We’ve put together our Scout Picks ‘bus team’ ahead of Double Gameweek 22 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
In this early selection, we select a first draft of our regular picks before they are finalised and published much closer to Friday’s deadline.
We are limited to an £83.0m budget for our starting XI, while our bench is also price-capped after a reader vote.
In the meantime, this ‘bus team’ article – a term coined by the duo behind the Always Cheating podcast – will discuss the players who are likely to be in the running.
GAMEWEEK 22 FIXTURES
THE LIKELY LADS
The final Scout Picks will unquestionably feature significant representation from Manchester United, following the confirmation that they will have two fixtures in Gameweek 22.
The Red Devils are in a rich vein of form, despite defeat at Arsenal last time out. Prior to Gameweek 21, they had won four of their five matches since the Premier League resumed after the World Cup.
From Gameweek 17 onwards, Marcus Rashford (£7.2m), Bruno Fernandes (£9.9m) and Luke Shaw (£5.2m) have returned 46, 39 and 36 points respectively, figures that put them among the very best FPL performers in that period.
Fernandes is a source of much discussion in the Fantasy community, with his underlying numbers the focus of a recent Members article (TLDR: they’re a mixed bag), but two bites of the cherry at Old Trafford and his undoubted assist potential puts him firmly in the mix.
These ‘doublers’ will no doubt form the backbone of our Scout Picks, but there are other ‘likely lads’ who have just one fixture.
Newcastle United, Arsenal and Manchester City options are also likely to make the cut.
Having kept six clean sheets in a row, bonus magnet Kieran Trippier’s (£6.1m) inclusion is a no-brainer, the only real question is whether or not we double-up on the Magpies rearguard, via Nick Pope (£5.5m), Fabian Schar (£5.1m) or Sven Botman (£4.5m).
Arsenal, meanwhile, visit an underperforming Everton side, albeit one that will likely have former Burnley manager Sean Dyche in the dugout for the first time.
The Gunners have kept seven of their nine clean sheets on the road this season, conceding just six, while the Toffees have the fourth-worst minutes per xG rate in the division since the restart. As a result, Gabriel Magalhaes (£5.2m) and Ben White (£4.7m) will be pushing for inclusion in the Scout Picks.
Further forward, Martin Odegaard (£6.9m), Eddie Nketiah (£6.7m), Bukayo Saka (£8.2m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£6.7m) all carry potential, with the current bus team favouring the former duo, who lead the way at Arsenal for goal attempts in the last five Gameweeks.
Finally, Erling Haaland (£12.2m) is all but assured of his place barring an unfortunate injury. Man City, of course, are capable of racking up the goals against pretty much anyone, so a trip to a Tottenham Hotspur side won’t hold any fear.
Saying that, it’s unlikely there will be room for Kevin De Bruyne (£12.5m) or Riyad Mahrez (£7.7m), despite this fixture serving up plenty of goals in recent times.
IN CONTENTION
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