Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 28

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 28. 

Firstly don’t get caught out – we have an early deadline this week: Friday 19:00 GMT deadline.

Read on for help with those all-important transfer and captaincy decisions.

Captain candidates

Mohamed Salah once again tops the Rate My Team tool and the captaincy poll ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Watford.

However, is trusting a player who has scored just twice in away matches this season – and not at all when Mane has played – a good idea?

In his Captain Sensible article David left us in no doubt:

The case for Salah is very strong, considering his underlying data. Yes, he is still without a goal in an away match than Mané has started, but Salah’s underlying statistics suggest he is due at least something at Vicarage Road and that such an unwanted fact is nothing more than happenstance.

David

But he’s perhaps not the only option to consider. 

Form versus Fixtures

Heading into Gameweek 28, two players encapsulate the perennial form versus fixtures dilemma.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the form player. As Neale noted in his analysis of the underlying stats:

Since Carlo Ancelotti took charge in Gameweek 19, no other FPL asset has had more attempts on target or big chances than the Everton striker.

– Neale

However the fixtures stiffen for the Toffees, who are second bottom in our Season Ticker for the next three matches.

Although Pro Pundit Tom Freeman feels the fixtures aren’t as bad as they seem on first glance, and includes Calvert-Lewin as one of his forwards to consider. 

Leicester City, on the other hand, are top of the Season Ticker. 

But the out-of-form Jamie Vardy has failed to score since Gameweek 18. Did we see any signs of encouragement in Gameweek 27?

Pro Pundit Sam is one manager who will be keeping the Foxes forward:

There were some glimmers that the old Vardy we used to love pre-Christmas is coming back.

– Sam

Pep Pig – top of  RedLightning’s January to May League (league code aafkpq) – picks out Jamie Vardy as one of the three players to watch in Gameweek 28:

I’ve stuck with my plan to bring him in for the in-form Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and even giving him the armband over Mohamed Salah.

– Pep Pig

However David did caution in Captain Sensible:

When he was at the height of his powers earlier in the campaign, Vardy was not busting many statistics, he was simply dominating them. He was doing well because he was regularly top for shots in the box, big chances and shots on target for four-match blocks at a time. So the fact his numbers have dropped off in line with his returns is certainly more of a factor in his decreasing points potential than some would have us believe. 

– David

Both Calvert-Lewin and Vardy have been named in this week’s Scout Picks but rumours circulating on Friday night suggest the Leicester striker may not even be in the starting XI.

Grealish versus Harvey Barnes

A question many have been considering recently is what to do with Jack Grealish, who has provided just one assist in the last four Gameweeks. FPL Virgin asked the question – should we sell Grealish

Pro Pundit Az was fairly unequivocal in his answer:

I think Villa go down and their fixtures couldn’t be worse. He’s literally their only threat, teams that are capable in defence are surely just going to mark him out of the game. He might get the odd assist, but Leicester / Chelsea options may be more explosive with their run ins so I think I’m going to ditch.

– Az

Meanwhile JohnRoss concluded in his hot topic that it was worth selling Grealish if you are buying Harvey Barnes. 

And the Leicester City midfielder was one of the names picked out by Pro Pundit Zophar in his latest piece which looked at stats and upcoming fixtures to identify which players to target

Team News

Neale brought us the latest news with Rotation’s Alter Ego providing us his summary in a hot topic.

The headline is that Martial is doubt for Manchester United, Solskjaer revealed:

I don’t know with Anthony, to be honest. I’ve not asked. He tried [on Thursday] morning, so he wasn’t that bad, but we’ll have to do a scan [on Friday] probably.

– Solskjaer

Another United player who has got people talking this week is january-signing Bruno Fernandes.

He’s a player Joe transferred in for Son last week with the Portuguese delivering a 14-point return in Gameweek 27. He’s particularly good at penalties, scoring 22 out of 24 over his professional career. 

Speaking of his new signing Solskjaer said:

He has been known for his set plays. He has practised quite a few penalties and I wasn’t in doubt that he would score.

– Solskjaer

Although Karam noted on the Scoutcast that Fernandes does take the vast majority of his open play shots from distance, which isn’t great for Fantasy potential. 

Another player potentially taking over penalty-taking duties is Kevin De Bruyne. 

In the absence of Sergio Aguero, the Belgian stepped up and converted his spot-kick against Real Madrid in the Champions League. 

Holly (aka FFCommunity_) opened a hot topic on what to do with Kevin? 

Despite the blank fixture for Man City this Gameweek, the Scoutcast were unanimous in their decision to keep De Bruyne. Highlighting a potential Double Gameweek 29 for the champions.

Looking ahead

Considering what we know of the expected blank and double Gameweeks for the season, FPL Virgin outlined his trademarked plan – the “FPL Virgin Chip Strategy

In his community article he explained why he feels using his Wildcard in Gameweek 33, Bench Boost in Gameweek 34, and Free Hit in Gameweek 37 could reap rewards.

It was an excellent week for The Great and The Good, with all bar one of the featured managers gaining green arrows. The FPL General has played his Wildcard and Greyhead expects him to Bench Boost in Gameweek 29. Can he match Andy’s success in Gameweek 27

Finally in his Gameweek review, TheFantasyFreÆK looked back on data from the previous seven seasons before concluding:

After going through the data, I can confidently say that this season to date has witnessed some of the worst defending in the league’s history. To put things into context, at this stage, Villa have conceded 330 shots inside the box while West Ham have conceded 86 big chances. The FPL repercussion is that the findings cannot be more obvious, target attackers who play against these teams!

– TheFantasyFreÆK

Useful information for planning future transfers.

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

Don’t miss out on your chance to win a share of £300 in prize money by entering the latest edition of the open-to-all Fantasy Football Scout Cup

Sign up via the entry form here. The deadline for entries is 10:30am on Monday 2 March.

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 28 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

1,351 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Pukki Party
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Deeney to Ings for -4??

  2. 'Broadsword Calling Da…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Absolutely brilliant start to the weekend all this!

    1. Rotation's Alter Ego
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Fantastic bit of excitement

  3. jimmyabs1987
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Iv got Ricardo, Madd and Nacho in now 🙂 and I am putting the armband on Nacho! I’m 98 points up in my ML and if I have any hope of getting into top 10k I need to roll the dice!

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      This here, is man with balls.

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

      Maybe, I put the (c) on Ricardo, no joke....

  4. Joburger
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    What time is the deadline tomorrow?

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

      😀

    2. Fire Chief Moe
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      10pm

    3. THAT'S LIFE
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Get on a supersonic jet and head west

    4. FantasyHero
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Haha

  5. Puzzle
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Start Kelly or Traore??

  6. I Member
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Iheanacho -4 yay or nay?

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      nay

    2. jimmyabs1987
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Iv done it for a laugh

  7. Coys96
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Perez (C)

    YES OR NO

    Otherwise will be salah

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

      Yey

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

      Ownership alone enough.

    3. Amey
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Owning is enough

    4. Jarnathan
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I am

    5. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      lol

    6. Coys96
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Wimped out last few seconds. Thanks guys 🙂

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

    Scenes if it’s fake

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

      That's why I left him starting 😉

      1. nolard
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        yup

    2. SAUCY SALAH
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Started him just in case, stranger things have happened

  9. SAUCY SALAH
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Well, there goes my differential for the week.

    No Vardy confirmed.

    Source: FPLRockstar on Twitter, supposedly reputable

  10. J ⚒ Gimme ur Mané
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Already on -4.

    Vardy to nacho -8? Or just play traore?

    1. nolard
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      nah

  11. have you seen cyan
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Are we collectively stupid enough to believe that FFS going down for the final ten mins to official team news was a coincidence?
    Or was it the mod who wrote the article about early team news being an unfair advantage for those in time zones close to the uk actually responsible for taking the site down for that period.
    Maybe I have a tin foil hat on, but really, that timing. It never ever goes down like that...

    Vardy doesnt start BTW confirmed by Rockstar

    1. jia you
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      didn't go down for me lol

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

      The site wasn't down for me, and the site has gone down with a 503 error around dedlines before.

    3. have you seen cyan
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      It went down for me, everythign else was loading except FFS. OK nvm, weird

    4. Fitzy.
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Pretty sure the mods don't have access to a 'Take Site Down' button in their behind the scenes options.

  12. Rainer
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    No Vardy? WHAT?!?!

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 15 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      good one 🙂

  13. svasei - Up (?) the Rovers
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Aguero > Vardy > Ighalo

    Let's go!

  14. JBG
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Vardy to Ihenacho it is...

    1. E25
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      GL!

  15. Bring the Cavalry
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Ach well Vardy back out today for a -4, Perez captain just for the crack

  16. Herman Toothrot
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Panicked and sold Vardy for Firmino -4

  17. Yankee Toffee
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    The game is being updated.

  18. FPL Daniel
    • 15 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    pens down

  19. tiger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Decided on getting Perez over Barnes after the Vardy news...hope I don't end up regreting it!

    1. Niho992
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Same. I wanted Barnes all week but i changed my mind

      1. tiger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Same here...I also took a hit to transfer Lundstram out finally to get Saiss, otherwise I wouldn't have 11 given the Vardy news! Glad I waited til the end though...

    2. Fire Chief Moe
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Same, stats for away games point to Perez.

  20. Dakers
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Panicked and did Vardy Hayden to Jimenez Perez (-4) jfc

    1. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Nice

    2. nolard
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      decent that
      wonder how serious the injury is, if true

  21. FOO FIGHTER
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Vardy out lol

    1. Amey
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Really 😮

  22. jia you
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Holding KDB, Martial injury and now Vardy makes for a tough GW... can't catch a break this season!

  23. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    ⚽ Team News 📰
    NOR: Krul, Aarons, Godfrey, Lewis, Hanley, Duda, McLean, Buendía, Tettey, Cantwell, Pukki
    Subs: McGovern, Vrancic, Trybull, Rupp, Stiepermann, Drmic, Idah

    LEI: Schmeichel, Evans, Pereira, Söyüncü, Chilwell, Praet, Barnes, Maddison, Choudhury, Pérez, Iheanacho
    Subs: Ward, Justin, Morgan, Albrighton, Tielemans, Ndidi, Gray

    1. Old Man
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      So it was correct - oh well, thanks SS

    2. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      This guy had the team hour ago!!

      https://twitter.com/seanfromenderby?lang=en

  24. The 12th Man
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Traore > Perez -8 done.
    Couldn’t resist.

    1. Teahupo'o
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Exact same 🙂

      Rico Traore Mahrez to Doherty Perez Bruno

      1. The 12th Man
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 8 months ago

        Digne,Grealish,Traore > Periera,Fernandes,Perez here

    2. cheekumz
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      thats a -4 mate... same move i made, Feel Traore may well punish us tho. nervous

  25. Ajax Hamsterdam
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    never made a transfer that late !!!

    1. Pep Roulette
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      +1

    2. Amey
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      I've waited late for transfers exactly on gw's where team news was important 😀

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

      Same. Had to keep Vardy but Traore + Martial to Bruno + Fernandes for a hit.
      Holgate in for vardy

  26. lordkippe
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    This is all about avoiding a big red. On a -8

    El Ghazi, Martial & Targett > Perez, Antonio & Dann

    Lining up Vardy > Auba for next gw

  27. OverTinker
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Did Vardy to Jimi at the end - hits this GW -8
    Not happy at all

  28. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Vardy is my captain this evening...

    *if that helps*

    #LCFC #NCFC

    https://twitter.com/BenDinnery/status/1233465543069442049?s=19

    Oh Ben... 🙁

  29. Pep Roulette
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Perez(C)

    1. have you seen cyan
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Same, was going to be TAA.

  30. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 8 months ago

    Crap. I was convinced it was a troll. Down to 9 players

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      To be fair there were loads of separate 'sources'.

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

        😉

    2. Rotation's Alter Ego
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 8 months ago

      Haha, I always try and comment on the reliability of sources, must have missed my comments in this flood of panic - he's a good 'un!