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. XABI 15
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Captain - Kane, Wilson or Tammy?

    1. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Kane pr Wilson

    2. Niho992
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      K

    3. sunzip14
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Kane

    4. Monya Meow Meow
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Kane

    5. Podge
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Spurs are muck, Tammy

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

      I would go for kane. Great differential. He has to get something against Watford.

  2. Monya Meow Meow
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Start Rico or Guilbert?

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

      Guilbert

      1. Monya Meow Meow
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Cheers mate

  3. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Pukki to Wilson for a hit fellas?

    1. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Nah.
      Can see Pukki getting something

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

    Captain. First to 2

    A) Aguero cpl
    B) KDB cpl
    C) Sterling cpl
    D) Wilson NOR
    E) Abraham NEW

    1. Monya Meow Meow
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Kun

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

      Wilson

    3. FPL.team
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Aguero

  5. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Hope Tammy, Wilson, Sterling score hatties. Would certainly ease some captain decisions

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

      I'll go for that

      1. Rhys85
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Yes please!

  6. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Who to bench?

    1) Otamendi
    2) Rico
    3) Söyüncü

    1. Monya Meow Meow
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Rico I think

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

      Since his return to the Bournemouth side in Gameweek 5, Diego Rico (£4.2m) has created more big chances (four) than any other defender.

      Current Defence VVD, Otamendi, Digne.

      Thinking of dropping Otamendi for Rico?? (Could be a 1 min sub)! ?

      Nuts?

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

    Play just one out of:

    Lundstram (ARS)
    Diop (eve)
    Cantwell (bou)

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

      Cantwell

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

      Lund 100%

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

    % chance of Aguero starting?

    70%?

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

      110

    2. Monya Meow Meow
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      I would have thought close to 100%

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

      Pep playing catch-up, needs results and has the best striker in the league fully rested

      Can never be too sure with Pep but it seems a no-brainer

    4. Lucy2019
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      5

    5. Hairy Potter
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      50% either him or Jesus atart

    6. nolard
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      thx folks!

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

    Aurier or Rico? Not sure the former will start....

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

      If he doesn’t then will be subbed out

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

    Hate the fail replies. The refresh rate on this site is a bit of a mess.

    Reply to posts and your comment ends up in nomans land 🙁

    1. FPL.team
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      It's probably on the previous page. It's annoying that it doesn't auto take you to your comment when that happens.

      1. Weasel Boy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        This

    2. Lucy2019
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Fairly straight forward to understand. Not the sites fault.

      1. FPL.team
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Yes it is, they can easily take you to your comment if it's on a previous page or not.

        1. Lucy2019
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          I repeat, it is not difficult to navigate if you have a small semblance of common sense and intelligence.

          1. FPL.team
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 5 months ago

            I don't think you understand the issue here but well done for repeating 🙂

  11. HAMMERTIME107
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I have all these so who to captain please?

    A - Sterling
    B - Vardy
    C - Wilson
    D - Aubameyang
    E - Salah

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

      Wilson or Raheem

  12. Pedram
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Captain Abraham or Aguero?

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

    Start 1

    A Rico
    B Cantwell

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

      A

    2. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Don’t see Rico keeping clean sheet

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

      I have both on my bench but have Rico ahead.

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

    Why the love for wilson (c) ahead of tammy?

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

      Norwich.

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

      Newcastle on a high since their last win

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

      im sorry but have you seen norwich???

    4. Hairy Potter
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Norwich just can't defend. Newcastle have shown they can park the bus with the best of them, on their day.

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

      Even if Norwich won the concede multiple goals

  15. Luton_Fan
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Heaton, pereira, soy, otamendi, mane, sterling, kdb, mount, wilson c, tammy, pukki. Subs: pope, cantwell, dunk, lund.

    Gtg or would u make changes? TIA

  16. CheesyZoot
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Hold the transfer? Or any last minute suggestions?

    Pope, (Button)
    Rico, Aurier, Digne, (Lund, Kelly)
    Son, Mount, Mahrez, Salah,
    Pukki, Abraham (C), Aguero

    Only one FT available and 0 ITB

    1. Luton_Fan
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Stick

  17. My neck my back my Saed Kol…
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    A) Trent and Tomori
    B) Robertson and Tierney

    1. Monya Meow Meow
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A

    2. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A

    3. Sim Simma
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Tierney is going to be a rotation magnet

    4. Podge
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      A

  18. Sid1891
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Kdb Mo or Tammy
    Can someone help here to C one

    Cheers

    1. Luton_Fan
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Tammy

      1. Sid1891
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Thanks

  19. GE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    On Wildcard - 1) or 2)?

    1) Mane, Pereira and Lowton
    2) Sterling, Soy and Tomori

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

      1 if you have city cover

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

        Have KDB

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

      2

  20. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    RP, Start Cantwell or Connolly?

    Thanks

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

      Defo Connolly. In good form

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Cheers mate

  21. Rinseboy
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Team look gtg?

    Pope
    TAA Otta Rico
    Sterling KDB Mount Yarmolenko
    Auba Tammy Vardy (c)
    Button Soyuncu Cantwell Lunds

    1. Dr. Mantis Toboggan
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      Rico over Soy is an interesting one

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

        gut call. Burnley have scored away in every game and I think Norwich will try and be a lot tighter defensively and maybe not so gun ho. Plus Rico attacking threat

        1. Dr. Mantis Toboggan
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 5 months ago

          Fair enough, good luck!

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

            thanks and to you mate!

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

      gtg

  22. Connor's Calling
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Buy Tammy or C Wilson?

  23. nadman89
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    in draft have pereira , tomori , alonso and aurier in defense which 3 would you play knowing i also have gazzaniga in goal

  24. JustPark
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Salah anda Barnes. 🙁
    How bad am I looking?
    0.1 short Mane and Callum. Could do Barnes to Jiminez.

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

      Ouch. The Barnes & Salah drop last night has really done you in.

      Is the move for free? Unfortunately most better than Barnes right now.

  25. fusen
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Betfair odds to score at anytime

    Sergio 1.62
    Tammy 1.83
    Wilson 2.00

    Why is Wilson so high? Ignoring FPL I may stick a bet on as surely he should be lower than 2/1.

    Unless the bookies know something the FPL community don't as Wilson is being suggested as definite captain material this week

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

      cracking bet

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

      whats sterling? out of interest

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

      do a treble 🙂

    4. jia you
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      2.00 is not 2/1, it's evens

      1. jia you
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        isn't it?

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

          it is

      2. jia you
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        but regardless, he plays for a mediocre team hence his price is bound to be bigger than the other two

      3. fusen
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 5 months ago

        Yeah I bastardised it basically. He is actually 2/1 but I just stick £1 example bets on to see what the return is, in this case £2 which I then show as an example decimal odd. Even though I think you add 1 onto the decimal odds so it'd be 3.00 instead of 2.00?

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

          Or is it the other way round and it would be 1.00?

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

          Ignore all that, he is marked down as Evens not 2/1!

    5. DublinDude
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      2.0 is evens not 2/1

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

    A) Rico + Vardy

    B) Tomori + Wilson

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

      B

  27. Corgz Dark side of the Loon
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    I need to bench one.....

    A. Lund
    B. Rico
    C. Lowton

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

      A or c

  28. lifes a pitch
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 5 months ago

    Sterlung or Aguero?

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

    Need a pros tips:

    1. I Sell Pukki for Vardy.
    2. I’m the only one with Vardy
    3. Go for C with Vardy

    Good strategy?

    Thks

    1. Sid1891
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 5 months ago

      3

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

        Thks...good luck!

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

      I did all 3

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

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

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

    GTG?

    Pope
    TAA, Soy, Ota, Aurier
    Salah, Sterling, KDB(VC), Mount
    Pukki, Abraham(C)
    Button, Cantwell, Lundstram, Greenwood