Finally, the domestic action returns after a two-week international break.
In our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 9 Scout Picks, we double up on Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, as we roll out a 4-5-1 formation.
It goes without saying that the inclement weather hitting the UK at present is worth keeping an eye on, with Forest currently confident that flooding in the city won’t affect their clash with Luton Town.
As ever, we are limited by certain restrictions in our selection:
- An £83.0m budget for our starting XI
- An overall squad limit of £100.0m
- No more than three players per team
GOALKEEPER
Murillo’s (£4.5m) impact and a clean sheet in Gameweek 8 has strengthened Matt Turner’s (£4.1m) case for inclusion ahead of a home tie against Luton Town. Considering that the Hatters rank in the bottom three for goals scored (six) and shots on target (17), a third shut-out of the season is a strong possibility on Saturday. A total of 25 saves in his first eight appearances suggests he’ll have save points to fall back on should Nottingham Forest concede, however.
DEFENDERS
Kieran Trippier (£6.9m) remains a favourite of the Scout Squad panel, having been chosen as the best option in defence by three of them this week. Crystal Palace come to St James’ Park with their attacking options severely limited, while Eddie Howe’s troops sit in the top three for fewest ‘big chances’ conceded at home. Furthermore, Trippier has registered five assists in his last three appearances, claiming eight bonus points. He also remains the top player for chances created in 2023/24, fashioning at least six more than any other player in his position.
Pedro Porro (£5.2m) is our chosen representative from the Spurs defence in Gameweek 9. With 11 shots so far, the Spaniard has been a little unlucky not to get amongst the goals. He’s also created 10 chances this term and hosts a Fulham side that failed to score and created just 0.59 expected goals (xG) in their last away match.
Man Utd’s defence hasn’t been reliable this season, but there is plenty to like about Diogo Dalot (£4.9m) in Gameweek 9. Over the last four Gameweeks, he ranks fourth among defenders for chances created, suggesting he still has something to offer Fantasy managers even if United’s defence has not delivered as expected. That said, an away match against Sheffield United, who have laboured in attack this season, could be a chance for Dalot to add a clean sheet onto some attacking returns.
Liverpool may not have kept a Premier League clean sheet since Gameweek 4, but a cut-price Kostas Tsimikas looks a decent shout at just £4.4m after Andrew Robertson (£6.6m) was ruled out through injury. The hybrid left-back/centre-half role is perhaps something that Joe Gomez (£4.5m) or Jarrell Quansah (£4.0m) could do, but the Greek international is more of a like-for-like replacement and ‘should’ get the nod in the Merseyside derby. If he is allowed to raid down the left flank, he is bound to pose Everton plenty of problems.
MIDFIELDERS
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COMMUNITY CHAMPION
Each week, a member of the Fantasy Football Scout community takes on the Scout Picks.
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.
Prophet’s 75-51 victory in Gameweek 3 gave them the biggest win (24 points difference) of 2023/24 so far.
Our champion this week is Cthulhu @ Left Back, who has gone for the following: Turner; Porro, Trippier, Tsimikas; Jota, Son, Fernandes (c), Mbeumo, Odegaard; Hojlund, Haaland
The Scout Picks are tied 4-4 with the community this season.
FOLLOW THE SCOUT’S WEEKLY TRANSFER PLANS
We’re running a Scout community team in FPL this season, with regulars like TopMarx, Tom Freeman, Marc Jobling and more contributing to the weekly decisions.
And we’re not just looking one week ahead like we are with the Scout Picks but instead planning in advance for the weeks and months to come.
You can follow our team via the Premier Fantasy Tools Pro Planner, which you can learn more about here.
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