Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for FPL Gameweek 10

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 10 ahead of today’s 18:30 GMT deadline

Is now the time to be getting Manchester City players? Is Diogo Jota (£6.7m) trustworthy? Should we all be backing Jamie Vardy (£10.2m) with the captain’s armband?

To help you answer those and other crucial questions, the Gameweek Guide draws on the best expert opinion, pertinent stats, and latest team news for the upcoming round of matches.

Form v Potential

The Manchester City conundrum. Two contrasting takes stood out in Neale’s Big Numbers piece encapsulating the dilemma facing Fantasy managers:

23-1 is the cumulative score of Manchester City‘s last six meetings with Burnley in all competitions. But 15.7 attempts on goal and 5.3 shots on target per game registered by Manchester City in the Premier League so far this season is the fewest they’ve managed in a single campaign under Pep Guardiola.

– Neale

The fixture is there, and the potential for them to do well is huge, but the form is lacking.

Pro Pundit Darren Wiles has decided to go with his gut:

I am hoping this is one of those situations where my instincts as a football fan outweigh what the stats are telling me. Memories of big hauls are rooted in my memory and I’m backing City to make a return to form in the run-in to Christmas.

– Darren

Darren is considering taking a leaf out of Lateriser’s book and committing to an uncharacteristic eight-point hit to triple up on City players. He’s looking to bring in both Raheem Sterling (£11.5m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£11.6m), with the former his choice for the armband.

Sterling has already scored twice against Burnley this season, both of his goals coming in the League Cup when Ferran Torres (£6.9m) assumed an unfamiliar centre-forward role. But with Sergio Aguero (£10.3m) and Gariel Jesus (£9.3m) back in contention, Sterling could once again take up his favoured position on the wing. 

Both strikers are now fit and available, which solves the other issue: Sterling’s role in the team. With the forwards out, he was shoehorned into a false-nine role and robbed of the penetration he offers in wide areas. For that reason, I believe Sterling to be an outstanding pick for the Gameweek 10 captaincy.

– Jan

Brave words from Jan Sienkiewicz in this week’s Captain Sensible article, and at just 4.6 per cent ownership Sterling is an unfamiliar differential. Something Pro Pundit Sam Bonfield, in her look at the best assets to help you climb the ranks between Gameweeks 10 and 14, and Tom Freeman both picked up on:

The likes of Sterling and Aguero seldom class as differentials and as such, there has never been a better time to invest in terms of the potential upside that they may yield.

– Sam

Writing in his Differentials piece, Tom added:

England forward Raheem Sterling has gone from strength-to-strength during his time at Manchester City, netting 31, 25 and 23 goals in his last three seasons. He is yet to hit those heights this term, but has enjoyed a reasonably productive start, scoring five times in all competitions despite the Citizens’ well documented troubles in front of goal.

– Tom

But as the Scoutcast highlighted, Kevin De Bruyne is performing best in terms of expected goal involvement among City players – and was rested in midweek for their Champions League trip to Greece. Joe is contemplating adding the Belgian alongside Sterling in his line-up.

To add to their appeal, Burnley ‘keeper Nick Pope (£5.4m) could miss out:

Target Fulham?

Leicester City host Fulham on Monday, handing Jamie Vardy (£10.2m) an opportunity to fill his boots. No team has conceded more goals than Scott Parker’s team this season. But David struck a cautious tone on the Captaincy Video:

The results haven’t been as good as away from home. If you compare [Vardy] home versus away this season, he’s had 1.7 shots per game at home versus 2.6 shots per game away from home… until the Wolves game, he hadn’t had a single shot on target at home yet. So the dynamic of Leicester being the home team, and being asked to break down a team that’s going to sit behind the ball, is more challenging for them.

– David

Jan, however, was more confident, citing Vardy’s appeal as an alternative to a Manchester City player:

Since James Maddison (£7.0m) returned in Gameweek 6, only Harry Kane (£11.0m) and Patrick Bamford (£6.1m) recorded more attempts on goal than Vardy. When it comes to the xG, only the Leeds man’s score of 4.72 tops Vardy’s 3.98 figure in that period of time too.

– Jan

Swap back?

Those who made the move from Mohamed Salah (£12.2m) to Bruno Fernandes (£10.8m) ahead of Gameweek 9 were justified in their decision, with the Portuguese producing his first double-figure haul at home this season. 

On the face of it, Manchester United’s quick counter-attack should do well against Southampton’s high defensive line this Gameweek. But the Saints have improved since their capitulation to Tottenham Hotspur, although the recent visitors to St Mary’s included West Bromwich Albion, an Everton short of key players and Newcastle.

Do we think that it’s the opposition that is the reason why they’ve done so well at home or is it because they are in fact much better at home now than we thought they were when they played Spurs?

– Joe

Joe and David debated the chances for Fernandes and co:

McCarthy’s performance against Wolves, it was epic, it was one of the great goalkeeping performances we’ve seen this season. To get eight saves in that game and come away with seven points. Even if Southampton concede a heck of a lot of shots, McCarthy is going to be right there, making things difficult for Man United.

– David

However, Pro Pundit Fábio Borges is set to hand his fellow countryman the armband for the second successive Gameweek, reasoning:

I expect Southampton to play an attacking style of football (as they always do), which hopefully will benefit Fernandes’ potential for points.

– Fábio

This means he will forgo Manchester City attacking players for now.

Meanwhile Pro Pundit Andy, who already owns both De Bruyne and Marcus Rashford (£9.5m), is considering an immediate return for Salah:

It’s important not to overthink sometimes, and a fit Salah really should be in my squad.

– Andy

Although how will he feel after watching Liverpool’s below-par performance in their midweek Champions League defeat to Atalanta?

Get him while he’s hot

Diogo Jota (£6.7m) is the form Liverpool attacker: 10 attempts on goal, eight shots in the box, four big chances and six efforts on target over the last four Gameweeks – all totals that neither Sadio Mane (£12.1m) nor Mohamed Salah can better in that time.

Get him while he’s hot” was Lateriser’s advice. On the FPL Wire this week, Zophar, Neale and Lateriser sensed an opportunity for the former Wolves player, with midfielder Fabinho (£5.4m) set to deputise at centre-back for the foreseeable future:

To circumvent the lack of central midfielders, there’s going to be a lot more of the 4-2-3-1 formation, and I can see Jota getting a lot of game time over Christmas.

– Neale

Neale gave a wide-ranging interview discussing his role at Fantasy Football Scout and his FPL career. The Newcastle fan’s excellent work covering the press conferences and putting together the predicted line-ups has not gone unnoticed:

Fantasy Football Scout’s site they go into some depth on the latest news and manager news conferences which is a clear indication of the time and attention to detail that they put into their predictions and this is paying off with their results.

– Footstock

Finally, Patrick Bamford (£6.1m) appears to have seduced Lateriser, with the upside chasing manager considering selling Timo Werner (£9.5m) for the Leeds forward. 

Neale mentioned that goal conversion is an often overlooked statistic and it’s one that suggests Bamford’s form is sustainable: 

[Bamford’s] goal conversion rate is at approximately 20% right now which doesn’t seem very unsustainable to m.e

– Lateriser

Encouragingly Bamford is top for expected goals over the last four Gameweeks, and their attack continues to create chances:

97 attempts on goal and 70 shots in the box recorded by Leeds United over the last six Gameweeks, more than any other side has registered over the same period.

– Neale

And an injury to Lucas Digne (£6.1m) only heightens his appeal ahead of the trip to Goodison Park.

Community latest

For those interested in the Head-to-Head Leagues, the main page can be linked to here. The fixtures for Gameweek 10 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.

And 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

987 Comments Post a Comment
  1. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    PENS DOWN!

    Should have made that move earlier!

  2. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    I can still access my team! Strange?

    1. DAZZ
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Gone. 18:31 and i was able to make changes. Weird

      1. Homer21
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Wait till you check later.....D'oh!!

      2. MCM
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Hope you resisted! :')

  3. WE GO FOR IT
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Pens down! All the best everyone!

    Hope no City, Liverpool and Leiceser attackers don't hurt me a lot. Hoping a lot from the London derby and the Villa-West ham game.

  4. wulfrunian
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    I can still make transfers.

    1. Homer21
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Cache

  5. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 4 months ago

    Please don't shaft me, Pep

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      No KDB?

      But damn. They are usually crap without KDB.

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

      there has to be fraudulence ,full squad to tinker with...

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Could be genius

      1. Party time
          3 years, 4 months ago

          🙂

    2. Teahupo'o
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 4 months ago

      Captain roll call?

      1. BeWater
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Salah.

      2. Party time
          3 years, 4 months ago

          The Pinky & De Bruyne(C)

        • PascalCygan
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Vardy

        • JELLYFISH
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          DCL

        • Il Capitano
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Vardy

        • OverTinker
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Sterling(C)

        • Pep bites Kun
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Vardy

      3. The Red Devil
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        So many hits everywhere and here I am on a hope without Salah or city

      4. Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Jota Son Salah Ziyech Grealish
        Bamford Kane DCL

        Pick a captain

        1. Sun Jihai
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          For GW11?

          1. Elly88 > KTR (Kevin The …
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 4 months ago

            10

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

              Just go with your gut mate, doesn't matter anyway

      5. Doctor Evil
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        I really like having such a mixed squad you can look forward to almost every game. Can you guess my team?

        Villa

        Chelsea Arsenal Wolves

        United City Pool Villa Spurs

        Leeds Everton

        1. diesel001
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Martinez
          Chilwell Bellerin Kilman
          Fernandes KDB Salah Grealish Son
          Bamford DCL

          1. Doctor Evil
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 4 months ago

            Close, it will be that next week but have Mane instead of Salah for this week

      6. Debauchy
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 4 months ago

        Pens up

        1. @persecuted_by_mods
            3 years, 4 months ago

            And over to Bruno

        2. BenDavies
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Kane to Vardy (C).
          Your time to shine, Jamie.

        3. Pacer.
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 4 months ago

          Zouma and Bowen to Cancelo and Jota. KdB(C)

          Playing with fire that, isn't it

        4. Party time
            3 years, 4 months ago

            De Bruyne(C) easiest decision thus far

            1. OverTinker
              • 5 Years
              3 years, 4 months ago

              yes if you don't own Vardy or Salah.

              1. Party time
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Although I have Vardy but Kdb rested midweek, City’s talisman up against peacock Farrell

              2. diesel001
                • 7 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                What if he is benched?

                1. Rupert The Horse
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  What if anyone’s benched?

              3. Rupert The Horse
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 11 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Not backing yourself then?

                1. Party time
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Haha. No, not when De Bruyne has burnley

              4. Sun Jihai
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                @Fpl_Elite goes Aguero (c), Torres (vc)
                Not crazy to imagine two no shows right?!

                1. diesel001
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Damn.

                2. Debauchy
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  FPL Delete

                  1. PascalCygan
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 6 Years
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Nice

                3. Rupert The Horse
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Imagine the game gets called off.

                4. MCM
                  • 12 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Watching maverick choices really excites me. I just wish I had the courage once or twice to make them1

                5. Homer21
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Punty

              5. Rupert The Horse
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 11 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Made my transfers in the Nick of time.

                1. Debauchy
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  why so late

                2. Indpush
                  • 6 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  What did you settle on?

              6. Champ
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 13 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                18.35 deadline. Lovely

              7. JJeyy
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Missed the deadline for the first time ever. Screw these changes times

              8. Qaiss
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Just done Mane > Salah for a -4. Had a bad feeling Mane would get benched, definitely won’t play full 90.

                1. Warby84
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Good long term move

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

                    Made the move at 18:29

                    prefer Mane as a player and wanted to keep but just don’t know if he will play 3 90 mins in a row and then Ajax on Tuesday, just can’t see it.

                2. Flair
                  • 3 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Excellent move, did the same

              9. lordkippe
                • 7 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                No Salah, No Vardy, Cancelo probably benched. This is going to be a pain

                1. diesel001
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Or great if Salah, Vardy blank and City concede.

                2. Warby84
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Cancelo may get 1 benching in the next 4 but worth his waiting gold

              10. Doctor Evil
                • 5 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Time to see if I can beat y 84 points last week, obvious brag but with a -8 I doubt it.

              11. # Young Gun SEAMUS #
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Whats wrong with KDB...

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

                  Awfully tired

              12. HollywoodXI
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Transfers made 10 mins before deadline for an 8 point hit:

                Zaha (injured) / Ziyech /Lamptey (suspended) out

                KDB(c) / Jota / Cancelo in

                1. Warby84
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  I like it

                  1. HollywoodXI
                    • 9 Years
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Thanks. Debated it all week and decided to back City to find their form and hoping Jota can keep pace with Salah until GW14 when I’ll double up.

                    1. Warby84
                      • 8 Years
                      3 years, 4 months ago

                      I did Trent/Lamptey/Kane/Wilson —> Dias/Cancelo/Vardy(C)/DCL

                      May backfire but needed it...

                      1. HollywoodXI
                        • 9 Years
                        3 years, 4 months ago

                        I’d worry about losing Kane but the rest I like

                        1. Warby84
                          • 8 Years
                          3 years, 4 months ago

                          I have son for spurs cover

                          1. HollywoodXI
                            • 9 Years
                            3 years, 4 months ago

                            I still have the Son / Kane double up. Good luck!

                2. Homer21
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  What's up with Ziyech?

                  1. HollywoodXI
                    • 9 Years
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Nothing. Like him as a player but think Jota / KDB will outscore him over the next three weeks.

                    1. Homer21
                      • 7 Years
                      3 years, 4 months ago

                      Whew

                3. Kun Tozser
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Who’s your sub 1?

                  1. HollywoodXI
                    • 9 Years
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Brewster lol

              13. School of Poch
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Playing a game with results predictions each week where you get points for a team based on their position last year e.g. 16th/17th and newly promoted teams are worth the most points.

                Struggling to decide between these three of who to go with this week and would love some other opinions. Deadline to decide is 7pm.

                A: West Ham
                B: Aston Villa
                C: West Brom

                1. Well you know, Triffic
                  • 13 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  C

              14. Homer21
                • 7 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Let the whinging and whining commnce 😉

              15. Naby K8a
                • 8 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                The rumoured LFC team tomorrow has Matip and Mane rested tomorrow. Leaks been right for a number of weeks running now

                1. Flair
                  • 3 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Lmao

                  1. Flair
                    • 3 Years
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Matip benched? Surely not

                    1. Naby K8a
                      • 8 Years
                      3 years, 4 months ago

                      Nat Phillips and Minamino playing

                      1. Flair
                        • 3 Years
                        3 years, 4 months ago

                        Gonna need to see a source on that one

                2. WVA
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  JOTA

              16. Sun Jihai
                • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                • 12 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                How many players do people have featuring tonight then?

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

                  2

                2. Debauchy
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  o

                3. diesel001
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Zero

                4. Warby84
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Van Aanholt

                5. Mile Plankton
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Guaita

                6. Podge
                  • 13 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Hopefully Wilson

                7. OverTinker
                  • 5 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  wilson only

                8. NABIL - FPL otai
                  • 11 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  PVA

                9. The Train Driver
                  • 8 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Mitchell and Lewis

              17. Champions League Varane
                • 5 Years
                3 years, 4 months ago

                Sterling owners unite

                1. OverTinker
                  • 5 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  \0/

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

                Did Bowen to Jota for a -4, first hit of the season ...let's hope it's a good one!!

                1. Pacer.
                  • 9 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  I also did bowen to Jota. That one is absolutely primed for a backfire but couldn't resist and tbh wanted to shore myself up rather than gamble against the people in my ML bringing him in

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

                    Watched a few of Bowen's performances of late and not at all impressed, no returns in last 5 or 6 matches, a few good opportunities to score missed, just had enough and felt Jota on fire atm and playing in one of the top teams ! Even if it doesn't repay this week points hit it will do in the next few weeks!

                2. @persecuted_by_mods
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Ooft villa with their ridiculous high line that let even welbeck run through, hope it works but could backfire easily

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

                      Worth the gamble I think, even if he doesn't start against Brighton he can easily do the business off the bench..

                    2. LickymyUmtitis69
                      • 3 Years
                      3 years, 4 months ago

                      Bet my left nutsack that Bowen gets a goal of assist against Villa

                3. Tsparkes10
                  • 5 Years
                  3 years, 4 months ago

                  Forgot to click confirm on Hamez to Jota... wasted an ft 🙂 first time in 3 years of playing

                  1. Hazz
                    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                    • 6 Years
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Enjoy the minor rank boost 😉

                  2. Mile Plankton
                    • 11 Years
                    3 years, 4 months ago

                    Blessing in disguise.

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

                    Unlucky hopefully Sterling isnt on the bench. Looked gassed midweek

                    1. Flair
                      • 3 Years
                      3 years, 4 months ago

                      He looked great midweek

                    2. Brehmeren
                      • 13 Years
                      3 years, 4 months ago

                      Wasn't he man of the match?