The Scout Squad’s best players for FPL Gameweek 28

Bournemouth and Luton Town players get a spike in interest as the Scout Squad name their Fantasy Premier League (FPL) picks for Double Gameweek 28.

In this feature, our resident writers get the chance to nominate an 18-man longlist for the upcoming Gameweek.

Regulars Tom F, Sam and Neale are joined this week by Tom J, in for the absent Marc.

All four panelists explain their notable inclusions and omissions in the article below.

MORE ABOUT THE SCOUT SQUAD

The focus is only on the upcoming Gameweek with the Scout Squad, so there’s no medium-term planning involved.

The players who get the most votes are much more likely to make the Scout Picks, although the final XI can’t exceed £83.0m. Occasionally, therefore, cheaper alternatives have to be found.

Each of our writers must meet the following requirements for this feature:

• At least one sub-£5.0m goalkeeper
• At least one sub-£5.0m defender
• At least one sub-£6.0m midfielder
• At least one sub-£7.0m forward
• No more than three players from the same club

SCOUT SQUAD: BEST FPL PLAYERS FOR GAMEWEEK 28

Most popular picks: Gabriel Magalhaes, Alfie Doughty, Son Heung-min, Bukayo Saka, Jarrod Bowen, Dominic Solanke, Carlton Morris, Erling Haaland, Ollie Watkins (four), Murara Neto, Alphonse Areola, Emerson Palmieri, Cole Palmer (three)

SAM SAID…

After two weeks on the sidelines, I’m back and straight back in the team for the Gameweek 28 Scout Squad. Returning to a Double Gameweek makes this week’s picks all the more fun. Wherever possible, I love to try to exploit the teams that have double the minutes of the others. However, for some managers, that might not be possible with a Blank Gameweek up next. My advice, therefore, would be to think also about your team for next week when making your transfers for Gameweek 28.

With two home fixtures against Luton Town and Sheffield United, Bournemouth’s Murara Neto is the obvious goalkeeper selection this week. You’d fancy at least one clean sheet, while the potential for additional points is also there: in the last six Gameweeks, he has made a fourth-best 25 saves.

On the back of his 13-point haul, Alphonse Areola is my second goalkeeper pick. West Ham United face a Burnley side who have scored just 25 goals this season, the second-lowest tally. Fulham’s Bernd Leno meanwhile faces a Wolves outfit who are without a number of their key attacking assets, and could also be missing Pedro Neto after he was forced off through injury in Gameweek 27. Only five teams have kept more clean sheets than the seven Fulham have so far this season.

In defence, we start with two Double Gameweek players. Alfie Doughty has more attacking returns than every Fantasy defender bar one this season, including three in his last six. I would absolutely have gone for Marcos Senesi if he was available but with his ability to play in the double in major doubt, I have opted for lllia Zabarnyi instead. As with Neto, there is real potential for at least one clean sheet for Bournemouth and having an asset guaranteed to start both fixtures is important. His modest six attempts on goal this season is just one less than Senesi has registered, while he has also created five chances for his team-mates.

Alongside the doubling defenders, Kurt Zouma. Whilst West Ham have also been struggling for clean sheets, Burnley have failed to score in their last three Premier League matches. Zouma also showed his attacking threat with a goal in Gameweek 27.

Clean sheets actually look like they could be at a premium this week with the way that the fixtures have fallen, so I have gone for Malo Gusto and Gabriel Magalhaes based on their attacking threat.

Bukayo Saka has been sensational of late, with returns in all of his last six matches and 66 points plundered along the way – the best run that any player has been on all season. Saka’s incredible form brings him into a London derby against Brentford, who have conceded in all of their last four Premier League matches and in 16 of their last 17.

On the other side of north London, and with Richarlison out, I have plumped for Son Heung-min. In the reverse of this fixture, Son consistently broke the Aston Villa high line, finding the back of the net three times – but all three were chalked off for offside. Leading the line for the Lilywhites again in the absence of the Brazilian, he should get chances aplenty once more.

The return of Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus has been absolutely crucial for Jarrod Bowen. Suddenly, he is back making the runs that we were seeing in the earlier part of the campaign and the service has returned. Bowen faces a Burnley side who have kept just two clean sheets all season and have conceded 60 goals; only Sheffield United have worse stats. On the back of three goals and an assist in the last two games, Bowen could haul again.

Ross Barkley plays twice this week and as budget midfielders go, I think he is the best pick for this Gameweek. Barkley has three attacking returns in the last six matches, and has registered one double-digit haul in that time. His total of 12 attempts on goal in this period is only bettered by Carlton Morris in the Luton side. In addition, his 19 chances created is more than any other Hatter.

The final spot goes to Cole Palmer. Chelsea face a Newcastle United team who are struggling defensively and without captain Kieran Trippier for Monday Night Football.

On to the forwards and there is only one place to start: Dominic Solanke. The Cherries striker has two home fixtures against the worst and third-worst defences in the league, so he’ll be my captain. If you still have the Triple Captain chip, he is a great option for that.

However, it’s not just him that makes a great pick for a doubling forward. The absence of Elijah Adebayo has meant that Morris has made the Luton forward spot his own. Since Gameweek 19, he has returned 54 points, only blanking in two matches. In fact, of Fantasy forwards, only Ollie Watkins, Erling Haaland and Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz are in better form. At 6.5% ownership, he is a fantastic differential, too.

Even against my own team, there is no way I would want to be without Watkins this week. Spurs have not kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 17 and Watkins is top for FPL points (183), his most ever in an FPL season. He is also top for attacking returns with 31. His three double-digit hauls in the last five outings could easily be four in six by the end of the weekend. If you don’t want to captain a Double Gameweek player, I would hand him the armband this time out.

Haaland and Darwin Nunez play each other in what could be a huge match when it comes to the Premier League title race. Haaland has never scored in a Manchester City shirt at Anfield (he did once in the Champions League for RB Salzburg in the 2019/20 season) but I can see both sides finding the net this weekend. And when Man City score, I expect some involvement from the Norwegian. Nunez is in excellent form, scoring in each of his last three Premier League appearances. With Mohamed Salah back in training, that will increase Darwin’s return potential, too.

TOM J SAID…

Double Gameweek fever has well and truly set in within the FPL community so it would be remiss of me not to begin by covering off the Bournemouth and Luton Town selections. Unsurprisingly, I’ve opted to select the maximum quota of doublers in my Scout Squad. However, I’ve also been careful not to overlook other assets, particularly in defence and midfield.

Seen as this article focuses solely on Gameweek 28, Bournemouth are the stand-out team to target with home games against Sheffield United and Luton – pretty much the dream double! Neither opponent has registered a clean sheet away from home all season, making an attacking double-up enticing. I’ve gone with Antoine Semenyo alongside the non-negotiable Dominic Solanke primarily due to expected minutes. Justin Kluivert, who currently appears to have Andoni Iraola’s favour, has been subbed early in each of his last three starts. Semenyo on the other hand has completed the full 90 in consecutive matches. Without Marcos Senesi, who limped off at Burnley, to complete the triple-up, it seems sensible to go with Murara Neto as the Bournemouth defensive asset of choice. Only one goalkeeper has more bonus points than the Cherries’ skipper and he’s a reliable source of save points.

Turning attention to the Hatters, Alfie Doughty is my top defender pick and seems a dead-cert for the Scout Picks. The attacking wing-back, who I plan to bring into my team this week, offers enough attacking threat to compensate for the lack of clean-sheet potential away from home. Gameweek 27 offered a timely reminder of this as he still managed to come away with five points, including one bonus, despite conceding three times. At the other end of the pitch, Carlton Morris has hit form at just the right time, racking up 54 points in nine Gameweeks, blanking just twice. The Luton captain also has penalties in his locker, scoring four out of four so far this season. Completing the Luton triple-up is Ross Barkley, although it must be said I won’t lose sleep if he doesn’t make the Scout Picks. His underlying numbers are nothing to write home about, hence he’s ranked fifth of my five midfield picks, but he is the only other Luton offensive asset worth considering after Elijah Adebayo’s injury and Chiedozie Ogbene’s benching.

West Ham United have picked their form up in recent weeks, coming into Gameweek 28 off the back of two consecutive victories. I expect them to make it three out of three against a Burnley side who, despite playing some attractive football at times, have the same number of points as the much-derided Sheffield United. Jarrod Bowen’s uptick in form has coincided with Lucas Paqueta’s return to fitness while Emerson Palmieri also seems to enjoy playing with the Brazilian.

Bukayo Saka takes pride of place as my top midfield pick. The Englishman seems to have been passed fit by Mikel Arteta after falling ill at half-time on Monday (he still managed to return two assists!). He’s in irresistible form and will relish a match out with a Brentford side missing its entire first-choice back four. At the back, Arsenal’s defence continues to post frankly ridiculous numbers. In the last six Gameweeks, the Gunners have conceded just 1.77 xG. No other team has conceded less than 5.7! Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes aren’t shy of picking up an attacking return and boast fractionally better underlying numbers than William Saliba.

Elsewhere, I’m expecting Son Heung-min to get some joy against Aston Villa’s notoriously high line. He had multiple goals narrowly chalked off for offside in the reverse fixture where he was a popular captain pick. The Korean can rival any FPL asset when he’s playing centrally in Richarlison’s absence.

Rounding off my Scout Squad are the weekly FPL staples, Erling Haaland, Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer. This trio need little explanation but it will be interesting if their proven consistency wins out over the seductive lure of Double Gameweek upside come the final shake-down.

TOM F SAID…

Bournemouth and Luton, the only two sides with a pair of fixtures, supply six of my Double Gameweek 28 squad.

Despite only having 25% possession at Burnley last week, Bournemouth showed a clinical nature, which hasn’t always been the case this year. Given how shambolic Sheffield United are, I’ve looked to double up on the Cherries’ attack, with Dominic Solanke top of my list.

He’s joined by Marcus Tavernier. The winger’s form is worrying but he still seems like a decent punt at £5.4m, with 11 shots and seven key passes over his last four matches. Meanwhile, if any budget defence is worthy of investment this week it’s Bournemouth, so Illia Zabarnyi gets the nod.

As for Luton, my two defensive picks – Thomas Kaminski and Alfie Doughty – are included for their save point/assist potential, alongside in-form striker Carlton Morris. The latter’s influence is growing by the Gameweek, with 27 points over his last four away trips.

Elsewhere, investment in the Arsenal defence is imperative at home to Brentford, given that they rank top for pretty much every defensive metric going. I’ve opted for Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel Magalhaes, with Thomas Frank’s side unusually vulnerable from crosses this year. They’re joined by Bukayo Saka, who has one goal and four assists in his last four meetings with the Bees.

Crystal Palace and West Ham also have plum home fixtures against Luton and Burnley respectively.

There are already signs that Oliver Glasner is making a difference since taking charge at Palace and I like the look of Daniel Munoz – who has impressed playing as a wing-back in the Austrian’s 3-4-2-1 formation – and Jean-Phillipe Mateta.

Unfortunately, whittling down the options in midfield was the trickiest part of assembling my squad this week as I feel there are so many decent options to consider, like Eberechi Eze, who misses out.

Burnley, West Ham’s opponents this week, haven’t scored a single goal in their last three matches, which is why I’ve included Alphonse Areola and Emerson Palmieri, while Jarrod Bowen looks a decent pick against the Clarets’ porous defence: Vincent Kompany’s side arrive with just one away clean sheet all season.

Finally, Aston Villa v Spurs could be a high-scoring affair so I’ve gone with Ollie Watkins and Son Heung-min. The latter feels too good to ignore playing through the middle and on penalties, while Watkins tends to deliver against Spurs, with attacking returns in each of his last three.

NEALE SAID…

While there’s an inevitability of double-ups from both Bournemouth and Luton Town in Friday’s Scout Picks, I don’t think we necessarily have to go all-in.

Had the Scout Squad requirements not compelled me to pick one sub-£6.0m midfielder, for instance, then I likely wouldn’t have sided with Marcus Tavernier over the likes of Phil Foden and Eberechi Eze. I even strongly considered Cole Palmer and Anthony Elanga for this slot, the latter against a Brighton and Hove Albion side distracted by a two-legged UEFA Europa League tie against Roma.

I’d have also preferred Eze and Antoine Semenyo over Tavernier and Jean-Philippe Mateta but let’s look at the positives with Tavernier. He’s arguably Andoni Iraola’s favoured option in an area rife with rotation and minute management, while he’s on a share of set plays and delivered a 16-point haul in his last meeting with Sheffield United. His versatility means that he’s an option on either flank, too.

As for the rest of the doublers, no surprises: Murara Neto, Alfie Doughty, Dominic Solanke and Carlton Morris.

For the single Gameweek alternatives to Neto between the sticks, I’ve gone with Andre Onana and Bernd Leno. Everton’s profligacy has made them a dream for Fantasy goalkeepers this season, while Wolves looked blunted against both Brentford and Newcastle United without their two top goalscorers. Pedro Neto may be fine as his substitution last week was only precautionary but if he too is out, then you’d really fancy the Cottagers’ chances of a clean sheet.

At the rear, with no room for Illia Zabarnyi or Milos Kerkez, I’ve gone for a trio of attacking full-backs/wing-backs alongside Doughty and the perma-Arsenal defender (the Gunners have remarkably conceded just one big chance in 2024). Malo Gusto looks such a creative threat every time I see him that I’m willing to overlook the obvious danger to his clean sheet from the mighty Mags. He’ll also be the latest pretender to test the lumbering Dan Burn down the Newcastle left. Daniel Munoz has really caught the eye in a very advanced wing-back role for Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace, while the ‘Paqueta effect’ on Emerson Palmieri is something I discussed in this week’s Watchlist.

Leaving Foden out was not an easy call. He’ll likely be starting for my own team, indeed, but is he a superior option to Jarrod Bowen, Son Heung–min and a couple of Arsenal’s in–form midfielders if we’re only looking at this week in isolation? You could argue the case for him but you’d think that, given what’s at stake, the cagier draw we saw in the reverse fixture is likelier to occur than the 4–1 tonkings we’ve seen City hand out in years go by. Cue the goalfest…

Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur might be verging on the reddish on the Season Ticker but it’s the kind of fixture that screams goals on closer inspection. There were 33 shots, eight big chances and over 4.0 xG in the reverse fixture, and that’s not even including Son’s disallowed treble. I’ve no qualms about including the South Korea international or Ollie Watkins this week.

I’ve also gone with a second Arsenal midfielder in the form of Kai Havertz, alongside the superlative Bukayo Saka. I’m not sure he’s the long-term solution up top for the Gunners but he’s been good enough to exploit some of the division’s worst/most out-of-form defences recently, and an injury-hit Brentford are definitely part of that crowd. It’s now just one clean sheet in four months for the Bees.

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