piece misery on Rafa Benitez’s men, who are without Paul Dummett, Florian Lejeune and possibly Jamaal Lascelles through injury.
Forwards
Sergio Aguero (£11.5m) was the only player to make a clean sweep of top picks this week. All four of our pundits believe he is the best forward option for Gameweek 13 as Manchester City travel to face West Ham. We have already gone over the Hammers’ defensive woes, while Aguero himself is in decent form. No player has more shots on target than him in the last four Gameweeks, although three of those saw him play at home.
Raúl Jiménez (£5.8m) completes the Scout Picks XI as he continues to offer excellent value. All four of our pundits wanted him to be included after 18 points were collected across tough fixtures against Spurs and Arsenal. Jiménez appears to have an even spread of points on offer with assists and goals both likely and it’s just one clean sheet in nine for next opponents Huddersfield.
Substitutes
Victor Lindelöf (£4.8m) is our substitute defender this week as Manchester United prepare to host Crystal Palace. The Red Devils still have just one clean sheet in 12 matches so far this season but the Eagles are just outside the bottom three for shots inside the box and on target over the last four Gameweeks.
Gylfi Sigurdsson (£7.5m) sits on the bench as an alternative to Richarlison. Obviously, he will benefit from the same opponent but he is ahead of the Brazilian for the key performance indicators over the last four Gameweeks.
Glenn Murray (£6.7m) got two tips from our pundits this week as Brighton host Leicester City. The veteran striker has scored in all but one home match this season.
Community Champion
Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 13 is Vobinho. He has opted for a 3-5-2 formation of Patrício; Coleman, Young, Vinagre; Sané, D Silva, Martial, Richarlison, Gudmundsson; Mitrovic, Aguero.
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 seven and lost five so far, with Sam Goddard aka Boleyn Boy winning 47-44 in Gameweek 12.
fclackless‘s winning margin of 33 points (77-44) in Gameweek 10 is the current target to beat.
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