Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 31+

A quick turnaround as we head straight into Gameweek 31+ and once again we have a 5pm BST deadline.

While an earlier cut-off may be part of the ‘new normal’, one thing that hasn’t changed is that Pep Guardiola likes to rotate his players. As ever, predictably unpredictable.

Some interesting thoughts on how we could finally use that to our advantage in this Gameweek Guide, as well as enticing differentials and captain options.

To win the Pep Roulette, you need to play the Pep Roulette. It’s one of the biggest pots out there.

– LateRiser

Who else but our favourite upside-chasing manager LateRiser perfectly articulating the dilemma presented to us Fantasy managers by Manchester City. Thankfully, in his latest article, he offered us an intriguing option on how to play our hand. Could Phil Foden offer a less ‘all-in’ approach?

When it comes to Foden, I expect him to get a lot of minutes and I think he’s a really good option for your eighth attacker. What I would do with Foden is that if he is rested for a particular game, I would probably start him in my FPL team in the next game as we expect Pep to rotate and Foden’s upside is very high.

– LateRiser

To give our Pro Pundit some credit he did highlight Phil Foden on yesterday’s Scoutcast ahead of the evening kick-off. Although a bigger round of applause is reserved for Pep Pig, who not only brought him in for Gameweek 30+ but told us about it beforehand – twice! Unsurprisingly he still leads RedLightning’s January to July mini-league.

The big news that could potentially impact how we shuffle our City pack, is the injury to Sergio Aguero. As Neale report in the Scout Notes, Pep did not sound overly optimistic in his post-match interview:

He felt something in his knee. He was struggling the last month, some pain in his knee. It doesn’t look good for this season.

– Pep Guardiola

The two immediate beneficiaries are Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling:

The stock of Gabriel Jesus could be about to rise as we await a proper diagnosis from the City medical department, although it should be said that Raheem Sterling has operated as a ‘false nine’ in Guardiola’s various systems before and the Brazilian will surely not be starting week-in, week-out from now until Gameweek 38+ even if Aguero is sidelined.

– Neale

However with upcoming matches against Chelsea and Liverpool either side of an all-important FA cup tie against a resurgent Newcastle, looking elsewhere could be a viable option in the short term.

Manchester United and Wolves appear to be the golden ticket teams. The Red Devils take on a depleted Sheffield United defence with John Egan suspended and Dean Henderson ineligible to face his parent club – do check out the latest Team News ahead of the deadline. 

If you are considering one of Fernandes or Rashford for the armband, David’s dive into the stats is essential reading. His feeling is that Fernandes has the slight edge:

The fact he is a midfielder also gives him the edge over Rashford who, despite looking like an exciting option for Gameweek 31+, cannot capitalise on clean sheets and scores one fewer point for every goal scored, when compared with Fernandes.

– David

While in the debate between Rashford and Martial, TheFantasyFreÆK is leaning towards the Englishman:

Despite having his minutes curtailed by injury, Rashford has recorded the second highest number big chances at home of all forwards this season. Over the season, Rashford has registered 23 big chances compared to Martial’s 14 with both of them having played a similar amount of minutes.

– TheFantasyFreÆK

Manchester United and Wolves also have the best odds of a clean sheet after Liverpool, according to the bookmakers via G-Whizz.

But there are plenty of options for our teams this Gameweek. Neale highlighted Son’s potential earlier this month: 

Son’s shot accuracy in the Mourinho era has also caught the eye: an average of 1.53 efforts on target per 90 minutes is inferior only to Salah (1.61) when we look at midfield regulars in the top flight.

– Neale

While Pro Pundit Tom Freeman picked out the returning Dele Alli as one to watch in his differentials piece. An opinion backed up by David:

Dele Alli managed a total of 11 shots in the box over his last four, an average of 2.75. Crucially, that was achieved in his number 10 role, which he is likely to be dropped back into for Tuesday’s London clash with West Ham.

– David

There’s an enticing trip to Carrow Road for EvertonRicharlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin appeal:

The Everton pair have managed to record the joint-second-highest total for shots in the box over their last four, against Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. That is incredibly ominous as they prepare to face Norwich in Gameweek 31+.

– David

In short, those who fancy an alternative to a Liverpool captain this week have plenty of options.

Community competitions

The Fantasy Football Scout Cup continued in Gameweek 30+ with Round Two taking place. The full results can be seen here

If you want to enter the new The FFScout Charity Shield mini-league, do so now.

We’ll be closing the league to new entries after the Gameweek 31+ deadline passes at 17:00 BST on Tuesday. Head to the FPL site via this link and use the code ‘i3lxye’ to sign up.

The top five places receive a free membership for next season. Fantasy Football Scout will also be making a donation of £300 towards the NHS and has set up a JustGiving page should others wish to make a contribution.

In TorresMagic’s Last Man Standing the safety score in Gameweek 30+ was a whopping 95 points, which saw a total of 72 managers eliminated.

The threshold for elimination increases to 30% for Gameweek 31+ and a minimum of 63 managers will depart. 4,899 managers have exited the competition so far with 207 left to battle.

A full review of the round-up of latest community mini-leagues will appear tomorrow.

TopMarx Fan of Fantasy Football and Monty Python. "Archimedes out to Socrates, Socrates back to Archimedes, Archimedes out to Heraclitus, he beats Hegel. Heraclitus a little flick, here he comes on the far post, Socrates is there, Socrates heads it in! Socrates has scored! The Greeks are going mad, the Greeks are going mad! Socrates scores, got a beautiful cross from Archimedes. The Germans are disputing it. Hegel is arguing that the reality is merely an a priori adjunct of non-naturalistic ethics, Kant via the categorical imperative is holding that ontologically it exists only in the imagination, and Marx is claiming it was offside. Follow them on Twitter

2,043 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Milk, 1 Šuker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    It shouldn't have to be this hard ladies and gents! Forward planning!!

  2. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Oh god I don’t know whether it was Son or Bruno I captained

    1. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Oh here we go 🙄

  3. Camzy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Salah (c) is locked in. Good luck all.

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Same here good luck

  4. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Team news....
    Iheanacho........ etc

  5. Ange Ball
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    I ask question no replies. Thank you all for being such great help.

    1. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I’m here to help. What’s up? 🙂

    2. The Polymath
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Questions were too hard.

    3. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Not much point asking questions any time in the last hour to deadline, pages move fast!

      Post it outside of peak times, more chance.

    4. teneighty
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Almost impossible to get answers close to the deadline with the pages flying.

    5. The Mighty Hippo
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Ask away. You've got our undivided attention now.

  6. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    PENS DOWN!

  7. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Goodluck lads captained son

  8. Tempestic
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Calvert Lewin captain it is... 😮

  9. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    ⚽ Team News 📰
    LEI: Schmeichel, Justin, Chilwell, Söyüncü, Evans, Iheanacho, Mendy, Maddison, Gray, Ndidi, Vardy
    Subs: Ward, Fuchs, Morgan, Barnes, Choudhury, Albrighton, Tielemans, Praet, Pérez

    BHA: Ryan, Webster, Dunk, Burn, Lamptey, Mooy, Mac Allister, Stephens, Bissouma, Connolly, Maupay
    Subs: Button, Montoya, Duffy, Schelotto, Groß, March, Pröpper, Trossard, Murray

    1. Wakanda
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      phew vardy is in

    2. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Barnes ;(

  10. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    10 seconds late to see my man Barnes is not starting. Real FPL boys and girls, real FPL. I pray the fantasy gods now that he will stat benched 🙁

    1. Mike2795647
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Fingered crosses, I knew I should have got shot of him for Traore

    2. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I saw your last message, wasnt sure if you were celebrating selling him?

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        no, i was hoping he starts. last minute wrong call. I need to stop doing these last-minute switches. they never go right. also, maquire is hugely owned I should just protect the rank

  11. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Anyone else go with Son captain?

    1. HuttonDressedasLahm
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Me!

    2. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Good choice

    3. Nightf0x
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Yes here last minute switch from jimi & vardy

      1. Duke Silver ☑
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Same. Bounced around a bit but landed on Son. Please let him reward us.

    4. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Moi

    5. Animo et Fide
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

    6. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      With Son, hes not that highly owned, so any haul will be good even as a non capper.

    7. HashAttack
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Think he got a red card and -ve points last time I captained him

      1. TomSaints
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        That game won my head to head where only possible way I win was a son red. Good times

    8. TomSaints
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Yep

    9. Garth Marenghi
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Almost

  12. dark91
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Went with Ri(c)harlison. Shouldn't be worse than Aguero (C) last DGW

    1. JabariParkersEyelid
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Same, time to pray.

    2. TomSaints
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I got Richarlison over Pogba. Super nervous

  13. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Gone for this on Free Hit, thoughts?

    Martinez
    TAA | Robertson | Lascelles
    Salah (C) | Son | Martial | Traore
    Kane (VC) | Vardy | Jota

    Button | Cantwell | Jack Robinson | Ngakia

    Thanks

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Good team.

      Robbo fit?

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Trained as normal apparently, took a few risks

  14. Collie01
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    No Barnes

    Vardy starts

    1. Moose™
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Lets go!!! I dont know who my captain is.. Bruno or Vardy.. Lol!

  15. Moose™
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    GG.. No Salah, Son, Rashford.. Im going down am I? Hahq

    1. Tempestic
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Who do u own?!

    2. TomSaints
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I went no Salah or Rashford. I think Liverpool struggle v palace and lose at city

  16. Qaiss
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    FPL_Subscribe on Twitter said Barnes would start and he's benched. Ignore the fraud and report him!

    1. GOTHAM City F.C.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      tsk yes, trusted that, but dropped barnes anyway

      1. Qaiss
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        I don't own but it's just silly people lie about team news

        1. jason_ni
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 9 months ago

          We know that people do it, if its not FPL_Rockstar, just ignore it is the best advice I can give.

          There is usually all manner of BS being spouted on twitter and here before deadline.

          1. Qaiss
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 9 months ago

            Yup, Rockstar is the only one I trust.

    2. potatoace
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      He used to be so reliable.
      Very disappointed

  17. Chenku╰☆╮
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Barnes C fail

  18. Arctic monkeys
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    No Barnes, unfollowing that guy right away.

    1. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Unfollowed already. I kept Barnes after seeing his tweet.

  19. TheDragon
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    I can now confirm the correct answers to this weeks quiz were:

    Bergwijn & Salah

  20. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    I thought Barnes was meant to be starting? FECKKK

    1. Blue Gaffer
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      I ripped my WC team up last minute to bring him in.

  21. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Who’s on your bench,

    Sarr
    Alonso
    Taylor
    McCarthy

    Seems a lot of cash when it looks like that?

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Good start then Barnes out Sarr in 🙂

    2. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Martin, Greenwood, Femenia, 3.9m DF

    3. Andy_Social
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Leno, Egan ,Basham and Nketiah.

    4. HashAttack
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Foster, Alonso, Fernandez and Saka

  22. SHOOTER MCGINN
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Oh good. No Barnes. Fantastic start.

  23. Zilla
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Pens down

  24. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    vardy party?

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Hoping so

    2. Steve The Spud
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Yes! Looking forward to the ‘OMG Vardy’ already!

  25. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    PANTS DOWN

  26. Chenku╰☆╮
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Screw you FPL subscribe

  27. No_Mo_Salah?
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    No Barnes...

  28. QUEN
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Swapped mount to Barnes last minute fs

    Great WC start

    Watch son and aurier benched next

  29. Tomerick
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    3206 in the world right now. My personal best is 9000 something and imposter syndrome is setting in. How’s this team looking?

    Pope
    TAA, Doherty, Boly, Fernandez
    Salah, KDB, Bruno, Barnes
    Rashford, Jimenez

    McCarthy, Lascelles, Cantwell, Giroud

    1. Jam0sh
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Giroud 😀

      1. Tomerick
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        I mean he’s scored in 3 of his last 4 games but sure he was a bit of a relic of pre-COVID when Tammy was injured.

    2. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Not a great start with Barnes

      1. Tomerick
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 9 months ago

        Haha yeah but I expect him to get some minutes.

  30. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 9 months ago

    Barnes doesnt start lol. That guy from twitter lost credibility.

    1. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 9 months ago

      Unfollowed