After a brief hiatus in the busy three-Gameweek week, the Scout Squad returns for Gameweek 16.

Attempting to separate the wheat from the chaff are Sam, Marc, Tom and Neale, who list their dream 18-man squads for the weekend’s fixtures.

There is consensus about nine players, with another three assets getting three votes apiece.

MORE ABOUT THE SCOUT SQUAD

In this article series, our in-house panel discuss who they think the best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players are for the upcoming Gameweek in isolation. In other words, there’s no medium-term planning involved.

The players who get the most votes are likelier to make Friday’s Scout Picks.

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: GAMEWEEK 16 PICKS

Most popular picks: David Raya, Pedro Porro, Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Mohamed Salah, Nicolas Jackson, Evanilson, Dominic Solanke, Alexander Isak (four), Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Rayan Ait-Nouri (three)

MARC SAID…

I’m pretty pleased to be picking lots of my own FPL team, as it’s a strong set of fixtures for the template. Hopefully, we get a full set of games this weekend…

I’ve gone all-in on three clubs, starting with Arsenal. The Gunners host an Everton side that has failed to score in four of their last five outings. It makes David Raya a good pick, plus their scorer in successive matches, William Saliba. He’s a safer choice than the unknown status of Gabriel Magalhaes.

In attack, Bukayo Saka followed two domestic blanks with a Champions League brace. He ranks amongst the best for shots and is far in front of everyone else for big chances created (18).

On Monday, I’m backing Bournemouth to beat West Ham. The Cherries have the second-most attempts (241) and, although many have come from Antoine Semenyo, team-mate Evanilson beats him for big chances (10) and shots on target (15). I also prefer penalty-taker Justin Kluivert to him, with Kepa Arrizabalaga between the sticks.

He’s joined in goal by Nick Pope, providing Eddie Howe passes him fit on Friday. It’s not because I have any great faith in Newcastle’s backline against a Leicester opponent that has scored in all bar one matches. It’s that, outside of Liverpool and Arsenal assets, it’s starting to feel like all other defensive names are simply about appearance points and whether they’ll lose one for conceding twice.

On the other hand, confidence is high in centre-forward Alexander Isak. Five goals and two assists in seven games show why he was the most popular pick for the first two Gameweeks. And I think Anthony Gordon will be back in the Magpies’ line-up, aiming to replicate last season’s fantastic league-leading home output of 22 attacking returns.

Elsewhere, I’ve doubled up on Liverpool at home to Fulham. Trent Alexander-Arnold always brings potential at both ends of the pitch while the ludicrous Mohamed Salah has already reached 10 double-digit hauls. The only person to achieve this throughout the whole of 2023/24 was Cole Palmer and last week’s top scorer remains a strong captaincy contender here, as Chelsea score loads and Brentford allow plenty of attempts.

In fact, no side has conceded more shots on target (97) than the Bees, making Nicolas Jackson a logical pick because he hasn’t yet received a fifth yellow card.

Another forward is Dominic Solanke. Owning him has been an incredibly frustrating experience but he’s worth holding onto for one more match – Spurs’ trip to last-placed Southampton. Meanwhile, exciting full-back Pedro Porro has three attacking returns from his latest four starts. The Spaniard could have a great time versus the Saints.

I’m also choosing three players from the Wolves v Ipswich relegation zone clash. Matheus Cunha is on a three-match streak of blanks but just enough goodwill remains from the two hauls before that. Similarly, patience in Rayan Ait-Nouri was starting to disappear but the Algerian grabbed a Gameweek 15 assist and is an easy selection for these two appealing fixtures.

Yet I can see the Tractor Boys getting something at Molineux, giving hope to the league’s most creative defender Leif Davis.

SAM SAID…

What a weekend of football Gameweek 16 looks like it is about to serve up. Great home fixtures for the big three in midfield, alongside a Manchester derby. There should be plenty of potential for points returns this week.

As I think will be the case for much of the remainder of the season, the double Arsenal defence is on. David Raya consequently gets the nod: the Gunners’ shot-stopper kept a clean sheet in the Champions League in midweek and faces an Everton side who have struggled for goals this season. The Toffees have scored just four goals in the last five matches – all of them against sorry Wolves.

It’s rare that I double up with premium goalkeepers but Alisson returned to the fitness in the Champions League in midweek and delivered, in my opinion, his best performance in a Liverpool shirt.

Alongside the two premiums is Bournemouth’s Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Cherries face West Ham, who will be without Michail Antonio after his horrible accident last Saturday – get well soon, Michail. They have been struggling in front of goal over the last six Gameweeks with just seven scored; only three teams have netted on fewer occasions in that period.

It’s not just Arsenal but also Liverpool who I’ve doubled down on defensively. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jurrien Timber have potential for returns at both ends of the pitch this weekend, especially with their individual and team-wide threats from set pieces.

Alongside them, Rayan Ait-Nouri. The Algerian finally registered an assist in Gameweek 15 and despite Wolves’ defensive struggles, he continues to look a menace going forward. His tally of six attacking returns is the joint-most of any defender in the game, level with Nathan Collins from Brentford.

Pedro Porro and the Spurs defence have the reputation of going ‘Spursy’ but only five teams in the league have conceded fewer goals than the Lilywhites this season. Porro is also facing Southampton, who have the tendency to serve up opportunities for attacking returns on a platter. As the division’s lowest scorers, Saints could also well hand Porro a clean sheet on Sunday evening.

Finally at the back, Lewis Hall. The left-back takes corners for Newcastle United and so against a Leicester City side that have conceded 85 attempts from set pieces, the most of any club, Hall will fancy his chances of seeing one of those dead-ball deliveries converted this weekend.

Mohamed Salah, Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka… enough said. They are nailed Scout Picks selections, in my mind, for their three outstanding fixtures. The only debate here is which one to captain!

Alongside them, the in-form Enzo Fernandez. Enzo has now returned in each of his last five Premier League matches and his new more attacking role means that this looks likely to continue. At just £5.0m, I think he is the best budget pick in the game right now.

The last slot goes to Brennan Johnson. Spurs might have issues at the back but they have scored 31 goals this season, a total that only Chelsea can better. Johnson has been directly involved in almost a third of these, with nine attacking returns to his name. Against a Southampton defence prone to mistakes, Johnson could capitalise – especially with the successfulness of the Dominic Solanke press to set him up.

I’m tripling up on the Chelsea attack for their home match against a travel-sick Brentford side. Nicolas Jackson has 12 attacking returns to his name already, which only Palmer can better across the Chelsea team.

Callum Wilson announced this morning that he is taking a step back in his recovery from injury, which makes Alexander Isak an even more attractive option. Against a Leicester side with only one clean sheet to their name and a league-high 191 shots in the box conceded, the Swede should prosper.

My final two picks are really budget-friendly: Evanilson from Bournemouth and Joao Pedro from Brighton.

As Tom wrote in his article the other day, Bournemouth are top for expected goals across the league in the last six matches. In that time, they have been expected to score 16.55. Meanwhile, West Ham have the fourth-worst xGC in the same period (11.67). This should mean plenty of opportunities for Evanilson on Monday evening.

Joao Pedro might not have returned in Gameweek 15 but despite a chunk of the season out through injury, he has still registered seven attacking returns in 2024/25.

TOM SAID…

With Cole Palmer, Mohamed Salah and Bukayo Saka enjoying such appealing fixtures, we’ll need a few cut-price options to offset any lavish spending in midfield.

Milos Kerkez, Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson fit the bill for Bournemouth’s home clash with West Ham.

Semenyo in particular looked sharp at Portman Road last week and was key to the Cherries’ winner, while Kerkez delivered a number of dangerous crosses into the box and looked a real threat on the overlap. Julen Lopetegui’s insistence on pushing both his full-backs forward to help with the build-up is why I’m so keen to see Semenyo make the cut.

In addition to Palmer, I’ve also plumped for Chelsea team-mates Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson. Madueke is a bit of a Wildcard name but he looks a real menace when he wants to be and should start on Sunday, with Pedro Neto suspended. Brentford are there for the taking at the back, having allowed their opposition an average of 22.3 shots per game on the road this season, so Jackson also carries haul potential.

Clean-sheet opportunities look relatively scarce this week, so I’ve opted for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Lewis Hall and Pedro Porro largely for their attacking threat. Alexander-Arnold’s 279.7 minutes per expected assist (xA) is superior to any other FPL defender, while the offensive qualities of Ait-Nouri and Porro are well-documented.

Leicester’s problematic right flank points me to Hall, meanwhile. The Foxes have admittedly improved under Ruud van Nistelrooy but James Justin still feels like a liability, often getting dragged out of position and giving up too much space on his flank. With Hall’s crossing ability, it’s something I can see him exploiting.

Elsewhere, I’m keen to see Alexander Isak make the cut; over the last six Gameweeks, no FPL forward has racked up more attacking returns than the Newcastle striker. I’d also like Dominic Solanke to feature, with the England international up against a Southampton defence that have shipped the highest number of big chances all season.

NEALE SAID…

There are some nice-looking fixtures to tap into this weekend but to channel professional hairdryer Adrian Durham, is Liverpool v Fulham all that? Don’t get me wrong, Mohamed Salah is making the Scout Picks – no question. Averaging 10.8 points per match this season, you’d back him in pretty much any fixture in current mood, let alone a home game against a side missing both first-choice centre-backs.

The reservations come at the other end, with Fulham a bloody nuisance of an opponent. The better team against the likes of Spurs and Newcastle, they also should have been 2-0 up against Manchester City before the league champions mounted a comeback. Against Arsenal last weekend, the Cottagers again held their own against wannabe title pretenders. They have, in fact, scored in every single match other than in Gameweek 1. I wouldn’t be rushing to recruit a Reds defender this Gameweek, nor would I be averse to overlooking their injury-hit backline in the Scout Picks.

If we are to go with a representative from their rearguard, I’ve plumped with Alisson Becker for his ability to defy the xG and amass hauls from his heroics between the sticks. I’m expecting him to be kept busy this weekend.

Arsenal are a defence I’m comfortable investing in, despite their own injury issues. Everton have scored just five goals in nine matches against the sides above them in the table, blanking in six of those games. David Raya and, about the last man standing without a question mark over his fitness, William Saliba get the nod alongside the red-hot Bukayo Saka.

There is another triple-up and four other double-ups in my selection. The two sole representatives are Matz Sels, against a Villa side that are winless – and who tend to wilt – in league matches after their last six midweek cup games, and Pervis Estupinan, who has posted six shots and seven chances created in the last three Gameweeks.

I’ve gone all-in on Chelsea’s attack for their home fixture against an immensely entertaining Brentford side that remind me of mid-90s Newcastle United: full of attackers who love attacking and defenders who don’t want to defend. Winless on the road, a backline full of modern-day Darren Peacocks should be meat and drink for Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson. Can we include Enzo Fernandez in this group now? The obligation to pick a sub-£6.0m midfielder helped his Scout Squad nomination here. But there is strong underlying data, and a tactical tweak from Enzo Maresca, that is underpinning his recent form: in the last four Gameweeks, Salah and Palmer are the only midfielders ahead of him for non-penalty expected goal involvement (xGI).

Duos from Newcastle United, Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town round off my selection.

The Cherries are, like Brentford, much more convincing on home soil. Evanilson has been unlucky not to score with one of his 13 shots in the last four Gameweeks; a thoroughly unconvincing West Ham defence should allow him more opportunities on Monday. With Julen Lopetegui liking his full-backs to push high, and with Aaron Wan-Bissaka potentially switching flanks to leave the creaking Vladimir Coufal up against Milos Kerkez, I’m also backing the Cherries’ Hungarian full-back.

Leicester look like being a good watch under Ruud van Nistelrooy but defend they can not. On top of conceding five goals and a league-worst 47 shots in the Dutchman’s first two matches in charge, they’re also set to be without three first-team central midfielders this weekend. I’m hoping Anthony Gordon is reinstated on the left this week to get joy from a flank were the Foxes have conceded so many goals in 2024/25.

Despite Spurs’ many defects, I’m not about to give up targeting Southampton now. With their shotgun firmly pointing at their own foot, Saints will likely gift a hard-pressing Dominic Solanke more chances this weekend. Whether he’s taking corners or on the end of them, Pedro Porro is also a name to consider against the division’s second-worst defence for set-piece goals conceded.

The worst? Wolves. Gary O’Neil’s men have allowed nine goals from free-kicks and corners this season, so if you can’t do it this week, Leif Davis, you might as well give up. This might look like a great fixture for Matheus Cunha and co but the Tractor Boys have only conceded more than one goal in one of their last six matches – and even that was in injury time in Gameweek 15. Wolves, by contrast, have been hit for 10 in their last three outings, hence the Liam Delap punt.

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