Scout Squad
20 August 2026 257 comments
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All of our regular content is returning for Gameweek 1 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) this week – and the Scout Squad is no exception.

In this article, our in-house team of Sam, Marc, Tom and Neale will discuss who they think the best FPL players are for the upcoming Gameweek in isolation.



MORE ABOUT THE SCOUT SQUAD

Scout Squad Gameweek 1

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

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

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 1

 

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The rest of this article below is completely free to read but requires a Fantasy Football Scout user account for access – you can get yours at no cost here

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  1. Heavy Cream
    • 11 Years
    1 hour, 14 mins ago

    Szobo or Wirtz

    1. Club-De-Belon
      • 5 Years
      1 hour, 11 mins ago

      Wirtz

  2. el polako
    • 9 Years
    1 hour, 13 mins ago

    Reijnders leaving City for a petro dollars dessert football.

    Who will be this years Reijnders?
    Tzolis?

  3. Rhino Injection
    • 3 Years
    1 hour, 12 mins ago

    Isak & Schade
    or
    Thiago & Gakpo
    and why?

  4. Stimps
    • 13 Years
    1 hour, 12 mins ago

    A) Semenyo, Gross, Diop
    B) Mosquera, Hinchelwood, Sangare

    On BBGW1

  5. Barnaby Wilde
    • 3 Years
    1 hour, 10 mins ago

    BB1 gtg?

    Verbruggen
    Calafiori Maguire Muharemovic
    Mbeumo Rogers Szoboszlai Tzolis
    Haaland Isak Pedro

    Kinsky Vuskovic Davis Groß

  6. AzzaroMax99
    • 9 Years
    1 hour, 9 mins ago

    I think that I could be finally happy with this one.

    Kinsky
    Gabriel Guehi Shaw
    BrunoC Mbuemo Semenyo Szobo Tzolis
    JoaoPedro Isak

    Dubravka Brobbey Hume Davies

    1. RogueBlood
      • 11 Years
      19 mins ago

      Are we sure Guehi is nailed on? my only issue with this

      1. AzzaroMax99
        • 9 Years
        11 mins ago

        Could go with Calafiori and double on Arsenal or just go with Gvardiol instead?

        1. RogueBlood
          • 11 Years
          8 mins ago

          If I had the funds I would have double ARS but currently I dont and have opted for Gvardiol hope this helps

  7. Bacon3339
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    1 hour, 9 mins ago

    Going for BB in GW2: thoughts on the below?
    0.5 in the bank still.

    Verbruggen, Kinsky

    White, muharemovic, shaw, Robertson, Thomas

    Bruno, Mbuemo, szboz, schade, Yirenkyi

    Haaland, J Pedro, DCL

    Possibly upgrade Schade to Odegaard or Tzolis but I quite like him as a pick…

    Thoughts? Constructive criticism? Absolutely tell me it’s awful?

    1. How many points are you expecting from your actual Bench? 😕

      1. Bacon3339
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        1 min ago

        Fair question, I do want it out the way early but essentially I’m kind of happy with anything in double figures to be fair.

        Verbruggen Thomas yirenkyi (both playing Hull) and I suppose whoever?

  8. dshv
    • 9 Years
    1 hour, 8 mins ago

    White Calafiori Maguire (4 4)

    or split White into 5 and 4.5

  9. WVA
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    1 hour, 5 mins ago

    ELF or Tzolis?

    Kinsky
    Calafiori Shaw Hume
    Bruno Mbeumo Szoboszlai Tzolis?
    Haaland Pedro DCL
    Verbruggen GroB De Cuyper Davis

    1. Stranger Mings
      • 5 Years
      18 mins ago

      T

    2. Timbomars
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      18 mins ago

      I would go Tzolis if you are on BB1. I’d personally downgrade Szob to Le Fee and free up a little cash in the process. I worry Szob is gonna be way too deep, feels like it could be a trap!

      I have a very similar team, I currently have De Cuyper and Groß and I’m sweating on both until we know more about the lineup tonight. Playing in the Arctic Circle on Thursday isn’t exactly ideal for a Sunday GW1 fixture! If they both play 90 I may well pivot to Rodon and Sangare.

    3. RogueBlood
      • 11 Years
      18 mins ago

      Tzolis, he looks an actual attacking threat for Arsenal

    4. Milk, 1 Šuker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      7 mins ago

      Tzolis

  10. Club-De-Belon
    • 5 Years
    1 hour, 3 mins ago

    my BB GW3 dilemma:

    positive:
    1. Kinsky/Leno is viable
    - good for long run (Kinsky always but GW6/5 against MUN and CHE ... play Leno vs IPS and COV)
    2. no push on "GOOD" 4.0 def to work out on BB... they all have tough GW... just hope for DC and let it be, they are meant to concede gals
    3. it seems it requires no FT before of after to fix the team

    negative:
    1. i probably downgrade Ballard to Reinildo now, then:
    1.1. to have a third FWD for 6.0 (lots of options even for this GW) I need to hope Hammings (4,5) start vs HUL away
    1.2 to not have Hemmings and have e.g. Gomez (5,0) with Leeds at home, I need to have 5.5 FWD - all risky
    or i keep Ballard, Hemmings and get 5,5 FWD like Rutter/McBurnie .. which is all risky

    1. Club-De-Belon
      • 5 Years
      just now

      +1. *but GW6/8 ...
      +3. this is actually a big reason since I could leave squad untouched for like 5-6 GWs and wait for information

      and to be clear, AVL play so late I will have no leak on Hemmings starting the easy match

  11. RogueBlood
    • 11 Years
    1 hour ago

    Current draft what changes would you make?

    2.0ITB

    Verbruggen, Kinsky
    Shaw, Calafiori, gvardiol, Jacquet, Ajer
    Odegaard, Mbeumo, Tzolis, Semenyo, Groß
    DCL, Pedro, Haaland

    1. Club-De-Belon
      • 5 Years
      18 mins ago

      I think you will give yourself benching dilemmas often.

      Also, I would keep only one of Odegaard vs Tzolis. I would not have Gross in 343 /442 system.

      With that money ITB, I would consider better MUN def than Shaw. Someone to not sell in a few GWs.

      1. RogueBlood
        • 11 Years
        16 mins ago

        Odegaard was originally Szoboszlai but couldnt pick between him and Wirtz and decided to go Arsenal instead so may go back to that headache

        1. Club-De-Belon
          • 5 Years
          15 mins ago

          I get you. But I would not risk 2 ARS mids until we are certain of week in week out regulars and if they can score off open play properly.

          Btw Wirtz > Szobo imo.

          1. RogueBlood
            • 11 Years
            13 mins ago

            I`ll do Ode to Wirtz now and that gives me 1.0 to look at Shaw and maybe Gross

  12. Stranger Mings
    • 5 Years
    1 hour ago

    Please pick to play
    A) gvardoil BOU
    B) konsa COV (with cala)
    Assume konsa too risky

    1. FPL Blow-In
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      24 mins ago

      Konsa wont start vs Coventry

      1. Stranger Mings
        • 5 Years
        4 mins ago

        Yeh agree

      2. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        just now

        He's not had a proper preseason either, I hear.

        I had him but I've just switched him for cover with Tyrik Mitchell.

        I'm starting with a yellow flag in Mukiele, my top pick last season and for home games this season ...

        Albeit, Europa may be the regular spanner in the works for Sunderland this time out.

    2. RogueBlood
      • 11 Years
      18 mins ago

      Konsa probs just gets unveiled at COV and starts GW2

      1. G-Whizz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 9 Years
        13 mins ago

        Against his previous club?

        I highly doubt it...

        1. RogueBlood
          • 11 Years
          6 mins ago

          He's going to play against them eventually so why not get it out the way, the fans will be a nuisance for him but half their squad has been gutted doubt the players are going to do much.

          1. G-Whizz
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 9 Years
            1 min ago

            Think about it from Villa's pov.

            They're not that crazy to allow that to happen and he hasn't even had any preseason, so highly doubtful he'll even be ready for GW2...

  13. FPL Blow-In
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    1 hour ago

    Any live stream of Arteta PC?

  14. Letsgo!
    • 9 Years
    57 mins ago

    Szobo or wirtz?

    1. RogueBlood
      • 11 Years
      10 mins ago

      I`m now going Wirtz I had Szobo, I had a comment on a different thread where they said Szobo has been playing deeper lately and not as much forward, I don't watch Pool so can't confirm how true it is but it`s one of the reasons I`m going Wirtz

  15. KeanosMagic
    • 4 Years
    55 mins ago

    Hi all, are GroB, Norgaard, Sangare (Forest) or Gomez valid budget options?

  16. Kabayan
    • 9 Years
    55 mins ago

    So it's basically the different for my team (BB1 vs BB2) : which one is better?

    BB1
    Verbruggen (AVL)
    De Cuyper (AVL)
    Gross (AVL)
    Davis (SUN)

    BB2
    Rushworth (HUL)
    van Ewijk (HUL)
    Hume (FUL)
    Ampadu (BRE)

    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      just now

      1

  17. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    46 mins ago

    If he (Konsa) started vs Coventry, it could be worth it getting him in.

    But since he won't it is not worth it.

    1. el polako
      • 9 Years
      43 mins ago

      Worth saving a transfer (4pts)

      1. Manani
        • 14 Years
        15 mins ago

        also consider the potential points lost by not having 3 arsenal players till Konsa starts

      2. CoracAld2831
        • 5 Years
        11 mins ago

        Yeah, I guess that's true.

        Getting him as a 4th player is not smart though as you are trapping yourself massively.

        Especially as his role in the team is uncertain at the moment. Could be a major trap or a massive success. Very risky.

  18. How I met your Mata
    • 11 Years
    43 mins ago

    A or B

    A Brobby and Szoz
    B DCL and Odegaurd

  19. New article...
  20. Nutmeg Ninja
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    19 mins ago

    We've reached the serious no Haaland BB1 part of the week...

    Raya Verbruggen
    NOR Cala Maguire DeCuyper Ajer
    BrunoF Mbeumo Semenyo Szob Tzolis
    Thiago Pedro DCL

  21. revelc
    • 7 Years
    17 mins ago

    Thoughts? Any comment appreciated

    Kinsky (dubravka)
    Calafiori - kerkez - Shaw (diop - van ewijk)
    Mbeumo - szobo - Rogers - Bruno (Hughes)
    Haaland - dcl - jPedro

    Thanks!!

  22. Jimi Nevermind
    • 4 Years
    1 min ago

    Lammens

    Shaw - Gvardiol - Calafiori

    Rogers - Palmer - Semenyo - Tzolis

    Haaland - Pedro - Richarlison

    Kinsky - Gomez - Robertson - Konsa