Scout Notes

Bamford’s colleagues on Fantasy radar as Southampton blank again

West Brom 0-5 Leeds

  • Goals: Ezgjan Alioski (£4.5m), Jack Harrison (£5.4m), Rodrigo (£5.7m), Raphinha (£5.4m)
  • Own goals: Romaine Sawyers (£4.8m)
  • Assists: Patrick Bamford x2 (£6.5m), Mateusz Klich (£5.5m), Stuart Dallas (£4.8m)
  • Bonus points: Dallas x3, Rodrigo x2, Alioski x1

Leeds United’s attack is starting to look very appealing from a Fantasy Premier League perspective as they put five goals past West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday night.

Fashionable striker Patrick Bamford (£6.5m) continues to tick along, registering an eight-point score in Gameweek 16, but his colleagues are increasingly playing their part.

In the last four Gameweeks, matches involving Leeds have featured an average of 5.3 goals, their own tally for the season already at 30. In fact, in netting five at West Bromwich Albion, the Whites became only the second newly-promoted Premier League side to score 30 times over their first 16 games, after Newcastle netted 31 in 1993/94.

Could such statistics suggest a double-up on Leeds’ attack is something Fantasy managers should consider in the coming weeks?

“It was a game where we defended well and we were efficient up-front. From eight chances we scored five and that helped the result. We played a serious game throughout and we managed the ball well.” – Marcelo Bielsa

Raphinha (£5.4m) was a constant threat at the Hawthorns on Tuesday night, his well-deserved 71st-minute effort his third attacking return since Gameweek 13.

Likewise, Rodrigo (£5.7m) and Jack Harrison‘s (£5.4m) first-half strikes were their third goal-involvements during the same period, each of them scoring and assisting in the 5-2 win over Newcastle.

But the exciting options are not limited to the midfield and forward positions as Stuart Dallas (£4.8m) demonstrated his Fantasy appeal once again in Gameweek 16.

Operating on the right-hand side of Leeds’ defence, the Northern Ireland international got forward often, making the most of Lee Peltier (£4.0m) having to cover for Kieran Gibbs (£4.3m) at left-back at short-notice.

As a result, Dallas added his second assist of the campaign and, like Raphinha, Harrison and Rodrigo, it was his third attacking return since Gameweek 13.

Crucially, Dallas benefitted from a second clean sheet in as many Premier League outings for the Whites – as did Ezgjan Alioski (£4.5m), whose first-half goal was his second in the last four Gameweeks

The question is, of course, can Leeds sustain this impressive run of form? After all, their last four matches have taken them through one of the easiest runs of games they have faced this season.

Their wins in that period came against Newcastle, Burnley and West Bromwich Albion but Gameweeks 17 and 18 hand Marcelo Bielsa’s men a trip to Spurs and a Blank.

Perhaps Double Gameweek 19 is the best time to consider making a move for more Leeds players considering they play two home fixtures against Brighton and Southampton that round.

With festive rotation especially rife in Gameweek 16, it is noteworthy from a Fantasy perspective that Bielsa named an unchanged side between Sunday’s win over Burnley and Tuesday’s trip to the Hawthorns – suggesting that Leeds assets will be more nailed-on to play twice in Double Gameweek 19 than those from other clubs.

West Bromwich Albion XI (4-1-4-1): Johnstone; Peltier, O’Shea, Ajayi, Furlong; Sawyers; Diangana (Krovinović 73′), Gallagher, M Phillips (Ivanović 46′), C Robinson; Grant (M Pereira 61′).

Leeds United XI (4-1-4-1): Meslier; Alioski, Struijk, Ayling, Dallas; K Phillips; Harrison, Klich (Shackleton 58′), Rodrigo (Hernández 70′), Raphinha (Costa 81′); Bamford.

Southampton 0-0 West Ham

  • Goals: None
  • Assists: None
  • Bonus points: Jack Stephens x3 (£4.6m), Alex McCarthy x2 (£4.7m), Jan Bednarek x1 (£4.8m), Ryan Fredericks (£4.2m)

It was a mixed Fantasy night for owners of Southampton and West Ham assets, especially considering the level of rotation on offer for the Tuesday’s visitors to St Mary’s Stadium.

Two days after Sunday’s draw at Brighton, David Moyes took Vladimir Coufal (£4.7m), Fabian Balbuena (£4.4m), Issa Diop (£4.3m) and Ben Johnson (£3.9m) out of his defence for Gameweek 16, ensuring none of them could benefit from the Hammers’ first clean sheet since Gameweek 9.

The silver lining to that frustrating development was a surprise return for Michail Antonio (£6.2m), named on the bench and featuring for the last 13 minutes ahead of West Ham’s encouraging Double Gameweek 19 fixtures (home matches against Burnley and West Brom).

Thankfully, he came through his first minutes since Gameweek 10 without further damage and is certainly one to watch if he can get back into the starting XI in time for January’s chip season.

“Yes he has (come through the match unscathed), that’s a big boost. We’ve missed him, we’ve been muddling through a bit without him, trying to find ways of getting goals from other sources. We have to tread carefully with him, be patient with him.” – David Moyes

Similarly, Danny Ings (£8.3m) was a surprise injury-returnee, starting for Southampton and lasting 90 minutes.

However, there was nothing the striker could do to stop Southampton going goalless for a third successive Premier League match.

Ings did not register a single shot or touch in West Ham’s box on Tuesday, the first time he failed to do either in any of his 54 90-minute Premier League outings.

VAR played a cruel part in that particular statistic, considering he had a first-half goal ruled out for an offside against Che Adams (£6.1m), who went off in the 57th minute – but Southampton have generally struggled to offer much going forward recently.

They are winless in their last four league games, their longest run since going eight without a Premier League victory from September to November 2019.

Still, silver linings remain for Fantasy managers, not least those invested in either Alex McCarthy (£4.7m) or Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.8m) as Southampton registered a seventh clean sheet of the campaign, playing out back-to-back Premier League goalless draws for the first time since October 2018, when Mark Hughes was in charge.

The fact that both of those shutouts have occurred without first-choice centre-back Jannik Vestergaard (£4.9m) is to the Saints’ credit, although McCarthy was called into action a few times to keep them in the game as Jack Stephens (£4.6m) strives to get back up to speed having started just twice between Gameweeks 8 and 15 before Tuesday night.

Fredericks got up for a header at the near post in the first half, calling Southampton’s goalkeeper into action.

And a poor Stephens clearance in the closing stages, which sent the ball on an unhelpful vertical trajectory, was nearly pounced upon by substitute Saïd Benrahma (£6.0m) before McCarthy smothered the close-range effort.

Such incidents indicate the defensive returns might not last for Southampton, especially knowing that Vestergaard could be out until the end of January.

And, of course, the Saints’ fixtures hardly look encouraging from a clean sheet perspective, Liverpool (away), Blank, Leicester (away) and Leeds (away) their fixtures for the next three Gameweeks.

Southampton XI (4-4-2): A McCarthy; Bertrand, J Stephens, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Djenepo (Armstrong 78′), Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Walcott; Adams (S Long 58′), Ings.

West Ham United XI (4-1-4-1): Fabianski; Cresswell, Ogbonna, Dawson, Fredericks; Rice; Fornals, Souček, Lanzini (Benrahma 60′), Yarmolenko (Bowen 72′); Haller (Antonio 77′).

1,763 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Bruce Lee
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    so... that fpl cup then?

  2. pjomara
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    48 pts with 4 to play might actually work out pretty good now.

    1. Ady87
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Log off.

    2. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      monster score for this week

    3. Eddie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Better than my 20 with 1 to play.

  3. Ady87
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Matip > Dier was inspired. Luckily getting Lamptey off the bench. 🙂

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

    If there is any justice in the world then Pool game is off as well but we all know casuals who capped Kane or KDB will get the jammy Salah vice points

    1. Kellz86
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Me. Hi. Casual who gets good results each year

    2. Qaiss
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I have Kane cap, Salah vice, I would rather Kane have played as he would have hauled.

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

    For us Spurs/City owners, if they were to put their fixtures from today and Monday in DGW19, that would be some consolation no?

    1. Bram
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No - cancel FA Cup and make them dgw17!

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

    Cheers for everyone here for making the cancelled game an easier pill to swallow. Finding the funny side of it as we're all in the same capsized dinghy.

    1. Rochdale_Cowboy
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Get a grip, it's only a game (although a good one).

    2. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      rubber dingy rapids bro

    3. Whazza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      It will all be forgetten when Kane and Son bang in a DGW 🙂

    4. Kellz86
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      You have to really. In the end it’s all for fun as anyone who actually actively posts here will not be anywhere near the top 100

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

        I'm currently ranked 5k...speak for yourself!

  7. Granville
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I'm down to 8 players.

    1. Christina.
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      lucky you

    2. FPL price manipulators are …
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Subtle brag

    3. Eddie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      6 here, if Jones starts for Pool.

    4. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      You loading up on players from your favourite teams again.

    5. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Humblebrag. 🙂

    1. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      It's official.

    2. Bruce Lee
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      the GOAT Pukki account

      1. Pukki Party
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Most reliable Pukki account on this site. Only confirmed news and good advice since 2017.

        1. Bruce Lee
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          This is what I've been trying to tell everyone on here, they'll find out one day

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

    Any sympathy for me? I've had all bar 1 play so will lose Dallas points on the bench and will only get them if one of Robbo, Mane, Salah doesn't play?

    (Tongue firmly in cheek here btw;)

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

      There’s a good chance Robbo will come off the bench for minutes.

    2. Il Capitano
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Soucek 1st in my bench in for Son, predict a Robbo cameo to block Dallas second on bench. I don't deserve the jam.

      1. Calculated Risks
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Same i had soucek first dallas 2nd...least we have decent benched

  9. zdrojo187
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    25 pts. + Salah(C) left...
    (Son,Kane,Dier Owner)...

  10. Rupert The Horse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Do we think they should just cancel the cup this week and restart next week with one less round?

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

      Nah.

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

      The cup is worthless so no need.

      1. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Pretty good point.

    3. FPL price manipulators are …
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No. Would you do the same for snow?

      1. Mweene
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        You can’t cancel snow.

      2. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Me? No. But I’ve got nothing to do with it. But like some have said, nobody cares about it really.

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

      No one cares about the cup

    5. Mweene
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Only casuals didn’t foresee these 2 games being postponed.

    6. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Maybe yes

  11. Mweene
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    This has really ruined 2020 for me. Now I can see what all the fuss was about.

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

      this. luckily this truly tragic year is over in a day

  12. Catastrophe
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Well, this certainly makes things more interesting.

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

      if by interesting you mean terrible then i agree

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

    Only good thing is that Spurs city owners may get dgw..

    1. Qaiss
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Hope so. That way everyone who doesn’t own them this week has to take hits to get them in.

    2. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      And when is that?

  14. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    So Kane or Son better captain picks than Salah or Mané for gw17?

    1. Mweene
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Who knows. May as well close your eyes and click at random at this point.

  15. Hect.OR 98th
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    22 from 6 and only Salah(c) to play. Dear oh dear.

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

      Similar here. Time to write this GW off 😆

    2. Catastrophe
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      That's probably going to end up okay?

  16. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    55 With Salah and Trent left then, managed to get 10 out assuming those 2 start.
    Not exactly a bad score, but really hoping for a TAA haul later. Salah cappers probably going to catch me up loads.

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      “Not exactly a bad score”. Bug off. I only have 7 players this week

    2. Weeb Kakashi
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      " nOt eXacTly a BAD sCoRe"

      With 55 and 10 playing you have the audacity to say that?

    3. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Well done. I’m jealous.

    4. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I had two absolute stinker GWs prior to this, but yes its a good score. But Salah caps will give many people a not bad score in the end. They will probably get like 24 points off him.
      Many will finish around 50

  17. Weeb Kakashi
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    So for the Fpl cup you need to qualify with overall rank or Rank of this game week?

    1. Aidan269
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      This gameweek

    2. riot
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      GW rank

    3. Whazza
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      gw rank

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

      game week rank

    5. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Just read the explanation. It’s right there.

  18. Aidan269
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Most people will score 20-40 points this week guys. It's honestly not massive at all. Small rank drop for us that can be made up easily with good planning

    1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Those who have Mane, Trent etc will probably benefit

  19. sirmorbach
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    McCarthy / Steer
    Robertson / Dias / Cresswell / Saïss /  Dallas
    Salah / Bruno / Son / Grealish / Soucek
    DCL / Watkins / Bamford

    Any reason to play one of Dallas (tot) or Cresswell (eve) over Saïss (bha) or Dias (che)?
    Any reason to play Soucek over one of the other mids?

  20. TheDragon
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    40 + Salah (c) + Robertson (or 2 point sub)

    Green arrow guaranteed?

    1. Ha.
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Unless Salah gets negative points

      1. TheDragon
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Def a chance of that given this week....

  21. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    If Salah blanks tonight someone seriously needs to investigate the Zambian FPL addict.

  22. thegaffer82
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Poor Amazon Prime. Thought they had a full roster of games this GW didn’t they.

    Hope Jeff Bezos’ pocket won’t be hit too much by this

    1. Klaren
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Poor guy, what a disaster has Covid been for him 🙂

    2. The Pesci challenge
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      They will still get the games to show

  23. All For One
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Rival captained Son, Vc on Dias, no captain pts?

    Lmao

    1. Duke Silver ☑
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      That's no true rival.

      1. All For One
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        lol

  24. Duke Silver ☑
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    So Spurs tweet that the game is off and then Premier League retweet that as confirmation that it's off. WTF Premier League 😆

  25. Ha.
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Triple Spurs. Ouch.

    Taylor has cost me my H2H. Double ouch.

  26. BobB
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Charlie Taylor and Saka.....keep or sell?

  27. Kodap
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Will have 7 players in total once Salah plays, Coufal, Burke & Stones on my bench... Dier, Kane & DCL not playing! Grim.

  28. Christina.
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Cancel Livp game!!!

    1. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      You must really hate football.

      1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Stupid comment. He wants what is best for is team. We are on an FPL site.

        1. Rupert The Horse
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Gotta value the real thing over FPL surely. Clever comment.

          1. Pumpkinhead - I'm ITK …
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Only my team. Which isn't Liverpool

    2. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Absolutely shameful from the PL if they allow that game to go ahead amidst this pandemic.

      1. Muchentuchel
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        they allowed all the other games too
        where's the problem? They have covid tests

  29. Runaway
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Lamptey, Coufal and Wilson on for Kane, Son and Dier..

    Come on Wilson, it is all on you. I kept you in my team for GW18 but I need you even more now, please play tonight (and maybe a jammy pen goal, why not?), thank you!

    1. Magic Zico
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      2 pts congrats