We’ve put together an early draft of our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Scout Picks for Gameweek 12.
As ever, we will finalise our selection much closer to the deadline.
Plenty can change between now and then.
The upcoming Scout Squad nominations will help shape the final Scout Picks, while international fixtures and the pre-match press conferences will also influence our thinking.
There are certain restrictions for our picks:
- An £83.0m budget for our starting XI
- An overall squad limit of £100.0m
- No more than three players per team
GAMEWEEK 12 FIXTURES
Above: The Gameweek 12 fixtures sorted by difficulty on our Season Ticker
THE LIKELY LADS
It’s a tricky week for the Scout Picks, with many of the premium options facing appealing fixtures. How many we can squeeze in will once again come down to budget.
Leading the charge will be FPL’s two top points scorers: Mohamed Salah (£12.9m) and Cole Palmer (£10.9m), fitness pending.
The pair have 26 attacking returns and 34 bonus points between them this season, with newly-promoted opposition (Southampton and Leicester City) on the menu in Gameweek 12.
We could feasibly end up with a third premium in our side this week.
Bukayo Saka (£10.1m) is in the running if he can recover from the muscle injury he sustained at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. If budget becomes a problem, Martin Odegaard (£8.2m) and Kai Havertz (£8.0m) are cheaper alternatives.
Erling Haaland (£15.2m) is in the mix, too – only Fulham have stopped the Norwegian from scoring on home turf this season.
Tottenham Hotspur, who Haaland faces in Gameweek 12, rank fifth for expected goals conceded (xGC) but still look porous defensively, with just two clean sheets in 2024/25.
In his two matches against Spurs last season, Haaland plundered two goals and provided two assists to total 20 points. Simply put, Ange’s front-foot approach seems to suit him.
Newcastle United also feature prominently in our plans.
It’s not just the fixture they have on their side but form, too, with Alexander Isak (£8.4m) looking superb since returning from injury and Lewis Hall (£4.4m) conceding only five goals in his last six games.
IN CONTENTION
In addition to Palmer, there are further options under consideration at Chelsea.
The ‘inverting’ Malo Gusto (£4.9m) has registered more shots than any other defender in his last five appearances (Gameweek 7 onwards). Pedro Neto (£6.2m) and Nicolas Jackson (£7.9m) also carry appeal in attack.
Over at Villa Park, Unai Emery’s troops play host to Crystal Palace.
Aston Villa have managed just one win in their last six league games, a run that has seen them slip to ninth, but Oliver Glasner’s side could be there for the taking, with a lengthy injury list and a single victory all season.
They haven’t lost a game by more than two goals, but the signs aren’t great.
Only Southampton have found the net fewer times than Palace this term, boosting the appeal of Ezri Konsa (£4.4m) and co.
Further forward, it’s all about Morgan Rogers (£5.4m) and Ollie Watkins (£9.0m). Given that we’re accommodating a third premium in our ‘bus team’, Rogers wins out.
He’s competing with a vast array of talented midfielders in Gameweek 12, including Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m), Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m), Antoine Semenyo (£5.7m) and Emile Smith Rowe (£5.7m).
Fernandes created as many chances in two games under Ruud van Nistelrooy than he did in the previous nine under Erik ten Hag, but there are still questions about how the Portugal international will fit into Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, a system he is expected to roll out at Portman Road next week.
“I know how I am going to play in the beginning because you have to start with a structure that you know and then you will adapt with the players that you have. Some injuries or no injuries, what kind of players, the abilities to defend, to attack… I will discover that in the next few weeks.” – Ruben Amorim
Budget forwards like Matheus Cunha (£6.8m), Yoane Wissa (£6.1m), Evanilson (£5.9m), Danny Welbeck (£5.9m), Joao Pedro (£5.4m) and Raul Jimenez (£5.8m) could also be in the mix if we decide to add a third forward.
Staying with Fulham, opponents Wolves are in the bottom three for key passes conceded from their right flank this season, so Antonee Robinson (£4.7m) really ought to be in the conversation alongside Smith Rowe and Raul.
There is surely scope for further picks at Liverpool, too, given the goal-shy opposition.
Arne Slot’s side impress going forward but their early success has been built on a solid defensive foundation. The Reds have conceded only six goals in 11 games and kept six clean sheets, which is more than any other side so far.
Virgil van Dijk (£6.3m) and Ibrahima Konate (£5.3m) could also exploit Southampton’s set-piece weakness, which is captured below.
Above: Teams sorted by set-piece xG conceded in 2024/25, via StatsBomb
Arsenal defensive representation, be it through David Raya (£5.6m) or Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.1m), could also be on the cards for the Scout Picks, with only four sides ranked lower than Nottingham Forest for open-play expected goals (xG).
If Nicolas Jover can formulate a plan to stop Forest at set-pieces, it’ll go a long way towards securing a first shut-out since Gameweek 4.
Above: Teams sorted by open play xG in 2024/25, via StatsBomb
THE LONG SHOTS
Faith in Tottenham Hotspur’s attackers has dipped a little after Sunday’s shock loss against Ipswich Town, but an unusually leaky Manchester City backline could present opportunities.
That said, it would be a real surprise if any of Son Heung-min (£9.9m), Brennan Johnson (£6.8m) or Dominic Solanke (£7.7m) force their way into the Scout Picks.
If we persist with three premiums, cheaper defensive picks will be required, potentially boosting the appeal of Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.7m), Noussair Mazraoui (£4.6m) and Vitalii Mykolenko (£4.3m).
GAMEWEEK 12 BUS TEAM
