FPL Gameweek 15 Scout Picks: Liverpool, Man City and Spurs double-ups

Ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 GMT deadline, we have chosen our best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players for Gameweek 15.

We line-up in a 3-5-2 formation and, as ever, are limited to an £83.0m budget for our starting XI.

Our four substitutes, meanwhile, are always chosen from the budget crop of players.

GOALKEEPER

Illan Meslier (£4.9m) is our chosen goalkeeper for Gameweek 15, with this weekend’s opponents Brentford failing to offer much in the final third in their last two outings, with their only goal arriving from the penalty spot. During that time, they have mustered just nine shots in the box and rank 18th for non-penalty expected goals (non-pen xG). Leeds United haven’t exactly been watertight at the back this season, but they have now kept back-to-back clean sheets against Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion, and will fancy their chances of adding another this weekend. An extra two days of recovery for the high-octane Whites is also something worth bearing in mind.

DEFENDERS

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.0m) sits top of the defender standings, having racked up three double-digit hauls in his last six appearances. The England international has now produced eight attacking returns across his 12 outings, averaging an impressive 7.5 points per match. This weekend’s opponents, Wolverhampton Wanderers, have failed to score in either of their last two matches, with only Norwich City scoring fewer than their 12 in 2021/22. That suggests Alexander-Arnold can profit at both ends of the pitch in Gameweek 15.

Joao Cancelo (£6.7m) continues to be an ever-present for Pep Guardiola’s side this term, having now started every single Manchester City league fixture; we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it stays that way on Saturday and that the midweek Champions League dead rubber against Leipzig is earmarked to give him a breather. Across all positional categories, he ranks third for FPL points, while his underlying numbers suggest further attacking returns are on the way, with his 31 goal attempts, 11 shots on target and 338 final-third touches all league-leading totals amongst defenders. Since Claudio Ranieri’s appointment at Watford, it’s also worth noting that no team has conceded more chances from their right flank than the Hornets.

Sergio Reguilon (£5.2m) takes the final spot in our backline. Across Antonio Conte’s three Premier League games in charge, the Spanish wing-back is averaging over eight points per match, having returned a goal, assist, four bonus points and two clean sheets. During that time, he has produced five shots in the box, two big chances and 10 penalty area touches, while his 2.08 expected goal involvement (xGI) total is better than any other defender on offer, despite playing a game fewer than most.

MIDFIELDERS

Having bagged a brace at Goodison Park on Wednesday night, Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) is now on 19 goals in 19 appearances in all competitions this season, while Liverpool have taken their tally to 43 from 14 league games – 10 more than next-best Manchester City. As a result of that form, the Egyptian is now 56 points ahead of any other Fantasy asset after 14 Gameweeks, and is top for everything from shots in the box to big chances created on the underlying stats front.

It’s still early in Antonio Conte’s reign, but the Italian’s influence is already starting to show, with last night’s 2.16 expected goals (xG) total the most Spurs have achieved in a single match all season. Key to that improvement was Son Heung-min (£10.4m), who was dangerous down the left from the off and netted his fifth league goal of the campaign during the second half. Notably, Norwich’s right-hand side has also been more susceptible to conceding shots since Dean Smith’s arrival, which could be good news for Son and Reguilon in Gameweek 15.

With doubts around how many minutes Phil Foden (£8.1m) will be afforded this weekend, we’ve opted for Ilkay Gundogan (£7.3m) in the Scout Picks once again. The German international has been excellent alongside Bernardo Silva (£7.4m) this season, playing an important role in City’s run which has seen them win their last six matches in all competitions. Statistically, he ranks top amongst all team-mates for expected goal involvement (xGI), while only Gabriel Jesus (£8.7m) has attempted more shots in the box.

Maxwel Cornet (£6.1m) has hit the ground running since his summer move from Olympique Lyonnais. In just eight Premier League appearances, the Ivorian has chalked up an impressive five goals and has now completed over 80 minutes in three successive matches. Yes, he’s overachieving based on some modest underlying stats, but this weekend’s opponents, Newcastle United, have failed to keep a single clean sheet this season and have shown no signs of tightening up in any of Eddie Howe’s three matches in charge.

Despite defeat at Old Trafford on Thursday, Emile Smith Rowe (£6.0m) was on target once again with his fifth league strike of the campaign. His current attacking output may regress in the coming weeks, given his +3.43 xGI delta, but this match-up does feel like a good one for the England international, against an Everton side who have failed to win since all the way back in Gameweek 6. From that point onwards, they rank 19th for expected goals conceded (xGC), while their right-hand side – the zone Smith Rowe primarily operates in – has looked particularly vulnerable in recent matches.

FORWARDS

Since Steven Gerrard’s arrival at Aston Villa, Ollie Watkins (£7.4m) has been one of his team’s standout performers, netting two goals in three appearances. However, the real appeal lies in this weekend’s opponent, Leicester City, who have failed to keep a single clean sheet since the opening weekend. In fact, only Newcastle United, Norwich City and Watford have allowed more goals so far this season, while the Foxes’ 146 shots conceded in the box is more than any other side bar Burnley.

Callum Wilson’s (£7.4m) strike against Norwich City in Gameweek 14 took him to five for the season, which is especially impressive given that he has missed four matches through injury. Notably, four of those goals have arrived at St James’ Park, with his 3.53 xG on home soil only bettered by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£9.8m), Diogo Jota (£7.9m) and Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.3m). Newcastle are still without a win at the foot of the Premier League table, but have at least avoided defeat in both of Eddie Howe’s home encounters, scoring four goals in the process.

SUBSTITUTES

Two attack-minded defenders (and out of position in one case) in the form of Tariq Lamptey and Kyle Walker-Peters face one another this weekend; only Norwich and Wolves have scored fewer goals than Brighton and Southampton this season, so the south-coast clash at St Mary’s doesn’t scream ‘goalfest’ on paper.

Leeds United, as it happens, have scored the same number of goals as the two aforementioned sides as they continue to struggle without Patrick Bamford, who will be back in Gameweek 15 but perhaps only as a substitute. The improving Alvaro Fernandez, who impressed at Spurs after a clean sheet against Everton, is our back-up goalkeeper.

Finally, Emmanuel Dennis doesn’t have an appealing fixture this weekend – but he does have remarkable form. He’s already breached the defences of Chelsea and Manchester United in the last month, and while a place in the Scout Picks XI is perhaps a step too far, he’s still very agreeably priced for emergency substitute duty.

THE CAPTAIN

We choose the Scout Picks captain using a four-way vote between our Scout Squad pundits.

Our panel voted as follows:

• Az: Salah, Son, Gundogan
• Sam: Salah, Son, Watkins
• Neale: Salah, Alexander-Arnold, Gundogan
• Tom: Salah, Son, Alexander-Arnold

Mohamed Salah is awarded the captaincy, with Son Heung-min nominated as vice-captain.

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 team by the largest margin will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Moderators and Contributors League for the following season.

Holmes, who triumphed 59-34 in Gameweek 7, has set the target to beat.

Our champion this week is Husky, who has gone with a 5-4-1 of Dubravka; Alexander-Arnold, Cancelo, Reguilon, Lamptey, Lascelles; Salah, Son, Bernardo, Raphinha; Kane (c).

The Scout Picks are 11-3 up on the community this season.