A later-than-usual Gameweek 26 deadline brings with it a later-than-usual Scout Picks.
With four clubs not in action in this Blank Gameweek, there’s a slightly smaller pool of players to choose from.
The XI who have made the cut have been influenced, as usual, by the consensus votes in the Scout Squad.
As ever, we are limited by certain restrictions:
- An £83.0m budget for our starting XI
- An overall squad limit of £100.0m
- No more than three players per team
GOALKEEPER
Riding high in the clean sheet odds for Gameweek 26, the defences of Aston Villa, Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers always looked likely to be represented in the Scout Picks. The only question was over which side would provide the goalkeeper, with attack-minded defenders also to choose from.
While there was a clamour for the additional goal threat provided by Rayan Ait Nouri (£4.5m), there was only one goalkeeper who received three or more votes this week: Jose Sa (£5.0m).
Rate My Team’s highest projected scoring goalkeeper of Gameweek 26, Sa faces a Sheffield United side that has scored fewer goals than any other Premier League team this season. The Blades are also bottom of the division for minutes per xG.
Six points might be the ceiling, mind.
DEFENDERS
Alex Moreno’s (£5.2m) selection is based on his advanced role, as Nottingham Forest haven’t had much problem scoring under Nuno Espirito Santo – so the clean sheet might not stick.
At Fulham last week, Matty Cash (£4.6m) tucked in to become a third centre-back for the Villans, increasing Moreno’s attacking remit.
“In our structure, we are building, sometimes we are playing in the build-up with four or sometimes three with different players. But it is the same tactical game plan, trying to create and build our structure stronger.
“Today, Cash was sharing both. Sometimes as well he tried to use his potential going forward. But more or less trying to keep our good balance with Leon Bailey going wide.” – Unai Emery
As well as a Gameweek 23 goal, Moreno has seen a couple of strikes chalked off for offside in recent weeks, so he’s getting into some threatening positions.
Arsenal are statistically the division’s best defence, leading the way for fewest goals conceded, most clean sheets and lowest xGC.
Newcastle United aren’t the easiest side to shut out but the Magpies haven’t actually scored at the Emirates in 10 years. While those historic stats have to be taken with a pinch of salt, Newcastle’s Dan Burn (£4.4m) problem is very much a current issue – and you would not be shocked if Mikel Arteta targeted that Achilles heel on Saturday evening, with Ben White (£5.6m) encouraged to overload that flank.
A new name to some, Daniel Munoz (£4.5m) is partly chosen for Crystal Palace’s favourable opposition – but also his potential to shine under new boss, Oliver Glasner.
Munoz has already created five chances in his first three run-outs for the Eagles, and those numbers could get even better under his newly appointed manager. The attacking Glasner is fond of a wing-back system, something the Eagles adopted on Monday at Everton, and Munoz is expected to get forward plenty under Roy Hodgson’s successor.
MIDFIELDERS
It was going to be a toss-up between Rasmus Hojlund (£7.2m) and Alejandro Garnacho (£5.0m) in our Scout Picks but the former’s injury decided it for us.
The damage that Hojlund’s absence may do to the United attack is offset by Fulham being without Joao Palhinha: the Cottagers have conceded nearly three goals per game without the midfielder in their starting XI over the last two seasons.
No other Fantasy midfielder has had more attempts than Garnacho since his unbroken run in the first team started in Gameweek 11.
The inclusion of Bukayo Saka (£9.1m) doesn’t warrant much justification after he racked up 49 points in the last four Gameweeks.
Top of all Fantasy assets, even forwards, for xG in that time, he’ll be up against the aforementioned hapless Burn on Saturday evening.
Hwang Hee-chan (£5.6m) wins out in the battle of the Wolves midfielders.
Already into double figures for Premier League goals this season, with 10 from 18 starts and three sub appearances, Hwang has registered five times as many goals and six times as many ‘big chances’ as teammate Pedro Neto (£5.8m).
Phil Foden‘s (£8.1m) last league benching came against…? Bournemouth, all the way back in early November.
With that chill sent down your spine, we’ve opted for the Man City and England midfielder regardless.
The Premier League’s leading shot taker since City returned from the Club World Cup, he’ll be coming up against a Cherries side that were on the receiving end of the reigning champions’ biggest win of the season.
Having an opposing side that presses them, rather than sets out in a low block, could be ideal for the Cityzens after the attempted suffocation by Brentford in midweek.
FORWARDS
Hojlund’s absence also pretty much sealed the deal with our trio up front.
The leader in this week’s captain poll, Erling Haaland (£14.4m), chose Double Gameweek 25 as the time to score with just one of his 15 shots (6.7%). His goal conversion rate was somewhere nearer 30% in his 18 months as a City player before that.
Still, all is forgiven (not really) and he returns to Scout Picks contention to face a Bournemouth side ranked 19th for goals conceded against ‘big six’ sides this season.
Ollie Watkins (£8.7m) has returned four goals and five assists in his last six matches.
He boasts a points-per-start average of 6.4 over the season, too, and can better Haaland, Saka and everyone else for attacking returns this campaign.
A Nottingham Forest side who have conceded in each of their last seven away matches stand between Watkins and moving to the top of the FPL points table this Saturday…
Ivan Toney (£8.2m) rounds off our selection.
West Ham’s London Stadium could be toxic on Monday night, with the Hammers on a six-match winless run.
David Moyes’ side has conceded 11 goals in their last three games alone, and the natives are getting restless.
Toney has four goals, an assist and 33 points in his six matches since returning from a ban, and he’s encountered much better defences than West Ham’s in that time.
THE SUBSTITUTES
- Mark Flekken (£4.5m): The save machine of recent weeks has a chance of something better in east London, with a toothless West Ham on a three-game drought.
- Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.1m): Brighton face Everton, the division’s third-lowest scorers and the side with the worst shot-to-goal conversion rate.
- Diogo Dalot (£5.2m): There’s more onus on Dalot to attack with Luke Shaw out. The right-back has already had 10 shots in his last nine starts.
- Pedro Neto (£5.8m): There’s still room in the XV for the ‘other’ Wolves midfielder, supplier of 11 assists in just 15 starts this season.
THE CAPTAIN
We chose the Scout Picks captain using a vote between our Scout Squad panel.
- Tom J: Haaland, Saka, Watkins
- Marc: Haaland, Saka, Hwang
- Tom F: Haaland, Saka, Hwang
- Neale: Haaland, Saka, Watkins
Erling Haaland is handed the armband this week, with Bukayo Saka as the vice-captain.
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.
The-Red-1’s 64-30 victory in Gameweek 16 gave the community the biggest win (34 points difference) of 2023/24 so far.
Our champion this week is Mince n Tatties, whose selection is as follows:
Emiliano Martinez; Pau Torres, Max Kilman, Matty Cash; Pedro Neto, Marcus Rashford (c), Jeremy Doku, Pablo Sarabia, Bruno Fernandes; Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland.
The Scout Picks are 13-12 up on the community this season but lost 71-76 to SHOREY143 in Gameweek 25.
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.
Having registered 90 points in Gameweek 25, we’re up to 15k in the world.
