We’ve put together our Scout Picks ‘bus team’ ahead of Double Gameweek 29 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 the 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.
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 29 FIXTURES
Times given in GMT
THE LIKELY LADS
We have a large pool of Double Gameweek players to choose from this week, who will no doubt form the backbone of our Scout Picks.
So, we start with the Manchester United options who are likely to make the cut. The in-form Marcus Rashford (£7.3m) has got 12 attacking returns in 11 post-World Cup matches, a period in which no FPL asset has more points. It’s worth noting he has withdrawn from the England squad to face Italy and Ukraine after picking up a knock, so his fitness will need to be monitored. Bruno Fernandes (£9.6m) also seems like a no-brainer. The Portuguese has a habit of showing up in Double Gameweeks, with a combined 31 points served up across his last two. Luke Shaw (£5.2m) also has a good shout for inclusion this week despite Casemiro’s (£4.9m) absence, as Man Utd face Newcastle United and Brentford. The latter have conceded 143 crosses from their right flank since the Premier League resumed after the World Cup, more than any other side.
Under Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton and Hove Albion are flying. From his appointment onwards (Gameweek 9), they are averaging 1.84 goals per game in the Premier League and are comfortably out-creating their opponents (32.31 xG, 23.52 xGC). In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister (£5.5m), Kaoru Mitoma (£5.5m) and Solly March (£5.1m) are all tussling for our investment, with the former two preferred at this early stage. Pervis Estupinan (£4.8m) is due to play twice in Australia during the international break, so Jason Steele (£3.9m) – who has thrived after taking over from Robert Sanchez (£4.6m) – and Lewis Dunk (£4.7m) are probably the securest representatives from a Brighton defence that has kept four clean sheets in eight matches.
The most-bought player of Gameweek 28, Ben Chilwell (£6.0m), ended on just one point v Everton, but there was plenty of encouragement for his new owners: he had a share of set plays again and no player created more chances (four) at Stamford Bridge. Let’s not forget Kepa Arrizabalaga (£4.7m) and Reece James (5.8m), either: the latter won the late penalty that Kai Havertz (£7.6m) converted, although the Saturday-Tuesday turnaround surely favours Chilwell, who is further down the line fitness wise, having started five Premier League games in a row.
It’s a fair bet to assume Kieran Trippier (£6.1m) and James Maddison (£8.2m) will worm their way into the Scout Picks, too. Leicester City’s double-header looks particularly tasty: since the restart, managerless Crystal Palace and Aston Villa rank joint-14th/20th respectively for big chances conceded.
Away from the Double Gameweeks clubs, Erling Haaland (£12.0m) is the standout pick. The Norwegian netted yet another hat-trick in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final win over Burnley, and now faces a leaky Liverpool side who have struggled on the road all season. The Reds have played 13 away matches in the Premier League and beaten just three opponents. In that time, they have given up lots of chances and sit 15th for minutes per expected goal conceded (xGC).
IN CONTENTION
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