The Scout Squad’s best FPL players for Gameweek 11

The best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards for Gameweek 11 are discussed by Fantasy Football Scout contributors Az, Sam, Neale and Tom.

For those new to this feature, it’s a weekly piece that always takes the form of a ‘Free Hit’-type selection for the upcoming Gameweek.

All of our panelists propose an 18-man long-list of Fantasy players, explaining their notable inclusions and omissions in the article below.

The Scout Squad also serves as a precursor to the Scout Picks, as the players listed will then be narrowed down to a squad of 15 (with the starting XI not exceeding a total cost of £83.0m) for final our weekly selection ahead of Friday’s deadline.

Each writer must meet the following requirements:

• At least one goalkeeper costing £5.0m or less
• At least one sub-£5.0m defender
• At least one midfielder listed at £6.5m or below
• At least one forward priced at £7.0m or lower
• No more than three players from the same club

SCOUT SQUAD’S PICKS OF THE BEST FPL PLAYERS FOR GAMEWEEK 11

Most popular picks: Robert Sanchez, Alvaro Fernandez, Reece James, Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min, Jamie Vardy, Ivan Toney (four), Aaron Ramsdale, Ben Chilwell, Tino Livramento, Leandro Trossard, Bryan Mbeumo, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (three)

AZ SAID…

Looking at my selections, it’s amazing that over half my outfield players can be considered “budget” options, showing there is real value to be had outside of the more “premium” picks this season. The Chelsea wingbacks (or “midfielders” as Thomas Tuchel would prefer we call them) are returning such an incredible volume of points lately that I’ve plumped for both Reece James and Ben Chilwell. There’s not a huge amount between them this season for some of my favourite stats for defenders: James has 20 touches in the penalty area compared to Chilwell’s 14 and has created 10 chances compared to Chilwell’s six. However, James’s expected goal involvement (xGI) figure is superior (2.01 to 0.93), which propels him to the top of my defender list, which is not too surprising after a 21-point return in Gameweek 10.

In midfield, outside of the obligatory Mohamed Salah, I’ve gone for three reasonably priced players in Bryan Mbeumo, Emile Smith-Rowe and Leandro Trossard. It’s been well documented how close Mbeumo has been to returning a haul for his owners, and with a season xGI of 4.03, looks likely to return after having a rest on the bench last week. Trossard (xGI: 2.76) and Smith-Rowe (xGI: 2.49) both put in brilliant performances last weekend and will fancy themselves with attractive-looking fixtures against Newcastle and Watford respectively.

I was a bit unsure where to place Son Heung-min in this list. He plays a very squishy Everton and will surely be buoyed by Antonio Conte’s appointment but I’m showing a bit of caution with Spurs, given how incredibly poor they were against Manchester United at the weekend.

Up front, Jamie Vardy will look to help Leicester recover from an abject showing against Arsenal and they will be hoping for a scoreline similar to last year, where they triumphed 4-1 at Elland Road. Ivan Toney picks himself against Norwich, but a lack of goals this season is a concern and he will need to find his shooting boots quickly or many FPL managers may choose to turn to the likes of Che Adams or Rodrigo, both of whom also make the cut as they prepare to play against very porous defences. Aston Villa in fact have the worst expected goals conceded (xGC) total of any team in the league over the last four Gameweeks and despite Leicester’s defensive numbers improving recently, their loss against Arsenal was the sixth time they have conceded 2+ goals and they have kept just one clean sheet all season, which came on the opening day.

SAM SAID…

This week, I’ve gone all-in on the new manager bounce. The situation at Spurs couldn’t have got much worse with the north Londoners sitting fourth from bottom for expected goals (xG), second bottom for goals scored and joint-bottom with Norwich for shots. However, the arrival of Antonio Conte should spark the Lilywhites’ assets back to life. Everton have been struggling defensively, having only kept one clean sheet since Gameweek 4 – and even that was against Norwich. I expected Conte to follow through with his past comments about where Harry Kane should be played and have him in the box in Gameweek 11, while Son Heung-min could easily play ‘out of position’ up top with Kane in Conte’s preferred 3-5-2 system. Such a set-up would involve attacking wing-backs, which could make Sergio Reguilon a great pick this week and in the medium term.

The Chelsea defensive double-up looks opportune for this weekend. After his heroics last Saturday and a rest in the Champions League, Reece James needs little justification. For me, Antonio Rudiger is perhaps being unfairly overlooked in favour of the wing-backs. He is second amongst defenders over the last two Gameweeks for shots with six, one more than James and just three fewer than Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo, who leads the way.

It’s the match-up of two newly promoted sides this week, with Brentford my firm favourites for this one. Bryan Mbuemo has an xG of 4.03 so far this season and having been fully rested after his niggling injury last week, I expect him to finally return on his goalscoring threat. Likewise, Mason Mount also missed out in Gameweek 10 as a result of illness but his performance in Gameweek 9 and the continued absence of Romelu Lukaku makes him an excellent pick this weekend – fitness permitting.

Up top, Adam Armstong is second among forwards for attempts on goal with 27; only Michail Antonio has more. Facing an Aston Villa defence weakened by suspension and who haven’t kept a clean sheet in the last four weeks, I expect him to add to that tally this weekend. Ivan Toney against Norwich also seems too good to refuse: he’s blanked in his last four outings but with a healthy assist potential supplementing his goal threat, the visit of the rock-bottom Canaries will give him as good a chance as any to finally deliver.

TOM SAID

I’ve doubled up on Chelsea’s wing-backs this week ahead of Saturday’s home game against Burnley. Thomas Tuchel’s side have given up just one league goal from open play all season, keeping seven clean sheets in the process. Reece James and Ben Chilwell have produced some quality displays of late, and I’m expecting both to take control of their flanks and collect points at both ends of the pitch.

Brighton and Hove Albion also get a defensive double-up from me, via Robert Sanchez and Tariq Lamptey. The Seagulls have remained difficult to break down this season and take on a Newcastle United side who are still in limbo following the sacking of Steve Bruce. It’s also worth noting that despite facing Manchester City and Liverpool in back-to-back Gameweeks, Albion still rank fifth for non-penalty expected goals conceded (xGC) overall.

Rounding off the picks at the back are goalkeepers Aaron Ramsdale and Alvaro Fernandez, plus defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold and Tino Livramento. Notably, the latter has now provided either a goal, assist or clean sheet in six of his last seven appearances.

Further forward, Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Jamie Vardy’s inclusion need little explanation, so I’ll focus on some of my other picks.

Adam Armstrong, back in the Southampton starting XI last weekend, registered six shots against Watford and provided the assist for Che Adams. He has been wasteful so far, scoring just one from 2.49 expected goals (xG), but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he started converting his chances into goals sooner rather than later. Admittedly he is a risky pick, with Armando Broja fit again, but he otherwise looks like a good option against an Aston Villa side who have conceded 12 goals in their last four matches and who will be without the influential Ezri Konsa.

Meanwhile, given Antonio Conte’s track record as a strong starter, I’ve included Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, who could be paired together in a 3-5-2 formation. The Italian tactician’s previous comments about the England captain are also encouraging, having discussed his role during his punditry work at Euro 2020:

“Many praise Harry Kane for his ability to go get the ball and play with his team, such as with the equaliser against Denmark. Of course, he’s good at that too, but it’s in the box where he’s clinical and as a coach, I would always keep him in there because he’s devastating”.

The attacking picks are completed by Brentford duo Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney, plus Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz, who will probably be playing his last match for a while as an out-of-position centre-forward.

NEALE SAID

A number of Brighton defenders have claims for inclusion this weekend but with game-time perhaps not 100% assured for Tariq Lamptey and Shane Duffy, I’ve opted for Marc Cucurella ahead of the visit of a Newcastle side that Albion have conceded only one goal to in their last seven meetings. Cucurella doesn’t quite offer that edge-of-your-seat thrill that Lamptey does but over the last six Gameweeks, only two FPL defenders have created more chances than the Seagulls’ Spanish wing-back. Robert Sanchez and Leandro Trossard make it an Albion triple-up, with the Belgian – who has around double the number of shots and penalty box touches than Neal Maupay over the last half-dozen Gameweeks – facing the team he racked up his highest-ever FPL score against when plundering 14 points in 2020/21.

The allure of a highly unoriginal Reece James and Ben Chilwell double-up is too much to resist after their midweek rests but Hakim Ziyech is more of a punt while we wait on news of Mason Mount’s fitness: the Moroccan turned in a positive, goalscoring showing against Malmo in midweek, has the best minutes-per-chance average of any Chelsea player this season and produced his best-ever FPL Gameweek total when hauling against the Clarets last season. If Mount is passed fit on Friday afternoon, of course, then there are obvious concerns over game-time.

Son Heung-min is my sole Spurs representative against beleaguered Everton as I wait to see what impact that Antonio Conte can have on the struggling Lilywhites but I’ve got no such reservations about going all-in on Mikel Arteta’s ever-improving side across north London, where I can’t even accommodate Aaron Ramsdale given the limit on players from one club. I’m an owner of Emile Smith-Rowe but I think Bukayo Saka offers more threat on the opposite wing of Arteta’s 4-4-2, registering twice the number of shots and penalty box touches (and the same number of key passes) as Smith-Rowe since the change of shape. He’s also less likely to get moved into a deeper role should there be a reversion to a 4-3-3 for whatever reason. I like the look of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ahead of the more withdrawn Alexandre Lacazette, too: the Gabon international has had seven shots, three of them big chances, in the last two weeks. A positive update on Kieran Tierney would scupper the Nuno Tavares pick but the deputy left-back has looked excellent in what little pitch-time he has been afforded, registering nine penalty box touches – the same as Aubameyang – since his first-team promotion in Gameweek 9.

Thomas Frank was right to point out that the opening 45 minutes against Burnley was one of Brentford’s only poor halves of 2021/22 but confidence is perhaps a little shaken in the Bees, with the jury still out on Alvaro Fernandez in particular. Still, a Norwich side who have scored just once from open play in 2021/22 give the west Londoners the perfect platform from which to bounce back. Bryan Mbeumo and Ivan Toney owe us hauls after our constant banging on about their underlying numbers, while Pontus Jansson looks like he has a 15-pointer in him given his recent thirst for ‘big chances’ from set plays.

Finally, my inclusion of Gabriel Jesus can be summed up in five words: Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire.