We close off today’s articles by looking ahead to Gameweek 13 and revealing the players under consideration for this Friday’s Scout Picks.

As you may know by now, this article aims to give a greater insight into the decision-making process behind our selection.

Mark, Paul and myself list the 18 players across the four positions, listed in rank order and then we run through to Friday, fighting the corner for our choices.

The discussions and disagreements that will take place behind the scenes are previewed below, as all three of us look to influence the Scout Picks and “Spot the Differential” selection.

Finally, we will also reveal the Community Champion who has been selected by our lottery to represent the community and be in with a chance of winning a £100 Amazon voucher.

Goalkeepers

In marked contrast to previous weeks, no goalkeeper has earned a place in all three of our squad selections.

Both Mark and Paul favour the 4.4 price tag and favourable fixture with Middlesbrough facing the 0.4% owned Leicester stopper Ron-Robert Zieler.

But with just one clean sheet across his four starts while deputising for the injured Kasper Schmeichel, I’m less convinced.

Nevertheless, with ‘Boro registering the second-lowest tally of away goal attempts so far this term, I may have to give way on this one.

Mark is on his own in backing Swansea’s Lucasz Fabianski (5.0) for a clean sheet at home to Crystal Palace.

Clearly, the improved display away to Everton last weekend, with Fabianski outstanding, has swayed him. 

Paul and I remain sceptical, and with good reason, given that the Eagles have scored in all but one of their six league games on the road. Meanwhile, Swansea boast just one shut-out at home, conceding ten goals.

West Brom’s Ben Foster (4.7), Watford’s Heurelho Gomes (4.9) and Burnley keeper Tom Heaton (4.8) may stand a better chance of making the cut.

Each earns two votes this week, with 2.2% owned Gomes being backed by Paul and myself ahead of Stoke City’s visit Vicarage Road.

Mark will certainly be able to pour scorn on his inclusion, though, as like Palace, the Potters have also scored in all bar one of their away trips.

Paul and I are backing the 14.9% owned Foster to earn his fourth shut-out of the campaign when West Brom visit Hull City.

With just six goals conceded on the road for the Baggies, a tally only bettered by Arsenal and Spurs, there’s certainly a solid case for his inclusion.

Heaton’s 34 saves this season, more than any other keeper, is a key statistic Mark and I will use to argue his cause.

Visitors Manchester City have scored a table-topping 15 goals on their travels, so the 15.2% owned Clarets skipper will certainly be kept busy. That should give Heaton ample opportunity to compensate for Monday’s 4-0 Hawthorns drubbing, which saw him fail to return a save point for only the third occasion this season.

Defenders

There’s also plenty of scope for contention among our defender picks, with just one player earning three nominations.

As with last week, Chelsea’s rampaging wing-back Marcos Alonso (6.1) has unanimous support, unsurprisingly given that the 5% owned Spaniard has earned six clean sheets in a row and had more penalty area touches than any other defender over the same period.

The Arsenal defender of choice ahead of Bournemouth’s visit to the Emirates is far less obvious.

Mark and I have opted for the value of 0.1% owned differential Carl Jenkinson (5.0), who is standing in for the injured Hector Bellerin at right-back.

But Paul is hoping that we have enough funds to splash on the Gunners’ 21% owned centre back Laurent Koscielny (6.6), who with 56 FPL points, is the second highest scoring FPL defender.

There’s also a difference of opinion on the choice of Watford option for their Vicarage Road meeting with Stoke.

Mark and I back 8.1% owned Jose Holebas (4.8) to return from a one-match suspension in style, replicating the convincing recent form that saw him accrue 33 points between Gameweeks 7 and 10.

However, with a close eye on the underlying numbers, Paul believes that the 0.2% owned Daryl Janmaat (4.8) could prove a shrewd differential, noticing that the Dutchman is second only to Alonso in terms of goal attempts among defenders over his last two starts.

“Having highlighted Daryl Janmaat’s recent displays in yesterday’s Big Numbers article, I’m sticking my neck out and opting for the Dutchman over fellow wing-back Jose Holebas. In terms of away statistics, Stoke’s left flank is the third worst for crosses conceded, giving Janmaat scope to rampage down the Hornets’ right.” -Paul

Despite failing to register attacking or defensive returns since Gameweek 9, Paul is handing Leicester City full-back Christian Fuchs (5.4) strong support with a second place selection after the Austrian earned an assist in last night’s Champions League win over Club Bruges.

Mark has ignored him altogether, based on his poor recent form, and I’ve given the 8.5% owned left-back only a tentative nod, handing him my fifth slot. Fuch’s appearance in this Friday’s Scout Picks looks far from secure.

Mark looks set to face a wall of silence when he attempts to convince us to include Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia (5.4). The 5.7% owned Ecuadorian last fetched a clean sheet back in Gameweek 8, away to Liverpool, and is still in search of his first attacking points.

“Valencia was hugely impressive against Arsenal and caused Nacho Monreal a whole stack of problems. I think he’ll be equally influential against West Ham and, equally, providing that Dimiti Payet doesn’t win multiple free-kicks around the box, I can see United mustering a clean sheet” – Mark

The same can’t be said of Mark’s pick of 25.2% Gareth McAuley (4.7), who has scored two goals already this term and faces a Hull City defence that shipped three at Sunderland last time out.

Paul and I may even be persuaded to jettison our selection of Nathaniel Clyne (5.6) in favour of the Baggies’ man. 

Liverpool have just one clean sheet at Anfield and welcome David Moyes’ Black Cats who, unexpectedly, are in fine attacking form, scoring five times in their last two league games.

Midfielders

Philippe Coutinho (8.7) is in the driving seat for selection should we only pick one Reds midfielder for Sunderland’s visit.

The 46.2% owned schemer gets top billing from all three of us, unsurprisingly given that he has scored 38 FPL points in his last four league games at Anfield.

With plenty of striker options this week, and with Chelsea, Swansea and Arsenal midfielders all offering a strong case for inclusion, I’m minded to stick with just the Brazilian for Liverpool cover in midfield.

Roberto Firmino (8.8) gets only a passing reference in fifth place for me. In contrast, Paul and Mark are clearly keen on a double up, ranking the 17.8% owned ‘false 9’ as Gameweek 13’s second best midfield option.

“The fact is, I still can’t decide on the Coutinho vs Firmino debate ahead of Gameweek 13. With both in my FPL line-up, I remain torn on the captaincy and may actually go with Hazard to avoid making the decision. As a result, both make my Scout Squad and I’ll be pushing for both to be included in Friday’s Picks” – Mark

There could be further disagreement, in our selection of a Gunners midfielder.

Mark and Paul are hoping we have enough money in our 84 million budget to afford Alexis Sanchez’s 11.3 price tag.

I’m less convinced and have instead put forward 9.1% owned Mesut Ozil (9.6) as a cheaper, differential alternative.

With 28 FPL points over his last four home games, compared to his 22.1% owned team-mate’s 24, I think the German offers a stronger return on investment.

Another player with buoyant home form is 31.6% owned Eden Hazard (10.2), who, despite a tough tie at Stamford Bridge against Spurs, earns a unanimous endorsement.

His tally of 37 FPL points in his last four games on home turf just looks just too persuasive.

Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.2) is another to feature in all of our picks, but with just a fifth placing from Paul and Mark, I may have my work cut out to convince them of including him for Palace’s visit to Wales.

The 3.5% owned Swansea maestro earns second place in my selection after delivering attacking returns in four of his last five league outings.

Forwards

I’ve given Sergio Aguero (13.2) a tentative fourth place billing.

I believe that he is more than capable of scoring a goal at Burnley, but with the Clarets’ strong home defensive record, I don’t think he’ll bring in the sort of points haul that Mark and Paul are backing.

Both are predicting the 46.3% owned striker will be the week’s highest scoring forward. But with Burnley conceding just six goals in seven home games, keeping two clean sheets in the process, I will be pushing the case of other strikers before the Argentine. 

Mark and Paul, meanwhile, are set to be keen to remind me that Aguero has scored three braces on his travels and could yet prove too potent for Sean Dyche’s back four.

Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.1) is among those other strikers I rate highly this weekend, particularly with an Old Trafford match-up with a West Ham side that has conceded 14 goals on the road and who will be without influential defender Winston Reid.

The 25% owned Ibrahimovic has seen his price plummet from 11.9 to just 11.1 on the back of a six-game scoreless league run, but with a brace against Swansea City in Gameweek 11, he reminded us that he still has plenty to offer.

Mark looks the likeliest to be swayed to include him, after handing him his second slot, while Paul, quite unexpectedly, has shunned him altogether.

“There’s no Ibrahimovic from me as I feel both Aguero and Costa are better premium picks, though the United man admittedly has a kind fixture. I’ve looked for mid-price value instead and given the nod to Charlie Austin for Southampton’s St Mary’s clash against Everton – his average of 122.3 minutes per home goal is better than the likes of Costa and Aguero this season.” – Paul.

West Brom’s Salomon Rondon (6.5), in contrast, gets a vote from all of us and second place billing in my picks.

A goal and assist at home to Burnley on Monday showcased the 4.8% owned striker’s capabilities, with Hull’s dire home form looking likely to cement his place in our final selection.

The Tigers have conceded more attempts than any other side in home matches, shipping 11 goals.

Another with three votes is Diego Costa (10.5), who has scored in three of his last four home games.

He faces a Spurs defence that has claimed just one clean sheet in their last four league outings and who look likely to be missing the injured Toby Alderweireld, plus the suspended Danny Rose. 

Costa may yet prove too expensive, though, with Hazard offering slightly cheaper, but arguably more profitable Blues coverage.

Elsewhere, Paul and I once again turn to underlying statistics to convince Mark that 6.4% owned Christian Benteke (7.5) deserves a Scout Picks berth ahead of Palace’s visit to Swansea.

Even though the Belgian has scored just once in his last five appearances, 15 goal attempts, 14 of which were in the box, suggest he’s been unlucky not to register more. With one clean sheet and 12 goals conceded at home, the Welsh side could herald a turnaround in the Belgian’s fortunes.

Mark’s pick of Watford’s Troy Deeney (7.0), who faces Stoke at home, and Paul’s selection of Southampton’s Charlie Austin (6.8), who welcomes Everton to the South coast, are two others in the frame.

Of the similarly priced pair, it is the 15.1% owned Saints man who will likely have the edge. He has racked up more than double the number of goal attempts as the 6.4% owned Hornets’ striker over the last four Gameweeks.

Community Champion

Representing the Community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek will be Krul Runnings, who is in his third season and is currently ranked just outside the top 10,000.

The community champion who has the best lead over the Scouts during 2016/17 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).

Last Gameweek’s champion Ziro beat the Scouts 72 to 40, meaning he is now tied with frontrunner VS10_, who had the same margin of victory in Gameweek 6.