Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 22

You’ve got to hunt for opportunities” declared Pro Pundit Lateriser in his Meet The Manager interview with Joe.

The Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 22 is here to help you do exactly that. But first a reminder that we have a Friday 19:00 GMT deadline in FPL, so don’t forget to make those crucial transfers and captain decisions.

Starting with the team news headlines courtesy of Neale and Rotation’s Alter Ego: Pulisic is out for a few weeks, De Bruyne and Maddison are both declared fit following knocks in their League Cup matches, and Pukki will miss the trip to Old Trafford.

Spurs confirmed that Harry Kane will undergo an operation to repair a ruptured tendon in his left hamstring. The striker is expected to return to training in April. Is there an opportunity here?

Pro Pundits Lateriser and Sam both examined the options. Lateriser analysed which Spurs players profited when Kane missed the end of last season, while Sam – currently the highest-ranked Pro Pundit – gave her thoughts in a Community Q&A video

Her feeling is that Aubameyang might be the better option to the potentially explosive Aguero. In one of several members-only articles over the last ten days, Neale delved into Arsenal’s improvement under new manager Mikel Arteta. Encouragingly for those considering Aubameyang he discovered that the Gabon international is one of the chief beneficiaries: 

Aubameyang has registered more penalty box touches, attempts on goal, shots in the box, efforts on target and big chances than any of his teammates.

– Neale

However Lateriser is finding himself seduced by Aguero with an enticing encounter against Aston Villa up next. 

The three-time top 5,000 manager opened his interview with Joe explaining that you need to find your identity as an FPL manager. He sees himself as someone who isn’t afraid to go against the crowd, citing his recent decision to captain Martial in Gameweek 19 as an example of this. 

And there may be another opportunity this week. David notes that the captaincy debate for Gameweek 22 is not as simple as Fantasy Premier League managers are hoping.

Jamie Vardy once again leads the captain poll and given that the Leicester City forward registered a season-high 20 points against Southampton in Gameweek 10 it is easy to understand why. 

However Southampton’s defence has been considerably better in recent weeks. Lateriser revealed that “only Liverpool have conceded fewer big chances than Southampton in the last four Gameweeks,” and the Reds only played three times. David agrees with the Pro Pundit that Aston Villa present a good opportunity for owners of Manchester City players:

Any side bottom of the league for shots conceded in the box heading into a meeting with Manchester City are always going to be in for a tough time. However, the issue comes from trying to pinpoint which of Guardiola’s men can do the most damage, primarily because of rotation.

– David

If the risk of “Pep-tation” is too much for you, Chelsea and Manchester United offer exciting alternatives. The two teams are second and third behind Manchester City in the latest DS stats, fixtures and clean sheet odds provided by G-Whizz.

And both sides are tipped for 3-0 wins by Pep Pig in his Preview and Predictions article. Strikers Tammy Abraham and Marcus Rashford are his players to watch. The latter is also selected in this week’s Scout Picks:

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.

– Scout Picks

Let’s not forget Liverpool, who face a Spurs side unable to keep a clean sheet – just one since Mourinho took charge in Gameweek 13. 

Much of the talk surrounding their players is about which three to own for Double Gameweek 24. Upside-chasing Lateriser is very much in the Salah, Mane, Alexander-Arnold camp, whereas Az feels that owning both premium-priced midfielders is a step too far, given the structure of his team:

Overall, I’m just not convinced that major surgery is needed. I know Salah is an incredible player, and looks to be getting back to his best… but the damage it may do to my team if I did go for him may be irreparable. Would I captain him anyway, with Mané being in such good form alongside him? I doubt it.

– Az

Along with Joe and Karam, Az debated Liverpool’s upcoming Double Gameweek on the Scoutcast. They pointed out that with the two matches just under a week apart it could well be a good time to use the Triple Captain chip. They also highlighted which players perform better in away matches, given that neither game is at Anfield.

Firmino stands out as a differential to the costlier Mane and Salah for those who prefer to go with two Liverpool attackers. Indeed Reds-fan Lee backed his potential in a guest appearance in Sam’s Q&A.

The Scoutcast also debated players from Watford and Everton, given their recent managerial changes. The Hornets in particular have improved their attack, as David highlighted in his members-only piece.

[Watford] only scored nine goals in the first 16 matches of the 2019/20 campaign, a period which saw them managed by three different men, Javi Gracia, Flores and Hayden Mullins. By contrast, in the last five matches, Pearson’s men have found the net eight times, a drastic improvement.

– David

Midfielder Ismaïla Sarr was given a ringing endorsement by both Az and Karam, while goalkeeper Ben Foster currently finds himself in Joe’s team.

In fact, goalkeeper moves were all the rage this week with McGovern joining Joe’s team as a back-up in a typical dullard move, and Brighton’s Mat Ryan snapped up by Az. In an act of generosity, the Australian announced on Twitter that he was raising money for the Wildfire Rescue Emergency Fund:

I’ll be donating $500 for every registered save by all @premierleague goalkeepers this weekend.

– Mat Ryan

Let’s hope all our shot-stoppers put in great performances in Gameweek 22.

Pro Pundit and former FPL winner Simon March brought us another enjoyable and thought-provoking read, drawing analogies between FPL and the investment strategies of Warren Buffett. It includes ideas such as contextual value and explains why diversification, or spreading the risk in your FPL team, isn’t always a good idea. 

Finally thank you to luketownsend1997 who looked at which players have been providing value in different positions. Part One reviewed defenders and goalkeepers with part two looking at forwards and midfielders.

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.

Fantasy Football Scout Memberships are now available for a reduced price of £9.99 for the remainder of the season. Rolling monthly subscriptions are also available for £2.99 per month. Click here to sign up or upgrade your account.

Last Chance to enter Last Man Standing

This season’s competition has proved extremely popular with over 5,000 taking part and 1,000 managers still standing.

You just have time to join them – the deadline for final entries is 8pm today (Friday 10 January). However you must pass all previous safety scores to qualify – read TorresMagic’s recent article for more information.

The winner will receive a free Fantasy Football Scout Membership for the 2020/21 season.

Community Competitions

For an 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. The fixtures for Gameweek 22 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.

May your arrows be green!

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

1,325 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Next year
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Friday! I need some help guys. Bench one:
    A. Maupay, EVE (A)
    B. Ings LEI, (A)
    C. Grealish, MCI (H)

    Sadly my brain doesn't work, so any input is appreciated. Thanks!

    1. Clinton19
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Grealish

      1. Next year
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks! That's where I'm at now too.

  2. Clinton19
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Best captain pick this week between
    Rashford
    Vardy
    Kdb
    Martial

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Kdb

    2. Next year
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      I don't trust United. I have Vardy and Kevin, and Vardy is my choice.

  3. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Bench one:

    Grealish (MCI)
    Holgate (BRI)

    Thanks

    1. Clinton19
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Grealish

    2. It's his Job.
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Really.

    3. JoeSoap
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Grealish

  4. Snapes on a Plane
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Pick one to bench
    A) Alli
    B) Traore
    C) Ings

    1. It's his Job.
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      A

    2. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      You have too many good attackers if thats a decision you have to make, especially now that the christmas madness is over. Id probably bench Alli because Liverpool look unplayable.

      1. toerag
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        this

  5. It's his Job.
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Decided to Capatin Rashford from these in my team Y or N

    Vardy-Southamton revenge and form no not another 9.0
    KDB-Grealish Magic to continue
    DCL
    Mane(V.c)
    Rashford(C)

    1. toerag
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      are norwich gonna let in more goals than villa??
      more than brighton??

      i think im swinging back to kdb

  6. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Feel like Alli sellers will be disappointed soon. Just a shame its really unlikely to be this week.

    1. The Ejiptian King
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      I was disappointed owning him so I'm used to it.

      1. toerag
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        lol

    2. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      You could say that about nearly every player you sell.

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Yea sure, but Spurs have Watford and Norwich coming up. Two particularily good games (dont buy the Pearson defensive hype just yet personally) and Alli is almost OOP-tier with how forward he has been lately. Been unlucky not to get points the last few games.

    3. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Unlikely against Watford either

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Lol, Watford will still be relegation candidates come the end of the season. Probably barely survive

  7. Coys96
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Kdb or martial for armband....

    help!

    1. Super Nashwan
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Kdb

    2. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      KDB

    3. JoeSoap
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      KDB

    4. toerag
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      what they said

    5. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Great, ty

  8. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    What would you do with 1 FT?

    Ryan
    TAA, Lund, Soy
    Mane, KDB (c), Maddison, Richarlison
    Vardy (v), Jimi, Deeney

    4m, Cantwell, Tomkins, Guilbert

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Save

    2. JoeSoap
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Ok for this week.

  9. Super Nashwan
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Would you play sli or Sidibe this weekend?

    1. Super Nashwan
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Ali

      1. Bruce Lee
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Oh... Alli

    2. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Nope

    3. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Sidibe

  10. JoeSoap
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Which do you prefer for GW24 & beyond? Have TAA.

    A. Robbo/DCL (-4)
    B. Gomez/Jimmy

    1. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      B

  11. arkom
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Guys, captain Vardy or KDB?!

    1. Ninjaa
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Rashford

  12. Ninjaa
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    What to do here. 2 fts. 0.2m Itb

    Ramsgate Ryan
    TAA Soyuncu Rico Aurier Lundstram
    Salah KDB Moura Grealish Traore
    Vardy Rashford Ayew.

    1. Team Cruel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Moura > fodder to set up Aurier > Robbo for later

  13. jorgenoj
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Is it worth going Ramsdale (4.6) to Ryan (4.8)?

    Got 2 FTs and no other issues.

  14. Tmel
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Who to score more over the next 2 GWs?

    a) Traore (NEW, sou)
    b) Grealish (MCI, bha)

    1. A Fat Spanish Waiter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Coin flip to be fair. If I had to chose, I’d say Traoré.

  15. fridge
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Think vardy will devote his hat trick to his new kid this weekend?

  16. Weasel Boy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    DCL (c) anyone?

  17. HashAttack
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Any Aguero owners out there - captain ahead of Vardy or Rashford?

  18. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Start soy or sidibe

    1. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      soy

    2. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Sidibe. Ings will score.

    3. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Sidibe

    4. Dosh
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Sidibe

  19. Jet5605
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Who starts:

    A Rico (WAT)
    B Cantwell (man u)

    1. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      they should both start for their respective teams

      1. Jet5605
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        And assuming they do who would you have in your FPL team?

    2. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      B

  20. NeverLucky
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Based on captain poll, seems I am insane to pick a (C) Jimenez over Vardy or Debruyne.....

    1. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Good pick.

    2. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      No

      1. NeverLucky
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Is that a No to my pick or no i am not insane mate 🙂 :)?

  21. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Start Ryan (eve) or Pope (che)?

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Ryan

  22. Doctor Evil
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    My final WC team, G2G?

    Fab (Mcarthy)

    Holgate TAA Lundstram (Rico Williams)

    KDB Mane Salah Martial Traore

    Vardy Ings (DCL)

    Or start DCL over Ings?

    1. Luton_Fan
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Start dcl over ings

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

      GTG. You have now 43 min to pick a captain between Vardy, KdB, Mane, Salah and Martial. Good luck.

      1. Doctor Evil
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Lol Vardy I think

  23. Atters
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    F. Anderson or Sarr as a differential? Any other punts around the same price range

  24. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Captain? Vardy or kdb or martial

  25. BEEZUS
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Bench one of:

    A) Soy
    B) Lund
    C) Sidibe
    D) Alli
    E) Ings

  26. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Why all the love for KDB captain all of a sudden on here? Pep suggest something? Surely Vardy is streets ahead and everyone owns him?

    1. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      stats

    2. jtreble
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      AVL is leaky.

    3. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Southampton have improved massively in terms of defensive stats recently

    4. Zladan
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Saints form. Villa concede. KDB last game of GW.

  27. Klip Klopp
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Should I play Rico (home to Watford) or Tomori (home to Brighton) ?

  28. King Kohli
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Who would you have as the first defender on the bench?

    A. Williams (NOR)
    B. Rico (WAT)

  29. There is always next GW
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Keep Maupay or move to DCL?

    Thanks in advance

  30. JJeyy
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Sarr or Mahrez lads?