Scout Squad

The Scout Squad picks for FPL Gameweek 3

The weekly precursor to the Scout Picks article returns ahead of Gameweek 3.

In this piece, our four regular panelists – editorial staff Paul, David, Geoff and Neale – each submit an 18-man squad of Fantasy assets (with the focus on the coming Gameweek) and elaborate on their notable inclusions/omissions.

The 72 nominations listed below will then be narrowed down to a squad of 14 (with the starting XI not exceeding a total cost of £83m) ahead of the Gameweek 3 deadline at 19:00 BST on Friday night.

As we discussed last week, we are making some slight tweaks to the way we do Scout Squad and Scout Picks this season.

We have placed stricter regulations on our panelists: there are requirements for at least one £4.5m goalkeeper, at least one £4.5m or cheaper defender, at least one midfielder priced £6.0m or below and at least one forward priced at £7.0m or lower.

As was the case last year, each panelist is restricted to no more than three players from the same team.

We will also be adding a captaincy to the Scout Picks this season, with details of that revealed on Friday.


 

 DavidNealePaulGeoff
GKHugo LlorisHugo LlorisDavid de GeaHugo Lloris
 David de Gea

Rui Patricio

Mathew RyanMathew Ryan
 Nick PopeMathew RyanJordan PickfordEderson
DFKyle Walker-PetersAaron Wan-BissakaTrent Alexander-ArnoldAymeric Laporte
 Aaron Wan-BissakaKyle Walker-PetersAymeric Laporte

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

 Oleksandr ZinchenkoAymeric LaporteKyle Walker-PetersWilly Boly
 Seamus ColemanTrent Alexander-ArnoldLucas DigneLewis Dunk
 Dan BurnMartin MontoyaJohn LundstramCaglar Soyuncu
MFRaheem SterlingRaheem SterlingRaheem SterlingRaheem Sterling
 Kevin De BruyneSadio ManeSadio ManeSadio Mane
 Sadio ManeKevin De BruyneAnthony MartialAnthony Martial
 Leandro TrossardAnthony MartialLeandro TrossardMason Mount
 Todd CantwellLeandro TrossardMason MountLeandro Trossard
FWHarry KaneHarry KaneHarry KaneHarry Kane
 Teemu PukkiGerard DeulofeuRoberto FirminoMarcus Rashford
 Roberto FirminoTeemu PukkiTeemu PukkiTeemu Pukki
 Ashley BarnesDiogo JotaDiogo JotaRaul Jimenez
 Moise KeanOlivier GiroudGerard DeulofeuAshley Barnes

Most popular picks: Raheem Sterling, Sadio Mane, Leandro Trossard, Harry Kane, Teemu Pukki (four), Hugo Lloris, Mathew Ryan, Kyle Walker-Peters, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Aymeric Laporte, Anthony Martial (three)

David said…

Putting together a Scout Squad submission for Gameweek 3 was certainly harder than it was in the first two rounds of fixtures this season.

For me, Spurs’ defence is a must-have given how lacklustre Newcastle have looked in front of goal.

I’ve opted to throw in Hugo Lloris and Kyle Walker-Peters, who both have the potential for more than just clean sheets.

The goalkeeper was second-best for saves among premium options last season, while Walker-Peters offers some creativity.

I’ve included Harry Kane as the third member of my Spurs contingent after his six shots in the box at home to Aston Villa in Gameweek 1.

Manchester City is another team I want to go big on for Gameweek 3. Only West Ham have conceded more big chances than Bournemouth in the opening two matches, which only pitted them against newly-promoted sides.

As things stand, Raheem Sterling is joint-top of the league for shots in the box, while Kevin de Bruyne is streaks ahead for chances created.

Bournemouth’s attack has underwhelmed so far this season, so Oleksandr Zinchenko is included to capitalise on a potential clean sheet.

I am expecting plenty of goals when Arsenal come to Anfield on Saturday evening, which is why I have no defenders from either team.

Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino get into my Scout Squad after some uninspiring performances from Mohamed Salah in the first two matches, both from an eye test and underlying statistics perspective.

In-form forwards Teemu Pukki and Ashley Barnes also get the nod, while Todd Cantwell and Leandro Trossard are my differentials I expect to continue their good form from Gameweek 2.

Neale said…

There’s something uninspiringly template about the midfield I’ve picked but the differentials can wait for another week, with City and Liverpool’s premium options in form and up against defences of questionable competence.

Given that we’re obliged to have one £6.0m-or-under player in that position, I struggled to look any further than Leandro Trossard for my cut-price option.

Brighton may have only drawn 1-1 with West Ham on Saturday but they carved out multiple opportunities against the Hammers and the Belgian was in the thick of the action, cutting in off the left flank and firing off more goal attempts than anyone else on show.

Southampton still have that ‘work in progress’ feel about them and, although there have a few green shoots in an attacking sense, they still look ropey at the back and haven’t kept a clean sheet in nine Premier League games.

Arsenal continue to look susceptible to headed chances and opportunities created from set plays (they have conceded the most of both this season) so I’m backing Sadio Mane, he of more headed goal attempts than any other midfielder in 2018/19, and dead-ball specialist Trent Alexander-Arnold to exploit the Gunners’ defence – as they so often do at Anfield.

Crystal Palace were abysmal at Sheffield United last weekend and offered very little going forward, with the Blades giving Wilfried Zaha some special ‘attention’ to nullify him and with it render Palace toothless.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka knows Zaha’s game intimately and if there’s one man who can stop the Ivory Coast international, it’s United’s new right-back – I’m expecting plenty of tackles on the Palace winger to go with a Red Devils’ clean sheet, potentially handing Wan-Bissaka a route into the bonus points to supplement his shut-out.

West Ham’s defensive woes continue and even though they picked up a point at the Amex, Brighton had ample opportunities to bury then.

Manuel Pellegrini’s ongoing search for solidity at the back saw Fabian Balbuena surprisingly dropped on the south coast, a decision which smacked of desperation and had little effect on the volume of chances the Hammers subsequently shipped at the Amex.

I’m backing Gerard Deulofeu to exploit the undoubted defensive weaknesses, then.

Watford haven’t got a point yet but Deulofeu looked much better for a return up front (albeit he did still drift wide) at Everton and attacking returns are there for the taking at Vicarage Road, even if West Ham could have Mark Noble back to give Declan Rice some much-needed help in front of the back four.

Paul said…

Striking a balance between defence and attack looks key this week.

Man City, Spurs and Man United all face obliging opponents that raise the appeal of investing at both ends of the pitch.

Going without Liverpool attackers could be a big risk, though – Jurgen Klopp’s men have put 12 goals past Arsenal in their last three at Anfield.

In midfield, Leandro Trossard and Mason Mount were both on the scoresheet last time around and have the statistics to strengthen their claims in the budget bracket.

No Brighton player has topped Trossard’s four shots and three efforts in the box in the opening two matches – despite him failing to feature in Gameweek 1.

Mount, meanwhile, is second only to Raheem Sterling for shots on target in midfield, by five to seven.

Up top, a home clash with West Ham hands Gerard Deulofeu the chance to open his account for the season.

The Spaniard took advantage of the Hammers’ obliging defence in both their meetings last season, scoring home and away.

Having now dropped to £6.4m, his 4.2% ownership marks him out as a strong differential for the Vicarage Road encounter.

Diogo Jota shouldn’t be overlooked either, as Wolves prepare to entertain Burnley.

At home, the Portuguese played a part in 52% of his side’s goals last term – the same as the pricier Raul Jimenez.

Yet it was Jota who found the net at a faster frequency at Molineux – he scored a home goal every 172.7 minutes compared with the 205.9 of Jimenez.

Geoff said…

I see Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris getting a first clean sheet of the season at home to Newcastle, and look to Mathew Ryan as a budget pick for Southampton’s visit.

Aymeric Laporte might be the most secure route into the City backline, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka has looked strong at right-back for the red half of Manchester. I see bonus points if United can keep a clean sheet.

Though Burnley have scored four goals so far, I think Wolves will get their first win of the season and Willy Boly is a cheaper alternative to Matt Doherty who still poses a goal threat – albeit a different sort of one.

At £4.5m, Çaglar Söyüncü is an easy, budget-friendly route into a Leicester defence that has only conceded once.

While Raheem Sterling looks like an auto-pick, I’ve opted for Sadio Mané over Mohamed Salah. Separated by only one FPL point despite Mané not starting in Gameweek 1, Mané could easily score more this week and further underscore his (relative) value for money.

Anthony Martial continues to start up front for United, who next host Crystal Palace, and he has a goal in each game this season.

Mason Mount seems to be one of Frank Lampard’s trusted lieutenants and will be looking for a third straight start after scoring Chelsea’s only goal against Leicester.

Elsewhere in the mid-price midfield bracket, Leandro Trossard made the most of his start against West Ham with a goal and looks good value against winless Southampton.

Up top, Harry Kane has a very strong home fixture against Newcastle, making him an easy first choice among the forwards.

Marcus Rashford is another route into the United team against Crystal Palace and may well be taking the Red Devils’ next penalty after Paul Pogba’s miss against Wolves.

Raul Jiménez has yet to score or assist but I fancy his chances at home to Burnley, while on the other side, Ashley Barnes has three goals in two games. He can continue that against a Wolves team who will have some possession but won’t be able to solely rely on their counter-attack.

The Community Champion

Before most Gameweeks, we nominate a Fantasy manager to challenge our Scout Picks with a starting XI of their own.

The Community Champion who has the biggest lead over the Scouts during 2019/20 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).

The Community Champion for Gameweek 3 is FPL Mike the Knight, who has two top 5k finishes to his name in the last six seasons.


Lessons learned from Gameweek 2



1,929 Comments Post a Comment
  1. HP18
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Need some help deciding on a draft trade: I'm being offered Fraser and Jiminez for Maddison and King, thoughts?

    1. Ulty
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      No way, José.

    2. FPLShaqiri
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I like that trade

    3. Hutchiniho
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Hold

    4. DantheManinaPan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I'd deffo take that for the long term

      1. DantheManinaPan
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Jimmy will far outscore King, and Fraser vs Maddison will be tight

        1. HP18
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Seems people are as undecided as me!

    5. CROCosta
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I prefer Maddison to Fraser and Jimenez to King so tight but I would be inclined to keep Maddison and King, accept if you have another LEI asset like Vardy,Perez or Pereira

    6. PerthSuperIrons
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      bite their hand off

  2. FPLShaqiri
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Would you trade Abraham to Barnes in FPL Draft? Can afford to bench Abraham this week but wondering if he’ll come good. Would hate to transfer out the nailed Chelsea striker

  3. Hutchiniho
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Martial or Pukki set and forget?
    £4.8m and 4.6 in TFF

  4. Mufc123
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Yerry Mina worth considering??

  5. Awesomeness
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Who to bench?

    A. Montoya
    B. Lundstram
    C. Emerson

    Thanks

  6. Mufc123
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Best 4.5 midfielder??

    1. 4l4n
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Really like Kane, but can get Martial and Rashford for him and Dendoncker. Should I make the move?

  7. SpaceCadet
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Bench one

    A. Cantwell
    B. King
    C. Lund

    1. horace666
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      king

  8. stu92
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Debating whether to WC it this week, but wondering if there is any tactical advantage to using the pre-Christmas wildcard later in the season? Possibly make decisions based on larger sample size of matches, but then also miss out on price rises of the more in-form players. What are other people’s thoughts?

    1. ibenji
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      i always like to do my first WC as late as I can, so I can use my second WC in DGWs nearer the end of the season.

  9. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    I don't think Potter understands the meaning of the word unlucky...

  10. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Why none goes with Rashford?

  11. Weeb Kakashi
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    On a -4

    Pope
    Robbo Laporte Coleman Montoya
    Salah Sterling (C) KDB Trossard
    Rashford Deulofue.

    Lundstram Dendo

    G2G??

  12. Robhun
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Am I missing something with Ndombele? I thought he would be locked in with a lot of teams???

    1. PerthSuperIrons
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      id expect him to notch tomorrow and get an assist based on what i have seen to date

      1. The Hairy One
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Not with his thigh injury, he won't.

  13. noone
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Ederson,
    Laporte, Azpi, AWA
    B. Silva, Martial, Sigurdsson, Salah, Mount
    Jota, Wilson

    Sub: Button, King, Kelly, Lascelles

    ITB: 0.4

    Posting here after a long time, my start to the season hasn't been great. Not planning to play wildcard soon unless absolutely required. Do you think this is a decent team or I need to make some changes asap?

    Will appreciate all the feedback. Thank you peeps!

  14. Hutchiniho
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Aubameyang and Lanzini

    Or

    Martial and Pukki

    Set and forget, rest of season. not just for this week!

    1. stu92
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      2

  15. KuntaKante
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    which of these two would you bench this week:

    A. Pukki (Che)
    B. King (City)

    1. stu92
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      King, no doubt

  16. AndyJMac85
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Pukki or Rashford?

  17. stu92
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    On a wildcard

    Ederson/Ryan
    VVD/Robertson/AWB/Digne/Lundst.
    Martial/Salah/KDB/Perez/Hayden
    Pukki/Jiminez/Greenwood

    Thinking of Perez/Hayden out, McGinn/Ceballos in. Any thoughts?

    1. ibenji
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I did Perez to Mount personally. Price drop/Price rise was sore to take however. Ceballos does look an option, i'd wait beyond Liverpool game though imho.

  18. Maxim Tsigalko
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    I’m the top 250,000 but team needed changing for this week! Was going to wild card but don’t think now is the right time so an 8 point hit is what I’m going for;

    Ryan, (Button)

    TAA, Gomez, Zinch, Lundstram, (Kelly)

    Salah, Sterling C, Martial, Siggy > McGinn, Perez > DeBruyne

    Wilson > Chicorito, (King, Greenwood)

    Any opinions are welcome

    1. Pinturicchio10
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Not worth it

    2. The Hairy One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      (re-posting as I posted in wrong article previously)
      Already spent my 1 transfer this week to get Kane back in. Would it be crazy to remove Perez + McGinn or King to get Martial + Cantwell or Origi. Feel like I need Martial in my team but not sure at cost of 8 points!? Thoughts?

    3. unholysmoke
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Wildcard panic button firmly pressed, but an early wc did me right last season. Thoughts?
      Heaton (Pope)
      AW-B Walker Keane KW-P (Dunk)
      Bernard Sterling (c) Martial Mane
      Jota Rashford (Pukki)

      Don't think Saints will score but I can't have all five defenders on the pitch. Bernard looked so good last week, any good reason people aren't leaping on him?

    4. vinny240789
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Ryan (button)
      Taa, awb, vvd (ake, kelly)
      Siggy, sterling, moura, zaha, maddison
      King, pukki, (jota)

      Was fortunate to captain pukki last week..any thoughts on my current squad? 1Ft and £2.4m itb

    5. MFish16
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Norowood, Cantwell, Greenwood, Pope , play bench boost ?

    6. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      A) Martial to Mount for a hit

      or

      B) Play Lundstram