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. GreennRed
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Missed team news before deadline and too late now but here's some updates-

    https://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/Football/Premier+League?type=ln

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

    Cmon DSilva(c) KDB Vardy... and please lord let Mahrez come on for Raz/Foden sooner rather than later

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

    Klopp must have seen my comments about risking his players with injury by overplaying them. Good to see that he has come to his senses and taken my advice.

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

      U just saved Salah, Mane, TAA and Bobby’s careers
      I worship u

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

    I did Salah and Kiko > Son and Robbo -8 and benched TAA last minute... 😮

    Just praying I saved my team can’t lie 😆

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

    Fantasy is fantastic!

  6. jimmyabs1987
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Salah to sterling looks good now!

  7. Scots Gooner
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Hoping Sakah stays benched

    1. HurriKane
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Hoping he cones on second half for a brace

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

        This and likely

    2. Lev Yashin
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Hoping for a 2 minute cameo.

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

    Sterling (c), Jesus and Foden - hoping for a haul here.

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

    to be honest i wouldnt have changed anything even if i had seen this link. hope taa doesnt come on now, have williams first on bench

  10. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    What are Mahrez owners hoping for?

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

      Brace vs tired legs

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

        Yes please

    2. CRO KLOPP
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Their account gets hacked?

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

      Anything. Just anything.

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

      Dont have him but I think they hope for hattie in last 15min. FANTASY premier league.

  11. Boomerang V
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Can BOU escape from relegation? What is necessary for that?

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

      They have to win and hope that one of Watford and Villa lose.

      1. Nightcrawler
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Both have to lose

    2. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      No chance. They go with a whimper.

  12. That Was Easy!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I made early moves for a -4. I ended up on a -16.

    While I am quite bummed, if anyone’s in this situation, have a laugh and enjoy a spectacular final day.

    1. That Was Easy!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      FYI, on BB, so wanted it to be worth it!

      1. Sasquatch Slayer
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        May it all work out ! Gotta make the bb worth it

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

      Almost same, ended up on -12 here having taken a -4 earlier in the week

    3. Ragabolly
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      -12 here

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

      Are you the guy on reddit who was told to log off and walk away? 😀

      1. That Was Easy!
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Haha no I was not!

        1. Cilly Bonnolly
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Hahaha. Well you’re not alone then.

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

    That Liverpool line up news. This could lose me my mini league. TAA Salah and Mahrez all benched hopefully they come on and make an impact. If not AWB first sub Saiss second sub

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

    I ended up with this.
    Martinez
    Alderweireld Bardsley Branthwaite
    Mahrez (ugh) Sterling (C) Silva Martial
    Kane Auba Ings
    McCarthy Pulisic N.Williams B.Williams

  15. Ci Siamo
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I captained Kane in the end and now feel a bit empty....

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

      I've had (C) on him all week cheer up. He will deliver

    2. Offside Trapattoni
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Why? Always scores last match of the season.

  16. Pacer.
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Captain Dilva was the only honorable move today

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

      switched to DSilva with 1 minute to spare.

    2. jimmyabs1987
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Same

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

      Aye ✋

  17. Vazza
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I did Foden to David Silva for a hit

    Very silly right?

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

      Nah

    2. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      For a hit yeah

    3. Snooze ya lose
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Yes

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

      I think i'd rather foden as he'll be more advanced but who was to know. Went Dsilva myself. At least we didn't go with Mahrez.

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

    Did Foden > DavidSilva -4
    Hope it pays of

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

    Absolutely GUTTED 🙁

    1. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I had Sterling, Mahrez and Foden all get 1 point on my WC a few weeks back - two of them started - don't be too disappointed just yet

    2. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Already.

  20. osceola31909
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Willian was the worst decision I made all season.

  21. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Went with Jesus(c).

    Here we go!

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

      Should be a great differential.

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

      Like it

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

    If only I knew Choudhury would start

    1. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I took a chance. Just out of sheer hope.

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

    I’m devastated. Got stuck with Salah. 12.5m wasted. Days of planning went down the drain.

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

      Same mate. Not sure what to do with myself. 🙁

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

      i feel you

  24. Magic Zico
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Bruno, show your double digits!

    1. Dynamic Duos
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Don't think so

  25. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Like my midfield.
    Sterling c Son Pulisic Martial Bruno .

  26. Qaiss
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Guys, I switched the armband at the very end from KDB to Sterling and confirmed and it said ‘team saved’

    I then refreshed the page and it was updating. Did it change to Sterling?

    1. Snooze ya lose
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Possibly not

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

        It was with seconds to go I think, dunno

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

      Yep, should be good

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

      yes

  27. McSauce
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Time for Bruno to Punish his sellers!!!!!!!!!

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

      this please...

    2. tokara
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Time for him to dive and get red

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

      Absolutely

  28. Snooze ya lose
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Soooooo excited!

  29. Boomerang V
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Salah against Newcastle B tired legs in second half. Looks promising.

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

      Lol

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

    Took the risk and kept Foden.

    Ended up with:

    TAA + Vardy > Robertson + Kane -4.

    Definitely not what I thought I'd be doing at the start of today!

    1. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Vardy could bite you.

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

        Oh definitely. But a risk I guess I'm willing to take.

    2. SADIO SANÉ
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      is Vardy benched?

      1. Mighty Banana
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        No