Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice for Double Gameweek 19

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Double Gameweek 19 ahead of today’s 11:00 GMT deadline.

The fixture schedule has shifted once again. Like a surreal game of Grandmother’s Footsteps, it’s moved every time you turn to look at it. 

Aston Villa lost and regained their Double Gameweek in a matter of hours, although they now face Newcastle United instead of Everton in addition to Manchester City. But the clever fixture juggling did not extend to Leeds United and Southampton, with their upcoming midweek game postponed to accommodate Southampton’s rescheduled FA Cup tie.

During these testing times, we can expect further changes with little warning.

In a letter sent last week, Premier League chief executive Richard Masters alerted clubs that they should plan for more matches being postponed or rearranged at short notice. And a joint statement from the Premier League, FA and EFL, restated the desire to complete the season in May.

So, who knows what twists and turns await? Could we yet see Leeds vs Southampton rearranged for Gameweek 19?

Shrewsbury, already without their manager Steve Cotterill for Tuesday’s tie, may suffer more ill-effects from coronavirus (COVID-19), or, by some miracle, could the Shrews beat Southampton on Tuesday? However unlikely, Leeds and Southampton would then both have a free weekend slot.

But that might be taking ‘Fantasy’ football a step too far. Sticking with what we know, here’s Legomané’s updated fixture ticker:

‘TBA’ fixtures Possible Gameweek Slots
Aston Villa v Everton24-to-28, 30-to-34, 37
Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur 26, 32, 37
Burnley v Fulham24-to-28, 30-to-34, 37
Everton v Manchester City24, 26, 27, 32, 37
Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur26, 32, 37
Leeds United v Southampton24-to-28, 30-to-34, 37
Manchester City v Southampton24, 26, 27, 32, 37

Triple Gameweek Scenario

Future Double Gameweeks, and possibly Triple Gameweeks, await Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

The two sides contest the EFL Cup final (coinciding with Gameweek 33), and are both still in the FA Cup and European competitions: should they progress to the latter stages, Spurs will potentially have to squeeze five matches into three available Gameweek slots, and Man City would have to fit five games into five free slots.

So no COVID-19 leeway and additional fixture shenanigans could lie ahead.

To Bench Boost or not to Bench Boost?

After the latest changes, a question facing many managers – and one tackled by our Scoutcast trio of Joe, Seb, and Karam – is now that Leeds and Southampton don’t have two matches in Gameweek 19, is it still worth using the Bench Boost?

The thing is, if you already Wildcarded in Gameweek 16, and you set up your team to Bench Boost, you need something bigger than this to back out from it. Because it’s one of the chips that if you don’t do it now, you will wait for another chance [and] you might have a lot of funds remain on your bench.

– Karam

Leeds-fan Seb added:

Ideally I want to be Bench Boosting all 15 players for double, unless someone crazy has got a great fixture, [but] often they might be more expensive, so typically you’re going to have medium to cheap assets on the bench, that’s the goal … On Leeds, so I think if you’ve been forced into this a little bit and you still want to use that Bench Boost, it’s not terrible. They’re playing Brighton at home … if you’ve got Bamford, Dallas, and Raphina on your bench maybe that is a Bench Boost – Bamford could score three!

However not all managers feel the same. Pro Pundit Az has been reduced to eight Double Gameweek players, scuppering any hopes he had for using the chip.

So, with fixture rescheduling putting any plans I had for a Bench Boost on hold, I am considering which chip I should use if any.

Instead the co-host of FPL BlackBox is contemplating using his Triple Captain. But Manchester United go to Liverpool with Bruno Fernandes (£11.3m) a booking away from a one-match ban, and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) is out of form. Although both sides have favourable second fixtures against Fulham and Burnley respectively.

Buying Manchester City Players

The other challenge facing Az and those like Pro Pundit Darren Wiles, who used their first Wildcard late to set up a Gameweek 19 Bench Boost, is how to accommodate Manchester City players?

The Citizens didn’t feature in Darren’s original plans, given that they had just a single Gameweek before their fixture with Aston Villa was rearranged.

But they’ve since come into form with an eye-catching 3-1 win away to Chelsea, and Pep Guardiola’s side have now kept six clean sheets in their last eight matches, giving them the best defensive record in the league.

Ahead of enticing homes matches against Crystal Palace and West Brom, Jan Sienkiewicz sides with the captain poll in backing De Bruyne with the armband:

De Bruyne is a truly world class player and it should be only a matter of time before he matches his outstanding underlying statistics. With two home games against non-top-six sides, Manchester City should continue their winning run and De Bruyne is expected to be at the heart of the action.

All this leads Darren, in his latest article, to contemplate a minus 12 to bring in Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m), Rúben Dias (£5.8m), John Stones (£5.0m) and Michail Antonio (£6.2m) for Harry Kane (£11.1m), Marcus Rashford (£9.6m), Kyle Walker-Peters (£4.8m) and Fabián Balbuena (£4.4m).

I am not rushing into any decisions but I feel multiple hits could be on the cards in order to get two or three Manchester City players in prior to the Double Gameweek and as part of my long term thinking.

– Darren

But the Live Hall of Fame No 2 remains undecided on whether to use the Bench Boost as it would include players like Che Adams (£6.0m), who is available for selection after recovering from concussion.

Tasty Transfers

In direct contrast to Darren’s multiple hit, Former FPL Champion Simon March used Marshmallows to demonstrate that patience is a virtue.

A graduate in behavioural economics, Simon referred to the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment in which children were given the choice of eating a marshmallow now or instead being given a second marshmallow in 15 minutes.

When they followed up 10 years later, the scientists found that the children who delayed gratification and waited for the second marshmallow, had scored better in their SATs, performed better in school generally and even had healthier BMIs.

Pro Pundit Simon likened this to wise FPL managers who save their chips for later in the season (traditionally the better time to play them), and the benefits of rolling a transfer.

Aside from giving you more flexibility in who you can sign, potentially shifting funds to different areas of your team, it also buys you an extra Gameweek of information and more thinking time.

Fantasy Favourite

A player both Darren and Az are tempted by is Michail Antonio. West Ham enjoy an appealing pair of fixtures in Gameweek 19, at home to Burnley and West Brom, but the question mark, as ever, is over Antonio’s fitness.

Ted Talks FPL offered some encouragement, observing that:

With Haller joining Ajax, West Ham must be confident that 1.9% owned Antonio must be back to full fitness, certainly in the short-term. He looks to be an excellent pick for Double Gameweek 19.

Pro Pundits Tom and Andy agreed, giving the Hammers striker the nod:

Michail Antonio is a bit of a favourite of mine and now he’s fit and got through 90 minutes I can’t leave him out. He’s averaging 0.47xG per 90 minutes so far this season. It’s down on 2019/20, but still excellent given his price. – Andy

I’m also backing Michail Antonio. Though he looks short of match fitness, he needs games, and as West Ham United’s only recognised striker, should see enough minutes across the two fixtures. – Tom

While Big Man Bakar, who was looking dashing in pink on the latest installment of The FPL Wire, reminded us of Antonio’s excellent early season form, despite the tricky start.

But is it too soon to take the plunge?

Team News

Frustratingly, as Colm Hayes noted in his press conference round-up, David Moyes did not provide a specific update on his injury-prone centre-forward, leaving Fantasy bosses wondering what to do.

In other news, Anthony Martial (£8.8m) and Pedro Neto (£6.0m) are doubts after suffering knocks in Gameweek 17. But both may still feature this weekend.

And Joel Matip (£5.4m) could return to Liverpool’s backline depending on how well he does in the next two training sessions.

Finally, new Fantasy Football Scout writer Jamie, ran the rule over Manchester United’s latest signing Amad Diallo and assessed the impact Robert Snodgrass (£5.7m) could make under Sam Allardyce at West Brom.

Community Competitions and Head-to-Head Fixtures

RedLightning rounded-up the latest Community mini-leagues and competitions in a hot topic yesterday.

The January to May League, which started scoring in Gameweek 17, remains open for those who want to track their progress until the end of the season. The code to join is h62bh1. The current leader is Denville Tyrell, who has risen from 29,903rd to 5,121st in the last two Gameweeks.

For those interested in the Head-to-Head Leagues, the main page can be linked to here. The fixtures for Gameweek 19 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

5,142 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Orion
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Play Dallas or ESR???

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

      esr

    2. Sid07
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Dallas

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

    Last call on the ol' BB. Hold it for a potential SOU and LEE DGW in the near future?

    McCarthy - Adams Raphinha Lowton

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

      Hold

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

        Set on playing it last night, but in the light of day I see it could easily be 2, 3, 3, 2

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

      hold.

    3. AC Yew
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Got 1st three and holding

    4. Feed tha Sheep
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I’d play it unless you want to keep value on bench

  3. Oggle22
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Anyone any idea on the villa situation I have Martinez and Konsa

    Cheers

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

    Anyone thing of Cancelo (c)??

    1. Bielsa Murderball
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Me!

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

    Captain options
    A) Salah
    B) Vardy
    C) Rashford (-4)

    1. CheesyZoot
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      MO

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

      A

  6. ItOnlyTook9Years
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Get Salah (-4)?

    A) Kane + Saka to Salah + Brewster
    B) Son + Wilson to Salah + Brewster
    C) No

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

      if you have KDB, then no

  7. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    A)Johnstone Raphinha James Antonio -4
    or
    B)Salah KDB

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

      B

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

      b

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

    What do these pages and me have in common? Neither can last longer than 2 minutes.

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Boom boom

    2. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Tmi

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

      Hahahahahahaaaaa

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

      Both are full of useless information

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

        Boom boom.

    5. The Count of Monte Cristo
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Even when you're hung like a horse?

  9. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Grealish to Soucek for a hit?

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

      lol. no.

    2. Bielsa Murderball
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Why? No.

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

      Why not? It’s Christmas.

  10. The Bad Seed
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Which 2 from 3 to play

    Watkins
    Target
    Son

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

      Watkins and Son

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

    Is there any latest team news to consider??

  12. Sid07
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Bench
    Meslier taylor Dallas Brewster

    1) Brewster to Watkins (-4)
    2) taylor to stones (-4)
    3) 1 and 2 for (-8)
    4) Don't BB

  13. JAYPEE
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Should I do Phillips to Coufal for a -8 and BB with this bench
    Forster Coufal* KWP Bamford?

  14. Arteta
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    You just know that Sterling is gonna troll everyone and outscore all other big hitters. It's written in the stars lads!

    1. Mufc202020
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      So true

    2. JELLYFISH
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      was thinking the same

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

    Brighton are going to turn up today, ruin the Leeds CS, Rodrigo will score instead of Bamford and this place will become an absolute shambles

    1. CheesyZoot
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Become?

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

        😆

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

      Hope so. Bamford on my bench today.

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

      Flair. As a City fan could you talk me out of Sterling cap over KDB?

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

        KDB has pens, better creative numbers, getting into the box plenty. Sterling hasn't been at his best this season and in a more conservative City side the potential for explosive hat-tricks is much lower.

        But honestly mate, it's an online game. You clearly like the play and your instinct likes it. There's no better feeling than pulling a strong call off. I wouldn't do it for the reasons stated above, but if you like it...

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

          Many thanks.
          Went with KDB at the end. Owning Raz is a differential in itself.

          Good Luck!

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

      Nobody cares about that game too much

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

        It's vital for plenty of BBs

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

      + KDB benched
      + Son + Kane goals and assists

    6. DA Minnion (Former great)
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Can see Brighton scoring from a corner. Probably Dunk but we'll still beat them.

  16. NoName
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Prediction: How many minutes does KDB this gw?

    1. V-2 Schneiderlin
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      15

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

      180 for sure.

  17. FPL ElasticO
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    G2g?

    Johnstone
    Robbo/ Stones/ Coufal
    Salah/ KDB(TC)/ Bruno/ Son/ Soucek
    Antonio/ Bamford

    Bench:: McCarthy/ Targett/ KWP/ Brewster

  18. Nightf0x
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Get foden or gundogan ?

    1. Mufc202020
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Gunda

    2. V-2 Schneiderlin
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Foden for me

  19. Big_Andy_GAWA
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Vardy and Sam J. over Jésus and Allison, yeah?

    Thanks.

  20. flippetyflop
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Are the only scheduled double gameweeks GW 19 and GW 26?

    I don’t want to use my triple captain this week but if these are the only two weeks
    I guess I am forced!

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

      Of course not when there are multiple teams with several games in hand. You only need a single double in a given GW to play TC, it's not like the other chips where you'd ideally have multiple doubles to maximise value.

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

    This is like being in the Welsh valleys and watching the RAF whoosh overhead

  22. Jive Turkey
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Wood to Antonio punt for -4?

    1. Iceball
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Might pay off, but both have DGW so its a risk

  23. dsefton
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    repost!
    Bench: Areola, Bamford Lowton Tierney
    A) Save BB
    B) Tierney --> Justin/r.James (-4), play BB
    C) Play BB (no hits)

  24. Iceball
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    BB week! Lets go!
    Do you put your "real" bench up or for the fun of it Robbo Mane Dias or someting like that?

  25. Mufc202020
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Bottomed go go

    Any of these worth a hit? Already spent 4 points?

    A) Neto to Barnes
    B) Kane to Vardy
    C) None

    1. Iceball
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      B

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

      No sry, rather A!

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

    When was the first covid positives at Villa? Has the 10 days expired or not when they play?

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

      Their training ground hasnt opened yet

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

        Thanks.

  27. FPL ElasticO
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    For the final time.... Who to TC?

    A. KDB
    B. Salah

    1. BERGKOP
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      A

    2. V-2 Schneiderlin
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      A

    3. Stockport Hatter
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      B

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

    McCarthy to Martinez for -4?

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

      No

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

        Thanks. Really struggling with goalkeeper picks year

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

    Bamford - > Antonio for - 4?

  30. Nespinha
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Salah TC

    Yes or No

    1. BERGKOP
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No

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

      Nah