Scout Picks

Gameweek 20 Scout Picks – mid-price FPL options dominate

Not even 24 hours after the completion of Gameweek 19, the Scout Picks are back ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.

As usual, we have chosen our best 11 players for the forthcoming Gameweek, with a formation of 3-5-2 favoured given the wealth of in-form midfield options available to us.

Our starting XI comes well under the £83m budget and features only two players priced over £8.0m at the time of writing.

Because of the tight turn-around from Gameweek 19, this line-up was not chosen by our Scout Squad this week. Instead, it was assembled by a select few within the Fantasy Football Scout editorial team.

Goalkeeper

Kasper Schmeichel (£5.0m) makes a rare appearance in our Scout Picks, as our selections elsewhere mean we have the luxury of nominating a goalkeeper outside of the usual budget price bracket.

Leicester City are this weekend up against Cardiff City, who rank 19th for attempts on goal and shots on target in away matches this season. No Premier League side has scored fewer goals on the road than the Bluebirds, who may be without Callum Paterson and Kenneth Zohore up front when they visit the King Power Stadium.

Only two sides have allowed fewer big chances, shots in the box and shots on target than the Foxes on home soil in 2018/19.

Defenders

Kieran Trippier‘s (£6.1m) owners had to painfully watch on as Kyle Walker-Peters racked up three assists, a clean sheet and maximum bonus at Wembley on Boxing Day, but the rested England right-back is a strong bet to return to the Spurs starting XI for the visit of Wolves on Saturday.

Liverpool are the only side to have kept more clean sheets than the Lilywhites this season but Trippier’s appeal is less about his defensive qualities than what he can deliver at the other end of the field.

Only two FPL defenders have recorded more successful crosses and indeed assists than the former Burnley full-back in 2018/19.

Nuno Espirio Santo’s side have kept only one shut-out in 11 league games, meanwhile.

Jose Holebas (£4.8m) delivered his first assist since Gameweek 4 in the defeat to Chelsea on Boxing Day but the Watford left-back would have made the Picks regardless this week.

The veteran defender has taken more corners than any other defender this season and the Hornets are this weekend up against a Newcastle side who have conceded more headed chances and attempts from set pieces than any other club in the division.

From a clean sheet perspective, no club has scored fewer goals than the Magpies over the last six Gameweeks.

Need we give any justification for our Lucas Digne (£5.1m) pick? A 17-point haul in Gameweek 19 is but the tip of his appeal and his underlying stats suggest further sizeable returns in the weeks and months ahead.

Brighton have been an obliging defence of late and haven’t kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 10. The Seagulls will also be missing goalkeeper Mathew Ryan after his departure for the Asian Cup.

Digne meanwhile has recorded more key passes and crosses than any other defender in 2018/19 and no player in his position has supplied as many big chances, either. Three goals from set-piece situations is a relevant statistic too, given that Brighton have committed more fouls than any other top-flight club this season.

Midfielders

Arsenal’s backline is still ravaged by injury but even if their defenders were all fully fit, who would back against Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) continuing his purple patch at Anfield on Saturday?

The Gunners have yet to keep a clean sheet on the road this season, while only Manchester City have scored more goals than Liverpool on home soil.

Salah has three double-digit hauls in his last four Gameweeks and no player has been presented with more big chances than the Egyptian on their own turf in 2018/19.

Roberto Pereyra (£6.2m) is another Watford asset who would have likely been in the Scout Picks mix this weekend even before his sensational strike against Chelsea on Boxing Day.

Just four midfielders have recorded more shots in the box over the last six Gameweeks, while only Cardiff have conceded more chances than Newcastle from their right flank (Watford’s left) over that period.

The Bluebirds’ weakness at set pieces over the last six Gameweeks prompts our inclusion of James Maddison (£6.8m), taker of 72 corners for Leicester this season.

Cardiff’s overall defensive statistics have worsened dramatically over this same period and despite their clean sheet at Selhurst Park, they rank bottom for shots in the box and efforts on target conceded.

Felipe Anderson (£7.3m) banked a fifth double-digit FPL haul of the season at Southampton last night, which is more than Salah, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane have managed.

The Hammers put four goals past Burnley in the reverse fixture, a match which kickstarted the Brazilian’s current excellent run of form.

No player has scored more Premier League goals than Anderson since the beginning of November.

Sean Dyche’s side meanwhile shipped five against Everton on Boxing Day and rank bottom for a clutch of defensive statistics (big chances allowed, shots in the box conceded etc).

Paul Pogba (£8.0m) has scored 28 FPL points in the last two Gameweeks and looks reborn under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stewardship.

The Frenchman has recorded more shots on target than any FPL midfielder in home matches this campaign.

No top-flight team has shipped more goals than the Cherries in the last six Gameweeks, meanwhile, and their right flank (Pogba lines up on the left-hand side of central midfield) is considerably weakened with the season-ending injuries suffered by Adam Smith and now Simon Francis.

Forwards

Harry Kane (£12.5m) has delivered an attacking return in each of his last eight Premier League starts, averaging 7.75 FPL points per match in those fixtures.

No FPL forward has scored as many goals as the Spurs man since the start of November – a run that began with a strike against this weekend’s opponents, Wolves.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last five away league fixtures and could have conceded at hatful against Fulham on Boxing Day, with our next pick having seven shots against them in the first half alone.

Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.7m) has only two goals in 13 Premier League appearances but he was superb against Wolves, with luck not on his side as he somehow emerged with a blank.

No FPL forward has registered as many shots on goal or headed attempts as the Serbian striker over the last six Gameweeks.

The Cottagers are this weekend up against Huddersfield Town, who have not kept a clean sheet in their last half-dozen matches and who have conceded more big chances than all teams bar Everton during that time.

Substitutes

Two words to shock and appal you in equal measure: Calum Chambers (£4.2m).

We haven’t checked back through the records but a Fulham defender might be a first for the Scout Picks this season, which isn’t a surprise given their form at the back for much of the campaign.

The Cottagers have conceded only one goal in the last two matches, however, only failing to record successive clean sheets when a scruffy 85th-minute Romain Saiss equaliser denied them all three points on Boxing Day.

Fulham are this weekend up against Huddersfield, who have carved out fewer big chances than any Premier League side on the road this season.

Chambers himself is playing “out of position” in central midfield and only Virgil van Dijk has attempted more shots than Chambers among FPL defenders in the last six Gameweeks.

Richarlison (£7.0m) was rested on Boxing Day and seems set to return to the Everton side for the trip to Brighton, possibly displacing Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front.

The Brazilian has form against the Seagulls: his highest score of the season was against Chris Hughton’s side in Gameweek 11, when he scored twice and registered maximum bonus.

Marcus Rashford (£7.2m) narrowly missed out on our Scout Picks in Gameweek 19 and has done so again this week.

The possible return to fitness of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez is a slight concern, though we’d expect the England forward to keep his place up front for this Gameweek at least given his form in recent weeks.

No FPL asset has had more shots on target than Rashford in the last six Gameweeks and he found the back of the net when United visited the south coast in the reverse fixture in Gameweek 11.

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4,744 Comments Post a Comment
  1. jorgenoj
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    Who to choose?

    a) Deeney + Pereira
    b) Ings + Pereira
    c) Jimenez + Holebas

    1. BENOIT
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      C

    2. jimmy.floyd
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      A

    3. Carlton_Goal
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      C

    4. Swanny18
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      C

  2. Roy Rovers
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 5 months ago

    On WC ...where would you invest the 0.8 ITB?

    Thinking Peltier to someone?

    Fab
    Robbo Doherty Digne
    Haz Salah Anderson Richarlison Pogba
    Kane Jiminez

    Button AWB Kamara Peltier

    1. Demel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 5 months ago

      Can you do Peltier/Robertson > TAA/VVD?

    2. AndyCook
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Doherty to Alexander-Arnold

      • AndyCook
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Robertson to Alexander-Arnold and Peltier to Shaw or someone around that price

        • Carlton_Goal
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Maybe Peltier to Kiko Femenia? Only 4.2 and Watford have some decent fixtures now

        • Roy Rovers
          • 9 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Apologies Robbo is TAA...my bad...

          Kiko looks interesting....

      • Starky22
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Kolasinac to Holebas for (-4)?

        1. DA Minnion (Former great)
          • 11 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          I did him to digne for a 4

        2. Zladan
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Why Kola out?

          He looked decent lately.

          Could’ve had 3 assists v Burnley had the strikers been able to shoot properly.

          1. Starky22
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            Bad fixture this week compared to a Holebas very good one. Also was in a back 4 against Brighton & looked a lot less dangerous.

        3. AuFeld
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Holebas or Pereira if you have the $$$

          1. Starky22
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            0.1 short 🙁

      • The Tinkerman
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        A) Sane > Haz
        B) Sterling > Haz

        Both free

        1. jimmy.floyd
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          B

        2. shearer9
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Wait a week.

          1. The Tinkerman
            • 8 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            I have 2FT and not much else to do

        3. Stockport Hatter
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          I’m surprised that someone as explosive as Raz is being discarded pre-Saints. He could haul hugely. I’m holding for another week.

      • Demel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Fab
        Digne - Robertson - Luiz
        Hazard - Sane - Sterling - Anderson
        Rashford - Jimenez - Kane c

        Button - Doherty - Camarasa - AWB

        1 FT
        0.6m bank

        A) Save FT
        B) Sterling > Pogba
        C) Other??

        1. Zladan
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          A

      • Meme2011
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        my front 7 is

        hazard, anderson, martial, eriksen
        kamara, kane, rashford.

        do i take a -4 hit for

        a) pogba
        b) mahrez
        c) vardy
        d) other
        e) leave it

        1. jimmy.floyd
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          E

      • jimmy.floyd
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        News on Chicharito?

      • shearer9
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Bottomed:

        Fab (Hamer)
        Shaw Robbo Laporte Luiz (Bennett)
        Hazard Salah Rich (Camarasa; Hojb)
        Kane Jimenez Rashford

        1 FT £2.0ITB

        Hold for a week or get someone in now? Really unsure. Thanks a lot.

        1. YEAH PITCH!
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          It's tough. I'd consider changing Laporte.

          1. YEAH PITCH!
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            I think you could do more with the 2 transfers next week though.

          2. shearer9
            • 7 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            Thanks for input. He's deffo the sell priority, however I think there's a chance of a CS vs Sotn and having two transfers to go 3-4-3 will probably be invaluable like you said, especially with more info on who's in form and who's likely to get rotated.

            1. YEAH PITCH!
              • 5 Years
              5 years, 5 months ago

              That's exactly it mate.

      • Laytor
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Thinking of a -4 hit

        Fab / Hamer
        Doherty / Wan-Bissaka / Digne / TAA / Peltier
        Fraser / Hazard / Salah / McArthur / Masuaka
        Kane / Jimenez / Auba

        McArthur, Masuaka & Auba for Pogba, Fanderson & Kamara
        Do you think it’s worth it?
        Any other suggestions?

      • Strchld
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Surely play Laporte over Jimenez?

        1. jimmy.floyd
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Y

      • Garfield1001
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        2 FTs and £1m ITB.

        Fabianski Hamer
        Digne Doherty Kolasinac AWB Schindler
        Sané Rich Anderson Hazard Gunnarsson
        Kane Auba Rashford

        A) Gunnarsson > Pogba and Auba > Kamara

        B) Above and also Kolasinac > Trippier (-4)

        C) Something else

        Opinions appreciated!

        Above should leave c. £3-4m ITB to help getting Salah in

        1. Lav
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          I would just get rid of Kolasinac

        2. Jayv807
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Auba has Fulham after the pool game, not sure I'd drop him yet. Just do Sane to Pogba maybe, who knows what pep will do to shake things up.

        3. sandman58
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          You absolutely need some City coverage

      • teneighty
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Alright, starting to feel good about this WC team:

        Fab
        Digne - D. Luiz - TAA
        Salah - Haz - Pogba - F. Anderson - Deulofeu
        Kane - Ings

        (Lössl, Doherty, AWB, Kamara)

        1. Lav
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Brilliant.

        2. Stockport Hatter
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Very good but I’d want more than Ings as my second striker.

          1. teneighty
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            Will probably alternate between 3-5-2 and 4-5-1 after this GW, more often playing with one striker.

        3. FredrikH
          • 11 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Whos your cap?

          1. teneighty
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            Probably Salah.

        4. Zladan
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Needs at least 1 City asset.

          1. teneighty
            • 9 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            That is my worry as well but the other cheaper mids are on fire right now. Going with the in form players.

        5. g40steve
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Nice.

      • YEAH PITCH!
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Who to start:

        Fabianksi away to Burnley

        Foster home to Newcastle

        1. BOATIES FC
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Foster

        2. Carlton_Goal
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Foster

          1. YEAH PITCH!
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            Thanks guys.

      • Garfield1001
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Anybody else looking to sell Auba this week?

        Just feels wrong given his form

        1. nico05
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Yes I am, I don't see him getting many opportunities against liverpool

        2. Klaren
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          he is playing fulham at home next so definitely not.

      • semiconductor
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Besides the big hitters

        1. Anderson, Pereyra, kamara+0.3m
        2. Pogba, 4.3m (Romeu/Musuaku), jimenez

        1. Lav
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          2

        2. Carlton_Goal
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          1

      • Beans on Toast
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Sterling to Salah for -4?

        1. jimmy.floyd
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Y

        2. Eat my goal!
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          No

        3. AuFeld
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Yes.

        4. jam
          • 14 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          yes for me

      • jam
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Aubameyang dropping like a stone, amazing.

        1. AuFeld
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Let them sell.

      • PMz
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Yedlin > Shaw or save?

        Fabianski (Patricio)

        Robertson Digne Chambers

        Sane Richarlison Pogba Salah

        Mitro Kane (c) Jimenez

        Subs: AWB, Yedlin Schneiderlein

        1. Lav
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          I would definitely do that move.

        2. Stockport Hatter
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Wouldn’t touch united defence personally.

      • Lav
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        A. Laporte --> Digne
        B. Hennessey/Patricio --> Foster/McCarthy
        C. Both moves for -4
        D. Save

        1. Carlton_Goal
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          A

      • Shark Team
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Rate my Wildcard team
        Fabianski(Guaita)
        Taa Digne Holebas (WanB Peltier)
        Salah Hazard Pogba F.Anderson Richarlison
        Kane Jimenez (Kamara)
        1m left ITB
        what do u think? any improvements

      • DA Minnion (Former great)
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Play 2
        A Wilson
        B Fraser
        C Doherty
        D Wan B.

      • jorgenoj
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Rate my WC team! 0.0 ITB

        Fabianski - Speroni
        TAA - Digne - Holebas - Doherty - AWB
        Salah - Hazard - Son - Pogba - Richarlison
        Kane - Jimenez - Kamara

        Any changes?

      • Weilong7
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        1) richarlison or anderson for pogba?
        2) capt salah or kane?
        3) luiz or shaw?

        thanks

      • Meme2011
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        get in Deulofeu or maddison?

        1. thepirates
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Like Deulofeu pick, looked good last couple of games!

      • Vinyl78LP
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Settled on 10 starters tomorrow, last place goes between Kamara (HUD) or Wilson (mun),

        Is Kamara nailed to start as per FFS team predictions ?

      • Taking one for the team
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Spurs fans, any chance Kyle Walker-Peters keeps his place after his awesome display last game?

        1. FredrikH
          • 11 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Na. Aurier Trippier

      • thepirates
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Been working with my WC for quite a while, going crazy here. Would you help me pick between theese (or recommend something else), highly appreciated.

        1) Fabianski - 3,9
        AWB - Doherty - Digne - TAA - Bednarek
        Felipe A - Pogba - Richarlison - Hazard - Salah
        Rashford - Kane - Kamara

        2) Fabianski - 3,9
        AWB - Doherty - Digne - Robertson - Bednarek
        Pereyra - Pogba - Richarlison - Hazard - Salah
        Rashford - Kane - Kamara

        3) Alisson - 3,9
        AWB - Doherty - Digne - Robertson - Alonso
        Deulofeu - Pogba - Richarlison - Hazard - Son
        Rashford - Kane - Kamara

        1. g40steve
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          A looks best to me.

        2. YEAH PITCH!
          • 5 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          A.

      • Swanny18
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Need help with 2FTs:

        A) Auba + J. Murphy > Kamara + Hazard (3-4-3 > 3-5-2)

        B) Alonso + Sane > Shaw + Hazard

        Thanks!

      • fridge
        • 12 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        Hi all!

        Foster. Speroni
        Trent. Doherty. Digne. AWB. Peltier
        Salah. Pogba. Hazard. Fanderson. Rich
        Kane. Ings. Kamara

        Rate my wildcard please
        I have 1.4m to spare, where wpuld you upgrade?

        1. thepirates
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Considering Bednarek instead of Peltier? Seems more nailed. Also might consider Ings to Jimenez?

      • SADIO SANÉ
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 5 months ago

        any obvious keeper pick under 5.4? Fab?

        1. SADIO SANÉ
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 5 months ago

          Button + Steele is a bad idea right?

          1. FPL Forward Thinker
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            5 years, 5 months ago

            Not if saving money and 2points is ok and money better spent elsewhere