Arsenal, Wolves and Manchester United form the spine of the Gameweek 32+ Scout Picks.
We have chosen to start two options from each of these clubs as they face Norwich, Aston Villa and Brighton over the next few days.
This starting XI was selected by our editorial team and came in exactly on budget of £85.0m.
Goalkeeper
Emiliano Martinez (£4.2m) has quickly become the go-to ultimate budget goalkeeper on account of his exceptionally cheap price and guaranteed starts. Arsenal defence has not filled us with great confidence recently but a clean sheet against Southampton should count for something. Mikel Arteta’s men have the privilege of facing Norwich this week, who have failed to score in six of their last seven.
Defender
Matt Doherty (£6.4m) has become one of the most consistent Fantasy assets of recent times, adding an eighth clean sheet of the campaign against Bournemouth. Since Gameweek 25, the Wolves right-back has averaged 6.4 points per game. With clean sheet and attacking returns potential to his name, a meeting Aston Villa is the perfect fixture to bring out his best once again.
Crystal Palace have kept four clean sheets from a possible five since Gameweek 27 and a home meeting with Burnley this round suggests more returns at that end of the pitch. Enter Patrick van Aanholt (£5.6m), who has two double-digit hauls in the last five matches and a hand in Palace’s set pieces.
An improving Spurs defence is good news for owners of Serge Aurier (£5.0m) ahead of a meeting with Sheffield United. The Blades’ attack has been goal-shy to the extreme since the Premier League restart, while Aurier has returned either a clean sheet, an assist or goal in three of his last four outings.
Midfielders
Kevin De Bruyne (£10.7m) is our pick from Manchester City’s clash with Liverpool in Gameweek 32+. His free-kick goal against Chelsea was his ninth attacking return against so-called ‘big six’ opposition this season, more than any other FPL midfielder. He has averaged 11 points per start since the Premier League returned too.
Son Heung-min (£9.7m) may be operating in a wider role than we’d like since the return of Harry Kane, but we expect him to be involved against Sheffield United. Even with Dean Henderson and John Egan back in the side, the Blades are likely to give up a large number of chances, as they have done for most of the season. Son came close to a double-digit haul against West Ham last time out, VAR ruling out his excellent strike for offside. That could be the motivation he needs for Gameweek 32+.
Anthony Martial (£8.1m) crept under the radar before Gameweek 31+, but we won’t let him stay there. The return of Paul Pogba to the Manchester United midfield may have impacted on the monopoly Bruno Fernandes had on creativity, but it has supercharged the supply-lines for the team’s centre-forward. Martial is joint-top of the league for shots in the box and big chances over the last four matches, indicating there could be more to come against Brighton.
Christian Pulisic (£6.9m) has re-established himself as an option for those interested in the Chelsea attack. Two goals in as many games, denied a third by Kyle Walker’s goal-line clearance on Thursday, is more than enough for anyone after a poorly-owned punt. West Ham are the perfect opponent to help Pulisic continue his purple patch, David Moyes’ men conceding at least twice in eight of their last nine matches.
Forwards
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.0m) may be without a goal in each of his last four but he has been remarkably unlucky. Some excellent defending was enough to negate his flurry of shots against Brighton while only a Jack Stephens red card denied the Arsenal man’s journey through on goal at Southampton. Norwich’s defence has made some improvements since the turn of the year but has still conceded at least twice on each of their last trips to face top-seven opposition. Aubameyang also netted a brace the last time he faced the Canaries, registering his joint-highest Gameweek score of the season in the process (13 points).
Marcus Rashford‘s (£9.0m) role in Manchester United’s attack has turned him into an incredibly appealing FPL asset. A role on the left-hand side of attacking midfield means he can create for his team-mates as well as cut inside and shoot. That means he has 13 attacking returns in as many Premier League appearances since Gameweek 12.
Raúl Jiménez (£8.3m) has been the model of consistency in recent times. He has four goals in his last five outings, also finding the net the last time Wolves faced Aston Villa this season.
Substitutes
Mat Ryan (£4.7m) has the potential to rack up a hatful of saves against Manchester United in Gameweek 32+. He sits inside the top-five among all goalkeepers for save percentage over the last four matches, stopping 83.3% of efforts on target he has faced in that time.
Federico Fernandez (£4.6m) and the Newcastle defence gets to face Bournemouth this week, who have failed to impress offensively since the Premier League returned and will be without Callum Wilson through suspension.
Jamaal Lascelles (£4.3m) is an alternative route into the Newcastle defence. While Fernandez offers more attacking threat, Lascelles is a lot easier to squeeze in for some value.
Bukayo Saka (£4.7m) is increasingly looking like the perfect fifth-midfielder for Fantasy managers to own. He has played three different positions in as many starts for Arsenal since the Premier League resumed play and has offered attacking threat in each of them.
THE CAPTAIN
The Scout Picks has a captain for the 2019/20 campaign.
This skipper is chosen using the conclusions of the latest Captain Sensible article and a four-way vote between David, Neale, Paul and Geoff.
Because the use of Fantasy Football Scout data is used so heavily in this process, the captain we choose each Gameweek is usually known only to those who have signed up to Membership for the 2019/20 season and revealed to the public only when the deadline has passed.
Here’s how we voted:
