Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 26

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 26 – the longest Gameweek of the season so far. The first match of the inaugural ‘winter break’ kicks off an hour after Saturday’s 11:30 GMT deadline with the last match not taking place until nine days later. 

Between today’s cutoff and FPL updating at the end of the Gameweek, a full 228 hours will have passed. 

The good news for those of a romantic disposition is that we will be completely free to focus on Valentine’s Day next Friday without having to worry about transfers or captain decisions. Our neglected other halves will no doubt be overjoyed!

Although for most Fantasy managers, one love affair could be coming to an end. 

John Lundstram has captured our hearts this season with his swashbuckling flair and rock-solid dependability. We will never forget the unbridled joy we shared when he banged in two goals against Burnley in early November. It felt at the time that this was a relationship that would last forever. 

Although it wasn’t always plain sailing, he has blanked on occasion. And he really shouldn’t have come home empty handed from his trip to Norwich in December. Nonetheless, he’s often surprised and delighted us so he can be forgiven the odd indiscretion.

But sadly it would appear that after six months the honeymoon is over. 

The warning signs were there. Following two early substitutions, he had us worried when he turned up late against Manchester City in Gameweek 24. To then repeat the offence at the next opportunity didn’t go down well. He has since been unceremoniously dumped by thousands of Fantasy managers.

Is there any hope? Can this relationship be salvaged? For those still clinging onto memories of the good times, Neale, who probably knows him better than any of us, had this to say:

Given Wilder’s previous for not for making unnecessary changes – the other eight midfielders and defenders have basically played whenever they’ve been available – then I wouldn’t hold me hopes up. I’ve seen people talking about ‘oh there’ll be rotation now in central midfield’, well that really hasn’t been Wilder’s style this season, Norwood and Fleck, even in the Championship were playing pretty much every game. So I’m not in the slightest bit confident he’ll get his place back.

– Neale, Team News video

Heartbreaking.

The only straw to clutch at is that his attacking threat might be favoured for a winnable home match against Bournemouth. But there are no guarantees. For those still holding him get ready to be let down again.

Indeed when David cast his eye over the new arrival at Bramall Lane, Sander Berge, who appears to have stolen Lundstram’s spot in the Blades’ midfield, he concluded:

It will be hard to expect much more than a series of one-point cameos from Lundstram.

– David

The good news is that there are a number of potential suitors lining-up to take his place in our Fantasy affections. And our friendly Scoutcast trio of Joe, Karam and Tom assessed our options:

Willy Boly of Wolves at just £4.7m finds himself in Joe’s Wildcard team and offers excellent value; we have O’Connell or Egan if we fancy sticking with Sheffield United; there’s Newcastle with Fernandez and Lascelles enticing us ahead of a nice run of fixtures – although Tom cautioned that they have been overperforming their numbers recently; Tom favoured Charlie Taylor who at £4.2m offers a cheap route into a Burnley defence that has kept nine clean sheets this season.

Pro Pundits Az and Ash also had their say, with both opting for slightly more expensive options. Az plumps for team-mate Enda Stevens, while Ash turns to Burnley’s Ben Mee highlighting his improved attacking potential:

What’s telling is that Mee has registered the joint-most number of goal attempts inside the box among all defenders in the past four Gameweeks.

– Ash, Pro Pundit

Out in the Cold

The dispersed nature of the matches over the winter break means that we won’t hear from a dozen managers until after the Gameweek has started. 

There remains the very real possibility, then, that a number of players will be declared as unavailable – or passed fit – long after the Gameweek 26 deadline has been and gone, leaving FPL managers powerless to do anything about it.

– Neale, Guide to the Winter Break

Neale set the scene in his Guide to the Winter Break, while Ginkapo FPL questioned the impact of the mid-season interlude in a hot topic.

Thinking of the captaincy, one strategy Joe is promoting is captaining and vice captaining players from different weekends. Just in case there’s a no show, or perhaps the weather disrupts the fixtures.

Red or Blue?

In the main, this week’s captaincy would seem to be a straight choice between Mohamed Salah and Sergio Aguero. 

Salah currently leads the way in our captaincy poll, chosen by just under 40% of participants compared to Aguero’s 22%. But it was the thought of Aguero taking the armband that prompted Joe to enthuse:

It’s that rare beautiful moment in FPL where you get someone with unbelievable form and stats against the worst defence.

– Joe, Captaincy Video

Over the last four matches the Argentine is top for shots in the box, big chances, shots on target, and he has the best expected goal involvement (xGI) of any player. He faces a West Ham team who have the worst expected goals conceded (xGC) of any team. He also tops this site’s Rate My Team tool.

The only caveat is rotation. As Neale mentioned in his Captain Sensible article, his rival for the centre-forward role is due a start:

And will Gabriel Jesus (£9.5m) be again deprived of a place in the starting XI, meaning that he will have gone a full month without any kind of start before City are in action again in Gameweek 27.

– Neale, Captain Sensible

If the risk of a benching is too much for you then Salah offers an excellent alternative.

TheFantasyFreÆK highlighted his potential in his Gameweek 25 review, noting that the Egyptian tops the charts for several key stats in midfield and should have recorded even more points of late given that only one of the five big chances he created has been converted by his teammates. 

Neale summarised his appeal:

Salah’s form and all-round points potential (in the top two for both shots in the box and big chances created over his last four matches) will understandably see many FPL managers again handing the armband to the Egyptian.

– Neale, Captain Sensible

The Scout Picks feature Salah as part of a heavy-hitting midfield at the expense of Aguero up front. And FFS Members Cup-finalist Pep Pig revealed he will be handing the Liverpool midfielder the armband in his predictions for Gameweek 26.

Meanwhile RichP_LFC decided to take a novel approach and looked at Fantasy Points Against to pick out players for our FPL teams. His research found that “Salah is the clear choice in midfield, and a punt on Redmond could work well.

Redmond is also the headline differential pick as the Saints begin an excellent run of fixtures.

However, the article’s author, Tom Freeman, went for Harvey Barnes as his under 5%-owned option on the Scoutcast. Over the last four matches, only Salah has a higher xGI than Barnes.

Fellow Pro Pundit Sam Bonfield agrees with his selection, noting in her Sam Says video that the Leicester City youngster has four attacking returns in his last four Premier League games.

And we’ve had reports and analysis on two new Premier League recruits. Steven Bergwijn marked his Spurs debut with a goal and travels to Aston Villa this week, Neale considered his potential. And Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes was the subject of a members-only article by David.  

Finally, following last week’s FA Cup replays, we know a little more about how the fixture schedule is shaping up.   

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.

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 26 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

1,493 Comments Post a Comment
  1. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    You can tell Roy Hodgson is annoyed at the Crystal Palace owners for not buying anyone in the January transfer window.

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

      Any targets?

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      I heard he's demanded a promise to sign few players before he signs a deal with them again

  2. Peter Ouch
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Updated

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Exciting times

  3. FPL Emu
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Kolasinac, this is the game I've kept you forever for.

    I deserve attacking returns
    Ok thx bai

  4. Jullepuu
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Picking Sidibe over Digne or Holgate was a big mistake a few weeks back..

    1. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Holgate benched

      1. Jullepuu
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Yes but he would still have scored more points at this point

  5. Warbling Wendy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Come on Captain Aguero! Do the business!

  6. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    PANTS UP!

  7. gellinmagellan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    At 245k, I really have to make ground, especially in my mini leagues. Hoping KdB captain is a slight differential and owning Salah is enough to not hurt me

  8. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Updated

  9. SHOWSTOPPERRR
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Holgate owners feelings???

    1. Bun Rab
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Annoyed. Same as Sidibe owners. Get rid asap. That and hoping for someone to pull up with a little hammy twinge before ko.

      1. beric
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Dcl has

        1. Bun Rab
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Change of formation? Could work...

    2. beric
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Feeling outraged

      1. Eastman
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Yep he’s going. Fixtures not good either

    3. Rossaldinho
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Well I now have potentially 3 sheffield united defenders if Lundstram gets on the pitch!

    4. DantheManinaPan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Not that annoyed actually.

      Got Stephens on the bench and was planning to sell next week anyway!

    5. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      P*ssed off
      Almost did Soy to vvd (-4) for the sake of it. Obviously should have done.

      1. CMJC
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Only bothered if gets a cameo

  10. Amey
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Both on BB 😀

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Game on!

      1. Amey
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Yep

  11. Peter Ouch
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    10 players at home for next Gw bar kdb

  12. wulfrunian
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Sidibe is the worst transfer of the season...So frustrated.

    1. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Try owning Moise Kean, Pepe, CHO, Jetro Willems, Tyrone Mings, or Mousset. Some of the worst transfers I've ever made.

      1. wulfrunian
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        massacre

    2. Bun Rab
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      The only vague positive is he's a decent price to downgrade and leave some money itb.

      1. wulfrunian
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Exactly.I will sell him next gw for Boly/Stephens.

  13. BNMC
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Well this is awkward...
    https://fantasy.premierleague.com/dream-team/26

    1. beric
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Got button 😎

    1. Traction Engine Foot
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      FFS!

    2. BNMC
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      This week goes from bad to worse and it hasn't even started

  14. Holmes
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Excited about this GW for no genuine reason... 😆

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Weird gw!!
      I'm afraid of losing atm tbh 😀
      Bdw i sold Taylor for mariappa.

      Would be cheering hornets tonight. Lol

  15. Fpl Richie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Early thoughts on next week
    A. Lund to VVD (allowing Martial to Son next)
    B. Martial to Mane (Lund to Fernández)

  16. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Overall leader has captained KDB, vice Salah...also has Aguero

  17. teddypicker
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Looking at DCL's fixtures and having only a 6.5 to replace him...

    Punt on Wood anyone?

  18. Ange Ball
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    So my rival took out Auba and midfielder for Aguero and bargain mid for minus 8. He cap Aguero should I be happy or nervous. Not owning Aguero

    1. CMJC
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Cautiously optimistic

  19. Jullepuu
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Sidibe and DCL to Lascelles and Jimenez seems like a no brainer right?

  20. The Mighty Hippo
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    That was very annoying. I was siting looking at a Cathcart clean sheet knowing it was too good to be true.