The Gameweek 38+ Scout Picks features a triple-up on Manchester City.
Although this is unlikely to be a massive surprise, the configuration of our trio is perhaps a little different to most Free Hit squads.
For the first time since Gameweek 30+ we were able to make this selection using our traditional methods, starting with a Scout Squad piece earlier in the week, whittled down a final XI.
For the final time this season, we line-up in 4-4-2 formation, coming in at £84.8m, £0.2m under budget.
Goalkeeper
The entire Burnley squad looks committed to making sure Nick Pope (£5.2m) gets at least a share of the Golden Glove award. That would require a clean sheet against Brighton, certainly an achievable aim, considering the Clarets have kept eight shut-outs at home this season, the second-best total in the Premier League.
Defenders
Just five points shy of breaking Andrew Robertson’s all-time FPL points record for a defender, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.7m) could register returns at both ends of the pitch against Newcastle. Not only are the Magpies third-worst for goals scored at home this season, but they are also vulnerable to crosses into the box from their left-flank. Music to the ears of Alexander-Arnold owners.
In the last four matches, no team has conceded more headed attempts than Norwich. That bodes well for Aymeric Laporte (£6.3m) who found the net against Watford and looks set to keep another clean sheet against the toothless Canaries’ attack on Sunday afternoon.
Crystal Palace have still scored fewer goals at home than any other side this season (14) and have drawn a blank in five of their last six matches. Serge Aurier (£5.1m) looks poised to capitalise on this, throwing in some attacking potential and no Patrick van Aanholt to watch out for on the counter-attack.
With Charlie Taylor out injured, Erik Pieters (£4.3m) offers the best value route into the Burnley defence for our double-up at that end of the pitch. The left-back also provided an assist during the Gameweek 37+ win at Norwich and, thanks to recent outings in midfield, has a penchant for more crosses into the box these days.
Midfielders
We are backing Mohamed Salah to end the season with a bang at Newcastle. He has been exceptionally unlucky not to score in any of his last three matches, and over the last four, he ranks best in the league for shots in the box, big chances and shots on target. That is rather ominous ahead of a meeting with Newcastle, who have been hit with a nasty injury crisis in defence recently.
Raheem Sterling (£12.0m) is an exciting midfield choice for Gameweek 38+. He is in exceptional form with four double-figure hauls in the last six matches and a say in the penalty conversation as he chases a 20-goal season. During that period, Norwich have conceded 14 times.
David Silva (£7.5m) completes our Manchester City triple-up ahead of his final home league game for the club. In his last four Etihad Stadium appearances, the Spaniard has racked up six attacking returns, averaging 10.5 points per match there since the restart.
Aston Villa’s defence has done a decent job of containing their opponents in recent weeks, but we think the form of Michail Antonio (£7.1m) will be enough to break it down at least once on Sunday afternoon. It turns out his underlying numbers from the Norwich game were no fluke, the West Ham midfielder inside the top three for shots in the box, big chances and shots on target over the last four matches.
Forwards
Harry Kane (£10.9m) is our marquee striker for Gameweek 38+ as he prepares to face a porous Crystal Palace defence. In the last four matches, the Eagles have given up 13 big chances, only Brighton conceding over that period. Meanwhile, Kane has double-figure hauls in each of his last two, scoring four goals since Gameweek 36+.
Thanks to his budget price, Chris Wood (£6.2m) has been rewarded with a second-straight appearance in the Scout Picks. The Burnley man has now scored in back-to-back Gameweeks and is at home to a Brighton side who have conceded plenty of attempts from set-pieces over the last few weeks.
Substitutes
Emiliano Martínez (£4.4m) has been bringing in tidy scores in recent weeks and offering decent value. Since taking over from the injured Bernd Leno, the Arsenal goalkeeper has made 30 saves in eight appearances, averaging four points per match.
Jarrad Branthwaite (£4.0m) offers a budget price, a likely start in the Everton defence in a fixture with high clean sheet potential. Bournemouth have averaged less than a goal a game away from home this season.
Mark Noble (£4.9m) is flourishing in his new advanced number 10 role for West Ham. He has created more chances than any other Premier League player over the last three Gameweeks although has not registered a shot on goal in that time.
Olivier Giroud (£6.7m) has been enjoying a run of games in the Chelsea team and has registered 13 shots in the box over his last four matches, good enough for the top five in the division.
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:
The Community Champion
Each week, one of the Fantasy Football Scout community takes on the Scout Picks by pitting their chosen XI against ours.
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 Moderators and Contributors League for the following season.
Our last champion, PoldervogelsUit, lost 77-88 to the Scout Picks all the way back in Gameweek 30+.
gwitbrock‘s winning margin of 23 points in Gameweek 25 is the target to beat.
The Community Champion’s team for Gameweek 38+ will be announced in due course.
