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The Complete Guide to our FPL Gameweek 26 tips and advice

The Gameweek 26 deadline approaches after the most tumultuous Gameweek in recent memory. For those who Triple Captained Manchester City’s Sergio Agüero it brought 57 points and unbridled joy, for others, despair – Leroy Sané’s solitary point was way below expectations. You thought triple captaining Andy Carroll was a disaster.

The bad news is that, for those who suffered, it could get worse.

This week’s Meet the Manager guest, former FPL winner Simon March, a recent graduate in behavioural economics, cautioned that managers who lost out in Gameweek 25 could fall victim to the “What the heck? Effect” – where we are more likely to take risks following a loss.

Simon’s advice is to try to be objective about risk and reward values. If you are wondering how to do that then fear not, help is at hand. The writers, contributors, and posters here at Fantasy Football Scout have been busily sorting the wheat from the chaff.

The first step is to clear your head, and what better place to start than last week’s cathartic episode of the Scoutcast. In an open and revealing discussion, J0E, Az and David talked about how a bad gameweek can affect your mental health. This lead to a hot topic on the subject in which FFS members including SuperMane Returns and Pep Pig shared stories about their personal struggles with addiction.

Having put things in perspective, let’s take a look at this week’s opportunities.

Neale (aka Skonto Rigga) has perused the upcoming fixtures to determine which teams are best placed to take advantage. According to Hutch_James, a number of teams are predicted to do well in Gameweek 26 as he revealed in his Wisdom of the Crowd article. Although for G-Whizz Liverpool are the standout option in the latest DS stats, fixtures and clean sheet odds.

David’s Captain Sensible article makes for fascinating reading as ever. After back-to-back blanks, are there serious contenders to take the armband away from Mohamed Salah?

A lot of the discussion this week has centered around what to do with our City players. The FPL General, a victim of Pep’s unpredictable whims, collected his thoughts ahead of Gameweek 26. While Geoff started a conversation about Sané replacements.

If you noticed, during this tempestuous week, the strange sight of a man being pursued by a bear, it was probably old Greyhead. Our community writer’s regular examination of The Great and The Good took on Shakespearean proportions. Mark and Niemi aside, the rest suffered “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”, for Ville it’s now nine red arrows in a row.

The irony is that this season, it is The Great and The Good who should be pursuing Greyhead. He’s doing superbly well and is currently ranked 549 overall. According to FPL Transfer Spy, the high-flying scribe has sold the Belgian Wizard Eden Hazard for the free-scoring South Korean Son Heung-min ahead of the transfer deadline.

The picture ahead of Blank Gameweek 31 became a little clearer with Brighton’s progress in the FA cup. For those planning ahead, Liverpool appear an attractive proposition as they don’t have any Blank Gameweeks this season. It wasn’t so long ago that many managers were considering a defensive double-up, however the Reds have struggled for clean sheets recently. Neale’s looked into what is behind their recent defensive woes.

One reason is perhaps the injuries they’ve had, but could Trent Alexander-Arnold be ready to return to the fold?

Find out in the team news rounded-up in full by Neale, together with a handy hot topic from Rotation’s Alter Ego.

Finally, for players of the Sky Sports game, Luke (aka disable) brought us a breakdown on player ownership for the top 1,000 managers.

To view all our discussions please visit our Hot Topics page, and if you’ve got some analysis, scout reports or features brewing, be sure to visit our community section to submit your article.

If you’re a member and are yet to get to grips with the custom statistics tables, you can view this movie for an explanation of how they work. Also, remember to tag them so that people can find the tables with ease.

COMMUNITY TOURNAMENTS

The finals of the two FFS cup competitions take place this gameweek.

In the semi-finals of the FFS Members Cup Jambo17 was the outstanding performer – a whopping 114 points was easily enough to see off his rival AKÉ MEYER DANN U. Jambo17 had the optimal City combination of Agüero, Sterling, and Laporte, and he used his Triple Captain chip on Sterling. He moves into the top 100 overall and must start as favourite in the final.

Does his opponent stand a chance?

Jay # scraped through his semi-final against Eedee by 62 points to 56 and is ranked 59,782 overall, so on the surface you would say probably not. However, he looks well positioned to have a good gameweek with Arsenal’s Aubameyang and Kolasinac already in place along with Jiménez up front. He’s also helped by the fact his opponent has already taken a hit. So an upset isn’t out of the question.

In the semi-finals of the FFS Cup Get It Inter Ya overcame Justmatt, and Man-Chest-Heir F.C. saw off the challenge of Tibbles.

Get It Inter Ya did very well to score 75 points despite captaining Sané, double digit returns from De Gea and Chelsea pair David Luiz and Eden Hazard bailed him out. He remains in the top 1,000 overall. Heading into the final, he owns Kolasinac although not his teammate Aubameyang. Instead he has a cheap front line, but with two free transfers available we could see funds shifted forward to buy the Gabonese international.

Man-Chest-Heir F.C had Laporte to thank for his semi-final victory as he was another to captain Sané. The lowest ranked of the finalists at 124,414 overall, he has one free transfer and £2.4m in the bank to bolster his squad. With a cheap front line, including Josh King away to Liverpool, and an injured David Brooks, he has an important decision to make on how to invest those funds.

In the final of the FFS Manager Melee Community Tournament American Dycho have triumphed over The Godfather: Pardew with a 7-2 victory. An official match report will follow shortly.

In TorresMagic’s Last Man Standing the safety score in Gameweek 25 was 49, this saw 70 managers eliminated. 616 managers are through to Gameweek 26, when the threshold for elimination increases to 12%. The final will take place in Gameweek 37.

It’s all change at the top of the featured mini-leagues after the divisive double gameweek.

There’s a new leader in our main FFS League with Omer Weisberg taking top spot as Miroslav Pujic drops to eighth after only managing 52 points. Omer ignored the clamour to captain a City player and plumped instead for Chelsea’s Eden Hazard. The diminutive Belgian, along with Laporte and Higuain, helped Omer to a gameweek score of 100. He is now sixth overall in only his second FPL season.

Tore Bjørheim has lost his 15 point lead at the head of the FFS Members League as Adam Levy surged past him. Adam triple captained Agüero for a gameweek score of 126 and moves up to 17th overall. This is his sixth season, his best finish of 10,847 came last year.

David’s reign atop the FFS Mods & Cons is at an end. Overthrown by his boss, Mark stormed past David with a stupendous 102 points to leave his employee floundering in his wake. Am I making this sound more dramatic than it actually is? Possibly. Mark had a decent gameweek with Sterling, Hazard, and Laporte contributing to his total. I’m sure David will bounce back.

Mark moves up to second in the FFS Live Hall of Fame behind Sean Tobin. Sean managed an impressive 93 points in Gameweek 25 and now finds himself in the top 10 overall. Yet to make a transfer this week, Sean could be doing the Auba to Agüero hokey-cokey. Sean featured recently in one of J0E’s Meet the Manager videos.

James Wells is the new leader in RedLightning’s Top 10k Any Season mini-league, as long-time leader Luke Aiello drops to third. James is a new entry to this mini-league and is perhaps lucky to be top after triple captaining Sané. He dropped from eighth to 39th overall. This is his 13th FPL season, he has two previous top 10,000 finishes, the highest one being 2,330 back in 2006/07.

JOZ V moves into first place in RedLightning’s January to May League as previous leader Lesego Maforah drops out of the top ten. JOZ V triple captained Agüero on his way to a mighty 125 points. This is his sixth FPL season, his best finish being 2,799 in 2014/15.

Finally, some managers may have noticed a new mini-league appear – RedLightning has reactivated and renamed his Doubles Blanks & Chips mini-league from last season to Last Ten GWs. The code for others who may like to join is 1637-1351886. The league will begin scoring in Gameweek 29.

The reason for the name change is that having just had a pivotal double gameweek, the January to May League is a perhaps a better way of seeing which chip strategies are proving to be the most effective in dealing with this season’s Double and Blank gameweeks.

If you are running a community tournament and would like the latest scores included in future Community Round-Ups, please email us a summary of the current leaders and a link to your league, spreadsheet or head-to-head competition at geoff@fantasyfootballscout.co.uk


TopMarx Fan of Fantasy Football and Monty Python. "Archimedes out to Socrates, Socrates back to Archimedes, Archimedes out to Heraclitus, he beats Hegel. Heraclitus a little flick, here he comes on the far post, Socrates is there, Socrates heads it in! Socrates has scored! The Greeks are going mad, the Greeks are going mad! Socrates scores, got a beautiful cross from Archimedes. The Germans are disputing it. Hegel is arguing that the reality is merely an a priori adjunct of non-naturalistic ethics, Kant via the categorical imperative is holding that ontologically it exists only in the imagination, and Marx is claiming it was offside. Follow them on Twitter

2,132 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Oldie99
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Play 2:
    Mitro Holebas WanB Digne

    1. Garlana
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Holebas and mitro

      1. Garlana
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        It's close though

  2. No Professionals
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Right, I've decided, aubameyang will start.

    1. Eytexi
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I've decided he won't so there's a problem here.

      1. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        The only reasonable way to sort this out is to ban both of you

        1. No Professionals
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 1 month ago

          Ha

  3. Rahulio
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Captain Salah or Pogba?

    1. korbendallas82
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Tc Salah, Then take a shower. I was close to pulling the free hit chip. Feel like doing something today.

    2. Reckoner
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I'm going for Salah all the way.

  4. Super Squirrel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Matt Ryan vs BUR

    OR

    De Gea vs ful

    1. Eytexi
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Ddg

    2. Flynniesta
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Got to be DDG

  5. Blue Gaffer
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Rashford to Jimenez -4 yes or no?

    1. Rahulio
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      No

    2. Flynniesta
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I was wondering about this..can’t decide

    3. Atimis
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Why would you?

  6. Sgt Frank Drebin
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Hi guys. I've got 3.3 ITB. Would you improve anything here for -4? I have no idea really and my squad doesn't look that great for this fixture imho...

    Patricio - (Foster)
    Robbo - Doh'erty - Wan-Biss- Bednarek - (Perreira)
    Pogba - Son - Salah - (Hojbjerg) - (Fraser)
    Auba - Rashford - Jimenez

    1. Rahulio
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Get Mane in for Fraser
      Maybe Jota for hojberg

      1. Sgt Frank Drebin
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        0.5 short to get Mane. Already have triple Wolves.

  7. Reckoner
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    I did Sane to Son for FT.

    A) Aguero to Laca for -4 hit
    B) Keep Aguero

    Thanks

    1. No Professionals
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Keep, then aubameyang next week

  8. alfast1c
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Benching troubles:

    Bench one plz:

    Bednarek
    Benett
    AVB

    1. Sgt Frank Drebin
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Andre Villas-Boas?

      1. alfast1c
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 1 month ago

        🙂 W

    2. Reckoner
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Bednarek. Saints haven't kept home CS for quite long time. Still, who can tell.....

    3. DMil
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      AWB

  9. Iggypop
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Salah and mane owner chasing the pack, thinking mane as the differential captain. Been out scoring salah lately

    1. FPL_DON
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      tempted myself

    2. Tsssst
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      but Salah is on pens

    3. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      His ownership is up but I think Mane non captain is still a good differential.

      A lot of teams that hold him are dead - bare minority have both him and Salah.

      Next time around I’m looking at Arnie v Fulham when all the world will be on Auba. Soton are no pushovers away nowadays. That could be s real winner if it comes off.

  10. Taegugk Warrior
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Chose 1 to bench.
    A. Rashford
    B. Shaw
    C. Digne

    1. Reckoner
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Tough between Shaw and Digne....

    2. DMil
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      From the man who had Digne’s 17 pointer on his bench I implore you not to bench him!

  11. _figu
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Really need Trent to start.

    1. Tsssst
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      10 minute cameo, this is why im benching him

  12. lifes a pitch
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Who should I get rid of to get Pogba...
    A) KDB
    B) Hazard
    C) Go without Pogba

    1. Reckoner
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      KDB of course.

    2. DMil
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      KDB

    3. Duka
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      A

    4. No Professionals
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I think KDB will become the city player of choice in the run in

  13. The Yorkshire Pirlo
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    G2G plsss?

    Alisson
    Robbo, Shaw, Doherty, AWB
    Salah, Hazard, Sane, Son, Pogba
    Jimenez

    Hamer, Bednarek, Rashford, Kamara

  14. OptimusBlack
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Which is better for long term for CS & Goals?
    A- Guaita + Duffy
    B- Ryan + AWB

  15. lifes a pitch
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Who would you get rid of first?
    A) KDB
    B) Hazard

  16. Oldie99
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    any more tweets or similar on Rashford in the last few minutes?

  17. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Rashford starts. Chill everyone.

    Source: https://twitter.com/FPL_Artist/status/1094194143667073024?s=19

    1. DR0GBA
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      he was right about the Man City lineup tbf

    2. Garfield1001
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Is this guy reliable?

    3. wulfrunian
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Who is FplArtist?

    4. Musicholic
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I sense a troll here !

  18. InSaneMan-e
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Richarlison-->Anderson for free?

    1. Musicholic
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      100% Yes !

  19. Gentle_Turks
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Play Anderson or play Richarlison because of higher ownership? (leading in all ML's so don't need a Anderson differential, and a Rich goal could hurt my rank)

    1. Musicholic
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      I think with Arnie back, Anderson has superb fixtures to go for an amazing run again.

  20. Super Silva Haze
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    First SUB ??

    A. Mitrovic

    B. Luiz

  21. Reckoner
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    A) Aguero to Laca for -4 hit
    B) Keep Aguero

    Play:
    1) AWB
    2. Bennet

    Thanks

    1. Musicholic
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 1 month ago

      Let aguero atleast play. Wtf

  22. Musicholic
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 1 month ago

    Did Jonty captain Pogba?