Sponsored by Fantasy5
Pick five players who you think will haul in this weekend’s selected Gameweek 26 fixtures and, if they deliver, win £10,000.
Sounds simple?
While nailing those picks is the trickiest part, submitting them is very straightforward – and it won’t cost you a penny to enter.
We’re talking about Fantasy5‘s free and easy-to-play game, which follows the exact same scoring system as FPL, just without the bonus points.
It’s also the fastest media outlet for live Fantasy points, displaying all player points from the five games in question, as well as the live score and time.
The rules are thus: pick one player from each of the five nominated Premier League fixtures in the upcoming Gameweek and if all of your selections exceed their respective Fantasy5 ‘points targets’, then you win at least a share, possibly all, of the £10k prize.
For the more detailed lowdown, head here.
The competition is limited to one entry per person per round and selections must be submitted before kick-off of the first eligible match.
If two or more entrants correctly select five players who all score more than their points target, then the prize pot is split among all winners.
For a full list of the terms and conditions, click here.
GAMEWEEK 26 FIXTURES
The five nominated matches in Gameweek 26 are:
- Leeds United v Aston Villa
- Leicester City v Arsenal
- Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley
- Chelsea v Manchester United
- Sheffield United v Liverpool
The deadline is at 17:30 GMT on Saturday 27 February, which is kick-off at Elland Road.
SCOUT’S GAMEWEEK 26 PICKS
EZRI KONSA (5.5)
There aren’t many defenders in Fantasy5 who will exceed their points targets simply by keeping a clean sheet this week – but Ezri Konsa is one of them. While a trip to Leeds is no easy test, Villa have kept a league-high seven shut-outs on the road this season. And even if Patrick Bamford and co find their way past Emiliano Martinez’s gloves, Konsa’s threat from set plays could see him pass his points target another way – especially as the Whites have the division’s worst record for conceding goals from dead-ball situations.
HARVEY BARNES (7.5)
There are few Premier League midfielders in better form than Harvey Barnes, who is currently the most-bought player of Gameweek 26 in FPL. Back-to-back double-digit hauls shows he has the pedigree to exceed his Fantasy5 points target this weekend: one goal and a clean sheet point against an Arsenal side who have struggled in attack against top-half clubs in 2020/21 will do it. Both of these teams are still involved in the Europa League but the Foxes have considerably more to play for on the domestic front, where Mikel Arteta looks set to ring the changes going forward.
NICK POPE (7.5)
While Nick Pope can’t rely on bonus points in Fantasy5, he can benefit from the saves he makes. On eight separate occasions in 2020/21 has he pulled off six or more stops in a single game and a repeat performance of that, coupled with a clean sheet against a spluttering Spurs who have lost five of their last six, will see him over his threshold.
BRUNO FERNANDES (8.5)
Given the sky-high targets elsewhere, Bruno Fernandes’ objective of 8.5 points actually looks pretty reasonable given the consistency of his returns. Of course, the opposition this weekend – Thomas Tuchel’s stubborn Chelsea side – are partly the reason for that lower-than-usual target. But Fernandes has averaged over nine points per match in Fantasy5 over the last four Gameweeks and has delivered two attacking returns or more – which is effectively what is needed here – on eight occasions in the current campaign.
MOHAMED SALAH (12.5)
There are no gimmes in this fixture, with even Liverpool’s sub-par form not convincing Fantasy5 Towers to lower their targets for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. But if any match gives the Reds the chance to rediscover some of that attacking swagger, it’s this one. Sheffield United have kept one solitary clean sheet all season and their impressive backline of 2019/20 has been completely decimated, with John Egan and Chris Basham joining Jack O’Connell on the sidelines in recent weeks. It’s also easy to forget among the recent goings-on at Anfield that Salah has four goals in the last five Gameweeks and is top of all FPL assets for big chances over the same period.
SAM FROM FPL FAMILY’S GAMEWEEK 26 PICKS
Ollie Watkins (6.5)
Whilst Ollie Watkins has failed to register attacking returns in the last two Gameweeks, he has had plenty of opportunities. In the last six Gameweeks, he has an xG of 2.16, has had 158 touches in the final third and registered 18 shots, 10 of them on target. Watkins faces a Leeds side who have only kept one clean sheet since Gameweek 19 and have conceded 10 big chances in the last six Gameweeks.
Harvey Barnes (7.5)
Harvey Barnes has been on a fantastic run of form, registering back to back double-digit hauls with a goal and an assist in each of the last two weeks. Barnes faces an Arsenal side who have conceded in each of their last four fixtures, letting in a total of six goals in that time.
Gareth Bale (8.5)
Gareth Bale returned to the Spurs side for the second half of their match against West Ham in Gameweek 25. On the back of an outstanding performance in the Europa League, the Welshman registered an assist and was unlucky not to score when his shot from a Harry Kane pass came back off the crossbar. Bale made a huge difference to Spurs and so I am expecting Mourinho to start him against Burnley. He has previously only started once against the Clarets in the Premier League, registering a goal on that occasion.
Luke Shaw (6.5)
Whilst Man United aren’t always the most consistent when it comes to keeping clean sheets, Luke Shaw has the added benefit of attacking returns which can compensate even when the shut-out is lost – as we saw in Gameweek 24. Shaw topped the table for chances created at Old Trafford in Gameweek 25 and he has created more than twice as many opportunities as any other defender in the game in the last six Gameweeks, so the potential attacking upside makes him a great pick.
Mohamed Salah (12.5)
Liverpool have been on a particularly difficult run of late but a trip to bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United is the perfect opportunity to put that right. Mohamed Salah has returned in three of the last five Gameweeks, registering four goals in that time. Facing a weakened Sheffield United defence without John Egan, Salah should see some good opportunities to return – especially when we consider his performance in the reverse of this fixture when he had an unbelievable goal ruled for offside and was incredibly unlucky not to return. I expect to see Liverpool bounce back in Gameweek 26 and Salah will be at the heart of that.
