FPL Gameweek 17 early Scout Picks: Fulham double-up

We’ve put together an early draft of our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Scout Picks for Gameweek 17.

As ever, we will finalise our selection much closer to Saturday’s deadline.

Plenty can change between now and then.

The upcoming Scout Squad nominations will help shape the final Scout Picks. The EFL Cup quarter-finals and the pre-match press conferences will also influence our thinking.

There are certain restrictions for our picks, however:

• An £83.0m budget for our starting XI
• An overall squad limit of £100.0m
• No more than three players per team

GAMEWEEK 17 FIXTURES

Above: The Gameweek 17 fixtures sorted by difficulty on our Season Ticker

THE LIKELY LADS

We start with Fulham, who host managerless Southampton at Craven Cottage in Gameweek 17.

Marco Silva’s side have been in decent form recently, having taken points off Liverpool, Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur over the past four league games.

Above image from WhoScored

Antonee Robinson (£4.8m) and Alex Iwobi (£5.7m) are leading the charge, with Raul Jimenez (£5.5m) certainly an option if we think he starts.

Positional rival Rodrigo Muniz (£5.5m) came off the bench to score at Anfield on Saturday, of course.

There are no such concerns over Robinson and Iwobi, however.

Robinson has already racked up six assists this season, the most of any FPL defender, while Iwobi comes out on top among Fulham midfielders for shots, shots in the box, penalty box touches, big chances created and expected goal involvement (xGI).

In addition to a couple of Fulham assets, it’d be a major surprise if Mohamed Salah (£13.4m) and Alexander Isak (£8.7m) don’t make the cut.

The pair are the leading points scorers in their respective Fantasy positions in the last six Gameweeks, while opponents Tottenham Hotspur and Ipswich Town both sit in the bottom six for expected goals conceded (xGC) over the same period.

IN CONTENTION

It’s a fair bet to assume another premium will work their way into the Scout Picks.

Cole Palmer (£11.1m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.6m) are the first names that come to mind, but might it pay to choose one and spread the budget around?

Palmer is outperforming Saka for non-penalty xGI over the last six matches, not to mention FPL points. This also feels like a match in which he could thrive, with Chelsea expected to have plenty of the ball high up the pitch.

Everton have been structurally sound in recent times but do have off days, as evidenced by last month’s 4-0 thrashing at Manchester United.

Cheaper alternatives at Chelsea and Arsenal, such as Enzo Fernandez (£5.1m), Nicolas Jackson (£8.2m), Martin Odegaard (£8.3m) and Kai Havertz (£7.9m), are also worthy of consideration.

As for Erling Haaland (£14.9m), Kevin De Bruyne (£9.5m) and Phil Foden (£9.1m), a trip to Villa Park isn’t a terrible fixture for the champions, but Unai Emery’s side have a rare midweek off, so it’s perhaps harder to justify the outlay.

Morgan Rogers (£5.4m) might even be an option given how poor City have been at the back recently. The No 10 has just one goal in six matches, however, with fellow enabler Amad Diallo (£5.2m) outperforming him in several key attacking metrics.

ROGERS V AMAD – LAST SIX MATCHES

Mid-price midfielders like Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m), Bryan Mbeumo (£7.6m), Anthony Gordon (£7.2m), Jarrod Bowen (£7.4m) and Kaoru Mitoma (£6.6m) are potential inclusions, while there is no shortage of budget candidates at the back, with Lewis Hall (£4.6m), Levi Colwill (£4.6m) and Nathan Collins (£4.5m) among those likely to be under consideration in our midweek Scout Squad selections.

Hall looks particularly strong, given that opponents Ipswich are still without a win at Portman Road this season. Kieran McKenna’s side are also going to be without top goalscorer Liam Delap (£5.6m) through suspension.

From the ‘keepers, David Raya (£5.6m), Robert Sanchez (£4.8m) and Martin Dubravka (£4.2m) look to be the frontrunners. Raya is currently selected in our ‘bus team’, but if we instead opt for Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.1m) or Jurrien Timber (£5.6m), one of the other two has a good chance of sneaking in.

Wolverhampton Wanderers dearth of clean sheets (one all season) and lack of manager will interest Jamie Vardy (£5.6m) owners, with Chris Wood (£6.6m), Yoane Wissa (£6.2m) and Joao Pedro (£5.9m) also competing for the same spot.

THE LONG SHOTS           

It’ll be a tough ask for any of Manchester City or Liverpool’s backline options to force their way past others in Gameweek 17, although there is potential for Josko Gvardiol (£6.1m) or Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) to sneak in, largely due to their attacking threat.

However, it feels unlikely at this stage.

Palace attackers like Ismaila Sarr (£5.7m), Eberechi Eze (£6.6m) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.2m) are probably best left till Gameweek 19, with Arsenal top for xGC over the last six matches.

GAMEWEEK 17 BUS TEAM

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