Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 6

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 6. It’s the first Friday deadline of the season – you have until 18:30 BST to ready the troops!

Who to captain?

This week Jan Sienkiewicz, our sage of the armband, recommends Sadio Mané (£11.9m), Mohamed Salah (£12.3m) and Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) in his Captain Sensible article. Risk-taking often factors into our decision-making process, and in terms of popularity Salah is the safest pick:

“Backed by over 66% of our voters combined, Salah and Kane seem to be the safe choices for Gameweek 6, the heavily-backed Egyptian the safest of the two.”

– Jan

In the latest edition of The Review, BigManBakar also tips Salah ahead of an enticing encounter against Sheffield United:

He’s on penalties playing for a team that has the best xG this season. According to the bookies, Salah has the best odds of scoring a goal and Liverpool are the most likely team this Gameweek to score 2.5+ goals. No player in the league has recorded more shots in the box this season.

– BigManBakar

Meanwhile David, who returned to the Captain Video after successfully transferring out a wisdom tooth last week, brought more good news for those considering a Liverpool player. Pointing out the impact the now-departed Dean Henderson (£5.4m) had on the Blades’ defence, he noted:

Sheffield United last season, for all the clean sheets they kept, I think a lot of people … would have assumed their xGC (expected goals conceded) was often quite good, but actually it really wasn’t. They would give up lots of Big Chances, but Dean Henderson had the second-best xG Prevented in the whole division last year, i.e. he was making incredible saves to keep Sheffield United in games.

– David

And if you prefer a differential option – a tactic last week’s Meet the Manager guest Graeme Sumner advocates – Neale was on hand with a tasty stat in his Big Numbers piece.

79.4 minutes per expected goal involvement (xGI) recorded by Sadio Mane, the best figure in the division from any player who has started at least one Premier League match this season.

– Neale

At under 10 per cent ownership, the Senegalese could be the better option for those willing to move away from Salah.

High opportunity cost

With so many players performing well this year it’s impossible to have them all. One strategy is to switch between the premium assets for their best fixtures, to give yourself the best captain candidates. 

But, as Greyhead has found out this season, you will have to accept the high opportunity cost.

The Community scribe sold Jamie Vardy (£10.0m) before his unexpected Gameweek 3 hat-trick away to Manchester City, he then ditched a potentially-injured Son Heung-min (£9.4m) ahead of his brace in Gameweek 4, and even his Gameweek 5 transfer-out Che Adams (£5.8m) returned 11 points after leaving his team.

The topic was raised on this week’s Scoutcast, with all three of Joe, Az, and Lee holding differing opinions on how to deal with the season. Az in particular was against switching out expensive players:

I think you can build a team with these premiums and you don’t need to worry about switching them out every week to try and catch different ones, because we’ve seen how much that can hurt people.

– Az

Instead, Az prefers to identify blocks of fixtures rather than transferring out a player because he blanked. 

Pro Pundit Simon March offered a different perspective on opportunity cost when discussing loss aversion, a cognitive bias that describes our tendency to fear losses more than we value gains.

Arguably the number one source of anxiety among Fantasy managers comes from transferring a player out who you suspect might suddenly start scoring, something that always seems to happen.

– Simon

Citing Timo Werner’s (£9.3m) haul against Southampton’s high-line defence, Simon explained that “one of the key skill elements of FPL is identifying the contextual factors that influence whether a player will score or not.

Essentially, judge the decision not the outcome. Simon concluded:

Most importantly, although it might feel like it, a player did not start scoring because you transferred them out. That kind of ‘magical thinking’ can quickly sabotage a Fantasy manager’s season as it removes logic and objectivity and puts events firmly into the hands of chance.

– Simon

And fellow Pro Pundit Lateriser doesn’t expect the rollercoaster of a season to stop any time soon.

This season, variance is a lot higher than usual and I expect that trend to continue. Be prepared for it and remember that this is only a game, one which involves a fair amount of luck and unpredictability as well.

– Lateriser

Value Villains 

Several contributors have noted the value on offer in Aston Villa’s ranks, who have surprised us all with their excellent start.

Now is a good time to invest in [Villa] from an attacking standpoint. When it comes to their attackers, I get the feeling that you will get what you pay for. Jack Grealish (£7.2m), Ross Barkley (£6.0m) and Ollie Watkins (£6.0m) are all correctly priced in my opinion and could be good stick-and-forget options for a while.

– Lateriser

In his Scout Notes from Gameweek 5, David Wardale, the author of Wasting Your Wildcard, revealed that Grealish was the most advanced Aston Villa player against Leicester City. While Az also recommends the Villa talisman:

Looking at the numbers, Grealish seems the stand-out option. Turning attention to Mark’s “Top Penalty Box Dweller” table in the Premium Members Area also shows that no player in the league can better the number of touches that Grealish has had in the opposition box (38) over the last four Gameweeks.

– Az

Referring once more to Neale’s stat-dive article, we find that Dean Smith’s men could be set for more immediate returns:

2.8 direct attacks per game recorded by Aston Villa this season, the highest number in the Premier League. Leeds United, Villa’s opponents on Friday, have had the most direct attacks against per game so far this term (4.0). A direct attack is one that starts just inside a team’s own half, has at least 50% of movement towards the opposition goal and ends with a shot or touch in the opponent’s box. Aston Villa ranked 16th for this statistic last season (1.4).

– Neale

A change in attacking style this season that looks set to reap rewards again in Gameweek 5.

Are Premium Defenders Worth the Money?

– the black circles represent the defenders priced £5.5m and over

Lateriser is considering selling Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m), Magnus Carlsen has sold Trent Alexander-Arnold, and BigManBakar’s research finds that “Andrew Robertson (£7.1m) is beating Trent in almost every single underlying stat that matters – not only this season but post restart”.

The graphic above is taken from FPL Ted’s video analysing premium defenders. Alexander-Arnold stands out with nine shots and nine chances created, which would suggest attacking returns are imminent. But perhaps the numbers aren’t as impressive as they first appear:

Alexander-Arnold seems to have monopolised direct free-kicks, which may explain why all nine of goal attempts have been small chances.

– FPL Ted

Neale, too, paints a less-than-ideal picture of the Liverpool full-back:

50 minutes per chance created by Trent Alexander-Arnold this season, still a very reasonable figure but down on last season’s average of 37. His average number of crosses per match has dropped from 10.1 to 7.4, in no small part thanks to his rate of corner-kicks dipping (4.3 to 2.6); Robertson, indeed, has delivered more of those than the Liverpool right-back in 2020/21.

– Neale

Will he be making way in your team this week?

Finally, before confirming your starting line-up, don’t forget to check the latest Team News and Predicted Line-ups. In case you missed it, James Rodriguez (£8.0m) may make a miraculous recovery for Sunday’s game!

Community latest

Earlier today, the Best of the Community feature included a tactical analysis from Kroos Kontrol, a ‘keeper evaluation from El Estadístico, and Jaydutt’s list of potential transfer traps ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.

And finally, for those interested in the Head-to-Head Leagues, the main page can be linked to here. The fixtures for Gameweek 6 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

1,099 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Wılly
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Is Antonio okay?

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Probably. I started him.

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

    Yes, he's eating now

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

      Good to know.

  3. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Bench or play Chilwell

    Robbo, Saiss, Lamptey back three?

  4. The Mighty Hippo
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Go on, 'fess up. Is there anyone here who's going to be paying £14.95 to watch the game?

    1. Limbo
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Nope

    2. Twisted Saltergater
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      no chance

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

      Here in Germany I pay this too. But it's for the whole month and I can see every Prem game I like to.

      1. Baps hunter
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Here in Finland the cost is 35€ / month for every PL match, but we get Viasat movies and series also...

    4. Forever In Our Shadow
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Would let you pay for me.

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

    Kane (c) let’s go

    1. FPL Daniel
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      it will be an exciting MNF

  6. Iceball
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Calmness all over

  7. sozopol
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    F**k it I'm starting Ayling over Mitchell. Done.

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      why?

      1. sozopol
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Comparison tool shows much better chance of attacking returns, and CSs are so random.

    2. Garlana
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Mitchell could well drop out this week anyway

  8. FPL Daniel
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Pens down

  9. Party time
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Can someone talk me out of Semedo captain please. It is doing my head in

      1. FPL Daniel
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        go for it if you want it

        1. Party time
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Barkley(C) 😉

            1. FPL_trail_runner
              • 3 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              you wont get more than 3 points.

              Leeds and Biesla will do a job tonight

              1. Party time
                  3 years, 5 months ago

                  Barkley will haul tonight.

                  Salah(C) for obvious reasons

          • Zimo
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Too late

          • Limbo
            • 13 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Nuts

            1. Party time
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Lol. How can I, Salah(C) 🙂

          • GOTHAM City F.C.
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Pants

          • Pep Roulette
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Pants down

          • Hazz
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Nuts out

            1. Zimo
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Fap time?

              1. Hazz
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                No players tonight. Might as well do something...

          • FPL Daniel
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            The game is being updated.
            Please try again later when the updated scores / teams will be available.

            1. Simon69
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 11 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Thanks for this.

              1. FPL Daniel
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                cheers

          • Sun Jihai
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            TAA player of the week this GW!

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

              yup triple C

              1. FPL Daniel
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                24pts upcoming

            2. Pep Roulette
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              With Foden a close 2nd

            3. Balls of Steel
              • 8 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Probably 🙂

            4. Party time
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Why didn’t you post this earlier

              • Hazz
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Need big things from him.

                If Lamptey, Podence & Foden can all go big, it would be massive!

              • ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
                • 13 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                sure

              • FPL Blow-In
                • 11 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Hope so!

            5. FPL Daniel
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Anyone knows when FanTeam updates?

            6. lordkippe
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Did Mccarthy > Martinez in the end. Hope I dont get punished

              1. Pep Roulette
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                For free?

                1. lordkippe
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 5 months ago

                  yes

            7. Botman and Robben
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Boxers down.

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

              Aguero(C)

              Who would have ever thought this was going to be a major differential pick when the Argentine was going to play West Ham?

              1. FPL Daniel
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                away from home he is not that good, you know?

              2. Garlana
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Sterling captain here, bricking it this week with no Salah. Good luck

              3. OPTA FPL
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Aguero rarely haul at away game

              4. DRIZ ✅
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Neevr captain early saturday game

              5. Balls of Steel
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Crazy alright

            9. FPL_trail_runner
              • 3 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Locked in.

              Antonio could very well come in for Kilman this weekend i reckon

              Meslier
              Kilman Robbo TAA (C) Ayling Saiss
              Sterling Salah son Hamez
              DCL

              4M Antonio Bissouma Brewster

              Lets home for some lovely cleansheets for my 3 double ups 😀

            10. Newms
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Ayling or Dallas?

              1. FPL Daniel
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Dallas for me

              2. sozopol
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                I have Ayling, but can't say I feel strongly about it haha

            11. Jdpz
              • 4 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              How long does the FPL site take after closing the transfer window?

              1. FPL Daniel
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                30 to 60 minutes. they are slow

              2. Ze_Austin
                • 5 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Approximately forever

                Probably an hour

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

                45-1hr

              4. Balls of Steel
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                At least 1 hr

            12. afs2239
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Oh forgot that deadline is half an hour earlier

              1. Balls of Steel
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                That's alright you're in plenty of time for next week's 🙂

            13. Long ago I drew a walrus
              • 13 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Kane (c) over Salah at home is probably the biggest call I've made this season since going without Salah in GW1.

              We know how that one went

              1. Joey Tribbiani
                • 3 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                good luck

              2. FPL_trail_runner
                • 3 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                I reckon they both will get similar single digit returns this week. 7 each perhaps.

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

                cmon you really can't go too wrong with Kane (C) these days.
                Even IF Salah scores - Kane will defo score too

              4. sozopol
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Same! On both counts!

            14. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
              • 13 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Jimenez is going to feast, newcastle defence in tatters and darlow missing

              1. FPL_trail_runner
                • 3 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Wolves are not that team

                Jimi is not that player

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

                Going to go one way or another - so many did the jimi to Kane move doubt everyone will be happy

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

                lol did you see him play last GW?
                He's so fkn bad at the moment

              4. sozopol
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                I'm hopeful for a goal and BPs

              5. Balls of Steel
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                I will dream that dream with you as a Jimenez owner!

              6. HashAttack
                • 7 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Time for a Kilman goal

            15. Tomas Brolin ate all Depays
              • 11 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Why is game updating is deadline not 7pm ???

              1. Botman and Robben
                • 7 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Deadline is 1.5 hrs before 1st game kickoff.

                1. Baps hunter
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 6 Years
                  3 years, 5 months ago

                  Leaked team news last season is the reason.

              2. 1zverGGadeM
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                because of the leakened lineups

              3. Joey Tribbiani
                • 3 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Welcome to season 20/21

            16. afs2239
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Son (c)
              And did coleman to aurier
              I hope its gonna be great week

              1. Hazz
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Good luck. I was very tempted by Son (C) with Burnley's RB issue.

                Worth a pint most week as my rank is poor, but with the EO Salah has - felt too risky for me!

            17. Botman and Robben
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              I have 2FTs for the first time this season. Yay!

            18. seewhyaxe
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Anybody saved FT?

              Really hope it’s a good decision with 5.6m itb lol

              1. Yank Revolution
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                I did, yes..but, then again, I Wild Carded the week before.

            19. FPL Daniel
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Time limit

              The deadline for entering and editing teams to this gameweek has passed. Editing of teams for the next gameweek will open again when the first match of the gameweek starts.

              1. FPL Daniel
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                that's new for me

              2. Baps hunter
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 6 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                First friday start? Perhaps for the casuals to notice that gw has changed.

            20. Forever In Our Shadow
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 10 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Had the C on Kane all week. Switched to Salah so sorry I’m advance guys. What did you all do?

              1. Twisted Saltergater
                • 14 Years
                3 years, 5 months ago

                I did the reverse 🙂