Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 5

It’s back to business for FPL managers after the first international break of the season. The Fantasy Football Scout Gameweek Guide returns to round-up all the latest goings-on covering captaincy, team news, stats (yes, even xG), and opinion. And find out exactly what Az meant when he said Joe had:

Taken all the ‘wild’ out of a Wildcard.

Let’s start with the perennial captain dilemma – who should we trust with the armband this week?

The main contenders once again come from Liverpool and Manchester City. Salah currently leads this site’s captain poll with 35%, while opinion is split between City pair Sterling and Aguero on 21% and 14% respectively.

Part of Salah’s appeal is that he is fully rested: the international break was a proper football break for him. Whereas Sterling started both matches for England, playing the full 90 minutes in the second match. FP Elephant kindly summarised the player activity over the international fixtures, while David goes into more detail in his Scout Notes.

To help us decide who we should trust, David dissects the credentials of the leading candidates in his Captain Sensible article. Examining player stats, opposition stats, and the RMT before making his conclusion. Neale also offered his opinion in the Captaincy Video he did with Joe.

Newcastle-fan Neale pointed out that the Magpies are likely to set up defensively with no real attacking ambition. However, discussing Norwich’s ability to contain Manchester City, he noted:

I don’t know whether Daniel Farke’s got it in him to really sit back and defend – he hasn’t really got the personnel to do that anyway – so I think this could be an absolute bloodbath myself.

Speaking of personnel, Neale reported in his team news article on Friday that the Canaries’ fitness issues had reached almost farcical levels: they will be without all four senior centre-halves and first-choice right-back.

So while the potential is there for City to do well, the problem for many is which of their players to get? 

Norwegian fantasy expert, Aleksander Våge Nilsen, currently eighth in the Fantasy Football Scout Career Hall of Fame, did his best to decipher ‘Pep Roulette’ in this week’s Panel Consultation. And it looks like he might be buying himself a big sofa to hide behind because Aleksander would go without Aguero:

I just have to take the unavoidable Aguero hat-tricks on the chin and hope KDB and Sterling can keep up.

His third City player, in addition to Sterling and KDB, would be a defender:

After Laporte’s long-term injury, an opportunity to go for the cheaper Otamendi has opened, and on a Wildcard, I think I would take that chance.

And it was on the subject of Wildcards that Az accused Joe of being a little boring with his picks. Joe is known, perhaps a little unkindly, as a dullard manager. Although with seven ranks in the top 10,000 he’s also a very good one. 

Joe discussed his Wildcard picks which include Nicolas Otamendi, Sterling, Salah, and KDB, and faced criticism for being too template – for turning his team into everyone else’s team. 

In his opinion piece, the FPL General urged managers to think for themselves:

It’s not about following the pack, the goal is to beat the pack… Trust your own judgement/research/instinct/eye test. FPL is a simple game which we overcomplicate. The only ‘Template’ you need to worry about is your own.

Joe, in his defence, pointed out that at this early stage of the season, player ownership numbers haven’t settled so in that sense it’s hard to define the template. One of the ways Joe picks players, we discovered, is through the “ear test”: in addition to watching games – the eye test – Joe also listens to matches on the radio. 

It was a topic that was touched upon by his latest Meet the Manager guest, Josh Landon, who wonderfully described himself as “maverick within a box”. Josh uses the eye test to help break through all of the noise, and as the FPL General counselled – to trust yourself. 

Stats also play a big part in our decision-making process, but one particular statistic that receives a rather mixed response is expected goals. Essentially a measure of chance quality, there are a number of new xG stats that are available to members, and Neale explained how xG can be used

Elsewhere, David provided a members-only article on the best fourth midfielder to own. A fourth midfielder is defined as a player under £6.5m. While Neale examined Burnley’s appealing fixture run – which players should we own? Three of their number make this week’s Scout Picks.

Greyhead brought us two installments of The Great and The Good. The first looked back to how our managers fared in Gameweek 4 and the second, a treat for Adele fans, examined The Great and The Good Alumni.  

A regular hot-topic, G-Whizz collected all the DS stats, fixtures and clean sheet odds – no surprise that Liverpool and City are predicted to do well. While for fans of Swedish football and true fantasy lovers, Meltens previewed Gameweek 23 in Fantasy Allsvenskan.

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

Last week we decided to turn the Community Tournaments section into its own article. Updates on the latest mini-league and community run competitions can be found here.

And for those who may have missed it, registration is now open for the Pundit’s Play-Off Community Tournament. The deadline for entry is 30 September.

Best of luck for Gameweek 5!

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

2,530 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Fresh_From_Desh
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Kane to Aguero?

    Would give me Sterling, KDB and Aguero

    1. Concrete
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yes if still got WCing

    2. Bishopool
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I woukd stick with option you have TOT and MNC assets.

      Tough one though.. lottery..

    3. Gregor
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      For free?? God yes!

    4. antis0cial
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yes 100%

    5. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yes, can see a low scoring affair at Spurs v Palace while City could break double figures at Norwich!!!

      1. Fresh_From_Desh
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Thanks guys.

        Imagine if a 1-1 rolled in ha

    6. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yep

  2. Bishopool
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Should I give Murray a last chance??!!

    1. Christina.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      no

    2. Peter Ouch
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Nope

    3. Treadstone
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      No

  3. PMz
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Struggling with the selection this week. 2.0 ITB.

    Trossard > Dan James is the only decent move I can see. Thoughts welcome.

    Pope

    VVD AWB* Digne

    Mount Sterling Salah Trossard*

    Pukki Jota Rashford

    1. PMz
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Subs: Lundstram, Montoya, Dendonk

    2. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Play Lundstram... If AWB doesn't play Montoya can come in... Save

    3. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Or trent and lanzini

  4. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Morning folks, haven't touched my team for a week now. GTG?

    Ryan
    TAA Digne Zinchenko Vestergaard
    Salah Sterling [C] KDB Mount
    Wood Pukki

    Button Dendoncker Greenwood Rico

    0FT 1.1ITB

  5. TheBrazilianRonaldo
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    If you’re a city B team player and Norwich are without defence, and you buy into Peps we must play strongest squad cause Prem league so tough, then you are going to be so deflated if a few of you don’t start today. It sends a message, you really won’t ever get many prem league games - Foden for example

    1. Concrete
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Foden won’t start

      1. TheBrazilianRonaldo
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I agree on this one

    2. Rostah
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      At most clubs I'd agree but Peps squad seem to understand the important role they play and for the line. The squad players know the games will come in other comps and that if they keep their head down they'll get their chance eventually. It's annoyingly admirable about City.

    3. Gw287
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I agree and what about Jesus? Perfect game for him to start surely

    4. Laen_inside
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Agreed. I can see them getting a run out if they are 4-0 up at half time

  6. Balls of Steel
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Kane + Pukki to Kun(C) + Wood for a -4?

    Other city cover is KDB!

    1. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Yes. Aguero 60mins hattie and 3 bonus locked

  7. EgyptianKing
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Hi mates!

    G2G?

    Ryan
    Robertson, Digne, Chenko, Lundstrum
    Mount, KDB, Salah, Sterling (C),
    Pukki, Barnes

    Button, AWB, Dendoncker, Greenwood

    Cheers all!

    1. The_Fish
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Template, gtg.

  8. FootballFanatic365
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    thoughts

    Free Hit

    _________Adrian__________
    _Lowton_Peiters_Lund___
    _Sterling(c)__Salah__Mcginn_KDB
    __Kun(vc)_Barnes_Haller__

    button; Dendonker,Rico,prodl

    1. The_Fish
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Free hit? What's wrong with you?

      1. Laen_inside
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Lmao

      2. FootballFanatic365
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Liv City easy fixtures

    2. Pinturicchio10
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Poor decision to fh. That is my only thought.

    3. Chill, we'll call you
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Barnes or Haller?

      1. Peter Ouch
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Barnes

      2. Dybala10
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Haller

      3. Chill, we'll call you
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Baller it is, then.

    4. Cookie Kid
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      A) Martial to Dilva -4
      B) Play Lundstram

      1. The_Fish
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        B, I'm tempted for A for free. Wouldn't do it for a hit.

      2. Johnny Drama
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        B

    5. BobBradleysOpportunity
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      pope
      TAA otam Dig Lund
      Sterl Salah KDB Mount
      Pukki Haller
      button cantwell greenwood soyuncu

      have 0.6 mil ITB on a wildcard, thoughts?

    6. Elsteveio
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      If you were playing Pukki would :

      A - bench Zinc and Play Dunk

      B- play Zinc

      1. Gregor
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Play Zinc, all day long.

      2. Kryten
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        B

      3. Elsteveio
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Thanks guys, my thoughts were if Pukki scores I gain nothing because Zinc losing his clean sheet.

        Where’s as Dunk with Burnley at home could get a return

      4. Treadstone
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        B

    7. Peter Ouch
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Salah Greenwood out,
      Aguero and dendoker in for a hit.

      Mad?

      1. Drexl Spivey
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I bet you don't.

      2. The_Fish
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Yes

      3. JollyGoodYellows
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Do not do that! A fresh Salah at home is gonna haul!

    8. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Sheffield united vs Southampton predictions?

      1. Gregor
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        1-0

      2. Kryten
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Lund first start for me just wand a sheff united cs

      3. Cok3y5murf
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        You tell us

        1. Tsparkes10
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Comfy 2-0 win

          1. Cok3y5murf
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            Biased 😉

            1. Tsparkes10
              • 5 Years
              4 years, 6 months ago

              Confident ;).

      4. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        0-2

      5. SweepaKeepa
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        0 - 0

    9. FPL Maldini
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Which WC is best guys? It is down to this now, defence is the same in both:

      A) Mane • KDB • Pepe • McGinn • F.Anderson
      Kun (c) • Wood

      B) James • McGinn • Sterling • KDB
      Wilson • Auba • Haller

      Option B means I will do Wilson to Vardy in two weeks

    10. ShackledAce
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Play AWB or the Great Finn?

      1. Gregor
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        The great Finn.

    11. El Matador
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Play Pukki or Lundstram?

      Have Zinchenko.

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Pukki party

      2. Elsteveio
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I have same issue, play Zinc he might get attacking returns

    12. WhatWouldYourZlatanSay
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Hey guys,

      Team an absolute shambles but refusing to take hit. Need to play 2 of

      A. Pukki
      B. Deulofeu
      C. Dendoncker

      Leaning to A and B. Any help appreciated.

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        A and B yes

    13. PL Ball
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      James or Ceballos?

      Upto 6.5 to spend.

      1. WhatWouldYourZlatanSay
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        For now James. Keep an eye on how Ceballos is positioned in Lacazette's absence. Could be a good future swap.

    14. Christina.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Salah(c) more votes than Kun & Sterling combined.

      Good.

      1. BoomXhakaLaca1
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Great news

      2. Rinseboy
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        who are you going for though and why?!

        1. Christina.
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          kun. dont own Salah

      3. Gizzachance
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        own salah an ster
        salah cap: at home, on pens, had int break
        ster 2 int games slight concern, think salah will play more minutes
        if i had aguero, would cap him, good form, no international
        tough decisions this week !

    15. Crisnel Ronessi
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Aguerooooooooooi

    16. CABAYE4
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Pope 4.0
      Digne Otamendi Mings Pieters Lascelles
      Sterling KDB Mane Mount Hayden
      Kane King Greenwood

      Thoughts on this 442 WC? Have decided on no Agüero for rotation reasons. do people think Mane covers Salah well enough or should I shave a million off the defence to get him?

    17. Iceball
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Hayden first on bench if no AWB
      A) AWB to Ota
      B) King to Haller
      C) Both for a hit

    18. waltzingmatildas
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Not particularly excited about this team, but think I'm set for this week. Does it need a wc?

      Pope
      Robbo zinchenko digne
      Mane (vc) kdb (c) maddison mount
      Aubameyang pukki Barnes

      Heaton montoya dendoncker Cathcart

      1. Gizzachance
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        save w/c, only concern no salah or ster, they are going to be the 2 top cap picks along with kun this week

    19. Gw287
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      What minutes for you predict for these? If I captain either of the city boys and they're benched I'll be gutted!

      Aguero
      De bruyne
      Salah

      1. Gizzachance
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        70
        65
        85
        all depends on scores, if winning well, then prob less minutes

    20. Dannyb
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Is Firmino a doubt today?

    21. The_Fish
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Play 1 of Soyuncu, Greenwood and Dendoncker.

      Currently on Greenwood, madness?

      1. Fresh_From_Desh
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        How close is Greenwood to starting?

        1. The_Fish
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          I have no idea, they have plenty of injuries though.

      2. Park the bus
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Dendoncker

      3. WhatWouldYourZlatanSay
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Yes. Madness.

      4. Tsparkes10
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Nah. Start him

      5. Stokelona
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I looked into it yesterday and concluded OGS will play a boring team with Perreira and Mata with Greenwood on the bench. Hope I’m wrong as a greenwood owner

    22. Mr_Barbs
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      1.2 itb / 1FT

      A) Jota > Barnes
      B) Jota & Kelly > Barnes & Lundstram (Play 5 at back) -4
      C) Dendoncker & V Dijk > James & Lundstram (play 442) -4

      Pope
      TAA, VDijk, Digne, Zinchencko
      Salah, Sterling, KDB, Cantwell
      Pukki, Jota

      Button, Dendoncker, Greenwood, Kelly*

    23. Park the bus
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      very last decision on WC....

      A. Abraham & Barnes
      B. Haller & Wood

      1. Ady87
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I’m on A.

      2. Fresh_From_Desh
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        A

      3. Treadstone
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        A

    24. Ady87
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      James or Mount if i own Tammy?

      1. Fresh_From_Desh
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Tough one.

        I would go with Tammy

      2. Park the bus
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        James

      3. Gizzachance
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        mount, great fixtures bar the pool game next week

      4. Treadstone
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        James