It’s time for the early draft of our Scout Picks for Gameweek 18 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

We will finalise our weekly selection closer to the deadline on Friday, aka Boxing Day. The press conferences, not to mention the price rises (we’re on a budget!), will no doubt have a say.

Before then, this ‘bus team’ offers an insight into the players and teams who will be under consideration.

There are, as ever, certain restrictions for our squad:

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

GAMEWEEK 18 FIXTURES

Above: The Gameweek 18 fixtures sorted by difficulty, on our Fixture Ticker.

THE LIKELY LADS

Liverpool’s home fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers stands out as the standout on the slate. The Reds have built some momentum recently (even if they’re not completely convincing), remaining unbeaten while winning four of their last six matches across all competitions.

In contrast, Wolves arrive in dire form. They have lost 10 matches in a row and sit bottom of the league for goals conceded and goals scored. That combination makes them an obvious target for our Scout picks this week.

Despite frustrating returns for many managers, Virgil van Dijk (£5.9m) still looks like the standout defensive option. His appeal lies in reliability rather than explosiveness. He continues to amass defensive contributions and ranks among the top four defenders in the league for volume in that area.

Liverpool’s attacking picture has also shifted. Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) remains absent due to AFCON, Dominik Szoboszlai (£6.7m) serves a suspension, and injuries to Alexander Isak (£10.3m) and Cody Gakpo (£7.3m) further thin the options. Those absences clear the path for an improving Florian Wirtz (£8.1m) and the in-form Hugo Ekitike (£8.9m) to secure starts.

Manchester City also demand attention. Pep Guardiola’s side have won seven straight matches in all competitions and now travel to a hit-and-miss Nottingham Forest side. That run all but locks in Erling Haaland (£15.1m). The Norwegian already boasts 19 goals and four assists this season.

At the back, it’s safe to say there’ll be at least one representative from the Everton defence. The Toffees rank among the top six sides for clean sheets and face second-bottom Burnley. The promoted outfit continue to struggle in attack, registering fewer shots than any other team in the league.

When factoring in price, goal threat and defensive contribution potential, Michael Keane (£4.7m) stands out as a strong value pick. The points gap between him and James Tarkowski (£5.5m) remains small, and the attacking and defensive data mirror that closely. That balance makes a switch hard to justify at this stage.

IN CONTENTION

Arsenal’s formidable home record puts their assets firmly in contention this week as they welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have conceded fewer than half the goals at home compared to their away matches, while scoring more than double, underlining the strength of this fixture.

With that in mind, Jurrien Timber (£6.5m) or William Saliba (£5.9m) look well placed to make the Scout cut. If Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.2m) is still confirmed out, then Piero Hincapie (£5.5m) remains under consideration.

Bukayo Saka (£10.3m) tested patience last time out after passing up penalty duties. Even so, the underlying data remains encouraging. His non-penalty expected goal involvement continues to outstrip that of most midfielders, reinforcing his long-term appeal despite recent frustration.

Minutes security, eight attacking returns, and an average of 10-11 defensive contributions per 90 all strengthen Declan Rice’s (£7.1m) appeal. That blend of output and involvement makes him a viable alternative, and cheaper, route into the Arsenal attack this week.

As outlined above, Manchester City’s red-hot form brings both Nico O’Reilly (£5.3m), Matheus Nunes (£5.4m), Rayan Cherki (£6.6m) and Phil Foden (£8.9m) firmly into the conversation. The two full-backs have delivered nine attacking returns between them in 2025/26, while Foden has exploded with four double-digit scores across his last five appearances. Cherki, as discussed here, is the league’s top midfielder for rate of chances created.

A home clash for Brentford against Bournemouth also looks promising for attacking investment. Neither side has managed more than one clean sheet in their last eight matches in all competitions, creating an inviting platform for both Antoine Semenyo (£7.7m) and the most sold forward of the week, Igor Thiago (£7.1m).

Defensive issues persist at West Ham United, who remain without a clean sheet in their last 10 matches. That trend boosts the appeal of Fulham assets, particularly Harry Wilson (£5.8m). The Welshman has racked up 44 points across his previous five outings and continues to offer excellent value. He should recover from Monday’s knock but that’s one to monitor.

Some managers may still look toward West Ham themselves. Fulham have shown defensive inconsistency, which keeps Jarrod Bowen (£7.6m) on the radar after posting over 0.50 xGI in each of his last two matches.

Despite their strong home form, Newcastle United have struggled on the road, managing just one away win all season. With Bruno Fernandes (£9.4m) sidelined, Matheus Cunha (£8.0m) stands out as an intriguing alternative. He enters the fixture after scoring in each of his last two matches, carries a realistic chance of penalty duties and has had a whopping 22 shots in the last three Gameweeks – at least nine more than any other player.

And as the Red Devils have kept only one clean sheet all season, Anthony Gordon (£7.3m) and Nick Woltemade (£7.3m) – both lively on Saturday – are in the mix.

THE LONGER SHOTS

With six goals in five outings, Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.8m) is one of FPL’s form forwards. That return places him among the top four strikers in the league for total goals scored.

However, Sunderland are unbeaten on home soil and conceding at a rate of less than a goal a game on Wearside, so ‘DCL’ perhaps remains a longer shot this week.

Third-placed Aston Villa arrive in excellent form. After a difficult start under Unai Emery, they head into Gameweek 18 on a 10-match winning run across all competitions.

Morgan Rogers (£7.2m) could strike again: six of his seven league goals have arrived across just three matches, underlining his explosive potential.

An away trip to Chelsea presents a tougher test, of course, and it might be enough to keep Rogers out of Scout Picks contention for now.

GAMEWEEK 18 EARLY SCOUT PICKS