It’s time for our very, very early Scout Picks for Gameweek 32 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
We will finalise our weekly selection much closer to the deadline, which is not until 10 April.
A lot can, and likely will, change between now and then, with international, FA Cup and European fixtures to come.
The upcoming Scout Squad nominations, as well as the pre-match press conferences, will also help shape our final Scout Picks.
But this ‘bus team’, at the very least, offers an insight into the players and teams that we’ll consider.
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 32 FIXTURES
Gameweek 32 fixtures, sorted by difficulty on our Season Ticker.
THE LIKELY LADS
The first name on the teamsheet in Gameweek 32 is Bruno Fernandes (£10.3m).
Yes, Leeds United are fourth for expected goals conceded (xGC) over the last four Gameweeks, but are we really going to overlook the Portuguese playmaker, who has plundered 83 points in 10 matches under Michael Carrick?
Gabriel Magalhaes (£7.2m) is a shoo-in to feature, too, provided he is injury-free.
There’ll likely be a couple of Brighton and Hove Albion picks, as well. Fabian Hurzeler’s troops are in a rich vein of form, winning four of their last five matches. They’ve conceded only three goals in the process – that’s as many as opponents Burnley allowed on Saturday alone.
Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.5m), who has banked defensive contribution (DefCon) points in four of the last five Gameweeks, and Danny Welbeck (£6.2m), who has scored four times in that same period, are leading the charge.
IN CONTENTION
Liverpool host Fulham in Gameweek 32, so Virgil van Dijk (£6.3m) will undoubtedly be in the Scout Picks conversation.
The primary concern for the players further up the pitch, particularly Mohamed Salah (£14.0m), Florian Wirtz (£8.3m) and Hugo Ekitike (£9.3m), is that they are in Champions League action against Paris Saint-Germain in the days before/after Gameweek 32. There is the very real potential for some minute management against the Cottagers:
Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) is usually a safe bet, having started every league match he has been available for this season. The Hungarian has delivered five attacking returns and 10 DefCon points in his previous nine run-outs for Liverpool.
The same applies to Arsenal’s midfielders/forwards. We’ll be able to take a much better stab at a predicted XI after we’ve seen the midweek minutes against Sporting CP.
That said, Mikel Arteta sent out a full-strength team in Gameweek 30 (see image below), which was sandwiched in between the round of 16 ties against Bayer Leverkusen, so it is possible that there won’t be much tinkering, particularly given the more favourable turnaround times (Tuesday-Saturday-Wednesday).
Above image from BBC Sport
However, early substitutions remain a tad off-putting for Viktor Gyokeres (£8.8m) and Kai Havertz (£7.3m) even when they do start. Declan Rice (£7.3m), who has completed 90 minutes in 11 of the Gunners’ last 12 league matches, might be preferable.
At Selhurst Park, Ismaila Sarr (£6.3m) will fancy his chances of bolstering his goal count against a Newcastle United side who have kept just three clean sheets in their last 24 Premier League games. Eddie Howe bemoaned his backline after Sunday’s derby defeat.
However, penalty taker Anthony Gordon (£7.3m) is never far away from Scout Picks consideration when playing up top. He could get a look-in for the Magpies, with Crystal Palace another team involved in European action on either side.
Antoine Semenyo (£8.2m) and Erling Haaland (£14.5m) are both potential inclusions in the Manchester City attack: it’s one clean sheet in 15 Premier League games for opponents Chelsea now.
Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) and Igor Thiago (£7.3m) are candidates against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton, respectively. Bowen is first among forwards for chances created over his last six matches, while Thiago is third for big chances over the same period. However, Bowen’s lack of goal threat in recent times will be factored in: he’s managed just eight shots in the box in his last 10 appearances. He does at least have other routes to points, such as penalties and DefCon. Thiago’s teammate Dango Ouattara (£6.0m) should probably be in the Scout Picks discussion, too.
Elsewhere, Brian Brobbey (£5.3m) was in superb form in the Tyne-Wear derby. The striker and Enzo Le Fee (£4.9m) are tempting picks against a Tottenham Hotspur side that have been dismal before and after Igor Tudor’s appointment.
Manchester United are a team in form, having tasted defeat just once in their last 14 matches. They also rank fourth for xGC since the appointment of Carrick, despite a run that included Man City, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle. Furthermore, opponents Leeds have failed to find the net in each of their last four matches. There’s Senne Lammens (£5.0m) in goal, but also Diogo Dalot (£4.6m), who has popped up in some really dangerous positions recently and created three chances for his teammates at Bournemouth on Friday.
In addition to Lammens, David Raya (£6.0m), Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.8m) and Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) are certainly options between the sticks, either as alternative routes into their respective teams’ defences, or perhaps for defensive double-ups.
DefCon magnets Konstantinos Mavropanos (£4.4m) and James Tarkowski (£5.7m), as well as Brentford defenders, are also in the mix. Trai Hume (£4.5m) could be a differential option to consider: he’s in the top 10 defenders for expected goal involvement (xGI) over the last six Gameweeks:
Above: Defenders sorted by expected goal involvement (xGI) over the last six Gameweeks
THE LONGER SHOTS
Iliman Ndiaye (£6.2m) and Kieran Dewsbury-Hall (£5.1m) could come into the reckoning against Brentford, given Everton’s impressive away form. It’s four wins and only one defeat in six matches on the road.
Cole Palmer (£10.6m) and Joao Pedro (£7.8m) should probably be lower down the priority list against Man City, however.
Harry Wilson (£6.1m) is a long shot at Anfield, too, although he’s amassed four attacking returns in as many matches.
Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa assets, who face off against each other in Gameweek 32, are hard to make too much of a case for in a tricky-to-call encounter at the City Ground.
Given the candidates elsewhere, Matheus Cunha (£8.0m) might also struggle to get a look-in, despite some better performances of late.
GAMEWEEK 32 EARLY SCOUT PICKS
