We roll out our Tuesday regular again this evening, giving you an early heads-up on our Scout Picks thinking for the Gameweek ahead. This list of 22 players will also include some names in contention for a place in our Spot the Differential article, though will, of course, be subject to change, depending on the injury situation as the week unfolds.
For Gameweek 11, here’s who we’ve got our eye on…
Goalkeepers
Manchester United secured three clean sheets in their previous four outings, which brings David de Gea (5.5) into our thinking ahead of a trip to Crystal Palace. The Eagles have suffered from injuries to their prime forwards Marouane Chamakh and Connor Wickham, notching just four goals in their last six outings.
Although Newcastle shipped 11 goals in their last three matches, Rob Elliot’s (4.0) budget price point courts our attention as the Tyneside outfit lock horns with a Stoke City side that bagged just two goals in their last trio of fixtures. Throughout the course of the campaign, only two teams (West Brom and Watford) have carded fewer goals than the Potters, which offers hope of a rare clean sheet for the Toon.
Defenders
With Gael Clichy still on the injured list, Aleksandar Kolarov looks guaranteed a starting berth as Manchester City gear up for a home tie against Norwich City. Despite sitting out the Sky Blues’ Gameweek 9 mauling of Bournemouth, only two defenders racked up more key passes (seven) in the last four Gameweeks.
Virgil van Dijk (5.5) has been a constant threat from set-piece situations since his switch from Celtic last summer, chalking up more shots on target (four) than any defender in the past four Gameweeks. This rich potential for attacking returns renders him the choice pick among Southampton’s rearguard as they play host to a Bournemouth outfit that places bottom for big chances (three) since Gameweek 7.
Eric Dier (5.2) serves as a fine route into a Tottenham backline that boasts the joint best defence (eight goals conceded) this term and has claimed four shut-outs in their last seven match-ups. Both Dier and Toby Alderweireld have proved their Fantasy worth of late, but the former’s out-of-position potential operating from the double pivot could give him the edge at home to managerless Villa this weekend.
Notwithstanding Laurent Koscielny’s goal against Everton last weekend, Hector Bellerin (5.9) gets the nod over the French centre-back by virtue of his far superior assist potential and penchant for accruing BPS points. Nacho Monreal remains a strong consideration, having recorded more key passes (seven compared to four) than his fellow full-back in the last four Gameweeks.
Phil Jagielka’s expected two-month absence alters our perception of Everton’s defensive strength, but it’s hard to ignore the strength of the Toffees’ schedule through to the New Year. On that note, Seamus Coleman (5.9) could serve as a tasty differential if he can rediscover the offensive edge that’s produced nine goals in the last two seasons, starting with a visit from a Sunderland outfit that’s picked up a single point in their first five road trips.
Although Man United’s back four has been subject to rotation on a weekly basis, Chris Smalling (6.4) has been the mainstay in central defence. The England international is yet to open his account this campaign but managed four goals in just 1878 minutes last term and ranks top among the Red Devils rearguard for attempts (three) and shots inside the box (three).
Midfielders
Despite drawing a blank for the first time in four starts last weekend, our faith in Alexis Sanchez (11.6) remains resolute. The Chilean international racked up three double-figure hauls prior to the Toffees clash and pays visit to a Swansea side that’s ranked third for shots inside the box conceded (54) across the last six Gameweeks.
Man City’s home encounter against the Canaries is shaping up to be a goal fest, given that Norwich have surrendered the most shots inside the box (62) over the last six Gameweeks, while Manuel Pellegrini’s troops tallied the most attempts (115) during that stretch. Kevin De Bruyne (10.5) – who’s notched three goals and as many assists in his previous five league starts – is more than capable of filling his boots.
With Theo Walcott losing his starting berth to Olivier Giroud last time out, Mesut Ozil (8.6) cemented his status as the best alternative (or accompaniment) to Sanchez with regards to Arsenal attacking coverage. The former Real Madrid playmaker has produced points in five of the last six Gameweeks, highlighted his improved consistency for Arsene Wenger’s outfit.
Christian Eriksen’s assist against Bournemouth means he’s already matched his creative output from the previous campaign (four assists) and is well on course to surpass his best haul for Spurs (nine assists). Like Ozil, the Dane has proven more reliable than ever this season, earning his owners points in four of the last five since returning from injury.
Ross Barkley (6.8) mustered three goals and as many assists during a run of fixtures that included eight of the top 10 sides from last season, which bodes well for his Fantasy impact across the remainder of the campaign. In the last four Gameweeks, only three midfielders registered more attempts (13) than Barkley as he prepares to welcome Sunderland to Goodison.
Sadio Mane (7.9) boasts three goals and one assist in four starts, scoring against the likes of Swansea City, Chelsea and Liverpool. During that period, Arsenal’s Sanchez (17) was the only midfielder who managed more attempts (16) than the Senegalese winger, who also ranked second for shots inside the box (11). That impressive shot frequency looks set to continue, considering that no team conceded more big chances (22) than visitors Bournemouth in the last four Gameweeks.
Underlining the consistency of his output, Dimitri Payet (8.3) hasn’t drawn a blank since Gameweek 4, recording four goals and three assists in his subsequent appearances. West Ham’s burgeoning star has dominated on the distribution front over the last four Gameweeks, tallying more key passes (21) and successful crosses (46) than any midfielder in the league. The Hammers rank joint-third for goals on the road this term (13), which suggests they’ll find a way to pierce Watford’s resolute home defence.
Having rattled four past Norwich in Gameweek 9, Georginino Wijnaldum (6.9) couldn’t repeat his goalscoring heroics in the Tyne-Wear derby. However, the high-flying Dutchman did place joint-top among midfielders for attempts on target (three) in the last wave of fixtures, despite contending with a one-man disadvantage.
Forwards
Jamie Vardy’s sensational run of form shows no sign of cessation, with a trip to West Bromwich Albion on the horizon. Although the Baggies have earned five clean sheets in their previous seven match-ups, the Foxes are yet to draw a blank this season and are spearheaded by a marksman that ranks top among forwards for attempts (21), shots inside the box (19) and shots on target (10) in road ties.
Harry Kane (9.2) propelled himself back onto our radar with a hat-trick at Bournemouth last Sunday. Spurs’ leading man chalked up more shots on target (12) than any forward over the last four Gameweeks, while only Jamie Vardy (20) notched more shots inside the box (14). Tottenham are unbeaten at home this term and are pitted against a Villains outfit that allowed 10 goals in their last four road clashes.
An attritional Manchester derby conspired to make all involved look devoid of spark, so we’re not losing faith in Wilfried Bony in the wake of his uninspired performance at Old Trafford. The Ivorian bagged a clinical brace against the Cherries and is likely to be afforded clear-cut scoring opportunities by a Canaries defence that ranked second for big chances conceded (15) over the last four Gameweeks.
Odion Ighalo (5.4) remains the standout candidate in the budget-forward bracket, having amassed four goals and two assists in his last six starts. For all West Ham’s eye-catching play in the final third, Slaven Bilic’s troops failed to keep a clean sheet in their previous five, which suggests Ighalo will be afforded space to punish their attacking flamboyance.
Graziano Pelle (8.4) enters the Bournemouth clash off the back of consecutive blanks but will fancy his chances of breaching a rearguard that’s seen their net ripple 13 times in the last four Gameweeks. The Italy international has been involved (five goals and as many assists) in 10 of the Saints’ 16 goals this season, emphasising just how central he is the south-coast club’s build-up play.
Akin to Pelle, Romelu Lukaku failed to net in his previous two outings but enjoys a home encounter against one of the league’s most generous defences – only three sides have conceded more goals (12) and shots inside the box (49) in away matches than the Black Cats. Moreover, Lukaku ranks fourth for shots on target (eight) since Gameweek 7.
The Community Champion
Having scrapped the weekly vote idea from last season, we now operate a lottery system to pick our weekly candidates. The community member who beats our picks by the biggest margin over the campaign will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Contributors and Moderators League for the following season.
Boris Bodega came agonisingly close to taking the lead after beating the Scouts 49 to 34 in Gameweek 10. However, his 15-point lead was still one point short of Massive, who retains top spot – he beat us by 16 points in Gameweek 6 and stays in the lead to claim the £100 Amazon voucher.
This week’s Community Champion is S Kuqi. This is his eighth season and he hasn’t finished outside the top 5,000 since the 2012/13 campaign.
In addition to a shot at the £100 Amazon prize, from this week FantasyBet are offering a chance for further prizes to Community Champions that are eligible to play their games. More details can be found here.
