Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 38+

It’s here: the final day of the season! Soon all the tinkering will stop and the rollercoaster ride will begin. Strap yourselves in! 

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 38+. Today’s deadline is at 15:00 BST, one hour before all ten matches kick-off.

The basics first: check the team news. Neale watches all the press conferences throughout the season and will have a sense for how each Premier League manager might approach their last game.

His predicted line-ups and notes contain the most up-to-date information about each team. Make sure your picks or potential transfer targets are included in his best-guess starting XIs. We might get some early team news but it helps to be prepared as much as possible beforehand.

There are a number of different ways to approach Gameweek 38+ and what you choose to do may depend on your overall rank and mini-league situation.

Mark Sutherns, for instance, hasn’t enjoyed his best campaign despite climbing the ranks since the resumption. And he revealed on the FPL show that Christian Pulisic will be his captain because he needs something different to break into the top 100k.

But this isn’t a recommendation that all FPL managers do the same, as Mark himself admitted a safe pick would be a Manchester City player such as Raheem Sterling or, perhaps, Kevin De Bruyne. In the conclusion to his Captain Sensible article, David wrote:

Sterling is clearly the most promising asset from Guardiola’s squad based on his last four performances. No Citizen can match him for big chances or shots on target during that period as he has rediscovered his clinical edge and an impassioned desire to hit 20 or more goals in the Premier League this season.

– David, Captain Sensible

Not only is Sterling in good form but he faces a team in bad shape. Norwich City have conceded 54 shots in the box over their last four matches; only Brighton have been worse. 

It’s easy to understand why so many are considering Pep Guardiola’s troops. To add fuel to the fire, Pep himself revealed that scoring goals will be a motivation for his players:

Every game there has to be a target, a focus, a desire to win the game, and maybe, scoring 100 goals is one of the reasons why.

– Pep Guardiola

The Citizens are currently on 97 goals for the season. So, is everyone tripling up on the former champions?

We’ve had five articles from our Pro Pundits this week: Zophar, Sam, Az, Holly, and Lateriser12 and they all have three City players in their teams.

Likewise Neale, who is preparing his Free Hit team, and Andy, who isn’t on a Free Hit but will have three City attackers.

using-the-top-10000-ownership-to-increase-your-fpl-rank-andys-article 9

On the Scoutcast, Az unveiled an alternative Free Hit team, one without Aubameyang, while both Joe and guest Aleksander will have two City attackers. Aleksander is currently third in the world and is debating whether he goes all out to win FPL – which means picking some differentials – or playing safe and trying to hold onto the bronze medal.

And in his regular review, TheFantasyFreÆK explained how he favours the City front three

It seems only Mark will have one City player as he considers swapping Willian for David Silva

Who knows where the points are going to go, it’s a bit of a lottery isn’t it?

– Mark Sutherns, FPL Show

But there are plenty of opportunities this week for captain and transfer options with a number of enticing match-ups. 

Newcastle, as Neale outlined on the Team News video, are down five of their recognised six centre-halfs, while David described them as being “among the most obliging defences of the last four matches”.

Good news for Liverpool and perhaps Mohamed Salah, who has, according to expected goals, been “the ‘unluckiest’ player in the Premier League from Gameweek 30+ onwards when we factor in both the quality of his chances and the execution of his shots”.

As Pro Pundit Holly notes:

[Salah’s] top for shots (21), shots on target (12) and shots inside the box (19), so ignore him at your peril.

– Pro Pundit Holly
 1

On the Breakfast Club, Neale explained that Mané’s aerial ability could lead to points against the Magpies. Steve Bruce’s side have conceded the most headed chances since the restart, which is consistent with their performance all season. 

There could be a lot of joy in the air for Liverpool.

– Neale, Breakfast Club

Crystal Palace are another side who are expected to struggle, with injuries across their backline. Good news for Harry Kane:

Not only are the Eagles giving up a host of high-quality chances, Spurs’ centre-forward has been steadily improving his total of big chances and shots on target over the last four.

– David, Captain Sensible

Kane’s teammate Son Heung-min was mentioned by Aleksander on the Scoutcast, and Johnny Orphan, currently 53rd in the world, has an interesting theory that the Eagles’ current right-back Joel Ward is a weak link in their defence.

Meanwhile, Watford’s recent poor form will give encouragement to those backing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette. The latter was selected by Pro Pundit Tom Freeman as one of his three differentials this week.

[The Hornets’] 13 big chances conceded over the last four matches is the same number as Palace and Norwich but means giving up one every 2.7 shots in the box.

– David, Captain Sensible

Seven of those big chances conceded were against Manchester City, it has to be said. 

Tricky Calls

We might feel reasonably confident in predicting wins for City, Liverpool, Spurs and Arsenal but a number of matches are much harder to call.

Take Chelsea v Wolves, for example. Both teams need to get a result to fulfil their European ambitions. The boldness of Mark’s decision to hand Pulisic the armband is highlighted when we consider the strength of the opposition defence: 

Five big chances conceded by Wolverhampton Wanderers since the restart, which is the lowest total in the division. No club has conceded fewer goals (four), shots in the box (16) or efforts in the box (41) than Wolves from Gameweek 30+ onwards.

– Neale, Big Numbers

And Manchester United’s trip to Leicester City is another game with a lot potentially riding on the result – a place in the Champions League could be at stake.

Their recent schedule afforded Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s men very little time to recover between matches, which may well have contributed to some tired-looking performances. However, as Az warned on the Scoutcast, taking out United players could hurt given their huge ownership levels. 

But, equally, this could be a very cagey match as a draw will be good enough for both teams should Wolves beat Chelsea.

Go cheap at the back?

With many managers looking to invest in appealing attacking assets, identifying cut-price defenders with clean sheet potential could be key to Gameweek 38+ success.

So Chris Wood’s comments ahead of Burnley’s match against Brighton were music to our ears:

As a team, we’ll be fighting like hell for [Nick Pope]. He’s an outstanding goalkeeper. Hopefully, we can get him one more so he can get his hands on the Golden Glove.

– Chris Wood

Not only do Burnley offer several cheap defensive options but there’s also the chance they could produce some attacking returns too:

36 chances conceded by Brighton and Hove Albion from their right flank since the restart. Only relegated Norwich City have allowed more opportunities to be created from that zone than the Seagulls… Erik Pieters could potentially exploit that weakness when the two sides meet on Sunday, then.

– Neale, Big Numbers

Since replacing Bernd Leno in goal in Gameweek 30+, Emiliano Martinez has saved 83.3% of the shots on target he’s faced. At £4.4m, he could help enable more expensive options further forward.

And Southampton have the fifth-best chance of recording a clean sheet according to the latest odds supplied, as ever, by G-Whizz. Alex McCarthy, Jack Stephens and Kyle Walker-Peters are all sub-£4.5m options for our squads.

Enjoy the final day

Lateriser12 reminded us that we should try to have fun, and one way of doing that is by playing the game our way:

… you still need to make well informed decisions that are based on stats and the eye-test and on the correct side of probability. The point is that you have to be happy you made the right choice for your playing style, regardless of the outcome.

– Lateriser12

In his article this week, he quoted former community member Eunuch Jelly, who defined what made playing FPL so enjoyable for him:

If you keep your eye on the ball, you can set yourself up for hours of enjoyment at the expense of your rivals. I urge you to transcend points and find the true heart of the game, where those who take a different path can mock others for a few minutes on the weekend and be the real champions of the game.

– Eunuch Jelly

Whether it’s getting one over on a rival or reaching a certain rank, FPL is a game which unites us all.

And speaking of the Fantasy community, here’s your chance to get more involved with the site by joining the Scout Network.

Be it a cool tool, a video channel, amazing tech skills or anything else in between, we want to hear from you.

Community Competitions

For an update on all FFS Mini-Leagues and Community Competitions – including the winners of both the Head-to-Head league and Last Man Standing – please click here to read the latest round-up.

The Head-to-Head fixtures for Gameweek 38+ 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 (although you probably know by now!), follow the instructions on the main Head-to-Head page.

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

3,847 Comments Post a Comment
  1. FC Hakkebøf
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Jimenez + Bruno to Nketiah + Sterlibg (C) -4?

  2. Tmel
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    K Long or Pieters?

  3. Blue Gaffer
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Fernandes to Mahrez yes or no?

    1. gauzah
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Y but not for a hit.

  4. Holmes
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Regrets, regrets, regrets....

    1. Colonel Shoe 肝池
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      ive had a few

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Can't afford ??
      😀

  5. DÏLKS
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Worth getting Kane if already own Son?

    Or shall I get Jesus with Sterling only city cover?

    1. ritzyd
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Get jesus

      1. DÏLKS
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Cheers

  6. _Gunner
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Are we Confident that Sterling will start?

    1. Tomerick
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      90%

  7. Cheeto__Bandito
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Who scores more?

    A) Wood
    B) Dsilva -4

  8. Nespinha
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    RM FH Team

    Pope
    Digne, Stephens, Pieters
    Salah, KDB, Sterling, António, Fernandes
    Ings, Wood

    Subs: button, branthwaite, williams, connoly

  9. Jafooli
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I’m hearing he might be rested.....

    1. Jafooli
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      ....sorry reply fail

      1. FC Hakkebøf
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Who might be rested?

        1. fr3d
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          You new around here?

    2. Rains of Castamere
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Ban

      1. Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        This

      2. La Roja
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        ter

    3. BrutalLogiC
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      who?

      1. Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Jessie Lingard

    4. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Did you read that too Jaf?

      What a bombshell.

      1. Jafooli
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Shocker, so late in the build up....

  10. BigBillyBass
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Play McCarthy or Henderson?

  11. AWOL-Ekotto
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Play Greenwoord over Jimenez or Ings?

    1. TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Play all three

  12. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Vardy out to Kane for a hit Y/N/why

    1. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      No. I did it for free and even then I was doubtful.

    2. TheSteel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Wouldnt do it for free

    3. D1B
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I am doing it, so Yes, but I am chasing a 30 point diff in my mini-league. Kane will be C

      My question is whether I downgrade Bruno -> Dilva or Willian to Foden (Have Sterling, KDB and Pulisic)

  13. COLLIN QUANER
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Will be reporting anyone posting fake rumours. You have been warned

    1. Drexl Spivey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Snitches get stitches.

    2. TRIPOS TOPPER
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      miss you Colin, always a good bench option!

      1. Party time
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Lmao 😆

      2. Now I'm Panicking
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Chase me chase me

    3. MGD
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Get Robertson or TAA on FH with no money problem? Leading ML

      1. nico05
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        TAA

    4. Sz21
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Mane or Son for this GW?.

    5. nadman89
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      and david silva scores a hat trick on his last premier league appearance , what a way to end his Premier League run...

      1. Tomerick
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Seems too good to be true

    6. King Kohli
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Any chance we get early team news?

      1. nadman89
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        seems like a longshot

      2. Jönny
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Don't know it hasn't been discussed at all.

      3. Jambot
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Not sure it’s worth waiting and having the risk of the site crashing at this point

    7. Totti
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      who do u rather guys

      A) de bruyne and bruno -> sterling and silva ( already owning mahrez )

      B) TAA and bruno -> stepens and sterling ( will have KDB STERLING MAHREZ)

      1. nico05
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        A for me definitely

      2. Skorr
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I did A earlier in the week as I would have been priced out.

        Silva can do plenty on his own in a normal game, but in his last game for the club the team might look to boost him.

    8. nico05
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Hi there with 2 mil to spend and 1 free transfer which is best?
      Pickford
      Boly TAA Aurier (Justin-Lascelles)
      Salah KDB Fernandes Martial (Oriol Romeu)
      Greenwood Jesus Wood
      A. Boly- Mendy or Laporte
      B. Fernandes- D.Silva or Mahrez
      C. Something else
      Thanks in advance

      1. Ógie
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        😆

      2. Gobigorgohome
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        thanks for info

    9. Gearoid
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Chasing 15 points. Anything worth a -4? 1.4 ITB. Kane? Ings? Stick?

      Pope
      TAA Doh Long
      Sterling(c) Dilva KDB Martial
      Vardy Greenwood Wood

      Button Lamptey Guendouzi Lascelles

      1. nico05
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Vardy-Kane or Auba if possibly would tempt me as you're chasing

      2. Skorr
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I'd be looking at a (K)ane if chasing

    10. BellyKlopp
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A or B:
      TAA to Pieters
      Vardy to Wood

      Have no playing DEFs on my bench

      1. BellyKlopp
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        A - TAA to Pieters
        B - Vardy to Wood

    11. BobbyDoesNotLook
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Gtg?

      Martinez 3.9
      Taa Aurier Pieters (Lamptey, Branthwaite)
      SterlingC Dilva Mahrez Salah Pulisic
      Kane Ings (Greenwood)

    12. The Strokes
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Best place to find early teamnews?

      1. The Strokes
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Forgot the name but wasnt it on twitter an account with "rock" in the name

      2. The_Fish
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Here

      3. iL PiStOlErO
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Nowhere today

      4. Perthite
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Grays Sports Almanac

    13. Evasivo
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      If I see TAA not in squad then...

      TAA Aurier to VVD Digne is my move

      1. FF Dirtbag
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Neco Williams in.

        1. Evasivo
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Who??

    14. JAYPEE
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Fernandes to D Silva for a -4?

      1. iL PiStOlErO
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Yes

      2. Pukki Party
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Yes go for it.

    15. YouReds
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A) Vardy + Dilva
      B) Jimenez + KDB

      Which do you prefer?

      1. iL PiStOlErO
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        B

      2. Fantasy Premington
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I think I'd go A but not sure

    16. Fantasy Premington
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A) Emi + Aurier (no burnley defence)
      B) Lloris + Pieters

    17. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      If we won't get team news i'm doing DDG to Pope

    18. Ruinenlust
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      TAA Out for VVD???