Liverpool, Wolves and Watford are the main focus of the Scout Picks selection for Gameweek 22.
We have gone over the Scout Squad submissions made by David, Neale, Paul and Geoff to work out which starting XI was the best for this weekend’s football.
Following the turn of the year, we now have a heftier budget of £85.0m, also open to the Community Champion.
This week we line up in a 3-4-3 formation and come to a total of £84.3m, £0.7m inside our new budget.
Goalkeeper
Ben Foster (£4.8m) has experienced something of a Fantasy revival since Nigel Pearson took over at Watford. Over the last four Gameweeks, he is second in the league for saves and has two clean sheets to show for it too. Gameweek 22 pits Foster against a misfiring Bournemouth attack that, since Gameweek 18, is in the Premier League’s bottom three for shots in the box, big chances and shots on target.
Defenders
No player in the division has created more big chances than Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) over the last four matches. During that time, Spurs have not kept a clean sheet, while Liverpool have registered four in a row.
Djibril Sidibé (£5.4m) is our representative from the Everton defence for Gameweek 22. They face a Brighton side inside the bottom three for big chances over the last four matches, while Sidibé has created more chances than any other Toffees defender in that time.
Well-established Fantasy hero John Lundstram (£5.1m) gets into the Scout Picks once again for Gameweek 22. No team has conceded fewer big chances in their last six home matches as Sheffield United, who face a West Ham side still only recently taken over by David Moyes. Only Watford and Norwich have scored fewer goals on the road this season than the Hammers.
Midfielders
It was tough going working out which Liverpool attacker to fit into the Scout Picks this weekend – Sadio Mané (£12.3m) proving the eventual winner. Both he and Mohamed Salah look like great choices for Gameweek 22, especially with Double Gameweek 24 in mind, but we could only have one of them this time around. Mané was our choice due to being afforded a higher number of big chances than Salah over the last four Gameweeks and a slight weakness to his side of the pitch in upcoming opponents Spurs. Since Jose Mourinho took over in Gameweek 13, his side are fourth-worst in the Premier League for chances conceded down the right flank.
Kevin de Bruyne (£10.6m) has been a reliable source of points recently, with attacking returns in four of his last five Premier League outings. Having overcome a knock against Manchester United, he is in prime position to benefit from Aston Villa’s defensive problems this season. Over the last four matches, no team has conceded as many shots in the box or big chances as Dean Smith’s men.
Ismaïla Sarr (£6.2m) has been one of the poster boys of progress under Pearson at Watford with two goals and an assist since Gameweek 18. Furthermore, no midfielder priced below £6.5m has registered more shots in the box over that period. Gameweek 22 pits Watford against a Bournemouth side that has conceded eight goals in their last four.
Adama Traoré (£5.7m) has three attacking returns in his last two home matches, which hugely boost his chances of performing well against Newcastle. The Magpies come to Molineux with the second-worst shots conceded in the box figure over the last four matches.
Forwards
Jamie Vardy (£10.0m) could be back in the goals for Gameweek 22 as Leicester host Southampton. The Saints have been on minor defensive revival recently with clean sheets against Chelsea and Spurs. However, Vardy remains in the division’s top five for shots in the box, big chances and shots on target over his last four, which includes matches against both Liverpool and Manchester City.
Marcus Rashford (£9.2m) has scored five goals and registered one assist in his last six league matches at Old Trafford and we expect such a run to continue against Norwich. The Canaries last kept a clean sheet away from home in Gameweek 13.
Raúl Jiménez (£7.5m) is another Wolves asset preparing to face a Newcastle side with recent poor defensive potential. The Mexican international is top for shots in the box among his colleagues in the last four matches which suggests his output of three goals and three assists in the last six home matches is sustainable in Gameweek 22.
Substitutes
Following Sidibé’s price rice, Jordan Pickford (£5.3m) is now a cheaper alternative route into the Everton defence.
Burnley are bottom of the league for shots on target over the last four Gameweeks, indicating that Kurt Zouma (£4.7m) and the Chelsea defence could earn a much-needed clean sheet at Stamford Bridge.
Romain Saïss (£4.4m) has registered more headed attempts than any other FPL defender over the last six Gameweeks – which helps boost his attacking potential against a Newcastle side that struggles to defend set pieces.
Jack Grealish (£6.4m) has been in exceptional form recently, arguably carrying the Aston Villa team on his shoulders. We fancy him to do well again in Gameweek 22 as Manchester City have conceded 10 big chances in their last four, only three teams faring worse than that.
The Captain
The Scout Picks 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 22 is Pep Pig.
They have gone for a 4-4-2 of Ederson; Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Walker, Sidibé; Salah (c), de Bruyne, Richarlison, Maddison; Abraham, Ings.
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.
Community Champion FPL_SMR beat us in Gameweek 19, winning by a 58-47 score-line.
The current winning margin of 17 points recorded by irfansheikh in Gameweek 7 and AK in Gameweek 10 remains the score to beat.
