Scout Picks

Blank Gameweek 18 Scout Picks built on Man City and Arsenal’s FPL assets

Manchester City and Arsenal form the spine of the Blank Gameweek 18 Scout Picks.

Ahead of matches against Brighton and Crystal Palace, we have chosen three players from Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta’s squads respectively.

We line up in a 3-5-2 formation, which comes in at £80.4m, £2.6m under our budget of £83.0m.

Goalkeeper

Hugo Lloris (£5.6m) strikes an appealing balance between clean sheet and save potential for Blank Gameweek 18. Spurs have six clean sheets in their last 11 Premier League outings while Fulham have failed to find the net in three of their last five. Meanwhile, Lloris’ 53 saves this season is the sixth-highest in the division and the most of any so-called ‘big six’ goalkeeper.

Defenders

Signing Cancelo a week before fixture swing can give FPL owners the edge

João Cancelo (£5.8m) is our chosen Manchester City defender considering his managed minutes in the FA Cup and the fact Kyle Walker played a full 90 minutes against Birmingham City. Pep Guardiola’s men have conceded just three goals in their last 12 matches in all competitions and, over the last six Gameweeks, Cancelo ranks top among all FPL defenders for expected goal involvement (xGI).

Fresh from back-to-back clean sheets, Kieran Tierney (£5.4m) has explosive potential in Blank Gameweek 18. Discounting their 5-1 win over West Bromwich Albion in Gameweek 11, Crystal Palace have just six goals in their seven remaining away matches this season (0.9 per game). Meanwhile, no Arsenal player has created more chances than Tierney in their last four matches.

With Dominic Calvert-Lewin out injured for Everton, Romain Saïss (£5.1m) has potential at both ends of the pitch in Blank Gameweek 18. The welcome return of Leander Dendoncker should further boost Wolves’ defensive potential considering they have no clean sheets without him this season and four in matches when he played 90 minutes. Meanwhile, Saïss ranks top among all defenders for attempts on goal over the last four matches and Everton are inside the bottom four for highest number of headed chances conceded.

Midfielders

A more advanced false-nine role for Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) against Chelsea helped him to a third double-digit haul since Gameweek 10. While we expect him to be a number 10 against Brighton, a home match against another possession-based side looks perfect for the Belgian to post another big score. No Premier League player has created more big chances than him over their last four matches while only one Blank Gameweek 18 midfielder has managed more attempts on goal than De Bruyne in the same period.

Bruno Fernandes (£11.3m) is that midfielder, having registered 16 shots over his last four. With just one blank away from home this season, trusting the Manchester United man on the road has been easy in 2020/21. No Premier League player has been afforded more big chances than the Red Devils’ penalty taker over their last four matches either.

Son Heung-min (£9.8m) is our chosen representative from the Spurs attack as they face a hastily arranged meeting with Fulham. The South Korean offers a cheaper route into this match than Harry Kane and a better balance of goal and assist potential based on recent form. Over Spurs’ last four matches, Son is ahead of his English colleague for big chances, key passes and big chances created and level with him for efforts on target.

Ilkay Gündogan (£5.4m) could provide excellent value for his owners in Blank Gameweek 18. The midfielder has enjoyed a new number eight role recently, which has helped him outperform both De Bruyne and Sterling in several key areas over the last four matches. During that time, the German international has registered more shots in the box and big chances than his colleagues and his five efforts on target are level with De Bruyne and one more than Sterling, despite less pitch-time than the Englishman over the selected data period.

Bukayo Saka (£5.3m) can benefit from a weakness in Crystal Palace’s defence on Thursday night. Over their last six matches, the Eagles have conceded the joint-fourth-most number of chances down their left-hand side. Saka has operated on the right of Arsenal’s attacking midfield in each of their last three league matches and has two goals and two assists to show for it.

Forwards

Alexandre Lacazette (£8.3m) is also in excellent form as he prepares to face a Crystal Palace side with the worst expected goals conceded (xGC) score over the last four matches. The striker himself ranks joint-top for big chances since Gameweek 14 and is behind only Anwar El Ghazi for efforts on target during that time too. Despite playing 217 minutes in the selected period, Lacazette has produced four goals.

Callum Wilson (£6.6m) may be without a goal since Gameweek 14 but his record against lesser opposition this season suggests he can get something at Sheffield United. In seven meetings with teams inside the bottom nine since joining Newcastle, the former Bournemouth man has accrued four goals and four assists, producing 7.1 points per game in such matches.

SUBSTITUTES

  • Karl Darlow (£5.0m)
  • Luke Shaw (£4.8m)
  • Federico Fernández (£4.7m)
  • Chris Wood (£6.2m)

THE CAPTAIN

Who are the best captain options for FPL Gameweek 36+?

We choose the Scout Picks captain using a four-way vote between our Scout Squad pundits.

Because we use Fantasy Football Scout data so heavily in this process, the skipper we choose each Gameweek is known only to those with a valid Fantasy Football Scout subscription and revealed to the public only when the deadline has passed.

Here’s how we voted for Blank Gameweek 18:

THE COMMUNITY CHAMPION

Each week, one of the Fantasy Football Scout community takes on the Scout Picks by pitting their chosen XI against ours.

The Community Member who beats our team by the largest margin will win a £100 Amazon Voucher and a place in our Moderators and Contributors League for the following season.

Due to the short turnaround, there was no Community Champion for Gameweek 17, although the Scout Picks had an impressive week with an 85-point score.

AA33 is the current leader, defeating the Scout Picks by a 53-point margin in Gameweek 2.

2,514 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Zlatan F.C
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Cancelo or McGuire/Shaw?

    1. Miguel Sanchez
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Cancelo

      1. Zlatan F.C
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Wilson or Saka?

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

          I’m currently prioritising Wilson.

        2. Miguel Sanchez
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Wilson

  2. S.Kuqi
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    On wildcard. Help me out with this last decision.

    A) Wood - Son +4 points

    B) Kane - Saka

    1. Mr.K
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      B I guess

      1. S.Kuqi
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks

  3. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Would you go for Antonio over Bamford on WC ready for GW19 double folks????

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

      Yes

    2. S.Kuqi
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No. Could easily be injured by then.

      1. 1912 F.A Cup Winners
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Ah very true mate!!

  4. mr messi
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Rash or Wilson?

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

      Rashford

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

    A) Saka & Wilson
    B) Smith Rowe & Lacazette

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

      B

  6. Don Kloppeone
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I think trying to rip it all up again to get in Sterling isn't worth the headache this late in the day.... may just stick with the Gundogan punt.
    Question is, though:

    A) Start Saka, bench Wilson (3-5-2)
    B) Start Wilson, bench ESR (3-4-3) - use funds to bolster bench (Yedlin, Mitchell > Clark, 4.5)

    Lloris
    Cancelo, Tierney, AWB/ Saiss
    KDB, Bruno, Son, Gundogan, XXXX
    Kane, Laca, XXXX
    (Steer) ( , Yedlin, Mitchell)

    Cheers and GL all

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      B

      1. Don Kloppeone
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks Rafa mate - what option of yours have you gone for in the end?

        Also AWB or Saiss?

        1. RAFA THE GAFFA
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          I like Saiss. Here is my team mate; considered Saiss+Gundog over Stones+Saka but most advise the later. Also Cancelo or Dias?

          Lloris
          Cancelo, Tierney, Stones
          KDB, Bruno, Son, Saka
          Kane, Laca, Wilson

          (4.0, Clark, Mitchell, Burke)

  7. PogChamp
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    My head is gunna explode.

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

    Cancelo or Maguire?

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

      Cancelo

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

      Maguire, more certain for a start.

    3. Blue&White85
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Cancelo

  9. mr messi
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Cancelo

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

    DDG Areola
    Stones Dier Cancelo Coufal Wan-Bissaka
    KDB Bruno Son SmithRowe Soucek
    Kane Wilson Antonio

    This is my wildcard team with a view to BB in 19. (Salah and Bamford will be added next GW)

    Any Glaring mistake or suggestion please. Thanks in advance.

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

    Plz this last question...
    A- Lloris - Tierney - Saiss - Gundo - Wilson 4-4-2
    B- Leno - Stones - Clark - Rashford -3.9 M 3-5-2

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

      🙁

    2. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      A

  12. Atimis
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Would you choose Laca in 343/433 or Rashford in 352/442?

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

      Everyone seems to have Laca!

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

        Not me, going for Martial. Scored 3 in his last 3 away against Burnley.

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

      Thinking of Rashford. Check his home and away stats

  13. E25
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    On FH...
    A) Rash 451
    B) Laca 442

    1. Blue&White85
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      A

  14. HuttonDressedasLahm
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Pointless posting on here now

    Just question after question 🙄

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yeah, very true

  15. Ruinenlust
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Doesn’t look like Cancelo will stert based on Peps comments

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

      Pardon?

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

      What did he say about Cancelo?

    3. mr messi
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      What did he say?

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

      What comments?

    5. Balls of Steel
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I wouldn't have thought that...

  16. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Pages flying... someone said on the last page about Clark not playing?

  17. Tmel
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Brewster or Burke for 1st sub?

  18. tuturututu
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Choose one please

    A) Cancelo, DDG
    B) Maguire, Lloris

  19. GOATMEAT
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    I'm thinking about Jesus... or should I go Laca? Max budget 9.2

  20. Loweowl
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Hows this FH team

    Ramsdale
    Holding - Dier - Stones
    KDB - Bruno - Son - ESR - Sterling
    Kane - Wilson

    Steer Brewster Mitchell Douglas

  21. Mr.K
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Was almost bottomed so I'll repost:

    I'm on a WC and wondering whether my defence is too weak. Thoughts?

    De Gea - Meslier
    Holding - Mitchell(?) - Dallas(?) - Dias - Coufal
    Saka - KDB - Bruno - Son - Soucek
    Lacazette - Kane - Wilson

    Naturally other feedback is welcome as well.

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

    Sterling OR Rashford for the next 4?

    Have KDB and Bruno

    1. Mr.K
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I'd go with Rashford thanks to Pep roulette making everything such a pain.

  23. dando89
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Swapped Laca and Rashford out for Sterling and Wilson

    Good idea?

  24. Sepp Blattered
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Anyone have a Midfield of Sterling, KDB, Fernandes, Rashford, Son/Kane?

    1. Salah’s Sonnet
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      That would destroy rest of team

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

      Rest o fthe team will be fodder surely

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

    Does Stones or Dias carry more goal threat from set pieces?

  26. Rotation's Alter Ego
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    New Community Article

    Kroos Kontrol takes a look at attacking double-ups and in particular Kane and Son - a very timely read but not just focused on FH, rather more as a look at the rest of the season. Anyone that has read his stuff before will know it's certain to be a quality read, never dissapoints!

    https://www.fantasyfootballscout.co.uk/2021/01/12/kane-son-and-the-value-of-attacking-double-ups/

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

      You need to post this again when a bit quieter, but lost amongst deadline panic.

  27. ViperStripes
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    If you post a question then please answer at least 2 in return.

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

      This

  28. Woy_is_back
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Regulion or Aurierrrrrrrrrr?

  29. Weak Become Heros
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    What do we need to happen for the Soton/Leeds DGW to go ahead. As in when does the FA cup game have to be played by?

  30. UnitednationsXI
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Gtg or take a hit? got 1m itb. Have 9 players which includes taylor/burke so technically 7

    Martinez -- Forster
    Stones • Cancelo • Taylor --- Dallas Coufal
    Son • Bruno • Kdb • Rashford • Burke
    Laca --- Bamford Watkins

    A: Forster >> Areola (-4)
    B: Dallas >> Maguire (-4)
    C: Watkins >> Wilson (-4)
    D: Stick as is