Scout Picks

Gameweek 8 Scout Picks retains faith in Salah

We have kept faith in two of Liverpool’s most attacking players for the Gameweek 8 Scout Picks.

The visit of Leicester to Anfield has concerned some invested in Jurgen Klopp’s men but are still expecting a positive result.

The Scout Picks has been carefully put together using David, Neale, Paul and Geoff’s Scout Squad submissions from earlier in the week.

For this weekend we line up in a 4-3-3 formation and come in £0.5m under our budget of £83.0m.

Goalkeeper

Nick Pope has a favourable fixture this week as well as good form at home in 2019/20

Nick Pope (£4.6m) was a simple inclusion in the Scout Picks this week ahead of Burnley’s meeting with Everton at Turf Moor. The Clarets have already kept two clean sheets at home this season, against Southampton and Norwich, while Marco Silva’s men have found the net just once in three road trips. Meanwhile, Pope is currently fifth in the league for saves (24).

Defenders

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a regular inclusion in the Scout Picks this season

Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) remains a favourite of the Scout Squad panel, chosen as the best option in defence by three of them this week. Liverpool may not have kept a Premier League clean sheet at Anfield this season but they have conceded the fewest big chances of any side in the last four matches. Meanwhile, Alexander-Arnold remains the top defender for chances created in that period, fashioning eight more than any other player in his position.

Nicolas Otamendi (£5.5m) continues to be the most nailed-on Manchester City defender, which should see him do well against Wolves this weekend. The visitors had another exerting Europa League encounter on Thursday night and had to play nine of the players who beat Watford in Gameweek 7. That is far from the ideal preparation for a trip to the Etihad Stadium when Wolves have had troubles in front of goal this season. Only four teams have scored fewer goals than them on the road in 2019/20, while Manchester City have conceded the fewest number of shots in the last four matches.

Matt Lowton (£4.5m) joins the Scout Picks as part of a Burnley defensive double-up. We’ve already covered the Clarets’ clean sheet potential in Gameweek 8, why it’s the right-back getting the nod is his creativity. Erik Pieters may have more assists of any other Burnley defender this season but Lowton has created more chances than any other colleague bar Ashley Westwood. 

Despite graduating from the £4.0m bracket, John Lundstram (£4.5m) can still offer plenty of value in Gameweek 8. Watford remain in the bottom three for big chances this season while Sheffield United kept a clean sheet on their last away trip. Meanwhile, Lundstram continues to be a creative force for the Blades, only four players in the whole league fashioning more big chances than him in the first seven matches.

Midfielders

Salah has been reliable in home matches in all competitions this season

The Scout Squad have retained faith in Mohamed Salah (£12.5m), even ahead of a tricky meeting with Leicester City. The Foxes defence has been in good shape in recent weeks but Salah has done very well at Anfield this season. Every Premier League match there in 2019/20 has seen him produce attacking returns and if we factor in the latest Champions League outing, he has six goals in all competitions in front of his own fans this season.

A midweek rest for Raheem Sterling (£12.1m) should put him in a good place for the visit of Wolves to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Not only did the midfielder get most of the Dinamo Zagreb off, he also provided a goal and assist when he took to the pitch as a substitute. As already mentioned, Wolves have not had the best preparation for this trip and have conceded in each of their last two away matches. Gameweek 8 was another one in which we also like the prospects of Aguero but we could not quite squeeze him and Sterling into the line-up, the latter definitely a much more likely starter this weekend.

Two goals in two for John McGinn (£5.8m) has firmly placed the Aston Villa midfielder on the Fantasy radar once again. So far this season, only two players have registered more shots on target than McGinn, which bodes well for a trip to Norwich this weekend. The Canaries have conceded 15 goals in the first seven matches, only Watford have shipped more, and are yet to keep a clean sheet at Carrow Road in 2019/20.

Forwards

Fresh from a midweek rest, Aubameyang is back in the Scout Picks once again

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.0m) is still yet to blank this season so it is hard to see his scoring run ending in a home match against Bournemouth. The Cherries have conceded five times in their three away matches this season and have historically struggled at the Emirates Stadium.

Tammy Abraham (£7.6m) looks in a good place to reward his owners’ patience in Gameweek 8. In the last four matches, he is behind only Aguero for shots in the box and tops the league for efforts on target. A continuation of that trend at a Southampton side without a clean sheet at home this season should see Abraham do well.

Gameweek 8 should be the week that Teemu Pukki (£7.2m) returns to the Fantasy conversation. While Norwich have struggled on the road this season, they have been full of goals at Carrow Road. Pukki himself has averaged 13.3 points per game there in 2019/20 while Aston Villa have conceded seven goals across their three away matches so far.

Substitutes

Given that we fancy Sheffield United’s clean sheet chances this weekend, it makes sense to include Dean Henderson (£4.5m) on the bench. He was selected by three of our Scout Squad panel.

Harry Maguire (£5.5m) came close to making it into the final XI based on Newcastle’s problems in front of goal this season. Ahead of hosting Manchester United, the Magpies are yet to score more than once in a match this season and have blanked twice at home already.

John Fleck (£4.8m) could be a tidy differential for anyone looking to capitalise on Sheffield United’s favourable trip to Watford. He is joint-top among his colleagues for chances created over the last four matches and is second for shots inside the box.

As we discovered earlier this week, Chris Wood (£6.2m) stands a good chance of continuing his scoring run when Everton come to Turf Moor. In the last four Gameweeks, only three players have been afforded more big chances than the Burnley striker.

The Captain

The Scout Picks now has a captain for the 2019/20 campaign.

This skipper is chosen using the conclusions of the latest Captain Sensible article and a four-way vote between David, Neale, Paul and Geoff.

Because the use of Fantasy Football Scout data is used so heavily in this process, the captain we choose each Gameweek will be known only to those who have signed up to Membership for the 2019/20 season.

It will be revealed to the public only when the deadline for the Gameweek has passed.

Community Champion

Representing the community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 8 is Vobinho in Wengerland.

They have gone for a 3-4-3 of Dúbravka; Holebas, Schär, Alonso; Zaha, D Silva, Willian, Saka; Firmino, Aguero (c), Kane.

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.

It was a win for the Community Champion in Gameweek 7 as The Greenback Boogie won by a close 54-52 scoreline.

irfansheikh‘s winning margin of 16 points from Gameweek 7 is the latest score to beat for the 2019/20 season.

Lessons Learned from Gameweek 7

5,269 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Ben Marlin
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pope, Button
    Otamendi, TAA, VVD, Digne, Diop
    Sterling, Salah, Mount, Cantwell, Dendocker
    Pukki, Haller, Greenwood

    2.7m, 1FT

    Any thoughts would be much appreciated

    1. Pacer.
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Buy a striker

      1. Ben Marlin
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Digne > Cheap defender
        Greenwood > Abraham

        Is that worth -4?

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

        Part time Pukki delivers milk and Haller is an Ibra lookalike in Azarbaijan. In the rest of their work one might loosely describe them as strikers

  2. boroie
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Anything wrong here? Or gtg?

    Leno
    Otamendi Lowton Fredericks
    Mane Mahrez Mount Cantwell
    Auba(C) Aguero(VC) Abraham

    Button; Ceballos Rico Soyuncu

    1. Woy
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      g2g

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

      G2g

  3. Woy
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Bottomed,

    https://i.imgur.com/SA8mLZu.png

    Free hit used. All advice welcome.

    Thanks

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

      Free hit and no city attack? Is it 1st April somewhere else in the world?

      1. Woy
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Too risky for a 1 week where i want every player hitting hard

    2. Pacer.
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Free hit and 5 away players

      Come on.

  4. oedyb22
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    A) KdB/Hayden -> Mahrez/Mount -4
    B) KdB/Ayew -> Mahrez/Pukki -4
    C) KdB/Ayew -> Dilva/Abraham -4
    D) Just KdB out and Son/Mahrez FT

    1. redsallstars
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      D, prob mahrez great games for next 4

  5. R.C
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Winston Reid can replace anyone from the West Ham line up once he is back?

  6. Warby84
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Is there a website for xG for upcoming fixtures??

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      xG is a retrospective stat. It doesn’t project future goal attempts.

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

      XG is past not future predicted. It is based on what happened so o don’t think there is. You can take the XG and guess the goals though. 11v11 is good for seeing history if results between teams

      1. Warby84
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Thanks

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

    Would you do
    VVD & Dendoncker > Tomori & Mount (-4)

    Pope
    TAA, VVD, Otamendi, Lundstram
    Salah, Sterling, KDB*, Cantwell]
    Abraham Pukki

    Button, Dendoncker, Greenwood, Aurier*

  8. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Aguero + Barnes -> Wilson + Vardy in the IB? Two nailed focal points for attacking teams with no European distractions vs a rotation risk and a turd on two legs.

    1. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Also gives me some money left over to upgrade James to Maddison.

    2. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I like those moves. Aguero needs to haul tomorrow to stop the temptation of moving to Vardy / Aubameyang.

    3. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Like it.
      Takes away a solid © option though

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Perma cap Salah was what I told myself I would go for all pre season. Of course I have ended up not doing it, and if I had perma capped Salah I would have been better off. So now Ill do it for real, force myself to do it by not owning any other captain options 😉

    4. Pacer.
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Hideous price points but theoretically good picks

  9. JollyGoodYellows
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Play McGinn or Bilva?

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

      McGinn for me

  10. FOO FIGHTER
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    City lineup today?

    Ederson
    Walker Ota Fern Mendy
    Gund Rodri Dilva
    Bilva Kun Sterling

    1. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Foden in for Gundogan would be my guess.

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

      Just Mendy >Zinchenkoand and that's it imo

  11. Tasty Jerk
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Have Sterling and Salah and (2 free transfers)

    KDB to......

    a) Mane
    b) Mahrez (and upgrade a defender to TAA)

    1. C'mon the Fylde
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      B

  12. C'mon the Fylde
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Am I GTG? Would you captain Mahrez, Salah or Aubameyang?

    Pope
    TAA Otamendi Lundstram
    Mahrez Yarmolenko Salah Son
    Abraham Aubameyang Pukki

    Button, Soyuncu, Oriol Romeu, Rico

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

      Aubemeyang

  13. Tommy J
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Who to play:
    A Lundstram
    B Pereira
    C Dunk

    Currently on A

    Cheers

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

      Lund

      1. Tommy J
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Thanks

  14. mccormibar
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Heaton Button

    Otamendi Sokratis Tomori Montoya Lund

    De Bruyne Sterling Mane Pepe Mount

    Abraham Haller Greenwood

    For gameweek 9 I have 2 free transfers and Soyuncu is at 98% for a rise. I have exact money for

    Heaton > Roberto
    Montoya > Soyuncu

    Should I just pull the trigger on this tonight?

    1. La Roja
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Yeah

  15. rodragon
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Play lund or cantwell?

    1. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Cantwell please

  16. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    3,948,447 🙁

    1. CRO KLOPP
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Population in Croatia after joining EU

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

      Number of times you've thought about transferring out KDB this week....

  17. LC1
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pope
    Ota TAA Lundstrum
    Son Sterling Mount Yarmalenko
    Aubu(c) Abraham Pukki

    Button Rico Dendo Soyuncu

    2.3 ITB to do Pukki > Vardy next week and Son > KDB when he returns.

    All looking good?

    Thanks

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

      Fair dacent team

      1. LC1
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Thanks bud!

  18. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Has the Scout picks challenge been and gone? Can’t find a hot topic

  19. boroie
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    A or B?

    A - Tomori & Son
    B - Otamendi & Mahrez

    1. Kane Train
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Long term A. Short term B

      Can u get Ota & Son?

  20. Kane Train
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Is Mahrez the best replacement for KDB. Or someone like Felipe Anderson or willian a better option

  21. Eleven Hag
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Is it worth taking a -4 hit to do KDB -> mahrez? Will bring back kdb in gw10

    1. boroie
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Probably not but I’ve done it

    2. twoplustwo
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I've done it and captained

    3. Kane Train
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I wouldn’t

  22. MaRooney 5
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    what to do with this:

    Ryan
    TAA, Digne, Lundy, Rico, Robertson
    KDB*, Hayden*, McGinn, Salah, Sterling
    Tammy, Greeny, Pukki?

    1FT, 0.4m ITB
    Got KDB at 9.9

    Thanks in advance!

  23. andres
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pope
    TAA Pieters Lund
    KDB* Sterling Mount Cantwell*
    Kun Tammy Pukki

    Ceballos*, Kelly, Soy, 1FT, 2.9M

    A Kdb to Salah
    B Ceballos to Yarmo

  24. dunas_dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Bit concerned with bench if Cantwell out. Still holding WC. Would you

    A Play team and carry transfer
    B Cantwell to Saka free
    C Go B and KDB to Mahrez -4
    D Any other suggestion welcome if was your team?

    Pope
    TAA Otamendi Diop Van Dijk
    Salah Sterling (c) Mount Cantwell
    Pukki Abraham

    McGovern Rico Greenwood KDB*

    1. andre_c
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      KDB - Mahrez

  25. Kasper the ghost keeper
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Start:
    A: Rico
    B: Cahill

  26. andre_c
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    KDB to Mahrez? Yes or No. May consider captaining Mahrez as well.

    Pope
    TAA, Otamendi, Lund
    Salah (C), KDB, Mount, Yarmo
    Aguero (C), Abraham, Pukki

    Button, Cantwell, Rico, Soy
    Cheers

    1. PompeyUpNorth!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Yes but capt Aguero

      1. andre_c
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        ok thanks

  27. SUICIDE SQUAD
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Best kdb replacement short term????

    1. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      D Silva

    2. PompeyUpNorth!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Mahrez

  28. Erez Avni
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    The decision between Mahrez and Son is destroying me from inside

    1. PompeyUpNorth!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Ive decided Mahrez. Much, much better under lying stats n Spurs are is disarray v Brighton who are no mugs..

    2. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Sounds painful

  29. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    KDB to silva or Mahrez for free?
    Rest of team
    Kepa
    VVD Otamendi Rose
    Slash Son Mount
    Tammy Pukki Wilson

    Button Lundstram Rico Hayden * KdB *