Gameweek 17 Scout Picks – Heavy hitters among forwards

The Scout Picks are going big up-front in Gameweek 17 with two premium forwards selected.

We’ve gone over the roster submitted by our pundits for the latest Scout Squad article in order to pick an XI under £83m.

This week we’ve gone for a 4-3-3 formation…

Goalkeeper

After receiving more top-spot recommendations than any other goalkeeper among the pundits this week, Ben Foster (£4.5m) claims the number one jersey for the Scout Picks. Paul and Neale were his biggest fans for Gameweek 17 with Peter also giving him a mention. Watford host a Cardiff City side with fewer away goals than any other Premier League club so far this season. For once, a Hornets clean sheet looks on the cards.

Defenders

Marcos Alonso (£7.0m) comes back into the Scout Picks XI for the first time since Gameweek 14. Chelsea travel to Brighton on the back of their morale-boosting 2-0 victory over Manchester City, and will be hoping to replicate their last visit to the Amex Stadium when they left as 4-0 winners. Only two sides have allowed more chances down the right flank in home matches this season, so Alonso could have the opportunity to exploit that weakness and potentially get defensive returns too.

Ben Davies (£5.6m) looks likely to be selected at left-back against Burnley with Danny Rose playing the full 90 minutes in Barcelona on Tuesday night. For that reason, we’ve chosen him for the Scout Picks with a clean sheet a strong possibility at Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Burnley have the lowest goal conversion rate in the last four Gameweeks, which means Spurs’ defence should go largely untroubled.

Matt Doherty (£5.1m) is almost the first name on the Scout Picks team-sheet every week these days. His goal against Newcastle in Gameweek 16 was his third attacking return in as many matches and he is still recording underlying statistics that suggest his form is sustainable. No defender has more shots on goal than Doherty this season, only one has more in the box while next opponents Bournemouth are joint-bottom for shots allowed in the penalty box since Gameweek 13.

Chris Löwe (£4.4m) primarily comes into the Scout Picks as a budget enabler, at the behest of Neale, but he does show some promise for points too. Huddersfield host a goal-shy Newcastle side in Gameweek 17 and have tightened up at the back themselves. In fact, the number of big chances they have conceded in their last four home matches is just one fewer than defending champions Manchester City. Meanwhile, Löwe has been involved in free-kicks and corners this season and will be more central to them with Aaron Mooy out injured. Thankfully for Huddersfield, Newcastle remain the side with the worst defensive record from set pieces in 2018/19.

Midfielders

Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) comes back into the Scout Picks on the back of being chosen as the top midfield option by both Paul and Joe. 90 minutes in the Champions League didn’t put either of them off, nor Peter who chose him as the secondary option. While his start is not set in stone the current injury problems at Manchester City may force Pep Guardiola’s to play the Englishman from the start. Sterling has five goals and three assists in his last five Etihad starts.

Felipe Anderson (£7.3m) emerged from this week’s Scout Squad article with a similar backing to Sterling. Peter and Neale chose him as the best midfield option, Joe chose him at second choice, Paul fourth. With five goals and an assist in his last six matches, it’s easy to see why he is so popular. With the leaky Fulham defence up next and a mix of goal threat and creativity, we are predicting a continuation of Anderson’s form in Gameweek 17.

Watford’s hosting of Cardiff this weekend has also shaped our midfield with Roberto Pereyra (£6.2m) making another appearance. Only one midfield player had more shots than him in Gameweek 16, which bodes well for the Bluebirds’ trip to Hertfordshire. Neil Warnock’s men have conceded an average of 2.1 goals per away game this season and with Pereyra offering a great threat, he’s an easy choice. The Argentinian was name-checked by three of our Scout Squad pundits.

Forwards

Harry Kane (£12.6m) gets a third successive inclusion in the Scout Picks ahead of Spurs’ Gameweek 17 hosting of Burnley. Despite that rest against Leicester, only one player has had more shots on target than him in the last four Gameweeks. Meanwhile, the Clarets have allowed the joint-most goal attempts in the penalty box since Gameweek 13. It’s a match made in Fantasy heaven, which is why he was chosen as the best forward by all four pundits and has also won our captain poll with ease this week.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.5m) unanimously claimed second place in the Scout Squad this week, with all four pundits choosing him just below Kane. This week it’s a trip to face a Southampton side still in transition under new manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, so he should have plenty of opportunities to find the back of the net. Indeed, only one player has had more shots on goal since Gameweek 13 than Aubameyang, who looks set to start after missing Europa League duty on Thursday.

Raúl Jiménez (£6.1m) completes the Scout Picks line-up with Wolves facing that vulnerable Bournemouth defence. The Cherries are the joint-worst side for allowing penalty box shots over the last four Gameweeks, while Wolves’ Mexican forward has had more efforts in that area of the pitch than anyone else during the selected period.

Substitutes

Jose Holebas (£4.7m) earns a place on the bench ahead of Cardiff’s trip to Watford. His involvement in set pieces could see him exploit the weakness with the Bluebirds’ back-line, while a clean sheet feels likely too.

Max Meyer (£5.6m) has been recording some encouraging underlying statistics this week. Paul brought his name to light in the Scout Squad article on Thursday, the midfielder providing nine key passes and shooting 10 times in the last four Gameweeks.

Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez (£6.4m) continues to be a great cheaper alternative to Anderson with West Ham continuing to have great form and fixtures. The Mexican is offering considerably more goal threat than his Brazilian colleague, specifically recording much better minutes per shot in the box over the last four Gameweeks.

Community Champion

Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 17 is #FPLGuru. He has opted for a 4-3-3 formation of: Ederson; Davies, Laporte, Holebas, Rudiger; Sané, Son, Pereyra; Kane, Aubameyang, Mitrovic.

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.

The Scouts have won eight and lost seven so far, with Dr Mantis Toboggan (DC2) winning 79-69 in Gameweek 16.

fclackless‘s winning margin of 33 points (77-44) in Gameweek 10 is the current target to beat.

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