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. Lovren an elevator
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Firmino to Origi bandwagon incoming

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

      Essential

    2. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      GW1 all over again

  2. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    How long does the site take to update these days?

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

      Ages

      1. It’s gonna Ben Mee
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Ain’t that the truth. But is it usually 30 mins or 60?

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

          30 mins usually.
          With all the wc, might take a big longer

    2. Make Arrows Green Again
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Longer than a Shane Long goal drought.

  3. CostaCoffee
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Mane starting in the middle today?

    1. Respect My Authoritah
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      The 3 of them will rotate

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

        I imagine Origi will stay out left for the majority though? He’s pretty ineffective as a 9 imo

        1. Respect My Authoritah
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Not sure. Potentially, yeah

    2. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      No

  4. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Trent 12 pointer incoming tbh. Awful game, 1-0, one of his crosses gets through

    1. bring_on _the_fantasy
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Way off - 0 chance of that happening

      1. Witty Pun: Not good at this…
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        0? Hmm. Might wanna go revise probabilities mate

  5. Camzy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    I still think Salah (c) was correct. Let's see. It's super boring, but just cap Salah every week against non top 6 teams (except Arsenal at home) and I think you're golden this season. No need to do anything too fancy.

    1. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Salah hatti would be great

    2. IN SANE IN DE BRUYNE
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Except you will miss out on big hauls from Sterling and Agüero

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

        This

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

        Can't have em all

    3. el polako
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Both great picks today.
      There is no right or wrong decision now - it will come down to luck.

    4. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I prefer Kun's 4 goals over Salah's 1 goal and assist today.

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

        This

    5. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      How do you know it's correct ? They not even played yet.

      1. Critical Observer
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Because hindsight doesn’t count when determining whether a decision was right or wrong at the time it was made.

        1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Stupid post though. I think Sterling captain was correct then. Tell me why it isn't 🙂

          1. ‘Tis the Season
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            wind your neck in pumpkin

            1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
              • 14 Years
              4 years, 6 months ago

              I shall not. Sorry

          2. Camzy
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            It's not the right mentality. The right mentality is: with all the resources at my disposal, weighing the pros and cons, which captain choice was better at the time it was made.

            Salah: Highest scorer last season, Home vs NEW, rested for two weeks. 100% GTD to play.
            Sterling: Explosive potential, Away vs NOR, played 2 intl. games, not guaranteed to start, NOR are super injury laden

            So basically, does Norwich being bad overcome the other factors and frankly I don't think it does. With what I can see, the most logical pick is Salah.

            1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
              • 14 Years
              4 years, 6 months ago

              Sterling has 28 points in his last 2 away games. He now faces a shockingly bad defensive side who have many injuries. That's all I need to know.

              It's a toss up this gw. No matter how you break it down

        2. Camzy
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          This is so true. People are so results oriented here.

          1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            You have no idea how i play. Who made you the expert anyway.

            1. Epic Fail
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 13 Years
              4 years, 6 months ago

              That grav makes your comments 10 times scarier.

              1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
                • 14 Years
                4 years, 6 months ago

                Well I could post a pic of a pretty woman to get more attention. Maybe even pretend I'm a girl

              2. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
                • 14 Years
                4 years, 6 months ago

                I wanna feel some muscles

    6. ‘Tis the Season
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      sense of reason Camzy!

    7. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      No that it matters but my captaincy order would be Agüero > Salah > Sterling

  6. Ask Yourself
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Quite an attacking line up from newcastle wasn’t expecting that. Shelvey gets emotional in these sorts of games and has a lot of defensive responsibilities here. Salah hatty well done fellow cappers

    1. Supersonic Marv'
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      541? Attacking?

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        More like 523 with 2 midfielders in Shelvey and Hayden who aren’t all that defensively

    2. HNI
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Haha I know what you did there. Make self feel better if salah gives avg return which is strong possibility with no Firmino

      1. Ask Yourself
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        I think it’s quite likely salah does well here

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

    I think my WC ....

    1. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      ....didn’t take?!

  8. HNI
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    In sterling v salah captaincy, I have got it wrong every single time this season. So well done Salah captainers :p

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

      me to!
      just switched from salah to ster, lets see how this week goes
      sterling had the better fixture last week, got nothing, so lets hope this week goes better, and he doesnt end up being benched

  9. It’s gonna Ben Mee
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Imagine if Google was built by the same people who built FPL.

    “Thanks for your query! Your search results will be ready in 5 hours.”

    1. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      🙂

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

      Hahahahaha

    3. HNI
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Bing would have made a comeback then

    4. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I’m tempted to start my own FPL. How difficult can it be??

  10. Cantona's Kung Fu Kick
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    WTF, just got up in the US and Adrian is starting? Didn't Klopp say that he was way off from playing just 2 days ago?

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      No.

    2. Respect My Authoritah
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Lol, wut

    3. SH1M1
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Ermm who wants to tell him ?

    4. Supersonic Marv'
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      He was talking about Alisson.

    5. Critical Observer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Adrian and Alisson are different people.

      Hope this helps.

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        😀

  11. Respect My Authoritah
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Worth doing Montoya ➡️ Otamendi for next week, or would you rather save?

  12. MagicMessi
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    There's an ancient rule: don't Captain early gamers

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

      Kane disagrees

    2. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I consider myself an early gamer

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

        me too

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

      Salah v Bournemouth last season

      1. mearley14
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        If you mean his 4 goal haul that was the season before and was also a late game

  13. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Spurs will be a different side with a fit Son fit and raring to go

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

      Son alli Eriksen behind Kane

    2. SH1M1
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Lets hope so !

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

      Fit Son fit. Idiot

      1. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Are you saying Son is fit?

  14. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    My Rough with the Smooth is sorted.

    Rough: Firmino
    Smooth: Agüero TC

    😎 😉

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      This may be very true in few hours.
      Good luck with Kun, only player I wish I has this week.

      1. el polako
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        *had

      2. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        It’s just a game. I’ll keep telling myself that.

        1. el polako
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          It is but in my case it does aftects my mood swings.
          I'm like a bipolar teenage girl on matchdays.

          1. Twisted Saltergater
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            Yeah, it can be difficult. Just give yourself 5 mins grumpy time then realise how silly you’re being 🙂

    2. FPL Blow-In
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Oh you jinxed it. Jesus starts 😉

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

        Is he nailed? 😉

      2. Twisted Saltergater
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Reverse jinx!

  15. Freaki
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Forgot to change my captains :/ rip

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

      F

      1. La Roja
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        eck it

    2. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Who have you captained and who was you meant to captain?

      1. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        You’ll find out afterwards..

    3. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      It amazes me that anyone who posts on FFS forgets to change their captain. It’s the first thing 90% of people do when the game re-opens 😀

      Who’ve you gone with?

      1. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Definitely. My whole team is always sorted (minus transfers) straight after update.

        1. have you seen cyan
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          same, never understood how people make mistakes. I never once made a mistake in 9 seasons

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

        Not just captain. But transfers are decided too :F

    4. Differentiator
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Still on Capitano Pukkinho?

  16. HNI
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Good to see Liv super creator Firmino benched as a Sterling captainer.

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

    Is this the 2500th comment?

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

      Not yet mate

      1. ‘Tis the Season
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        did you just refer to yourself as mate?

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

          Yes. gotta reach 2.5k before the new article 😀

        2. Rupert The Horse
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Ahahahaha.

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

          If you dont love yourself nobody else will

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

            Word

      2. La Roja
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        It’s like watching dumb and dumber

    2. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      If it is, wouldn't that be absolutely wonderful.

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

        Neigh

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

        Best day of my life

    3. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Confirmed. Enjoy your prize.

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

        There's a delay.

  18. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Why does everyone think Salah will haul? People forgetting Newcastle's manager is veteran Steve Bruce?

    1. ‘Tis the Season
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      liverpool at home can break down any team, even without Firmino

    2. el polako
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      The North remembers....

    3. Supersonic Marv'
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Veteran relegation specialist.

    4. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Well, don't you?

    5. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      I remember Steve Bruce... I remember him being an awful manager.

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

      8 more comments

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

        .

  19. Differentiator
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Thank god PL football is back. Love being able to spend my weekends in isolation in my bedroom watching several matches, shut out from the wider world and so I can gain lots of fantasy points !!!

    1. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      IM OFF TO KEW GARDENS

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

      This . Absolutely.

    3. Eddie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Here here

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

      It's a welcomed distraction when the world is in a state of disarray.

    5. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Got a decent supply of Kleenex?

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

    2500th comment it is!!!!

  21. Old Bull
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Testing Testing. If you’re reading this the site has updated. No need to be concerned or impatient.
    9.05am 14/09/2019

  22. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    the leader of my mini league has such a garbage team, wtf

    Jiminez - Kane
    Dendocker - Salah - Guendouzi - KDB
    Digne - AWB - VVD- Dunk
    Foster

    How can that team be in front of me LOL

  23. toerag
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    i think my wc team is this
    pope button
    TAA digne pieters lundstram soynchu
    salah sterling KDB mount cantwell
    pukki abraham greenwood
    1 itb

    ok??

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

      i had kun (C) all week 🙁