Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Double Gameweek 29

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 29. As most of you will no doubt be aware…

It’s a Double Gameweek!

Both Arsenal and Manchester City have two fixtures in Gameweek 29 – double the chance of scoring points!

Their Gameweek 28 encounter – postponed due to the EFL Cup final – has been rearranged for Wednesday. Before facing off at the Etihad Stadium, Arsenal entertain West Ham this weekend while the champions travel to local rivals Manchester United.

Also, following the midweek FA Cup results, we now have a better idea of how the Blank and Double Gameweeks are shaping up. For starters, there will be just four matches played in Gameweek 31.

Read on to find out how this might affect your team. And if you still need time to ready your troops and appoint your captain, you have until 11:30 GMT.

Armband Dilemma

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would appear to be the standout pick from the two teams playing twice. 

The most expensive Gabonese player of all time is in good form with three goals in his last two matches. He tops our Rate My Team tool and has garnered 48% of the vote in our captaincy poll.

Talked up by Neale in our video outlining the Best Captaincy Picks, his goal conversion rate since Mikel Arteta took charge is 33.3% – the best in the division. 

However David’s Captain Sensible article highlights some enticing alternatives. A weakness in West Ham’s defence could benefit Nicolas Pépé:

There is a heavy concentration of assists given up on the left side of the Hammers’ back-line, the right side of their opponents’ attack, where Pépé, with his impressive creative statistics, will likely be operating on Saturday afternoon.

– David

And as Pro Pundit Holly (aka FFCommunity_) notes in her look at February’s underlying statistics, Pépé has three assists from three fixtures, having created three big chances for his teammates.

Indeed Arsenal’s record signing also gets the Lateriser12 seal of approval:

I see Pépé as a bit of a flat-track bully with set-pieces in his locker, making him a potentially explosive pick with a nice upside.

– Lateriser12

Finally let’s not overlook perennial captain favourite Mohamed Salah, who made a late substitute appearance in Liverpool’s midweek FA Cup defeat:

The Egyptian has been the most reliable Liverpool asset at home in recent weeks, and Bournemouth’s defence arguably looks worse than West Ham’s.

– David

Scout Picks and Team News

Despite only playing once this Gameweek, there’s a place in the Scout Picks for FPL’s most expensive asset. 

He’s joined in the select XI by the leading points scorer in FPL, Kevin De Bruyne.

The Belgian – who delivered a season-high 19 points against the Gunners back in Gameweek 17 – missed his side’s FA Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday with a shoulder complaint. However Pep Guardiola sounded cautiously optimistic yesterday afternoon:

He’s getting better. Today we didn’t train, tomorrow will prove, I spoke this morning with the physio and he said that he feels better. Not perfect, but better. We’ll see.

– Pep Guardiola on Kevin De Bruyne

Although, as David observed, Guardiola is perhaps unlikely to risk the former Chelsea player with two starts in quick succession.

Elsewhere, as Rotation’s Alter Ego disclosed in his team news round-up, Alisson has been ruled out of the weekend’s action with a hip injury. Owners of the popular double-Liverpool defence discussed how this affects their teams.

Although the Reds are still top of G-Whizz’s clean sheet odds for Gameweek 29.

For more injury updates, including details on the crisis facing Chelsea, have a read of Neale’s press conferences recap. Further in-depth information is given in the predicted line-ups.

Full Portion of Chips?

With the short notice for Gameweek 29 and the reduced number of fixtures in Gameweek 31, many have been considering their chip strategies. 

Whether you’ve all your chips remaining or even if you’ve had a little nibble already, there is, as NOMONEY pointed out, a chip strategy for everybody!

Depending on your situation, you may favour ‘The Jarvish Strategy’ or even the ‘FPL Virgin Strategy’. Neale set the scene and explored various scenarios in his thoughtful piece on chip deployment. While our Scoutcast trio of Joe, Az, and Pranil (aka Lateriser12) aired their views in our regular video broadcast.

Rather than examining goals, shots, or big chances to highlight players for your team, community writer RichP_LFC turns to Fantasy Points For and Against. Breaking down defence and attack by position, his Double Gameweek special provides food for thought, especially for managers using Free Hit or Wildcard.

He takes the same approach to put together his Gameweek 31 Dream Team.

Jules Breach successfully played her Wildcard in Gameweek 28, as Greyhead reported in The Great and The Good, and has averted her downward slide. Five of the 12 elite managers are now in the top 100k as we enter the ‘business end’ of the season.

If you don’t have your Wildcard available, or would rather save it for later, Pro Pundit Sam (aka Sam FPLFamily) was on hand with sage advice in case you are contemplating a hit:

Just think about whether it’s worth the risk for the player that you want to bring in, whether they’re likely to return more than the player you’re gonna take out AND the minus points hits that you’ve got to take to do it.

– Pro Pundit Sam

For those pondering a transfer, Pro Pundit Tom Freeman (aka avfc82) has been on a good run with his differential picks. This week he singled out Ismaïla Sarr, Miguel Almirón, and Phil Foden. Sarr played a part in all three of Watford’s goals against Liverpool and benefits from a guaranteed fixture in Gameweek 31.

TheFantasyFreÆK backs up the selection of the Senegalese in his Gameweek review:

No midfielder in the league has recorded as many shots inside the box and big chances as Watford’s Ismaïla Sarr in the games he has started under Nigel Pearson. He has the pedigree to be FPL gold whenever he starts. At that price, I think he is easily the best midfielder to own.

– TheFantasyFreÆK

For Fantasy lovers and fans of Norwegian football, Eliteserien 2020 is live!

Our resident expert Niemi outlined the season ahead. The game will have its own dedicated page on Fantasy Football Scout to help you find related content.

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 29 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

3,434 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Tibbs
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 21 days ago

    Play Stephens (NEW) or Traore (BHA)?

    Playing McCarthy between sticks so Stephens would be a double up?

    1. Arfaish
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Stephens

    2. TiAgoFPL
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Traore

  2. Weasel Boy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 21 days ago

    Even if Traore is fit, will he start?

    1. iL PiStOlErO
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Probably not

    2. SH@KTIMAAN
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Thanking of that myself
      Would your bring sarr for free?

      1. SH@KTIMAAN
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Thinking*

      2. Weasel Boy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Yeah probably would.

        Did Grealish to Sarr myself

    3. FOO FIGHTER
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Man is made of steel

    4. Salarrivederci
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Benching him this GW.
      Just need my doctors to fix him good for GW31.

      1. Party time
          4 years, 21 days ago

          This! Hahaha 😆

      2. Arfaish
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Probably yes. He’s been a core member of a very stable 11 for a while

    5. iL PiStOlErO
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Selling Bobby&Martial to Auba&someone. Have 7.4m for the mid but not much at that price range. Any suggestions? Maybe punt with Mount?

      The team is:

      Ramsdale Martin
      TAA Taylor Soy Cathart Egan
      Salah KdB Martial Barnes Dendo
      Vardy Bobby Ings

      1ft, 1.0 itb

      1. Soto Ayam
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Antonio?

    6. SH@KTIMAAN
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Bench one:
      1. Soyuncu(AVL)
      2. Saiss(BHA)
      3. Traore(BHA)
      Playing Barnes and Jimenez
      Thanks

      1. iL PiStOlErO
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        3

        1. Crunchie
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          3

      2. Arfaish
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        2

        1. Arfaish
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Sorry read that wrong, as said below play saiss! I’d bench Traore

      3. Fpl Richie
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        1 or 3. Definitely play 2

    7. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Gundogan or Foden to WC team. First two wins...

      1. iL PiStOlErO
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Foden

      2. Cholito
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Foden

      3. FOO FIGHTER
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        None

      4. Villa Velour
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Neither

    8. built_this_city
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 21 days ago

      Any leaked pool news?

      1. KaBoZ: Kids,don't Drin…
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        +1 waiting

        1. Champions League Varane
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          +1

      2. Joss Ackland’s Spunky…
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        And me. Although I'm locked in on a - 4.

      3. Party time
          4 years, 21 days ago

          If I give you the line up, will you trust it?

      4. SerieD
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Firmino to auba? FT.
        OR
        Maddision to Pepe Ft.

        Already have KDB.

        1. Arfaish
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          100% the first option and slap the armband on him

        2. GOTHAM City F.C.
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          First

        3. SerieD
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Ok!

      5. Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 21 days ago

        Read on Twitter that players have been told to wear surgical masks this GW......

        1. Fudgy
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Good, it's better than closed doors games

          1. Jafooli
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            And surgical gowns....

        2. FPL Daniel
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          probably only inside, not on the field

          1. Jafooli
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Nope, said for the full 90mins and ET...

        3. Fernando Torres
          • 12 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Surgical masks do not stop you catching COVID...

          1. Jafooli
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            It’s to stop them spitting.....

        4. Fpl Richie
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Surgical trousers

          1. Jafooli
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            *gowns

        5. GOTHAM City F.C.
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Saw your Twitter handle say you read on FFS that players have been told to wear masks...

          1. Jafooli
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            😛

        6. Party time
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Zaha needs one tbh before he goes around spitting on players

        7. Arfaish
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Really not sure on how to approach my chip strategy on this lot

          kasper/ £4m
          TAA, Boly, Stephens/ Taylor, Hanley
          Salah, Mane, KDB, Barnes/ £4.3m
          Ings, Vardy, Jota

          My choice is between utilising my free hit in Blank 31 and then BB/TC dgw34/37. With wc played 33/36.

          Or take two hits in the next two weeks giving me ten gw31 players allowing me to wc 33, BB 34 and FH 37 so I have two perfect dgw squads compared to just one above.

          The second option would however leave me with my TC which I would have to use now on KDB who is a doubt or use in a sgw.

          Which strategy do you prefer, FH 31 for 11 players of -8 over two weeks for 10 and have two strong dgw squads?

          1. Regin
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            second option but get in Auba & TC him

            1. Arfaish
              • 11 Years
              4 years, 21 days ago

              I’d have to take a -8 to get Auba in.

              Would be Mane, Vardy > Pepe, Auba. With their fixtures I’m not sure the -8 would pay off...?

          2. HashAttack
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            I'm using my TC this week as I have all 4 chips left and already have 8 gw31 players, so will not need to FH that week
            There will be limited, if any, other chances to play TC is FH and BB are being used in 34 and 37

            If you use FH in 31, which could be the correct thing to do, then I think you have better options to play TC later on - I think there will be a better double fixture

            I would have brought in and TC KDB but that was assuming he was well rested, not trying to recover from a problem

            I take -8 most weeks, so that also would not be an issue for me

            1. Arfaish
              • 11 Years
              4 years, 21 days ago

              Wow -8 most weeks, that I like. How’s that worked out rank wise for you out of interest?

              1. HashAttack
                • 7 Years
                4 years, 21 days ago

                If I made better choices it would work out better, but generally it keeps the team healthy, turns over lots of players so I am getting the risers and dropping those that lose money

                Trying to crack 500k at the moment, but the extra team value / strength gives me a nice edge for the latter part of the season

        8. HashAttack
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Who else is on Auba TC

          1. Arfaish
            • 11 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            If I had him I would, in a predicament in my above post related to it

          2. jayzico
            • 13 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            me

            1. HashAttack
              • 7 Years
              4 years, 21 days ago

              wavering between TC and BB though ...

              BTW Your team link has an /a/ in the address - happened to my link to

          3. Regin
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            strongly considering it

            1. HashAttack
              • 7 Years
              4 years, 21 days ago

              Given Auba's form and WHU at home, I think it's a better option than the Liverpool double away was .

              .. but there could be a better fixture down the line - GW34 MCI v NEW cannot happen - so there could be a MCI dgw with NEW at home (With WAT away if in 37)

              If you are okay for 31 and using BB / FH over 34/37 then this might be the best time

        9. FPL Maldini
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Is this team of 8 enough for 31 if I decide not to Free Hit?

          Pope
          Boly
          TAA
          Gomez
          Salah
          Sarr
          Wood
          Jimmy

          1. FPLtfs
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Yes imo

          2. PascalCygan
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Definitely

          3. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            8 is more than enough for that week

        10. The King
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Who should I bench

          A) Grealish
          B) Fleck

          1. Champions League Varane
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            B

        11. Letsgo!
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Anybody think aurier will be bench?

        12. LLoris
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Any news on the liverpool game

          1. Flynny
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            A random person on twitter has posted a team that includes no mane or robbo...

            Bohensenlfc.

            1. Pukki Party
              • 6 Years
              4 years, 21 days ago

              He just said he is the one who has informed rockstar of team news lol

        13. Jinswick
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Best replacement if Mane is benched?

          A) Sterling
          B) Pepe
          C) KDB

          1. Squires FC
            • 10 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Flip a coin

          2. drughi
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            might punt on sterling

        14. Karan14
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Pepe or Salah for the armband?

          1. Squires FC
            • 10 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Salah more reliable

          2. IAWC ( It's a Wonderfu…
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Pepe worth a punt

        15. Squires FC
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Mane -> sterling / pepe ft?

          1. Babelcopter
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            sterling

          2. The Mighty Hippo
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Both decent options, but Mane will play gw31, so best to keep him if you're not going to play your FH chip then.

        16. Gideons Rolling Another One
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Thoughts on Richarlison to Mahrez -4?

          Richarlisons stats are superior to Mahrez, but the lure of the DGW is strong.

          1. JT11fc
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Not for me. Chelsea got no midfielg this week so will be open game

        17. School of Poch
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          GTG?

          Pope
          Robbo/Saiss/Soy
          Salah/Mane/KDB/Grealish
          Auba(c)/DCL/Ings

          Button/Cantwell/Lascelles/Rico

          1FT
          0.3ITB

          Plan to save FT and plan for 31 with 2FT. Saving FH,WC & BB for later blanks and doubles

        18. Champions League Varane
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Pool news....?

          1. Flynny
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            See above for random twitter info that you can take or leave

        19. Wheyyyy
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Considering bringing in Jota but concerned with the upcoming Europa league games. Will there be much rotation do you think? (also have Jimenez)

          1. tiger
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            I think there will be rotation and Jota always has his time managed...I wanted him too, but have held off for this reason.

        20. Eirern
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Last dilemma:

          Lundstram -> Saiss

          Or

          Mané + DCL -> Sarr + Auba

          ?

          1. Villa Velour
            • 8 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            A

        21. waltzingmatildas
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          On a wc, which would you pick
          A) Bruno or mahrez
          B) alonso or otamendi

        22. JT11fc
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Currently at 3mins per page. Chaos

        23. Magic Zico
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          KDB without Pepe or Mahrez and Pepe?

        24. ludaslol
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Play
          A) Saka
          B) Barnes

        25. FOO FIGHTER
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          I just wonder how many hits have been taken for triple ARS and City 😮

          1. Champions League Varane
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            And they don’t even play in 31

            Sigh

        26. Dilzy
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Would you bench boost this team?

          Henderson
          TAA Gomez E.Stevens
          Barnes Salah KDB Perez
          Auba (c) Ings Jimenez

          (McCarthy, Lascelles, Duda, J.Stephens)

          1. FOO FIGHTER
            • 4 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            BB37 with 4 x 2

            1. Dilzy
              • 14 Years
              4 years, 21 days ago

              Ah, cheers ! 🙂

        27. Regin
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          repost

          Who to get for a hit.

          A. Dunk to Otamendi
          B. Azpi to Walker
          C. Traore to Rodri
          D. None of these worth a hit

          (already on -4)

          1. Dilzy
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            D

          2. teddypicker
            • 14 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            D

        28. Crump
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 21 days ago

          Is anybody actually captaining KDB? And if they aren't, would you have if not for the injury doubts?

          1. FPL_Crisis
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            4 years, 21 days ago

            Much easier captaining a mid in DGW. I had planned kdb captain but easy choice Auba now