Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 1

It feels like we’ve had a half-term rather than a summer holiday – Gameweek 1 is upon us already!

During the break Fantasy Football Scout has been busy producing absolutely tons of exciting content. The aim of this guide is to distill that knowledge into a digestible format. As Andy’s recent guest Simon succinctly put it when explaining his use of stats: “it’s almost impossible to watch 20 hours of football per week”.

The first piece of advice given by three-time top 200 finisher Lateriser is:

Read up about football more and then tinker… What happens when you are doing this is that you are strengthening your instinct, your subconscious… and then you tend to be more decisive.

– Lateriser

The most important news for you to read first is the team news.

Neale reported the headlines from Thursday’s press conferences: Chelsea’s new-signing Hakim Ziyech is out for a couple of weeks; Christian Pulisic is ahead of schedule and could feature this weekend; Mason Holgate will miss Everton’s trip to North London with a toe injury; and Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed that budget ‘keeper Alex McCarthy is his No 1.

David and co have been reviewing all the pre-season matches in the Scout Notes and analysing the new additions to the Premier League in the Scout Reports.

If you want to quickly look up a particular team or player, the easiest way to find the information you need is via The Complete Guide to Pre Season. This section of the website lists all the articles associated with each club.

Pay Attention to Captaincy

Another of Lateriser’s rules – pay attention to captaincy. It can make up 25 per cent of your score and it’s the biggest decision you make each week. Our upside-chasing Pro Pundit advocates, on occasion, bringing in a player for a hit – even for one Gameweek.

The first Captain Sensible article of the new season has, for a change, been written by Jan Sienkiewicz. Jan finished in the top 100 overall last season and mustered 657 captain points, the second-most in the world. 

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the popular choice with a clear lead in the captain poll, but Jan is not convinced by the underlying stats:

[Aubameyang] has been in a rich vein of form lately and the spirits are certainly high at the Emirates. However, the underlying data shows us that Arsenal’s attack has been underwhelming, creating very little from open play.

– Jan

For the double-points maestro, Liverpool are the more attractive proposition:

The Liverpool attack looks set to fire against Leeds United in a game in which suits them tactically, even if they have been lacklustre in pre-season. Both Salah and Mané will look to start the season strongly and maintain their brilliant goalscoring records at home.

– Jan

Mohamed Salah scored in 15 home matches last season, more than any other player.

However, in our Captaincy video Joe and David took a different view. A reminder that David went on a successful 17-Gameweek captain run back in 2018/19:

Aubameyang is my choice at the moment… the eye test is looking good, he made Liverpool look distinctly average [in the Community Shield]… and when he plays smaller teams he tends to look better.

– David

Joe concurred, highlighting the Arsenal man’s excellent record against the minnows (teams outside of the top six): his expected goals is doubled, his number of big chances is doubled, even his shooting accuracy is doubled. 

When in doubt back the odds.

– Lateriser

It’s notable that Arsenal and Liverpool’s opponents, Leeds and Fulham, have the worst odds of recording a clean sheet. Thank you as ever to G-Whizz for posting his regular summary.

Wise Words

I’ve been sharing a splattering of Lateriser’s tips in this article, but we are lucky enough to have several excellent managers to call upon. The days when I used to write articles on the Top Five managers in the Hall of Fame are no longer needed – the top three are now all signed up as Pro Pundits.

So far we’ve heard from number three on the list, Darren Wiles, who recently finished 140th in the world and has three top 1,000 finishes in the last four seasons. He’s found that going ‘big at the back’ has served him well:

A strategy that threatened to take off at the start of last season, going big at the back has been the key to a lot of my success over the last four years.

– Darren

Darren’s FPL draft includes four premium defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, Matt Doherty, and Aymeric Laporte.

He’s also managed to squeeze in Salah, Aubameyang, and Werner! Somehow he’s done this with the same £100m budget as the rest of us.

Up front the Southampton fan has picked Che Adams and Aleksandar Mitrovic, giving him the same front three as Joe, who was roundly ridiculed on the Scoutcast by Az and Andy for having two £6.0m forwards. 

Interestingly, Pro Pundit Az has revealed a very similar front three, with the exception of Ings for Adams. The debate would clearly seem to come down to whether you think Ings is worth the extra £2.5m over Adams.

Value for money and the merits of going big at the back have also been discussed by the community. Thanks to this piece from kierenbwfc and the resulting hot topic.

To be fair to Az, it’s worth pointing out that Ings is just a placeholder for Anthony Martial his team. The co-host of the revamped FPL BlackBox podcast is set on owning the Manchester United forward for Gameweek 2.

Joining Az on the podcast is the legendary FPL manager and this website’s founder, Mark Sutherns. Mark has returned to Fantasy Football Scout and will be contributing his thoughts and insights over the coming season. Commenting on the proliferation of stats and content available to FPL managers, Mark reflected:

These days everyone can get a glut of knowledge, information and data in their timeline with relative ease. But to work out how best to process it, how you learn to separate luck from skill and focus on improving the input, not dwell on the output, that might just be the new marginal gain.

– Mark

Don’t be surprised if Mark adds to his four top 1,000 finishes.

Another manager looking to join Az with Martial in his Gameweek 2 squad is Lateriser, although the upside-chasing manager is starting with him on his Gameweek 1 bench! India’s two-time FPL champion outlined his thinking in his latest Pro Pundit article

Meanwhile Pro Pundit Tom Freeman has been scouting the Red Devil’s summer signing Donny van de Beek. The new addition gives Ole Gunnar Solskjær an extra dimension to his already gifted attack. Although Tom feels he may have to settle for a place on the bench, at least to start with.

Intriguingly, Tom’s headline differential pick is Christian Pulisic, who, as mentioned earlier, is in contention for Monday’s trip to Brighton. And he’s got the potential to deliver even if he’s named among the substitutes:

An appearance off the bench might not be the end of the world for owners, considering his ability to haul from limited minutes, as evidenced at Anfield last season.

– Tom

Costing the same price as Chelsea’s Captain America is the Blues latest recruit from the Bundesliga, Kai Havertz. Chelsea fan and Pro Pundit Zophar, ran the rule over the former Bayer Leverkusen star. The German’s impressive goal conversion ratio of 19 per cent led the six-time top 5,000 manager to describe him as an “ice-cold finisher”.

Another player singled out by Tom as a differential ahead of the new season is Dele Alli. Indeed he is a player I highlighted when examining Mourinho’s attacking formation. Spurs have been much debated this pre-season both in terms of their attack and defence.

Pro Pundit Sam Bonfield shared her thoughts on the improved backline during the restart period, explaining how it bodes well for the coming season. While community member FPL Octopus argues that their defenders have been underpriced. And I took a look at the potential offered by Matt Doherty.

Join in the fun!

The Head-to-Head leagues and Last Man Standing are back, and we’re dishing out £2,500-worth of giveaways in the Community Members mini-league, plus there are a plethora of competitions for you to take part in: perhaps you fancy yourself against Greyhead’s The Great and The Good?

Take a moment to read this article to find out the League Codes – watch out for those Gameweek 1 deadlines. And thank you, as ever, to RedLightning for administering a number of our community mini-leagues.

Enjoy the new season.

Best players by position:

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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

3,246 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    RMT:

    McCarthy
    Trent Doherty Justin
    Son Havertz Auba ASM Soucek
    Werner Adams

    Nyland Martial KWP Mitchell

    Options appreciated!!

  2. BrutalLogiC
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    1m ITB - any comments good or bad please

    McC
    Davies TAA Vinagre
    Auba(c) Salah ASM Puli
    Wilson Adams Werner

    Steer, Soucek, Mitchell, Taylor

  3. Doosra - ☭DeclanMyGenius…
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Any late news? 🙂

    1. NULL-X-VOID
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Walton injured

      1. Amey
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        FFS

        1. HamezMace
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          Think pink

          1. Amey
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            I'm pink already

      2. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Yep John Boy hurt himself on the farm

    2. Forza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      It doesn't look like Aurier's leaving.

  4. Jordan.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    is kenny going to oust coleman at everton rb

    1. Kloppcorn
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Doubt it

    2. NULL-X-VOID
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I'm hoping for that

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

      Not straight away anyways

      1. Jordan.
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        ok cheers lads @4.5 gw 2-4 would be great

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

    1) Havertz and Mitrovic

    or

    b) Bissouma (non-starting) and Ings

    1. vidage8
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      A

    2. Jordan.
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      1 by a long way

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

      First is 14.5 and second 12.5 😀

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

    I think I'm done. Good luck and successful season to all of you 🙂

  7. Steinburg FC
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Whats this about Bruno missing GW2? Just woke up to find out maybe all my planning was for nothing! x-)

    1. thepeen555
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Who?

  8. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    More upside to Wilson JRod than Ings ASM?

    1. thepeen555
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Only that Jrod hasnt done PL before I would do ings and asm

    2. fpork
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Upside yes, but much riskier imo

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

    1) Davies
    2) Dier
    3) James

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      1. Help above?

    2. billnats
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Davies for me

  10. thepeen555
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Pages flying by again

    A, Bowen, vardy, Pereira

    B, Auba, biss, mitro

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      B for now. Help above?

  11. Camzy
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Mark has a very good GW1 team this week. At least to me, it looks very good. Damn!

    1. Nightcrawler
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Whats the team

      1. Camzy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        McCarthy Steer
        TAA Robertson James Vinagre Ayling
        Salah Auba Pulisic ASM Soucek
        Werner Adams Davis

        It's very good. It's one of those teams that makes you reconsider your own (although I'm pretty set on mine too). I literally have nothing bad to say about this team. It really is great.

        1. Dr. Rog
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          drafted in James this morning on the back of his article.

        2. Rinseboy
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          How's yours looking now Camz?

          1. Camzy
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            You'll see in a few hours' time! I finished it up last night and I'm very happy, woke up with no desire to tinker. Unless there is big injury news, the only decision I have left is captaincy.

        3. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          I think a couple of those are a wait and see personally though I have over half.

          1. Camzy
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 6 months ago

            Like who? He's playing fairly conservatively imo. His uncertain guys are James, Vinagre, ASM and Adams.

            Lots of upside to those guys.

        4. MARVELLUS
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 6 months ago

          That is a great team, tempted to copy...... But won't.

    2. goriuanx
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Nearly the same as mine.

    3. Eat my goal!
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Eggs in two baskets which play one another GW2

      1. Camzy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        So what? They are fantastic assets. One game - and a potentially very high scoring one - could still yield lots of points.

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

      He has two no?

  12. Pukki Blinders
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Romeu or Bissouma as 4.5 fodder?

    1. billnats
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Bis. But let’s be honest, it won’t matter. They’ll be third on bench

      1. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Need to start one this week, after that yes third on the bench

    2. Marty McFly
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Biss

  13. billnats
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    A) Soucek & Jimenez
    B) Greenwood & Wilson

  14. FPL_Senor
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Who will do better Ings or Havertz?

    1. Dacra
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Season, Havertz.

      This week, dunno.

    2. Kloppcorn
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Ings is safer, Havertz more of a risk but could pay off

    3. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Ings

  15. andrinho
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    1) Havertz and Mitrovic

    or

    2) Bissouma (non-starting) and Ings

    1. Kloppcorn
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Who would you be starting instead of bissouma

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

        Soucek

    2. Dacra
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Depends who you then play Havertz, impossible question in isolation.

  16. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Ughhh cant decide

    If u WC week 2 which pair???

    A) Bowen and alli

    B) Son and Dier

    1. Gizzachance
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      B

  17. Garfield1001
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Anybody going without Salah?

    1. Top Lad Dakes.
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      So so tempted but don’t think I have the cojones. Will change if he starts slow

    2. Podge
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      67.6%

    3. AgentRed
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Been debating it all week but decided to stick with him

  18. Jehstafari
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Are there any £4.5m midfield options from the promoted teams? I’m struggling to find any info on this..

    1. AgentRed
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Not decent ones - standard 2 pointers like Reed

      1. Jehstafari
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Cool, thanks. Bissouma it is then

  19. Gizzachance
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    A mitrovic
    B adams
    have werner & wilson
    cheers

    1. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      A

      1. Gizzachance
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        cheers

    2. Marty McFly
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Mitro. But I have both.

      1. Gizzachance
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        thanks

    3. Tasty Jerk
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      C Batsman over A and B

  20. davies
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    See you on the other side 😎

    McCarthy
    TAA Dier Vinagre
    Salah (c) Auba Alli ASM
    Werner Ings Adams

    Steer Mitchell Bissouma Ferguson

    Good luck all!

  21. Coys96
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Start

    1) KWP (no McCarthy)
    2) Saint-Max

  22. Drexl Spivey
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Walton red flag - ankle (unknown return).

    Typical.

  23. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Is Ings now a casual pick?

    Don't see him in many teams on here.

    1. Kloppcorn
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      I’ve got him but just for gw1 unless he plays unreal

    2. Podge
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Hope so. Casuals always win 🙂

  24. Delph & Safety
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Thoughts on Tielemens?

    1. Coys96
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Decent choice

    2. Dank Squid
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Can be a bit frustrating to own/watch, often assisting the assister. Has a knack of finding Vardy "even with his eyes closed", though, which is definitely a positive.

  25. Urban Cowboy.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Going for the high risk reward of a cheap back line and expensive mid.
    Mccarthy Ryan
    TAA Justin Mitchell Davies Lascelles
    Auba Fernandes Salah Biss ASM
    Werner Mitrovic Bamford

    1. MARVELLUS
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      V similar to mine, I have a 4m Gk to afford a 6m fwd. GL.

  26. leo123
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    A. 5.0 deff + Mitro + 0,5
    B. 5,0 deff + Wilson (have ASM)
    C. KWP (have McCarty,) + DCL
    D. Other

    Best 5.0 def ?

    Thanks and gl

  27. Dr. Rog
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Best one week punt under 7.5

    A) Adams
    B) Wilson
    C) Antonio
    D) Other

    1. leo123
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Adams for me

    2. Tasty Jerk
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      D) Batshuayi

  28. KingZZ
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    Bench one :

    A) Saliba [Fulham (A)]

    B) Davies [Everton (H)]

    C) Justin [West Brom(A)]

    D) ASM [West Ham (A)]

    E) Rodriguez [Spurs (A)]

    1. Gabbiadini
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      E

  29. MoSalalalalalalalalah
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    If anyone can deliver me some final thoughts that would be fantastic! Thank you

    Ramsdale
    TAA | Saiss | KWP
    Diangana | ASM | Auba (C) | Mane (V)
    DCL | Ings | Werner

    GK: Steer | Davies | Bissouma | Ferguson

    0.5 ITB

    GW2 - lngs > Martial
    GW3 - Auba > KDB

  30. Legohair
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 6 months ago

    G2G?

    McCarthy
    TAA-Saliba-KWP
    Salah-Auba-Son-Bowen
    Werner-Adams-Mitro

    Steer, Justin, Mitchell, Stephens

    Bench right order? Or should i bench Mitro and play Justin instead?

    1. Marty McFly
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 6 months ago

      Very similar to mine. So I like it.

      Play Mitro.

      1. Legohair
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 6 months ago

        Thanks