Just ahead of the new deadline, our weekly Scout Squad piece tries to identify who will be the best Round 12 players of Roshn Saudi League (RSL) Fantasy.
Looking at these fixtures in isolation, our team of Amer, Louis and Chubbs are discussing the best picks.
N.B: Scout is not being paid to promote this game, either by the RSL or Saudi Pro League (SPL).
SCOUT SQUAD: BEST SAUDI LEAGUE PLAYERS FOR ROUND 12
| | AMER | LOUIS | CHUBBS |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Mailson | Milan Borjan | Mailson |
| | Milan Borjan | Mailson | Milan Borjan |
| | Bruno Varela | Bruno Varela | Bruno Varela |
| DEF | Theo Hernandez | Roger Ibanez | Theo Hernandez |
| | Roger Ibanez | Theo Hernandez | Roger Ibanez |
| | Waleed Al-Ahmed | Nawaf Boushal | Jamal Harkass |
| | Nawaf Boushal | Abdullah Al-Anazi | Nawaf Boushal |
| | Abdullah Al-Anazi | Waleed Al-Ahmed | Waleed Al-Ahmed |
| MID | Joao Felix | Joao Felix | Joao Felix |
| | Kostas Fortounis | Matias Vargas | Kostas Fortounis |
| | Matias Vargas | Kostas Fortounis | Ruben Neves |
| | Malcom | Ruben Neves | Toze |
| | Matheus Goncalves | Valentin Vada | Valentin Vada |
| FWD | Cristiano Ronaldo | Cristiano Ronaldo | Cristiano Ronaldo |
| | Karim Benzema | Joshua King | Leonardo |
| | Joshua King | Roger Martinez | Ivan Toney |
| | Roger Martinez | Karim Benzema | Roger Martinez |
| | Mateo Retegui | Matteo Retegui | Morlaye Sylla |
AMER SAID…
GOALKEEPERS
Mailson faces Al-Najma, a side that continues to struggle in attack, giving him a strong opportunity to secure a clean sheet.
Milan Borjan conceded twice last round but still delivered eight points through saves, and he now meets Al-Hazem, one of the weakest teams in the league for expected goals.
Bruno Varela has scored 19 points across the last two rounds and now comes up against an Al-Riyadh side lacking attacking threat, making this a strong fixture for both save points and a clean sheet.
DEFENDERS
Theo Hernandez returned just one point in the previous round, but his attacking threat remains clear after hitting the crossbar, and he could still contribute offensively in this fixture.
I also think Roger Ibanez is a shoo-in. He produced 12 points despite conceding two goals, registering an assist and missing a big chance last time out, and he remains the defender with the most bonus points this season.
Waleed Al Ahmed is the highest-scoring defender this season and a major set-piece threat after scoring last round, although this matchup is less appealing as Al-Najma defend set pieces well.
Nawaf Boushal offers a solid defensive route into Al-Nassr, one of the strongest teams this season, and faces an Al-Ittifaq side that struggled to score against Al-Riyadh until the final moments.
Another player who has potential this week is Abdullah Al-Anazi.
MIDFIELDERS
João Felix remains one of the strongest midfield options in the league and now faces Al-Ittifaq, who conceded two big chances last round, giving him clear potential for both goals and assists.
Kostas Fortounis sits as the second-highest scoring midfielder in Fantasy and benefits from an attacking fixture against Al-Fateh.
I also like Matías Vargas, who plays in an advanced role and comes into this round after scoring a brace against Al-Ahli, with Al-Khaleej’s defensive issues making this a high-upside matchup.
Al Hilal’s Malcom arrives in excellent form after scoring, assisting, and collecting 19 points, and he remains central to an Al-Hilal attack that creates plenty of big chances.
Matheus Gonçalves stood out as one of Al-Ahli’s most dangerous attackers in the last round, registering five shots and leading his side for expected goals.
FORWARDS
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the league’s top scorer and a must-own asset, with Al-Nassr’s attacking strength making him a standout captain option once again.
Karim Benzema faces a Neom defence that continues to struggle, particularly against forwards, giving him a strong chance of finding the net.
I also think Joshua King is a strong option this round, with his starting spot confirmed before the deadline, after creating two big chances against Al-Hilal and scoring last match, and now faces a defensively weak Al-Fateh side.
Roger Martínez benefits from an attacking fixture against Al-Najma, who continue to show defensive weaknesses, and is expected to contribute in this round.
Mateo Retegui impressed last round with a goal and six shots and now faces an Al-Shabab defence that remains vulnerable.
CHUBBS SAID…
GOALKEEPERS
For goalkeepers, I’ve gone with three affordable options who all offer strong clean-sheet potential this week.
DEFENDERS
Theo Hernandez and Roger Ibanez provide magnetic routes to points, even without clean sheets, and both benefit from excellent long-term fixtures.
MIDFIELDERS
João Felix remains a set-and-forget pick.
Kostas Fortounis operates out of position and plays a key role alongside King in the Al-Khaleej attack.
Ruben Neves benefits from strong long-term fixtures, a high baseline for bonus points, and penalty duties for Al-Hilal.
Tozé is a talismanic figure and enjoys a plum fixture this week.
Vada has an excellent fixture for Damac, with attacks consistently flowing through him, making him great value at £5.5m.
FORWARDS
Cristiano Ronaldo needs no overthinking – just lock him in.
Ivan Toney has a strong home fixture and remains on penalties, even with Al-Ahli’s recent struggles.
Marcos Leonardo offers explosive potential, although his minutes could be managed with both him and Darwin Núñez fit.
Roger Martínez faces a fantastic fixture this week and continues to deliver goals this season.
Morlaye Sylla is a punt on Al-Riyadh, backed by an excellent fixture.
LOUIS SAID…
GOALKEEPERS
Milan Borjan offers strong value after delivering points through saves last round. He now faces an attack that struggles to create quality chances.
Mailson is another good pick. He benefits from a favourable matchup against a side short on attacking threat. A clean sheet is firmly in play.
Bruno Varela comes into the round in excellent form. His opponent lacks attacking output, boosting both save and clean-sheet potential.
DEFENDERS
Roger Ibanez continues to deliver through all-round involvement. He collects points even when clean sheets fail.
Theo Hernandez is a shoo-in. He remains one of the most attacking defenders in the game.
I also really like Nawaf Boushal this week. He provides an attacking route into a dominant defence. His forward runs offer upside beyond clean sheets.
Abdullah Al-Anazi works as a budget defensive option this round. Strong clean-sheet odds increase his appeal.
Waleed Al-Ahmed remains reliable at a low price. His aerial threat and set-piece involvement keep points flowing.
MIDFIELDERS
João Felix is close to essential. He delivers consistent goal involvement; we saw that with his goal last time out.
I think Matías Vargas could continue to go under the radar. He plays high up the pitch and the fixture suits his direct attacking style.
Kostas Fortounis operates out of position. He remains central to his team’s attack, and has been one of the most consistent midfielders in fantasy this campaign.
Ruben Neves benefits from a strong fixture run. Penalty duties and baseline bonus add security. He is a very reliable route into a rotation-prone attack.
I also think Valentín Vada could pick up points this week. He controls much of his team’s attacking play and has a fairly decent fixture this week.
FORWARDS
Cristiano Ronaldo remains the standout forward. He remains a top captain option, don’t go without him!
Joshua King is one of my favourite picks for this week. He started and scored against Al-Hilal, whilst impressing for most of the season.
Roger Martínez enters the round in scoring form. I think he is another forward difficult to ignore to be honest.
It would be silly to rule out Karim Benzema, too. He faces a defence that struggles against forwards. Goals look likely.
Matteo Retegui scored last time out, and seems to be slowly settling into the Pro League as the matches go on.
MORE ON RSL FANTASY
If you’re looking for more, you can see the latest up-to-date league table on the official website, read our introductory strategy guide, keep tabs on set-piece takers and join the FFS mini-league (with £500+ worth of prizes) here.
As usual, Premium FFS members get even more – you can browse all the underlying Statsbomb data tables relating to the game in a dedicated part of the Members Area, play around with an editable fixture ticker for forward planning, and look out for extra articles for each round.
