Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 8

With the next international break breathing down our necks, be sure to savour the thrills, heartache, jam, and (fingers crossed) joy that Gameweek 8 will undoubtedly provide.

As ever, Fantasy Football Scout is here to help you separate fact from rumour, stat from gobbledegook, and Pep from his roulette wheel. Well, ok separating Pep from his roulette wheel is probably surgically impossible, but two out of three ain’t bad. And, just for the heck of it, we’ll even explain what a “compound differential” is. Oh yes.

Talking points

The main headline this week has undoubtedly been the injury to Kevin De Bruyne. Guardiola confirmed on Friday that the brilliant Belgian will miss Gameweek 8

No, tomorrow [De Bruyne] is not fit. After the international break, he will be ready. It’s not a big, big problem.

Over half a million managers have wasted no time in ditching De Bruyne with Mount, Yarmolenko, and Mahrez (more on him later), the popular replacements. 

For other more patient souls – willing to trust Pep when he says the midfield maestro will return for Gameweek 9 – this will mean a substitute taking his place in their fantasy teams. 

If you’ve got options like John Lundstram (£4.5m) or Todd Cantwell (£5.0m) on your bench, hold on to Kevin.

The FPL General

However, as Neale reported in his team news round-up, some may have reason to worry. Speaking on Friday, Norwich City boss Daniel Farke reported a problem with 27%-owned Todd Cantwell:

There is a little doubt, a little question mark behind Todd Cantwell. He’s got some hamstring problems. He was out Wednesday and Thursday, returned back today on the training pitch, it looked alright. We have to wait a bit, how his body reacts. I hope to have him available for tomorrow.

For the low-down on all the treatment room latest, we not only have Neale’s quote-filled articles, but Rotation’s Alter Ego has kindly summarised the key points for each team. Could Allison be about to make his return this weekend?

Who to trust with the armband?

Raheem Sterling leads the captain poll with 25.8% of the vote, ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Salah, and Sergio Aguero. Without an overwhelming favourite to stick the armband on, FPL managers face another tricky decision. 

The underlying statistics once again point to the potential of Manchester City assets ahead of their home encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers, as David highlighted on the Captaincy Video

Only three teams have conceded more shots in the box [than Wolves], and no team has had more shots in the box than Manchester City.

Digging a little deeper – using data available to FFS Members – TheFantasyFreÆK focused on Wolves’ defensive problems this campaign:

… the stark contrast I notice in Wolves 19/20 v Wolves 18/19 from a defensive point of view is very worrying. Wolves have conceded triple the number of big chances this season than they did at this stage last season (12 v 4), hence their xGC (expected goals conceded) has nearly doubled (5.5 to 10). Shots in the box conceded have also witnessed an alarming rise of 46%.

The problem is knowing which City player to trust. 

In Gameweek 7, many FPL pundits and experts felt Aguero would definitely start following his midweek rest. They were wrong. This week it’s Raheem Sterling’s turn to be the favoured captain pick.

Sterling has scored in his last three matches in all competitions and emerged from the bench in the Champions League on Tuesday night to inspire City to victory. The 24-year-old will lead the FPL General’s troops on Sunday. 

However, one manager who won’t be giving Sterling the armband is Career Hall of Fame number one Sean Tobin. Sean, as Greyhead informed us in the latest installment of The Great and The Good, omitted Sterling from his Gameweek 7 Wildcard. Instead he’s chosen to go with Aguero and Salah as his only players costing over £11.0m.

Backing up Sean’s decision to favour Aguero, David observed in his Captain Sensible article:

Once again, we come into a Gameweek with Aguero as the busiest attacking player in the penalty box over the previous four matches. He has shot 17 times there from Gameweek 4 onwards, more than any other player in their last four outings.

While The FPL General feels that we shouldn’t be put off by Salah’s upcoming fixtures:

On paper, Liverpool have a tricky run of games but is it really that difficult? It’s Leicester at home this weekend (Salah’s lowest score at Anfield this season is nine points), then a trip to face mid-table side Manchester United before a home tie against a Spurs outfit who conceded seven goals to Bayern Munich this week.

Second in the captain poll, Aubameyang is attracting interest and it’s easy to understand why. Brandon pointed out in FPL Question Time:

With no blanks through the first seven weeks of the season, Aubameyang is indeed the real deal.

Discussing the Gabonese international in the Captaincy Video, Joe enthused:

It’s a six-point floor!… At the Emirates Bournemouth have conceded eleven goals and scored just three over their last three league visits, and Aubameyang has scored in his last two encounters against the Cherries.

High-end Purchases on a Limited Budget

The challenge facing many FPL managers is deciding which of the £11.0m+ players to own, with many offering the promise of points. Three premium-priced assets make this week’s Scout Picks: Salah, Sterling, and Aubameyang.

To help ease the pressure on our limited budgets players such as McGinn, Pukki, and Abraham – as well as a shift towards cheap defenders – are proving popular. All three offer the promise of goals this weekend.

In his analysis of the underlying stats, Neale revealed that Abraham had been presented with nine big chances in the last four Gameweeks:

Abraham had four of those gilt-edged opportunities in the last two Gameweeks, so he has still been getting into dangerous positions despite recording back-to-back blanks.

And goals are expected when Norwich City host Aston Villa later today:

486 shots conceded by Arsenal (126), Aston Villa (121), Norwich City (121) and Bournemouth (118) combined this season. Those four clubs have allowed the most attempts on goal in the Premier League this season and play each other this weekend, with Norwich entertaining Aston Villa and Arsenal hosting the Cherries.

Compound Differential

The form of Riyad Mahrez has been discussed this week. The injury to Kevin De Bruyne and a potential ban for Bernardo Silva increasing his appeal.

Neale goes into impressive depth exploring not only how well Mahrez has performed this season, but also his potential for minutes. While the Algerian does not have the luxury of guaranteed game-time, Neale observed:

If we are to accept the occasional rest for [Sterling, Aguero, and De Bruyne], then why not the more affordable Mahrez?

The most transferred-in player ahead of the Gameweek 8 deadline and with an ownership fast approaching 10%, Mahrez just about squeezes into the differential category

But it’s as a “compound differential” that he could really make a difference. Appearing on the Scoutcast this week Tom, from Who Got The Assist?, explained:

Where I think Mahrez is really interesting is that because he’s a compound differential, so it’s not really a differential in and of itself, it’s a differential because you’re pairing him with other players and making a unique combination, which is a little bit different to everybody else.

Tom went on to point out that selecting a triple City midfield of Sterling, De Bruyne, and Mahrez is pretty maverick: that combination is owned by just 0.04% of managers.

Even selecting City’s three most highly-owned players – Sterling, De Bruyne, and Aguero – each owned by over 29% of managers, as a combination is only selected by 2.3%

In Case You Missed It

There was another take on the De Bruyne injury / Mahrez appeal, tuvok thinks that perhaps De Bruyne’s absence could have a negative impact on Mahrez.

Elsewhere, Sebastes asked can Spurs bounce back? And Meltens kindly previewed Gameweek 27 (only four Gameweeks to go!) 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

For a full update on all FFS Mini-Leagues and Community Tournaments, please click here to read the latest round-up. 

For those interested in the Head-to-Head Leagues, the main page can be linked to here. A link has also been added to the ‘Scout Leagues’ section on the home page

The fixtures for Gameweek 8 can be found below:


Use the drop-down menus to show your league and division. To find out which league and division you are in, follow the instructions on the main Head-to-Head page.

Once the Gameweek starts, if you click on your opponent’s name you will be linked to their team on the FPL website.

Best of luck for Gameweek 8!

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

2,244 Comments Post a Comment
  1. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Am I GTG?
    Pope
    Otamendi,Tomori,Lundstram
    Salah,Son,Mount,Cantwell
    Aguero(C),Abraham,Pukki

    Button,Rico,Soyuncu,KDB

    Thanks

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

      GTG to me. looks great

    2. Evasivo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Who is VC?

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

        Will probably be Salah.

        But I won’t need to worry about that hopefully! 🙂

    3. Rik Waller
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Mahrez or Dilva?

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

    Maddison/Yarmo on a WC

    Yarmo lets me do Robbo -> TAA is the one thing swaying me atm...

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

      Yarmo

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

    Which option?

    A) KDB > Mahrez
    B) KDB > Anderson / Yaramalenko
    C) Save FT

    Pope
    TAA / Otamendi / Lundstram
    Salah / KDB / Son / Mount / Cantwell
    Pukki / Aguero

    Bench: Button, Soy, Greenwood, Rico

    1. Evasivo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      C

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

    Good enough to go or use free transfer somewhere? Cantwell to Saka or KDB to Mahrez?

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

    McGovern Greenwood Rico KDB*

    1. Evasivo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      GTG

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

    Really tempted to go with A) (but no City cover!)

    A) KDB, Ayew > Auba(C), Yarmolenko (-4)
    B) KDB > Sterling(C)

    Lloris (Button)
    Lundstram Digne VVD (Dunk, Soyuncu)
    Salah Son Mount KDB* (Cantwell)
    Pukki Abraham Ayew

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      B you have no City cover.

    2. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      B - good luck with GW8

  6. Eric the King
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Save, or transfer to Tomori if I have Montoya in for KDB?

    1. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Be bold and do it

  7. The Senate
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Correct XI and bench order?
    McGovern
    Robbo Otamendi Digne
    Sterling Son Mount James
    Auba Abraham Pukki
    (Foster - Lundstram Cantwell* Rico)

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

      I'd put Cantwell first - either he starts or doesn't play at all

      1. The Senate
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Solid

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

          Good luck!

          also, spare a thought for my question above if you can!

    2. Evasivo
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I'd play Lundstram over Digne and Cantwell first Sub

  8. tbhogal
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Guys if don’t use any of my 2ft’s this week, will I lose one next week?

    1. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Correct

    2. Railwayman
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      You will still have 2 FT

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

      You'll have 2 next week

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

      Yes, you'll get 2 (not 3) next week

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

    Son & Mahrez or Mane & Yarmolenko + 0.7?

    1. The Senate
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Son and Yarm +cash

  10. The Hoff
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    WC next week... one week punt on a midfielder max 7.4

    A Yarmolenko (CRY)
    B Saka (BOUR)
    C McGinn (nor)

    Something else?

    (Have mount)

    1. Shultan
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A

    2. Hansel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A

  11. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Chances on Mahrez starting tomorrow?

    1. Lingard’s Shin Guards
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      65%

    2. mookie
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      41,37%
      How the hell should anyone know.

    3. Bring back Rafa
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      66.666666666%
      Based on the 3 players he has to fill 2 positions

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

    Won't KDB be called up to the Belgium squad if Pep started him tomorrow?

  13. Shultan
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Captain kun or sterling?

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

    Will Pep really start Mahrez 3 times in a week? Seems unlikely?

    1. tm370
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      He will start several others 3 times in a week, why not Mahrez?

      1. SirStevieG
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Because it's hard predicting when Mahrez will start in this City team.

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

      You just do not know with Pep.

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

      Instinct told me not . So went with Son . Frying pan into the fire

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

        Wen't with Son as well.

    4. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Yup. Put me off to see he played the full 90 midweek.

  15. HD7
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    G2G?

    Pope
    TAA VVD Ota Guilbert
    Salah Sterling Mount Yarmolenko
    Abraham Auba(C)

    Subs: Button, Greenwood, Dendonker, Rico

  16. Hansel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Play Montoya or Greenwood?

  17. Igz08
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    GTG? On WC

    Pope
    Tomori Ota Chambers
    Mahrez Mount Yarmo Salah
    Aguero Aubs © Abraham

    McGovern Kelly Soy Dendoncker

  18. DF
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    A-Peters
    B-Tomori
    C-Lundstraum

    I need to play 2 of the above.
    Currently on A and C but the bookies rate a Chelsea clean sheet higher than either Burnley or Utd.
    Pick 2?

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

      A B

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

      Why would you not play Tomori? Southampton are awful up front. Pieters for sure. Lundstram first sub.

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

        They haven't blanked at home since last Oktober.

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

      If you have Pope, B C to spread the risk.

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

        no keeper at all this week unless Alisson sits out again
        maybe theyll let me stick pieters in sticks

  19. Railwayman
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Maddison in or Mount ?
    I have Tammy.

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

      I would keep Mount. Not convinced about Tammy.

      Bats also lurking.

  20. Ronny Sandstone
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Still have Ceballos worth swapping to Saka? or play just Ceballos and flog him next week as part of a 2-way trade? (Currently have Lundstrum 1st sub)

    Cheers guys

  21. corderz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    A) Jorginho
    B) Saka

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

      Jorginho secure and on penalties!

  22. FPLGeezer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Is it not possible to see if a rival has made a transfer before the deadline now?

    1. Paddy Gooner
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      no. gotta wait till gw starts.

    2. Hotdogs
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      not possible anymore

    3. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Not unless you hack/ask them

    4. Lingard’s Shin Guards
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      No, they removed that feature

    5. Railwayman
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      No, it's not possible from this season.

    6. DF
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      aye...rubbish innit

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

      Thanks guys hadn't realised as not been focused on standings so much in ML but now with KDB was hoping to figure out if rivals had moved him out!

  23. MallettMan
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Is Bernardo likely to start?

    Thinking Bernardo and Richarlison to Son and Yarmolenko?

    I fancy spurs to win for some punty reason (hope they dont)

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

      Bernardo Silva should start and play the KDB role

  24. Geezer
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Start Cantwell or Lundstram?

  25. Gideons Rolling Another One
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Really stuck on this one. Any thoughts?

    A: Aurier to Tomori (or anyone else?) for -4
    B: Kelly or Söyüncü off the bench

    I'm leaning toward B, that's as I have it currently.

  26. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Thoughts on the following with £2.2m ITB:

    KDB > Mahrez
    Greenwood > Abraham -4

    Means I bench Lundstram

    Thanks

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

      Lund vs Watford. I am starting Lund.

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

    Last call for:

    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

  28. Buck The Trent
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Bets option this week?

    A KDB to Mahrez
    B Save FT

    Pope
    TAA Ota Lundy Lowton
    Salah Son Mount Cantwell
    Kun Pukki

    subs: Green, Rico, KDB

    1. Buck The Trent
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      *Best option (typo)

  29. Paddy Gooner
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Ederson
    Pieters Diop Lund Luiz/Guilbert
    Salah Mount McGinn
    Pukki Auba(C) Wilson
    Bench: KDB, Ceballos and Luiz / Guilbert.

    My question: bench A: Guilbert or B: Luiz?
    Plan on getting rid of Luiz next week anyway.
    Have both Pukki and Wilson, who are likely to blow cs.

    1. Bring back Rafa
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I'd be extremely surprised if Villa kept a CS and only a little if Arsenal did so Luiz. I'd play Ceballos over both though

  30. Saïss Doesn't Mat…
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    should i be adventurous and cap mahrez or play it safe with aguero??