Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 9

Welcome back from the international break, hopefully all those little niggly injuries that forced you to miss a day or two off work have cleared up and you are, like Premier League players up and down the land, raring to go for Gameweek 9. 

Over the two-week period Fantasy Football Scout has had a little makeover. You may have noticed drop-down menus appearing and the addition of an entire new section. Pro Pundits provides a platform for some of the leading voices and rising stars from across the Fantasy world to share their insights.

Learning from the best is an excellent way to improve as an FPL manager. Whether that’s by tracking the moves of The Great and The Good – it is noteworthy that Greyhead achieved his best-ever FPL rank last season of 85th overall – or hearing it straight from the horse’s mouth. 

Opening their equine gobs this week are Scoutcast regular Az, six-time top 5,000 veteran Utkarsh Dalmia (aka Zophar), community influencer Ash (aka the Chief), and former FPL winner Simon March.

Az has set his black box to record and will share his musings as the season progresses; Zophar talks us through his Wildcard choices; Ash considered replacement ‘keepers given the likely return of Alisson; and Simon prepares to leave the ‘Pukki Party’.

Who is the best FPL captain for Gameweek 9?

FPL managers face a tricky choice ahead of Saturday’s 11:30 BST deadline. For the first time this season, the leading pair in the captain poll do not play for either Manchester City or Liverpool. Form and enticing fixtures propel Tammy Abraham and Callum Wilson to the forefront of managers’ thoughts. 

David concludes in his Captain Sensible article:

Abraham’s statistical form over the last four weeks has been hugely impressive in terms of shot volume, placement, accuracy and quality, while Newcastle look particularly susceptible away from home under Steve Bruce. Meanwhile, Wilson is the standout Bournemouth option as Norwich come to the Vitality Stadium. While shooting less often than Abraham, his chances tend to be slightly more accurate and of higher quality when they do arrive.

The reason for Liverpool and Man City players being largely overlooked is down to uncertainty and unfavourable fixtures. How much can we trust Pep? Will Sterling or Aguero even start? And will Liverpool experience another hard-fought match against Manchester United? 

In the Captain Video for Gameweek 9, David explained why the league leaders might be in for a difficult afternoon on Sunday:

Man United … are potentially capable of frustrating Liverpool based on some decent defensive stats – they have conceded only 6 big chances in the last four … and Liverpool have a history of coming to Old Trafford and struggling … we can’t guarantee there will be an open enough game for Salah and Mane.

David also reminded us of Manchester City’s recent travails at Selhurst Park and noted that both Sterling and Aguero have room for improvement, while De Bruyne is returning from injury. He concluded:

If we are talking question marks there are just loads of them – the players I can’t trust, the fixture I can’t trust, so no Man City I can’t really captain one of their players this week.

Should we be worried about Sterling?

Questions were being asked in this week’s FPL Question Time about Manchester City players, with Fusen worried about Sterling’s form following one goal and no assists in his last four starts. Gregor, who has three top 1,000 finishes and came 29th in the world in 2016/17, replied:

I think he’s a keeper for now. Fourteen points over the last five Gameweeks is bitterly disappointing but given the strength of Manchester City’s next three fixtures, their need for wins and their emphasis to go on the attack, I think the returns should be just around the corner.

Neale concurred:

Sterling has always been … prone to as many frustrating blanks as he is double-digit hauls. I think back to Gameweeks 15-22 last season when he didn’t score more than six FPL points in a single fixture and remember a similar twitchiness to what we’re experiencing now … [I’ve kept him because] he has scored 463 points and banked 67 attacking returns in the last two seasons combined.

Sterling is included in the Scout Picks for Gameweek 9.

In Case You Missed It

In a community article, Hedge examined the lack of clean sheets so far this season, finding that the ‘big six’ have averaged just 1.8 shut-outs in the opening eight Gameweeks. Although his research suggests that the number of clean sheets will improve. 

Meanwhile in his members-only piece, Neale focused on defenders with attacking involvement. He picked out a few budget and premium-priced players worthy of consideration.

Neale also brought us all the treatment room latest in two quote-laden round-ups. There was good news for De Bruyne owners as Pep announced that the Belgian is back in training. And Rotation’s Alter Ego once again provided us with his handy summary for each team. Could Lacazette feature on Monday night?

Leicester City were given top-billing in Neale’s Frisking the Fixtures update: 

Between Gameweeks 9 and 17, the Foxes meet only one of the ‘big six’ – and that is a home fixture against an Arsenal side not renowned for their defensive aptitude.

Although Jamie Vardy surprised FFS community writer some witty pun when he used expected goals to review striker performance. The Foxes forward has an xG90 of 0.27 – the lowest he’s ever had across his 6 seasons at Leicester.

G-Whizz not only shared his thoughts with us in FPL Question Time this week but also posted the Gameweek 9 DS stats, fixtures and clean sheet odds. Chelsea and Leicester City have, respectively, a 48% and 46% chance of clean sheets in their home matches today.

And Meltens kindly previewed Gameweek 28 in Fantasy Allsvenskan. Impressively, with three Gameweeks to go there are four managers from the FFS mini-league in the top 10 overall. Well done to them!

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 Competitions

In the Pundits Playoff Community Tournament the squads have been announced and Matchday 1 is about to take place. There is still time to vote for your favourite team avatar, please do so via this link. The entry from “A Whole Lawro B*llocks” looks particularly good to me. 

For a full update on all FFS mini-leagues and community competitions, 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 9 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 9!

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

1,509 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Kellz86
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    On WC:

    Kane for WAT then grab Aub or just get the Arsenal striker?

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Hokey kokey could pay off.

    2. Astronautovic
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Kane for one more week imo

    3. Longiss
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      .

    4. Kellz86
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Kane would be my capt this week as well

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

      Kun next week the better choice

  2. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Rugby World Cup QFs are good. Contain the best 8 teams in the world, which is what people want to see.

    1. BC1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Great win for England there. Hoping Ireland the same, hoping!! 🙂

  3. Better luck next year
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Best cap out of these for this GW?

    Wilson
    Vardy
    Tammy
    Sterling?

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Tammy

    2. Bobby_Baggio
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Tammy
      Wilson
      Vardy
      Sterling

      In that order

    3. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Will's son

    4. JohnBlack
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Sterling

  4. Better luck next year
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Play Matip or Yarmolenko?

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Yarmo

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

    Morning all. G2G? Is my bench correct or should I swap? Thanks.

    Pope
    Ota - Soy - Robbo - Rico
    KDB - Sterling - Mount
    Kane - Abraham - Vardy

    (McGovern) - Lund - James - Nakamba

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Looks good

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

      Looks sound

    3. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      James 1st

      1. Bobby_Baggio
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Cool you think he'll likely get more points then Lund?

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

      Cheers

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

    Throwing a few punts in this WC whilst having a good bench and thinking long term.. 1.6m remains

    Ryan - Button
    TAA - Doherty - Tierney - Soy - Lund
    KDB - Mane - Maddison - Mount - Cantwell
    Jimmy - Tammy - Wilson

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

      Love this

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

        Thanks mate! Any changes you can think of? Feel like I've got all bases covered.

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

          Just potentially difficult to get on a premium striker if you feel you need to in future.

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

            Yeah that's an issue if I decide to go that way!

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

      Nice, interesting team. Don't like to have that much in the bank though as it'll end up dictating an FT

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

        Thanks. The only downside to this team is the lack of premiums. Leaving money in the bank allows upgrades in midfield or Doherty/Tierney to Robbo

    3. Astronautovic
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Good team. I would rethink Doherty. I think he is not nailed. The rest looks good. Keep an eye on martial.

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

        Yeah that's the one I'm not too sure about. I just love watching him play though and he has a huge ceiling. One of the reasons I've got a good bench I suppose.

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

          That's true. He is one of the players who can score big in any game. Maybe you make the right call and your bench is strong enough to take the risk. Good luck to you mate.

  7. Rupert The Horse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Wiping.
    Sitting or standing? Heard there’s quite a few standers out there.

    1. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Didn't know standing was a choice 🙄

    2. Bobby_Baggio
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I stand. Easier to manoeuvre

    3. toerag
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      back to front or front to back???

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

    Mahrez + Salah to Mane + KDB(-4)

    Yes or No

    Thank you

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

    Not had much time to focus on FPL this year so would really appreciate some advice on my WC:

    Pope - Mcgovern
    Tierney - Pereira - Matip - Rico - Kelly
    KDB - Mane - CHO - Mount - D. Luiz
    Auba .- Vardy - Abraham

    Any thoughts? Is 3 Chelsea attack overkill? Tierney a dumb choice given arsenals awful defence (although fixtures are unreal)

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

      David Luiz in midfield is a bit mental for me

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

        Oh douglas, gotcha 😛

    2. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Luiz?

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

      Pereria to Soy, Matip to TAA if affordable would be my biggest thing to adress

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

        Yeah that's something I've very much considered! Just not sure on the balance - leicester fixtures are fantastic, and Matip has been racking up points pretty steadily

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

          TAA is much much more attacking than Pereria if u look at the stats

  10. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Would you play:

    Diop (away v Everton) or
    Rico (home v Norwich)

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

      Rico

    2. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Rico

    3. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Rico

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

      It's settled...cheers all!

  11. Tmel
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pope
    Ota TAA Digne Soy
    Sterling Mahrez Salah Mount
    Abraham Pukki
    (4.0 Rico Dendoncker Greenwood)

    1FT & 1.7ITB

    a) Mahrez > KDB
    b) Pukki > Wilson
    c) Mahrez, Salah & Pukki > KDB, Mane & Wilson (-8)

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

      A

  12. Cookie Kid
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Final piece of wildcard!

    A) Wilson and 3.9 - rotate Rico and Lundstram
    B) Jiménez and Tomori

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

      B for me, better long term

    2. Totti
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A

    3. DantheManinaPan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Easily B

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

      a

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

    FWD: Kane (C) Abraham Wilson.

    Last question of the week, do I make a blunder here?

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

      I reckon u should just stick with Kane

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

        Cool thx

    2. Kellz86
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Same front line, worth the chance Good luck

  14. Weilong7
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    ship digne for tomori or hold?
    other suggestions for replacement welcomed!
    thanks!

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

      Boly probably

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

    Good to go?
    1FT, 0.0ITB
    Pope
    TAA Otamendi Tomori Soy
    Sterling KDB Son
    Auba Tammy(c) Pukki

    Button - Cantwell Lundstram Saka

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

      Yeah GTG save FT

  16. El-Kloppico
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Digne + McNeil >> Soy + Maddy (-4)

    Yay or Nay?

    1. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Or Tomori + Maddy?

  17. Longiss
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Kane or Tammy for capitancy?

    1. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Kane for me.

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

      Kane see above - penalty sways me

  18. Aaa
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Who scores more next 4-6 weeks, Salah, Mane or Sterling?

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

      Sterling

  19. Ready Player One
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Otamendi
    Dunk
    Matip
    Lundstam
    Tomori

    Bench 2

  20. Srv210
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Chances of aurier starting this week for Spurs??

  21. KINGS
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pukki to Wilson for -4 hit?

    1. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      If u captaining.. Then yeah!

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

        Yeah

    2. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      No

  22. OLLY G
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Most important players on WC?

    1. El-Kloppico
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      KdB

    2. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Strikers

    3. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Not quite most important - but...
      Look forward not backward. Look at options like CHO, Tomori. Soy, Boly, Auba. Tierney

    4. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      TAA, and that's about it

  23. Fpl Richie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Final WC tinkering...
    A) Boly and Soyuncu alongside TAA.
    B) Switch one to Tierney (no arsenal)

    1) Hudson Odoi and Vardy (saucy risk)
    2) Same but Wilson for 1-2 weeks then Vardy
    3) Wilson and Maddison (plain jane)
    3)

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

      3

  24. Sid07
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Suggestion please
    1) pukki to wilson ( start zinc)
    2) zinc + greenwood to 4.1 + Wilson (-4)
    3) zinc + pukki to dunk + Wilson (-4)
    4) zinc + pukki + rico + Wilson (-4)

  25. Jatz10
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Any changes to my wildcard team?

    Gazzaniga Pope
    Trent Boly Soyuncu Rico Lundstram
    Mane De Bruyne Mount Maddison Traore
    Aguero Abraham Connolly

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

    A) Rico + Vardy
    B) Tomori + Wilson
    C) Pereira + Pukki + 1 FT

  27. Eze Really?
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Bench 2 Rose Lund Soy Ota

  28. Gentle_Turks
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pukki to Vardy worth a hit?

    Good luck this week.

    1. Srv210
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      For long term I like vardy..pukki's value has been amazing but don't know how long he can keep up

  29. Srv210
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Who to captain
    A) Tammy
    B) Son
    C) Kun
    D) Salah

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

      I'd personally go A out of that lot

    2. The Overthinker
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      B punty
      A safe
      D smart

    3. Gentle_Turks
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Tammy.

      Please help above, thanks.

  30. lankdog
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Got 2FT and no hugely pressing issues, either of these two moves worth it or should I hold?

    A) Pope > Gazzaniga
    B) Otamendi + Pukki > Lowton (or poss Chambers) & Wilson

    Team is

    Pope
    Ota Soyuncu Tomori
    Sterling KDB Son Mount
    Auba Tammy Pukki

    Button Rico Cantwell Lund
    0.0 ITB 2FTs

    1. Bobby_Baggio
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      B with Lowton