After an interminable international break, the Scout Squad returns ahead of Gameweek 6 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

In this article, our in-house team of Marc, Sam, Tom and Neale will discuss who they think the best 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.

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 6

• MOST PICKS: Bruno Fernandes, Lewis Hall, Erling Haaland, Yoane Wissa (four), David Raya, Jordan Pickford, Bart Verbruggen, James Tarkowski, Leif Davis, Bukayo Saka, Gonzalo Garcia, Igor Thiago, Thierno Barry (three)

MARC SAID…

It’s been a lovely three-week break, but perhaps not from an FPL perspective. There are flags everywhere; it’s like being at a semaphore class. One now lingers around Ezri Konsa, so I’ll swerve him and select David Raya and Riccardo Calafiori instead.

Although the undefeated Leeds look impressive, I’ve tripled up on Arsenal by putting faith in Bukayo Saka. Last season, he only once started more than five consecutive league games, but here he is on three goals and the second-most shots on target (nine).

Elsewhere, Newcastle’s performances aren’t convincing, but it feels sensible to use the maximum Magpies allowance because they’re facing Coventry.

Yoane Wissa hasn’t been involved in their last five goals and missed a penalty against Hull, a match where Harvey Barnes assisted twice – one of which set up the brilliant Lewis Hall. A high percentage of Newcastle attacks are left-sided, but this is the final fixture for ages where there’s a bit of clean sheet confidence.

This feels like a good week for cheap forwards, so Thierno Barry and Gonzalo Garcia join Wissa in my selection. The Evertonian keeps missing big chances but is a constant presence within the box, allowing him to deflect James Tarkowski’s shot past the Ipswich goalkeeper in Gameweek 5. Combined with a clean sheet for 14 points, Tarkowski is now FPL’s leading defender – one yet to blank, if we include DefCon as a return.

Garcia is the next striker to go against the Tractor Boys, beginning Fulham’s three in a row versus promoted sides. That’s the basis of his increasing ownership, as the Spaniard’s poor finishing certainly doesn’t appeal. Just one of his latest 11 penalty area shots was on target.

Bernd Leno covers the Fulham backline but, at the same time, this is as a good fixture for Ipswich as it is for their visitors. They’ve netted two or more in 60% of matches, helped by Leif Davis accumulating two goals and two assists.

Goalkeeper number three will take part in Sunday’s Oliver Glasner derby. It’s Matz Sels, a crucial part of the defence that’s conceded the fewest shots (52) and big chances (six) so far. Of course, this has only translated into one clean sheet so far, but one is definitely due.

Nottingham Forest disappointed many in that home Coventry defeat. 920,000 bought Morgan Gibbs-White in time, only to see him not shoot at all. However, I don’t think managers should give up – he’s still their penalty-taking talisman, just like Bruno Fernandes at Man United.

Three successive blanks have led to a bunch of sales, but the Red Devils are about to host Tottenham. Does it get much better than that? Fernandes ranks joint-second for shots (19), alongside his usual elite level of creativity.

Not quite as high as Pascal Gross, admittedly. An architect of 15 chances for teammates, the German is currently FPL’s top scorer thanks to three of his last four appearances ending with at least 13 points. He and Maxim De Cuyper have a tricky trip to Sunderland, but the latter is ‘out-of-position’ and constantly delivering.

It’s like Erling Haaland netting in four straight outings. Man City dominate the off-pitch headlines, and this won’t go away for a long time. But the premium Norwegian remains a top Fantasy pick and should be ready to face Liverpool, despite initial nerves regarding his international removal.

As for fellow forward Igor Thiago, he’s finally off the mark for 2026/27. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Brazilian now went on a streak.

SAM SAID…

Well, that felt like a long wait! Despite enjoying an impressive set of results for England, I am definitely ready for the Premier League to be back – unlike my FPL team, which I think I am going to rename Flag FC.

Onto the Scout Squad, and there are some really interesting fixtures this weekend and an opportunity to invest in some differentials.

Everton have made a good start to the season, especially defensively, and are one of the teams that have recorded a league-leading three clean sheets. James Tarkowski also leads the way as the leading points-scoring FPL defender in the game and is yet to blank because of his consistency with defensive contributions, clean sheets and attacking threat. I have picked him alongside shot-stopper Jordan Pickford, despite opponents Hull having made a great start to the season.

I have also doubled up on Arsenal, but only with one defender. The Gunners face Leeds this weekend, but the Whites are unbeaten and Arsenal have some fitness worries at the rear. I also have some concerns around rotation, especially with back-to-back Champions League midweeks coming up (Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera are back, while Riccardo Calafiori has been away on international duty and Ezri Konsa has a dead leg), so I have played it safe with just David Raya.

I was very impressed by Bukayo Saka over the international break, so he was my first-choice midfielder. Saka has already scored three league goals this season, which is tied for top amongst the midfielders in the game, and he has had 15 shots on goal. Of these, six have been classified as big chances, which is more than any other midfielder. The winger has also created seven chances for his teammates.

Fulham are an enigma. On paper, they have three fantastic fixtures against three newly promoted sides in the next three weeks. They have also had a difficult start to the season but I have opted to follow some encouraging underlying data and double up on the Cottagers’ attack. Josh King’s stats are particularly impressive. Of the midfielders priced under £6.0m, which is one of the required metrics for our picks, he ranks joint-second for shots (14) and first for shots on target (seven) and penalty box touches (37). Meanwhile, only Erling Haaland and Thierno Barry have had more shots in the opening five Gameweeks than Gonzalo Garcia. He has had 15 goal attempts, of which four have been classified as big chances. He also ranks joint-third for penalty box touches (27).

Like Fulham, I also thought about Newcastle United for a while. On paper, the fixtures are good, but the performances have been a bit of a mixed bag so far. I was impressed by Lewis Hall‘s displays for England over the international break, and the regularity of his attacking returns makes him an attractive option. Five attempts on goal, 21 crosses and five chances created are decent underlying numbers, too. I have paired him with Yoane Wissa up front. I ummed and ahhed between Wissa and Harvey Barnes, but I’ll go with the front man. Wissa has had nine shots in the league this season, of which five have been big chances.

I have also opted for the Brighton triple-up with the Seagulls hugely impressing over the opening five weeks of the season. Pascal Gross‘s expected numbers do suggest that the rate of returns is not sustainable but opponents Sunderland have conceded 10 goals so far this season; only three teams have shipped more. I have also opted for the defensive double-up with Bart Verbruggen and Luka Vuskovic, now that Brian Brobbey is out. Sunderland have also conceded 21 attempts from set pieces and 11 headed chances, which could bode well for Vuskovic.

Bruno Fernandes has been one of the biggest ‘sells’ for managers Wildcarding over the international break but I think he could do well in the fixture against Spurs this weekend, especially with my boys having a number of injury concerns (Pedro Porro, Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven).

I also fancy Marcus Tavernier to do well against a Chelsea defence that has conceded the most goals in the league this season. With Justin Kluivert and Kroupi Junior both injured, Tavernier is also likely to be on penalties should Bournemouth be awarded one.

My remaining forwards are the ever-present Haaland, despite his fatigue, Igor Thiago, who scored his first league goal of the season in Gameweek 5, and Omar Marmoush, because Manchester United are yet to keep a clean sheet this season.

TOM SAID…

Everton and Newcastle United are the primary teams in my squad, each supplying three players apiece.

I was very close to including Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in this selection, but in the end, my preference is for an Everton defensive double-up and Thierno Barry.

David Moyes’ men have kept five clean sheets in seven matches across all competitions this season, and travel to a Hull City side who are 18th for minutes per expected goal (xG) on home turf (120.9). Jordan Pickford and James Tarkowski, the top-scoring defender in FPL, subsequently get the nod. As for Barry, he ranks among the top three FPL forwards for shots (17), shots in the box (16), big chances (eight) and xG (3.5).

Lewis Hall, Harvey Barnes and Yoane Wissa make up the Newcastle United triple-up. Coventry City’s concession of a high number of key passes from their right flank leads me to nominate Hall and Barnes, while Wissa could get on the end of one of their deliveries.

Riccardo Calafiori meanwhile is my representative from the Arsenal defence, but I’m not 100% sure about the clean sheet against an unbeaten Leeds United side, so I’m reluctant to double-up. Calafiori offers so much more than shut-out points, of course, having racked up seven shots and four chances created in 2026/27 so far. Further forward, Bukayo Saka is behind only Erling Haaland for expected goal involvement (xGI) in Gameweeks 1-5.

An away fixture against Sunderland, who have scored just one goal on home turf and will be without the injured Brian Brobbey, convinces me to include both Bart Verbruggen and the ‘out-of-position’ Maxim De Cuyper.

Crystal Palace v Nottingham Forest matches are usually tight affairs. Pierre Sage’s men also produced a much-improved display last time out, showing real signs of defensive improvement. I’ll swerve the attackers from both clubs, then, and tip Chris Richards and Matz Sels instead.

At Portman Road, Julio Enciso has made a decent impression since signing for Ipswich Town. He’s had 17 shots and six chances created in five matches, and I think he could cause a lot of problems for Fulham on Saturday. Gonzalo Garcia’s underlying numbers look promising, too (15 shots and three chances created), and he also has the potential to deliver in this match.

Finally, Johan Manzambi is someone I’ve got my eye on, but for this fixture, I’ve gone with Nicolas Jackson, who outshot every other forward in Gameweek 6. Cole Palmer and Bruno Fernandes complete my offensive list for obvious reasons.

NEALE SAID…

The bookies don’t fancy too many clean sheets this week; the fact that a shut-out-less Manchester United and Chelsea are third and fourth in the odds list says much.

Arsenal and Everton rightly top the pile, although a Gameweek 5 pummelling, some injury/rotation concerns and Leeds’ solid start has probably checked shouts for a Scout Picks double-up on the Gunners. Nevertheless, in a Gameweek short of stand-out shut-out opportunities, I’ve included all of David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jarrad Branthwaite and Jordan Pickford, with the expectation that two of them get the nod in our final XI. Gabriel, who like Raya is a mostly rotation-risk-free pick in a week in which the likes of Ezri Konsa are uncertainties, is due a haul – and the fact that Leeds have conceded more headed chances than any other side seals the deal for me. As for Branthwaite, I’m playing contrarian slightly, but he actually outdoes James Tarwowksi for DefCons per 90 minutes this season, and has matched his fellow Everton centre-half for shots.

The defence is rounded off by picks who can compensate for clean sheet losses, should they happen. Lewis Hall is arguably the best all-rounder in the game: on set-piece duties, getting forward to have shots and even banking DefCon points in 60% of his outings, which is unheard of for a full-back. Murillo is one of just two defenders above Hall for those; Forest tend to prefer life on the road, too. Leif Davis, meanwhile, is starting to look a bit Alonso-esque, and has racked up more big chances (four) than any other FPL defender. Fulham will see Ipswich as a good fixture – but the opposite is true, too.

Maxim De Cuyper would have taken the budget defender slot had he not risen in price, so Bart Verbruggen makes up the goalkeeping numbers instead as the token sub-£5.0m pick. Sunderland will be a tough test, but the Mackems will be devoid of hat-trick hero Brian Brobbey.

It’s in midfield where the main selection headaches were this week. Bukayo Saka, Pascal Gross, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Harvey Barnes are all excellent picks, but umpteen options had to be whittled down to five. The defences of Leeds, Sunderland and maybe even a backs-to-the-wall Hull City are competent bunches, but I still wouldn’t be surprised if any of the names I’ve overlooked make me eat my words.

Morgan Gibbs-White instead leads the charge, with Forest seemingly far happier on the road than trying to break down defences at home. Palace have the worst xGC figure in the league and, at home, I think they’ll try and have a good go at Forest. We saw huge chasms open up when they went toe-to-toe with Man City on their own soil, for instance.

Bournemouth and Chelsea are shut-out-less, so I’m hoping for an open encounter at the Bridge. Marcus Tavernier will be on most set plays (especially with Alex Scott now out) and should, in the short term, also have penalties, with Justin Kluivert and Eli Kroupi also sidelined. Morgan Rogers, as the only unflagged member of Chelsea’s three attacking musketeers, accompanies him.

Another side without a shut-out to their name are Ipswich, and though I’ve nominated Davis for his attacking threat, I’d still fancy an improving Fulham to get plenty of chances in Suffolk. Josh King has been a revelation this season and gets into some excellent positions, as 11 shots in the box and two goals attests.

I’m keeping faith with Bruno Fernandes. He’s been jettisoned by the masses, and understandably given the expense required, but Spurs at home, particularly if the Lilywhites are down a few defenders (stay tuned for Roberto De Zerbi’s presser), could be just the tonic he needs. It’s not like his underlying numbers are that bad, either: he had three shots (one a ‘big chance’) and created four chances against Fulham last time out.

Up top, Erling Haaland has a clean bill of health, and I’ve included Alexander Isak, too, on the condition that Andoni Iraola passes him fit later. City’s defence holds little fear for me, having given up a hatful of chances, xG and goals to Brobbey last time out.

A rested Igor Thiago, who ended the drought in Gameweek 5, meanwhile gets to face an Aston Villa side ranked 19th for xGC.

The remaining two forwards are filler, really, and could easily have been Gonzalo Garcia and Charalampos Kostoulas. I have my reservations about a deeper Yoane Wissa but, as I mentioned in the Scout Notes, he was just a better ball away from two tap-ins in Gameweek 5, and I think he may remain on penalties, despite the miss against Hull. Thierno Barry won’t find it easy against a stubborn Hull backline, either, but he has had an Opta-defined ‘big chance’ in every single Gameweek this season, so there are worse budget-friendly options out there, as profligate as he can be.