The Scout Squad returns ahead of Gameweek 5 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

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

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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.

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, we have to select 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 5

• MOST PICKS: Antonin Kinsky, Josko Gvardiol, Morgan Gibbs-White, Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Igor Thiago (four), Tarik Muharemovic, Josh King, Liam Delap (three)

MARC SAID…

All Gameweek 5 decisions looked fairly straightforward until the news came that Joao Pedro had withdrawn from Brazil’s squad. With Chelsea’s trip to Brentford being the Friday night clash, maybe we’ll get a pre-deadline heads-up on his availability, but I’ll simply pick Cole Palmer here. Teammate Morgan Rogers may be one point ahead, having delivered an attacking return in each match, but Palmer is on penalties.

However, although the Blues score loads, they’ve not kept a clean sheet in 20 Premier League matches, conceding at least twice in every 2026/27 encounter. So I back Igor Thiago to finally get off the mark. He tops ‘Goals Imminent’, having accumulated 2.41 expected goals (xG). The table also thinks Everton’s Thierno Barry is due, ranking second for both xG (2.98) and penalty area shots (13), but not netting since Gameweek 1. He and fourth-best defender James Tarkowski are at home to Ipswich.

In fact, all three promoted clubs are playing away. Madly, I’m not sure that Newcastle are favourites to beat Hull anymore – and I certainly don’t trust them to. But it’s still worth having Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes, a winger with an impressive comparison of starts (36) to goals (16) during the previous two seasons. He should be a secure starter while Anthony Elanga is out and Bazoumana Toure settles.

I’m much more confident about Nottingham Forest overcoming a Coventry side that’s without points or goals. They’re my sole triple-up, featuring Liam Delap. The low-priced forward scored past Aston Villa, on an afternoon when Daniel Muñoz’s first start saw the wing-back register one big chance while setting up another one.

The Colombian linked superbly with Morgan Gibbs-White, a player I really wish I could own. Continuing a strong end to 2025/26, he’s on penalties, shoots often and is the league leader for creating big opportunities (four), giving off a talismanic feel.

Meanwhile, there’s a double-up on Man City. Since Erling Haaland’s software patch – arranged because of Gameweek 1’s strange malfunction – he keeps scoring and bringing in nine or more points. Like Rogers, Josko Gvardiol has at least one return from each outing. So, even if Sunderland get their contractual, pre-determined spot kick, the Croatian can still produce attacking joy.

I’ve also got a couple of Leeds assets at home to Crystal Palace, who’ve conceded the most goals (11) and expected ones (8.15). Jayden Bogle is FPL’s top-scoring player across all positions, thanks to two goals in two, although the Premier League later gave his Monday ‘goal’ to Dominic Calvert–Lewin. Too late to adjust Fantasy numbers, mind. It would’ve meant a brace for the striker.

I backed both in last week’s very successful Scout Squad picks. 15 of the 18 generated something, including Antonin Kinsky’s clean sheet versus Everton. As Saturday lunchtime brings together Spurs and Aston Villa – two teams who’ve merely one goal between them, plus the two lowest xG tallies – it feels wise to back both Kinsky and Zion Suzuki. My third stopper is Arsenal’s David Raya, visiting top scorers Brighton.

These final two conclude the weekend at Craven Cottage. I still think it’s worth owning one Man United attacker against 18th-placed Fulham, so star player Bruno Fernandes gets the nod. Selecting a cheap midfielder was a struggle this week, but opponent Josh King is on two goals and the most box touches (30), putting five shots on target. A talented teenager.

SAM SAID…

Three clean sheets, three save points, three bonus points and a penalty save for my ‘keepers last week means that this week’s trio have a lot to live up to!

James Trafford is my first choice between the sticks with Leeds in excellent form and playing a home fixture against a struggling Crystal Palace side. Despite only keeping one clean sheet, Trafford has been unlucky, conceding just one goal in each of the other three matches. Only Lukas Hornicek has made more saves (16) than Trafford’s 15, meanwhile, and no one can better his total of four save points.

I have also chosen to double up on the Leeds defence with Tarik Muharemovic. Jayden Bogle was a key consideration, but his data is skewed by the goal that now isn’t his! Muharemovic, however, has great underlying numbers. The Leeds man is second for defensive contributions amongst defenders (50).

To complete the Leeds triple-up, Dominic Calvert–Lewin, who has been in fantastic form this season with three attacking returns in the opening four.

Alongside Leeds, I have also tripled up on Nottingham Forest.

Neco Williams has registered 17 points so far this season. The defender has delivered 15 crosses, which only Morgan Gibbs-White can better at Forest. Williams has created four chances, too, and has registered one clean sheet, 27 defensive contributions and two DefCon points.

Alongside him, I have opted for Gibbs-White and Dan Ndoye. Gibbs-White picks himself, but Ndoye is a lovely differential. He scored against Liverpool and in the first four matches, he has had seven shots in the box, which is the joint-most of any Forest player. Bryan Mbeumo and Bukayo Saka are the only midfielders who have had more big chances than Ndoye

I have also doubled up on a number of clubs this week, namely Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Spurs have kept back-to-back clean sheets in their last two Premier League matches, so I’ve nominated Antonin Kinsky as my second ‘keeper option, alongside Jan Paul van Hecke, who has two eight-point returns in the last two matches.

Josko Gvardiol has returned in every fixture so far this season, amassing 23 points so far. He and top goalscorer Erling Haaland face a Sunderland side that played their first European match of the season in midweek.

Whilst we saw an improved Fulham side against Liverpool in Gameweek 3, the double-up of Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo could prosper against a defence that has conceded a league-worst 18 big chances.

Leif Davis achieved hero status for me in Gameweek 4, and I do like both his upcoming fixture and underlying numbers. Davis’ two goals this season are tied top among defenders in the game, while he is also second for assists, with two.

Up front, I have three solo picks from Liverpool, Brentford and Newcastle United.

Alexander Isak disappointed in Gameweek 3, but had returned in the two weeks prior. He was also a little unlucky in Gameweek 4 and faces a Bournemouth side that has conceded every week so far.

Igor Thiago has had an underwhelming start to the season but faces a Chelsea defence that has struggled since January and is yet to keep a clean sheet, conceding nine goals in the process.

Likewise, Yoane Wissa has a good fixture on paper against a Hull side who give up a lot of xGC each week, despite keeping three clean sheets.

TOM F SAID…

Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Everton play a big part in my thinking this week – the three teams collectively supply nine of the 18 players in my squad.

Leeds are one of the better defences that we’ve seen this season, and they were only a late goal concession away from two clean sheets in four Gameweeks on Monday night. Tarik Muharemovic is one of only two FPL defenders to hit 50 or more DefCons. Meanwhile, eight of the 11 goals Crystal Palace have conceded this season have been from in/around the six-yard box, so Dominic Calvert-Lewin feels like a fairly obvious choice for the Scout Picks.

Three Forest players have also made my Scout Squad this week. I’ve got high hopes for Morgan Gibbs-White and Liam Delap, with Coventry City ranked 18th for expected goals conceded (xGC). The Sky Blues’ attack looks unconvincing, too, with Sidiki Cherif and Ellis Simms both well off the pace in Wednesday’s EFL Cup defeat to Aston Villa. Neco Williams could potentially prosper at both ends of the pitch, then.

I can actually see Ipswich Town scoring at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this weekend. However, I’ve still included Jordan Pickford, who could potentially pick up some save points, given Julio Enciso’s ‘shoot on sight’ policy. Gary O’Neil’s men leave a lot to be desired defensively, so I’m happy to give Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry a whirl further forward. The latter isn’t a great finisher but has already racked up 14 shots, with 13 of his attempts on goal coming from inside the penalty area.

Despite a potentially tricky trip to the division’s top scorers, Brighton and Hove Albion, I still think Arsenal have a decent chance of a clean sheet this weekend. Riccardo Calafiori is given plenty of attacking freedom in Mikel Arteta’s system and even against tougher opposition, I just don’t think we can count him out. Notably, the Gunners have kept clean sheets in four of their last seven matches with Brighton in all competitions.

The form of Hull City may have altered the landscape, but I still think Newcastle have a decent chance to bounce back to winning ways on Saturday. I prefer Lewis Hall over Tino Livramento, but I needed someone under £5.0m, and he could potentially exploit the gaps left by the attack-minded Ryan Giles.

Finally, there are plenty of self-explanatory inclusions in the shape of Bruno Fernandes, Cole Palmer and Erling Haaland, but the selection of Josh King, who takes my token sub-£6.0m midfielder spot, feels a bit more exciting. I’ve watched quite a bit of Fulham this season, and 11 shots and four chances created is a fair reflection of his threat. If he delivers another good performance on Sunday, I’ll be tempted to bring him into my own team after the international break.

A quick word on Igor Thiago, too. A Chelsea side without a clean sheet might be a better fixture, at least for attackers, than it initially seems, and I’ve seen nothing from Xabi Alonso’s side to suggest Brentford won’t trouble them under the lights in the Gameweek 5 opener on Friday.

NEALE SAID…

It’s an interesting Gameweek, with B-listers Everton, Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and, to a lesser extent, after Hull City’s strong start, Newcastle United enjoying the pick of the fixtures this weekend.

Meanwhile, more fancied sides like Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea have trickier-on-paper match-ups.

Dismiss the Gunners at your peril, however, and the fact that they’re so high up the clean sheet odds in Gameweek 5, despite facing the league’s top scorers, is a reflection of season after season of watertight defensive displays. Having David Raya between the sticks helps, too, of course, and the reigning champions will likely need him at the Amex. Brighton, incidentally, are ranked 19th for expected goals conceded (xGC) in the last three Gameweeks, and remember that they also conceded four at Chelsea. Arsenal attackers like Bukayo Saka might be unwisely overlooked this week.

The same goes for Alexander Isak, with faith shaken in Liverpool after last week’s stalemate against Fulham. Bournemouth named a first-choice XI in Europe on Thursday, however, and have yet to keep a clean sheet in 2026/27 anyway. With Liverpool’s first-choice wingers likely to be much fitter than they were a week ago, I fancy Isak – who thrice went close against the Cottagers – to get something, even if I’m less convinced about the match result.

Back to the favourable fixtures, then, and a triple-up of Nottingham Forest players. We’re yet to truly gauge how good/bad Coventry are, given that they’ve had three tricky opening matches, but they’ll be further weakened by the absence of Aurele Amenda and Taiwo Awoniyi on Saturday, and confidence seems to be ebbing away. Penalty-taking talisman Morgan Gibbs-White and budget-friendly forward Liam Delap are easy enough selections; the latter had more shots than any other Premier League player in Gameweek 4. Daniel Munoz v Neco Williams is a toss-up, but the former was straight into the thick of the attacking play on his full debut last weekend, creating four chances and popping up with a header in the six-yard box.

Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town are also clean-sheet-less and rickety at the rear but have offered more attacking threat than Coventry, so there’s more conviction with the picks of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall than Tarik Muharemovic and James Tarkowski, although the latter two are DefCon magnets in any case. Dewsbury-Hall, incidentally, sits joint-eighth among midfielders for both shots and chances created, and has reclaimed set pieces in 2026/27, so I can’t see his run of blanks continuing for too long.

Newcastle are the least represented of the ‘green on the ticker’ teams, with a combination of injuries, Monday’s pummelling at Leeds, Hull’s scarcely believable start and Yoane Wissa’s Kane-esque drifting into midfield deterring me from over-investment. Still, the Magpies do sit second for clean sheet odds this week, and Tino Livramento – likely to come in for Amar Dedic – fulfils the role of sub-£5.0m Scout Squad defender thanks to his price drop.

Hull’s defence has proven a tougher nut to crack than the backlines of Chelsea and Manchester United this season.

Both ‘big six’ rearguards have yet to keep a clean sheet between them, and are into double figures for big chances conceded. I’d have probably gone with Kevin Schade, had I had more midfield slots, but the forward positions are often easier to squeeze into in the Scout Squad, hence the inclusion of Igor Thiago. FPL’s biggest xG underachiever of 2026/27 surely will come good again soon, and a meeting with a Chelsea side without a shut-out since January may be more profitable than the ticker would have us believe.

The same goes for Josh King against Bruno Fernandes‘ Manchester United, who seem to be trapped in a perpetual loop of ‘honeymoon period followed by slow descent into crisis’. United look brittle right now, and King has massively impressed this season, racking up as many shots (11) as the likes of Morgan Rogers and Joao Pedro.

I was back and forwards between King and Iliman Ndiaye for my sub-£6.0m midfielder this week, but I’ve instead opted for Gianluigi Donnarumma and a blank-less Josko Gvardiol alongside Erling Haaland. One representative of Enzo Maresca’s backline in the Scout Picks is surely a must, with City well clear of the chasing pack in the clean sheet market this week.

Antonin Kinsky, fresh from two consecutive clean sheets and set to face the division’s worst side for xG, rounds off my selection.