It’s time for our Scout Squad panel to propose their Gameweek 28 picks.

In this article, our in-house team discuss who they think the best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players are for the upcoming Gameweek in isolation.

MORE ABOUT THE SCOUT SQUAD

The focus is only on the upcoming Gameweek with the Scout Squad, so there’s no medium-term planning involved.

Staff writer Marc, general manager Sam, deputy editor Tom F and editor Neale each take turns explaining their picks.

The players who get the most votes are much more likely to make the Scout Picks. However, the final XI can’t exceed £83.0m – so occasionally, we have to source cheaper alternatives.

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: BEST FPL PLAYERS FOR GAMEWEEK 28

• MOST PICKS: Caoimhin Kelleher, Virgil van Dijk, James Hill, Nico O’Reilly, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Igor Thiago, Hugo Ekitike (four), Bart Verbruggen, Antoine Semenyo, Raul Jimenez (three)

MARC SAID…

Looking at last week’s lot, I’ve picked 11 of the same outfielders! Unfortunately, my own FPL team was approximately 5k at the start of 2026, but is experiencing an epic collapse reminiscent of 1995/96’s Newcastle.

Part of the problem has been holding onto Hugo Ekitike through some non-appearances, a benching, plus blanks versus Wolves, Nottingham Forest and the promoted three.

But underlying stats keep suggesting that a haul is coming, something that Virgil van Dijk has done twice in a row, thanks to consecutive clean sheets and attacking returns. Completing the Liverpool triple-up at home to West Ham is Mohamed Salah, as he’s on the Goals Imminent table, and there’s some doubt over Florian Wirtz’s game time.

The other enticing fixture run being pointed out by experts belongs to Brentford, so I’ve picked three from them as well. Caoimhin Kelleher may be the safest way to cover their backline. As for Igor Thiago, he’s without an open-play goal in six matches – a period of just 15 points – but both he and Dango Ouattara reached double digits in their reverse clash against Burnley.

I’m debating whether to buy Dango or Harry Wilson, liking that the Bees winger has won a league-high four penalties and, of all midfielders who’ve played 750 minutes or more, his 0.79 big chances per 90 ranks second.

Elsewhere, it’s also a good time to go all-in on both Manchester sides. Faith needs keeping in Bruno Fernandes, despite two blanks in a row. After all, he’s a penalty-taking playmaker for the league’s most frequent shooters (428).

But, instead, Monday night saw Bryan Mbeumo collect an attacking return for the fifth time in six outings, as Senne Lammens kept out Everton. The Red Devils now get to host unpredictable, uninspiring Crystal Palace.

A Fantasy defender playing in midfield, Nico O’Reilly is the sole player to outscore van Dijk over Gameweeks 26 and 27. Erling Haaland assisted his second goal versus Newcastle, ensuring the Norwegian enters his birthplace Leeds on the back of five goal involvements in four matches. Furthermore, game-leading midfielder Antoine Semenyo should start again.

Another recent FPL sensation has been James Hill. This cheap defender has ended five successive occasions with six or more points. No team has conceded fewer big chances at home than Bournemouth (12), while visitors Sunderland have the season’s second-worst expected goals (xG, 24.69) tally.

With uncertainty over the Cherries’ midfield spots, I’ll also select Evanilson. In truth, picking centre-forwards is becoming a struggle, but Raul Jimenez did well to score twice in an hour against the Black Cats. No Premier League player outdoes his 31 penalty area shots or 6.79 xG since Gameweek 17 began, and Tottenham have conceded at least twice in each of their last seven matches.

At Aston Villa, I’m an owner who has lost all trust in Morgan Rogers and doesn’t see last-placed Wolves as an easy opponent. Their defence is getting noticeably solid, though they remain the division’s lowest scorers. Let’s go for full-back Matty Cash instead.

The third goalkeeper pick is Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen. He did very well to deny an own goal last weekend, securing a surprise clean sheet. Next up is Nottingham Forest, a goalless team over Gameweeks 26 and 27.

Finally, I always want Gabriel Magalhaes. Going against Chelsea is admittedly tougher than usual, but he’s still part of the meanest defence, also offering a big threat at set-pieces.

SAM SAID…

Honestly, I could have filled so many of these spots three times over this week. There are three Liverpool players in my picks but arguably there could have been more, while I would have also loved more Brentford and Manchester United. Then there are others like Harry Wilson, Iliman Ndiaye and Morgan Gibbs-White who I fancy to do well this week but who there just wasn’t room for. Difficult decisions mean I am almost certain to have left out some of the biggest scorers from the Gameweek, but let’s hope that these 18 picks can do me and themselves justice.

Virgil van Dijk‘s 43 points in the last six Gameweeks is 14 more than the next-most at Liverpool. He now faces a West Ham side that has conceded 120 shots from set pieces, more than any other team in the league. Could a hat-trick of double-digit returns be on the cards?

I have paired him with Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike. I would really have loved to have Florian Wirtz in these picks but he is a risk given that he missed Gameweek 27 with a back injury and has reportedly yet to resume team training. Szoboszlai has been playing at right-back in recent weeks but with Jeremie Frimpong due back for this one, the Hungarian could be back in a more attacking midfield role. What’s more, he has set-piece responsibility, which West Ham are, as mentioned, susceptible to. Ekitike’s owners will feel rightly aggrieved that they haven’t seen a return from him in recent weeks but the underlying numbers are there to further the chance of him ending his drought.

I brought in Virgil and Igor Thiago last week. The Virgil move was a triumph, the Thiago one not so much! However, the Brazilian striker and Brentford face Burnley this weekend, giving them the chance to bounce straight back from the defeat to Brighton. Thiago was unlucky not to score last Saturday, with one close-range effort blazed over the bar and another header just missing. On another day, both go in and the forward registers a double-digit return. As well as conceding the most goals in the league (52), the Clarets have given away the second-most penalties (six). Dango Ouattara is more often than not responsible for winning the spot-kicks that Brentford score, while he himself is a prolific accumulator of big chances. Caoimhin Kelleher completes the Brentford triple-up.

Man City are another team I will go big on. Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland remain from last week but Nico O’Reilly replaces Marc Guehi. Watching O’Reilly in Gameweek 27 was frustrating as a Guehi owner. With his new midfield position, I can only see his attacking threat, both in terms of goals and assists, growing. Over the last four Gameweeks, only Haaland and Semenyo have had more shots than the ‘out of position’ defender.

There are a couple of differential picks in here when I look across the Scout Squad grid.

Declan Rice takes his fair-share of corners and free-kicks for Arsenal, who face a Chelsea side who are bottom for xGC from set pieces (14.0). Hence, I have picked both the Englishman and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Benjamin Sesko‘s performance off the bench again on Monday night surely means a start for him is incoming this weekend. There is a chance that Michael Carrick again reduces him to a substitute appearance, but I think he will get the nod. If he does against a tired Palace defence, who have been in midweek action, he could be a fabulous differential.

Likewise, both Evanilson and James Hill boast super-low ownership in the game (despite all four of us showing Hill some love in this week’s picks). I do really wish I could have squeezed Rayan in here, though.

TOM F SAID…

I’ve doubled up on the Bournemouth defence ahead of their Gameweek 28 encounter with Sunderland. Andoni Iraola’s side have conceded the second-fewest expected goals (xG) on home turf this season, while the Mackems are in the bottom two for away goals scored on the road, netting only six times in 13 away trips.

James Hill has really caught the eye recently, with three assists in five starts. He’s also banked defensive contribution (DefCon) points in every home match as a centre-back. At least one of Hill or Djordje Petrovic should make the Scout Picks.

Further forward, Rayan looks such a threat every time I see him and I think he’ll remain Iraola’s favoured option, partly due to his height and physicality. His versatility means that he’s an option on either flank, too.

Brentford were really poor last time out, but, on paper, they arguably have the best fixture of Gameweek 28 – away at Burnley. Igor Thiago still interests me despite poor recent returns, while I’ve opted for Kevin Schade over Dango Ouattara in midfield. While I would opt for Ouattara over a longer period, Schade is more of a gut feel pick against Burnley, partly due to their regular concession of goals from the Germans ‘zone’ in recent times.

I’m hoping Florian Wirtz is back from injury for Saturday’s home encounter with West Ham United as the Hammers have conceded more key passes from the right flank (the area of the pitch the German schemer will often drift towards) than any other club in their last six away matches. Hugo Ekitike also features, with his connection with Wirtz getting better every week.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have good clean sheet odds in Gameweek 28, with Virgil van Dijk also having decent goal threat from set-pieces and DefCon potential.

It doesn’t sit right to go without any Arsenal representation this weekend, even though the visit of Chelsea could prove a stern test. Gabriel Magalhaes consequently gets the nod at the back (Liam Rosenior’s side are bottom of the table for set-piece xG in 2025/26), while Viktor Gyokeres looked like a striker reborn in Gameweek 27, full of confidence and getting on the scoresheet twice.

I picked out Nico O’Reilly in my Spot the Differential piece last week and the ‘out-of-position’ defender delivered a superb brace of goals with maximum bonus. Leeds United have kept just one clean sheet on home turf since the start of September, so O’Reilly – as well as teammates Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland – could easily haul again.

Elsewhere, Manchester United are up against a Crystal Palace side that have scored just four goals in their last five away matches. Diogo Dalot sits joint-third among defenders for shots and key passes combined over the last four Gameweeks, while the Bruno Fernandes pick requires little explanation.

NEALE SAID…

Having just sat through Regis Le Bris’ presser, a travel-sick Sunderland’s task just got even harder this weekend with five players newly red-flagged for the trip to Bournemouth. The Black Cats have scored just six goals in 13 league matches on the road and are winless in eight games away from Wearside.

The Cherries, by contrast, are second in the Premier League form table over the last seven matches. It’s all set up for the kind of form table sucker-punch we saw at Brentford last weekend…

With that being said, we’ve surely got to back Andoni Iraola’s side in the Scout Picks. James Hill is out-DefConning Marcos Senesi since they started playing together, while I’d be happy to see a budget-friendly Rayan or Eli Kroupi Jr get the nod further forward. The teenage Rayan is certainly not lacking in confidence from what I saw of him last weekend, assured enough to take shots from distance and capable of individual ‘moments’ in otherwise tight games; Sunderland will surely try and make it just that on Saturday. As for Kroupi, Andoni Iraola has repeatedly said how his finishing is the one attribute not in question. It’s a guessing game but I’m going to take a stab that Kroupi starts against the lower block and the side carrying an inferior goal threat before he gets his rest in the trickier-on-paper test on Tuesday.

I suspect the other Scouts will prefer Rayan and Harry Wilson to Kroupi and Raul Jimenez, should it come to that.

Firstly, you’re clock-watching with Jimenez and Kroupi in a way that you’re not with Wilson – who averages 5.8 points per home start this season and faces a Spurs side that has conceded 2+ goals in each of the last six matches – and, potentially, Rayan.

Secondly, Erling Haaland, Igor Thiago and Hugo Ekitike are probably going to be the unanimous front three. Ekitike and Thiago have tested the patience with five blanks in six but their shot numbers in that period remain good enough (the league-best in Ekitike’s case) and previous purple patches (both have hit 10+ goals this season) underscore that they’re not total Darwins.

Leeds’ form (two defeats in 14) and West Ham’s defensive improvements (one or zero goals conceded in five of the last six matches) mean I’ve swerved the attacking double-ups from both Liverpool and Man City, although the aerial prowess of Virgil van Dijk and the advanced midfield role of Nico O’Reilly lessen the fears of any clean sheet loss. I watched the City-Newcastle match last weekend and O’Reilly seemed to be arriving in the box even more frequently than Antoine Semenyo, who I’ve omitted here.

Instead, in midfield, I’ve doubled up on Manchester United with Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo. I was in two minds about this, as the Red Devils’ performances in Gameweeks 26 and 27 were more workmanlike and lacking in the attacking swagger of the early Carrick days. It was predictable, really, as lower blocks have been United’s Achilles’ heel for years; even the goal against Everton came from an unlikely break. However, Crystal Palace have looked pretty terrible lately, fluking a win over a rock-bottom Wolves side who were in the ascendancy before they were reduced to 10 men. Oliver Glasner is at the uncertain centre of it all, with the Eagles’ fanbase turning toxic. Senne Lammens could even bank a clean sheet if the Palace attack remains as dysfunctional as it looked in Gameweek 27.

Many managers are avoiding the Arsenal-Chelsea match this week but the Gunners put out a statement win in the north London derby and the Blues have looked far from secure at the back of late; they’re in the bottom eight for big chances conceded under Liam Rosenior, despite a very favourable run of fixtures. There are probably three better options than Scout Picks staple Gabriel Magalhaes this week but I fancy Bukayo Saka against whoever is deputising at left-back, be it Jorrel Hato or Malo Gusto. Chelsea’s set-piece struggles are another big tick for these two.

Emiliano Martinez and Caoimhin Kelleher take their places between the sticks as representatives of clubs that don’t really have a DefCon-amassing centre-back and/or whose defenders are not quite nailed, while the feast-or-famine Malick Thiaw renews acquaintances with an Everton side he produced a 16-point haul against in the reverse fixture.