Ahead of this evening’s 6.45pm deadline, we reveal those players from yesterday’s Scout Squad list who have earned a place in our Gameweek 19 Scout Picks.
We start with West Ham stopper Adrian (4.3), who offers us a kind price tag and strong clean sheet prospects for Newcastle United’s visit to the London Stadium.
Since replacing Joe Hart in Gameweek 15’s trip to Manchester City, he has earned three clean sheets, keeping both Arsenal and Chelsea at bay.
Another shut-out looks likely given the Magpies’ poor recent run of form, with their last victory coming back in Gameweek 9 at home to Crystal Palace,
His modest fee has ensured we have enough in our 84 million kitty for a 3-5-2 formation packed with premium-priced options in outfield positions. This includes Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso, who as the Fantasy Premier League’s second-highest scoring defender, is more than justifying his 7.0 price tag ahead of a trip to Everton.
The left wing-back is particularly prolific on the road, producing three of his four goals and his only assist away from home. We may need to call upon that attacking threat as the Toffees have scored in all their league matches since Sam Allardyce took charge.
Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi (6.2) sits alongside Alonso, having also fired four goals. At home to a Bournemouth side that has scored a mere five times on the road, he is currently the most popular defensive target among FPL managers for Gameweek 19.
Completing our trio of defenders is Manchester United’s Phil Jones (5.5), who travels to face a Leicester City side that has failed to find the net in two of their last four King Power run-outs.
Over his 13 appearances, Jones has helped the Red Devils earn clean sheets on nine occasions, racking up 10 FPL bonus points along the way.
Concerns around rotation have prompted us to ignore both Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus for Bournemouth’s visit and instead double up on two of Man City’s most prolific midfielders, Raheem Sterling (8.6) and Kevin De Bruyne (10.3).
The Sky Blues’ top scorer in the league, Sterling has netted seven times at home – more than any player – and has produced three of his four 10+ points hauls at the Etihad.
Since the weekend, the City winger has become the FPL transfer market’s most popular player, with more than 370,000 FPL managers adding him to their squad.
De Bruyne has racked up double-digits five times, scoring six goals and supplying a league-high eight assists. No midfielder can beat his 16 bonus points and the Belgian has delivered attacking returns in six of his last eight run-outs.
Both were rested for the midweek Carabao Cup tie with Leicester, which should ensure they make the teamsheet this weekend.
The Cherries are in obliging mood going into this match, having shipped four against Liverpool last weekend and conceding more shots in the box (52) than any other side over the last four Gameweeks.
Mohamed Salah (10.0) is simply undroppable from our Picks as he continues to break records in his debut season for Liverpool. He travels to Arsenal tonight having become the first Premier League player to reach the 20-goal mark in all competitions.
The Egyptian is also the most league’s most potent away force, having scored more goals (eight), had more penalty area efforts (25) and more shots on target (14) than any other player on the road.
While the Gunners have proved tough to beat at home, with shut-outs in all but two of their last six at the Emirates, we have confidence Salah will prosper as Liverpool earned a 4-3 victory in the corresponding fixture in 2016/17.
Like Adrian, Marko Arnautovic (6.8) is another West Ham player to benefit from the appointment of Moyes. The Austrian earns a place after scoring twice and firing 11 penalty area shots in his last three league matches. He squares up to a Newcastle side at the London Stadium that has just one clean sheet from their last 14.
With an ownership of just 1.1%, the Austrian looks a solid differential option for those looking to rise up the rankings.
Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha (6.9) comes in for a trip to managerless Swansea City.
The Welshmen have conceded more shots on target (46) at home than any side, which looks good news for the Ivory Coast international, who has delivered points in each of the last three Gameweeks.
Roy Hodgson’s attack have fired 44 shots in the box over the last four Gameweeks – only three sides have recorded more.
There are slim pickings among the premium forward options this week. Rotation counts out the Manchester City strikers, Harry Kane visits a resolute Burnley backline that has only conceded three times this season at home, and Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata is suspended for his side’s trip to Everton.
This leaves Romelu Lukaku (11.3) as our solitary “big-hitting” forward. The Belgian only made a cameo from the bench in Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat by Bristol City on Wednesday and is expected to lead the line when the Red Devils travel to face a Leicester defence that has only one clean sheet from their last six league matches.
Lukaku goes into the match having scored in successive league appearances for the first time since Gameweek 7.
Our final striker slot is handed to Charlie Austin (6.2).
The Southampton option has four goals in as many league starts and collides with a Huddersfield rearguard with just two clean sheets on the road this season.
No player has produced more shots on target over the last four Gameweeks than Austin’s eight.
Crystal Palace’s Scott Dann (4.7) takes a seat on the bench. Away to a Swansea side that’s scored just five times at the Liberty, the centre-half was among the goals as recently as Gameweek 16.
Paul Pogba (7.9) is handed a substitute’s role as on his return to league action for the first time since being sent off against Arsenal in Gameweek 15. His average of 7.0 FPL points per match across eight starts, on the back of three goals and seven assists, makes very persuasive reading.
Watford’s defence travels to Brighton in awful form, with no clean sheets and 12 goals conceded in their last five matches – only Stoke City (13) have allowed more.
This looks the perfect match for our final substitute, Seagulls striker Glenn Murray (5.8), to make amends for his penalty miss against Burnley last weekend. Despite that blunder, the veteran has impressed in recent weeks – all five of Murray’s goals for the season have arrived from his last nine starts.
The Community Champion
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.
This week’s champion is THFC4LIFE, who has opted for a 3-5-2 line up of: Adrian; Walker, Vertonghen, Moses; Sane, Coutinho, Willian, Zaha, Richarlison; Lukaku, Aguero.
