Next up this Tuesday evening we roll out a 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 over the next few days.
Here’s the cast currently under consideration for Gameweek 32…
Goalkeepers
West Ham United have proved a tough nut to crack at the Boleyn Ground, recording clean sheets in four of their previous five home ties. Meanwhile, weekend visitors Crystal Palace mustered just five goals in their last six road trips, which brings Adrian (5.0) – who’s scooped five bonus points and four save points in a quartet of starts – onto our radar.
Joe Hart’s calf injury has paved the way for Willy Caballero (4.8) to earn a start between the sticks against a Bournemouth unit that registered a paltry two attempts last time out.
Defenders
We’re currently mulling over a four-man defence for the upcoming round of fixtures due to a number of strong options at the back.
With three assists in his last two starts, Hector Bellerin (6.3) is translating his marauding wing play into tangible Fantasy returns. Crucially, the right-back boasts a points per game (ppg) average (4.5) that surpasses the likes of Laurent Koscielny (4.4) and Gabriel Paulista (4.3), rendering him the choice route into Arsenal’s defence as they prepare to host a Watford outfit that’s drawn seven blanks in ten outings.
Branislav Ivanovic (6.6) piques our interest ahead of Chelsea’s journey to a Villa side that have scored twice in previous six league outings. Having notched two goal and three assists, the Serbia international serves as the prime source of coverage for a defence that has registered four clean sheets in their last six away matches.
The King Power Stadium has been a fortress for Leicester since the turn of the year, with Claudio Ranieri’s men recording six shut-outs in their previous seven home encounters. The Foxes’ rearguard furnishes us with a host of tantalising options at home to a Southampton outfit that’s failed rto score in four of their previous eight on the road, but Christian Fuchs’ (5.0) knack for accruing bonus points (19 – second among all defenders) elevates his standing above the other starters.
Although Patrick van Aanholt (4.7) has suffered from the fact that Sunderland last earned a clean sheet in Gameweek 14, his propensity for attacking returns (five goals and three assists) remains a key selling point. Furthermore, the Black Cats will fancy their chances of rebuffing West Brom, bearing in mind that the Baggies’ in-form Salomon Rondon is set to arrive back late from international duties with Venezuela and may be somewhat fatigued.
Norwich’s back-to-back clean sheets has led us to explore their budget recruits. Given that he grabbed five out of a six maximum bonus points during the Canaries’ two shut-outs, new boy Timm Klose (4.2) gets our backing for the visit of a Newcastle side that’s failed to score in three of their last four away match-ups.
In light of our faith in the Hammers’ ability to keep it tight on home turf the ever-present Aaron Cresswell (5.7) also factors into our thinking.
Midfielders
Stoke’s main assets are likely to fade into obscurity beyond this weekend, when their schedule turns nasty (liv, TOT, mci) and Fantasy managers favour double Gameweek players. For now, though, Marko Arnautovic (6.6) remains in our thoughts as Swansea roll up to the Britannia. The Austrian has netted seven of his last eight goals at home and is pitted against a backline with a single clean sheet on their travels all season.
With Roberto Firmino (hamstring) still a slight doubt for Liverpool’s home clash against Tottenham Hotspur, Philippe Coutinho (8.1) represents our favoured path into their attack. The twinkle-toed Brazilian scored three times across his previous five appearances in all competitions and – despite contending with a spate of injuries – has racked up five double-figure hauls.
Expected to be passed fit after sustaining a knock in the Tyne-Wear derby, Wahbi Khazri (6.0) will look to pull the strings when the Baggies roll up at the Stadium of Light. As the Wearsiders’ premier creative influence, the Tunisian midfielder is well place to deliver Fantasy returns against a West Brom rearguard that managed four clean sheets in their last 20 outings.
Notwithstanding Alexis Sanchez’s upturn in form (one goal and two assists in three), Mesut Ozil’s (9.7) consistency throughout the campaign gives him the edge for Arsenal’s clash with Watford..
Dimitri Payet (8.3) is in the midst of a purple patch (two goals and four assists in five) as West Ham face off against a Palace outfit that’s without a shut-out in 11 fixtures.
Riyad Mahrez (7.4) scored in two of his last three starts and will lock horns with a Saints back line that surrendered eight goals in their last five match-ups.
Buoyed by an eye-catching performance on the international stage, Dele Alli (6.2) will look to punish a Liverpool outfit that have mustered a mere two clean sheets in their last ten league matches.
With regards to harnessing Man City’s attacking potential in midfield, it’s a toss-up between Yaya Toure (8.5) and David Silva (9.9), who are both struggling for form but are capable of explosive returns at the Vitality Stadium.
Forwards
With Diego Costa serving the final match of his suspension, Loic Remy (7.1) looks likely to spearhead Chelsea’s attack in the West Midlands. Even in the event that the Frenchman loses out to Bertrand Traore, his pace against tired legs spells trouble for a Villa side that conceded a whopping 18 goals in their last six fixtures.
Notching three goals and one assist in five appearances, Danny Welbeck (7.3) has cemented Arsenal’s lone-striker berth for the time being. Given that the Hornets haven’t carded a shut-out on the road since Gameweek 16, the former Manchester United marksman will be preying on those insecurities at the Emirates.
Having tallied three goals and one assist in his previous six starts, Jermain Defoe (5.1) is in fine fettle before the West Brom head-to-head. The ex-Spurs forward is prone to short bursts of scoring (he beckoned in the New Year with a quick-fire brace and hat-trick) and throughout his career has showcased a propensity for putting less illustrious sides to the sword.
Sergio Aguero (13.6) came up short in four of his last five starts but is handed a great platform to get back on track against the Cherries’ unconvincing defence.
Harry Kane (10.4) is the league’s form striker (five goals and one assist in four) and one of the few fixture-proof players on the market as Spurs make their way to Anfield.
Romelu Lukaku (8.9) chalked up three goals in his previous five starts but could find it tough going against a Manchester United rearguard that’s conceded the fewest home goals (seven).
On Standby
Considering the surfeit of viable pick-ups across all price brackets, there are a bevy of players that could yet manoeuvre themselves into our team.
If Joe Hart (5.7) is passed fit before the weekend, he’ll usurp his Argentinian stand-in.
As mentioned above, Alexis Sanchez (10.8) – who registered 10 attempts in his last four starts – has put us on alert with his recent flourish. Staying within the North Londoners’ camp, only two midfielders mustered more shots inside the box than Alex Iwobi (4.5) last Gameweek, who is pushing for a place in our Spot the Differentials article.
Chelsea midfield trio Willian (7.1), Oscar (7.9) and Cesc Fabregas (8.4) are all jostling for attention ahead of the trip to Villa Park. Although the latter netted three goals in his last four matches, Oscar ranked top among his Blues counterparts for attempts (12), shots inside the box (seven) and shots on target (four) during that time. As for Willian, he charted joint-second among all midfielders for key passes (17).
Michail Antonio (5.4) ranked joint-third for attempts (12), joint-second for shots inside the box (seven) and joint-top for shots on target (five) across his previous quartet of starts, and looks likely to revert to a midfield berth following James Tomkins’ return to fitness. As for Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.3), he carded attacking returns (two goals and assists) in each of his last four starts, which bodes well for a trip to the Britannia Stadium.
Up top, Daniel Sturridge’s (9.9) return to form and fitness has seen him score in each of his last two league outings ahead of an Anfield head-to-head with Tottenham.
Meanwhile, the arrival of Rafa Benitez Aleksandar Mitrovic (6.2) into our thinking. The Serbian sits joint-top with Kane for efforts inside the box (seven) in the last two Gameweeks and, having bagged an equaliser against Sunderland, looks pivotal to Newcastle’s survival bid as they head to fellow strugglers Norwich.
The Community Champions
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.
Red Devil leads the way after beating the Picks by 25 points in Gameweek 17.
Gameweek 31’s Community Champion Gawa 11 beat the Scout Picks by 74 points to 70. The Gameweek 32 Community Champion is Van Dear Vaart. This is his 10th season playing FPL, with 2011/12’s finish of 153344 his highest.
In addition to a shot at the £100 Amazon prize, FantasyBet are offering a chance for further prizes to Community Champions that are eligible to play their games. More details can be found here.
