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. GOTHAM City F.C.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Who's Free Hitting next GW?

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

    Mahrez Mane Trent and kept all of them rather than hits for Sterling. F off I hate this

    1. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      chill loads in your position. gl

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

        Yeah just insanely annoying. Mahrez benching makes zero sense either especially for Foden. GL you too

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

      bad luck dakes

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

        Hope Mane Mahrez come on and return but Trent stays benched for Doherty autosub.

        At least DSilva (c) is still a go, but fuming

  3. Silecro
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Feck.. Kept Mahrez. Hes coming for 1pointer right?

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Possiblly, I've got Jimi first sub.

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

      25-30 mins off of the bench against Norwich could be worse.

    3. SAKA AND EMILE SMITH ROWE
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      He’s my Captain 🙁

      1. Pep bites Kun
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Rough! Almost C'd him too (he's VC), but blind luck stuck with KDB. GL

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

    Luckily I checked twitter and saw Salah was benched. Easy swap to Sterling (TC).
    Unfortunately didn't have time to remove Trent and find a good alternative.

  5. lilmessipran
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    It sucks when you had money to do mahrez to kdb but couldnt on a FH

    1. DandyDon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Think I had over 2mil left at end after leaving Martial in for Salah. Could have put KDB in if i'd known he started!

  6. T.Henry14
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Patricio
    Aurier, Tark, Doherty
    SterlingC, KDB, Bruno, Martial
    Kane, Ings, Greenwood

    (Button, TAA, Guendouzi, Lascelles)

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

      very nice, heres mine

      Pope
      Bardsley - Pieters - Aurier
      Sterling(c) - KDB - Dilva - Martial
      Kane - Ings - Auba

      1. T.Henry14
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Wow, your team is better. Good luck

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

        Nice should do well with that city 3. I've gone for Laca over Auba. SO relived he started!

  7. beric
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Liverpools lineup could help a lot with rank climbing for people who bailed on them

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

      I am going with Robbo VVD now 🙂

      1. DandyDon
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Could be smart double pool defence. Just went for Robbo in the end. Kind of Happy to have some Utd cover back in my team (martial) but would have preferred 5 more minutes to upgrade a few others. Think first on my bench may be 4,2 keinan Davis! Luckily all my 11 started. phew

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

    Managed to get TAA and Salah out, stuck with Mahrez..

    Leaks better have been real!

    1. Sailboats
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Same, but I sold TAA and Mane. Stuck with mahrez

    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Haha, same as per below. He's just a 1 point mascot at this point.

    3. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Mahrez benched

      TAA benched

  9. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Would have sold Mahrez > Sterling, but that Salah bench news really threw a spanner as I already had to bin TAA too!

    Mahrez, stay benched and let Greenwood run free, or come on for a brace. Your choice.

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

    I did Salah, TAA, Ings -> Martial, Robbo, Auba one minute before the deadline. Luckily I believed in that leaked team.

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

      Ha I did those exact transfers!

    2. A Fat Spanish Waiter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I literally did the same thing

    3. 272MK
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Similar

      Salah TAA Greenwood --> Antonio Robertson Auba

      Dayyum that was literally last seconds. What a thrill

    4. MiLK2018
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I did the exact same move. Still have Mahrez though...

    5. IL Fantasista
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I did exactly the same. Not in time to swap Mahrez for KDB though.

    6. DandyDon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Best hope Ings doesn't haul!

    7. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Why Ings?

  11. Hulk Smash
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Benched Vardy instead of the likes of Wood, Greenwood, Pulisic, Bruno and Martial.

    Tell me I did the right thing.

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

    Oops I bottled changing Trent to my bench, was more focused on lolling @ others on here 😆 Doherty monster haul incoming and Trent 1 pointer

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

      😀 Tasty schadenfreude.

    2. deathcabofdevil
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Lol@loling

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

      Same boat mate. Was too busy getting Mo out for a hit.

    4. DandyDon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      lol didn't really get the people on Reddit (this site had crashed for me) just saying ignore it all.
      After Klopp's tweet earlier was always a good chance he would rest a few. Pool lineup is crap though. Not sure having Robbo is worth it, Newcastle may well win!

  13. zon
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Foden, KDB, Dilva(c) are going to make my GW if anyone

  14. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Only trust the reliable leaks 🙂

    Maybe a lesson for next season but hopefully not, even moving the deadline forward 15 mins would help.

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      They seem to have been right. Gutted I didn’t move my players on FH

    2. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      90 minute deadline needed

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

      Definitely !

    4. DandyDon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      so many just saying 'is this reliable?', apparently he got it wrong once before. Luckily I swapped out Mane.
      He'll probably come on and score and Martial will blank!

  15. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    How did everyone know it wasn’t fake?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Very reliable.

      1. RAFA THE GAFFA
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Balls! I didn’t know. Only got 8 players on FH. Probably cost me £400

      2. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Which source?

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

      The Liverpool account had 100k+ followers, they could still have been mistaken though.

      1. RAFA THE GAFFA
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I bottled it. Weeks worth of planning down the drain now

        1. Forza
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          I kept TAA and Salah on the basis that if they were benched, the vast majority of active players were screwed as well. A lot of us are in the same boat, and anyone could come off the bench and score. It's not over yet!

    3. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Took a plunge

    4. Albert_Luque
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Reliable source on twitter with 101k followers - they would have to be very certain of their information posting to those sort of numbers.

    5. Athletic Nasherbo
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Incredibly reliable and has been in previous years. Has thousands of followers and a reputation to keep.

    6. beric
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      based on what the chat on reddit said

    7. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Because it has a 100% record

      1. DandyDon
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        I heard someone say he'd made a mistake on reddit but went for it luckily

  16. Long ago I drew a walrus
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    So after deliberating all week I made 2 transfers that I hadn't even considered until 5 mins before the deadline:

    TAA --> Ben Davies
    Jimenez --> Jesus

    based on leaks for Chelsea, Wolves and Liverpool. No Kepa and no Traore were the factors behind removing Jimenez.

    1. DandyDon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Ben Davies Punt!

      1. Long ago I drew a walrus
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Don't have huge hopes but even 6 points is fine

  17. A Fat Spanish Waiter
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Goodness... that was a bit too much thrill. Managed to get TAA moved to VVD and and Salah to Martial, upgraded Ings to Auba.

    This will either be a good day or a nightmare.

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

      yeah that was stressful!

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

        I need to calm down and have a chamomile tea

  18. Forza
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    The hysteria on here when TAA assists a Salah goal will be great 😆

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

      could easily happen. hopefully liverpool are winning and they dont need to come on till really late

      1. The Polymath
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        They won't be, Newcastle are being underestimated.

  19. badgerboy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    When does the new season start?

    1. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      12 Sep

  20. beetlejuice
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    DCL, Willian, TAA, Mane, Mahrez owner..bye bye top 1K, bye bye ML

  21. T.Henry14
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Mane to Sterling for -4 was a good decision I suppose

  22. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Right this is mental

    I *think* I ended up on Raz TC, but swapped repeatedly in the run up to lockout so might have been Dilva either, will find out soon

    Also have Lundstram first defensive sub - stay on bench TAA

    Laura Woods is lovely

  23. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Is Pulisic up front? I kept him on my FH

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

      I went for martial over him in the end. think hes in the front 3

  24. Collie01
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Looking forward to seeing what team I ended up with once the game updates.

  25. deathcabofdevil
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    10/11 starting with Mahrez being the exception. Will take that.

  26. sunzip14
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Benched TAA and started Saiss. Don't know if I will gain any points by doing that tbh.

  27. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    can't even remember what my starting lineup looks like as was too busy making my transfers. Have a feeling one of my transferred in players in benched

  28. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    People moaning about benchings...moan after 90 minutes. Look what Pulisic did the other day in about 10 minutes

  29. Pulp Minion
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Kept Salah but dropped TAA - Salah will probably come one and could still do something

  30. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    You can't feel me if you haven't done Salah and Mahrez to Son and KDB