Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice to FPL Gameweek 22

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 22 ahead of today’s 16:30 GMT deadline.

The January transfer window has now closed and Neale rounded-up the deadline-day deals including two new centre-halves joining Liverpool, and Takumi Minamino’s (£6.0m) switch to Southampton.

David examined how Gabriel Jesus (£9.2m) impacted Ilkay Gündogan (£5.8m) as the German didn’t manage a single shot on target against Sheffield United:

The return of Gabriel Jesus to the Manchester City team appeared to be a negative influence on Gündogan’s goal threat against Sheffield United … with a recognised centre-forward leading the line there were fewer opportunities for the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder to make dangerous runs into exposed pockets of space.

And Pep’s infamous roulette wheel struck again with John Stones (£5.2m) and João Cancelo (£6.0m) left out of the starting XI. David suspects this is just rotation and both players are in Neale’s predicted line-ups for the match against Burnley.

Are Newcastle not the pushovers we hoped they would be?

Last week Pro Pundit Tom thought the writing was on the wall for Newcastle United and suggested we target them when considering which players to buy. But the Magpies took everyone by surprise, including a lacklustre Everton, with a change of tactics.

In his Scout Notes, Colm Hayes included a revealing quote from manager Steve Bruce:

We’ve played a certain way for a long, long time – play a bit deeper, play on the counter attack. That’s something we’ve tried to work on and change. You hope you get a few results from it but that’s the way we want to go about our work. Over the last few weeks in particular we’ve tried to work on getting after the ball, pressing higher up the pitch and being more forward-thinking.

None were more disappointed than Ted, who had talked up the Toffees on the Scoutcast and tripled on Carlo Ancelotti’s side with a minus eight:

[Everton] showed signs of brilliance but the overwhelming thought was they struggled to create clear cut opportunities to score. I am hoping it’s just a matter of time before the key players start gelling again. Everton will need to get their mojo back fast ahead of the midweek clash with Leeds.

New Pro Pundit Seb Wassell will doubtless experience conflicting emotions tomorrow when his favourite football team comes up against his new centre-forward. A 4-3 Leeds win with a Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.6m) hat-trick the perfect result?

The actor and Leeds fan discussed his attempts at “dispassionate objectivity in his first Pro Pundit article. His decision to sell Patrick Bamford (£6.6m) for Calvert-Lewin had an element of overcompensating for a bias towards his own team:

Realistically, I do not believe my error was in interpreting the stats this way or that – plenty of people will have seen those and made their own, well-reasoned decisions – but rather in the fact that I am seemingly still looking for reasons to avoid Leeds, even now.

And Scout Network member El Statto isn’t quite ready to take the plunge on Everton players just yet:

The Toffees’ upcoming games are mixed so I’m not sure I would be rushing to bring in any of their assets. Lucas Digne could be a possible option due to the attacking threat he offers, but with everyone else averaging less than 4.0 points per game I feel there is much better value elsewhere.

Wasting Your Wildcard

David Wardale, the author of Wasting Your Wildcard, provided a typically informative and entertaining FPL round-up of the weekend’s matches. A formation switch for Crystal Palace and another blank for Bruno Fernandes (£11.4m) were discussed, and there was a game of contrasting 45 minutes for West Brom.

Matheus Pereira (£5.6m) was the star but could Mbaye Diagne (£6.0m), who emerged as a second-half sub, kickstart an unlikely revival?

David also reported on a resurgent Mohamed Salah (£12.6m), confirmed that Patrick Bamford might not be this season’s Teemu Pukki afterall, and found that Son Heung-min (£9.7m) struggles without Harry Kane (£11.1m). 

Salah is Jan‘s top pick for the captaincy this week:

With Liverpool’s Egyptian king ramping up back to his best, it is difficult to look past him, especially with increased goal-scoring responsibility if Mané is confirmed out for the visit of Brighton.

The Egyptian is included as part of a strong midfield three alongside Raheem Sterling (£11.6m) and Fernandes in the Scout Picks, with the selection panel hopeful the Portuguese can return to form:

Fernandes has still had the most shots, the most shots on target and has the highest expected goal involvement (xGI) of any midfielder over the last six Gameweeks, suggesting his good form should return soon.

Meanwhile, Marc Jobling reflected on Chelsea’s second match under new head coach Thomas Tuchel. The German is known to dislike his players crossing from wide positions and it was noticeable that the wing-backs, Marcos Alonso (£5.6m) and Callum Hudson-Odoi (£5.7m), both drove inside towards the penalty area. A role Alonso is well suited to:

It’s the Alonso we remember from the past. His touches were in extraordinarily attacking positions and his 42 in the final third were ahead of everyone on the pitch, except for Mount.

One of Tom’s differentials this week, the Pro Pundit acknowledged the FPL legend comes with a health warning:

A move for Alonso this week does carry risk, knowing that Ben Chilwell is also pushing for a start, but there is a lot of upside too, given the Spaniard’s potential for big hauls. Will he now become first-choice? It’s impossible to say, but if Tuchel does opt to regularly use a back-three system, he’s certainly put forward a strong case.

Considering the competition for left wing-back berth, Antonio Rüdiger (£4.5m) could be a safer – and cheaper – route into the Chelsea backline. Picked out by Tom as one of his three differentials last week, as Marc noted, “the German has taken Zouma’s place in five of the last six matches and seems to be a Tuchel favourite”.

Community Competitions and Head-to-Head Fixtures

The latest Community mini-leagues and competitions round-up from RedLightning will be published shortly after the deadline. It will include the winner of the January Manager of the Month award for the Community Members mini-league.

In the Head-to-Head Leagues, the fixtures have been generated for the second half of the season. The main page includes links to each Gameweek and can be linked to here. The fixtures for Gameweek 22 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

1,174 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Bounce
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    WHO TO BENCH PLEASE, I'M SWEATING!

    Salah, Bruno, Son, Grealish, Gündogan
    DCL, Bamford, Antonio

    1. bangers and M*A*S*H
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Son

    2. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yikes! I'm a Chelsea fan, so Son 🙂

    3. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Antonio

    4. WOLVERiNES
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bamford or Grealish or Son or Antonio lol

    5. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Same front 8 benching Bamford currently...

      But I've clicked confirm on Son, Gundo and Bamford in the last hour alone!

    6. Mr. O'Connell
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      haha this is why I have Kane.

      For me it's probably Gundo

      1. mojoindojo
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Kept Kane for same reason.

    7. NorthernMan
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Son

    8. All about the galacticos
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Antonio or Gundogan

    9. FantasyHero
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Gundo won't start

      1. RamaJama
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Source?

        1. FantasyHero
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Just my feeling.

  2. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Just realised it's only Bruno tonight for me. How boring!

    Reckon I should start Raphinha, or Soucek? 🙂

    1. BeWater
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I'd go Raphinha. If Newcastle can do that to Everton...

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

        Cheers. If the 'knock' > early sub I'm concerned about I guess. That and missing another Soucek haul, lol.

  3. cescpistols111
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Is it worth taking a -4 to replace Pickford? Thinking about Guaita. No other playing keeper.

    1. BeWater
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I wouldn't bother.

    2. Team Bobcat
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      No

  4. mdm
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Kane to:

    A. Bamford
    B. Wilson
    C. Watkins
    D. Firmino

    1. BeWater
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bamford or Watkins.

  5. joeymanuel
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Johnstone (SHU a) --> Martinez (WHU h) for free of hold transfer?

    1. Jdpz
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      hold

  6. Saka Punch
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Which would you do:

    A) Soucek -> Grealish

    B) Play Soucek and save.

    1. Team Bobcat
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B save

    2. WOLVERiNES
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I feel both may blank this GW

    3. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B but I can't believe people still dont own Jack

    4. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B pls

  7. Team Bobcat
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Pages flying by

  8. jdp219
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Start:
    1) Coufal
    2) Chilwell

    Captain:
    a) Salah
    b) Gundo
    c) Bruno

    1. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      1a

  9. Stupendous
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Play Bam or Digne???

    1. BeWater
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bam.

    2. Team Bobcat
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Might not matter as doubt Bam starts tomorrow

      1. Stupendous
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Well if will if he gets 10 mins and Digne hauls

        1. Team Bobcat
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          He might get more in 10 mins than digne will in the whole match.

          I dont think bam will play any part risk aggravating his dead leg which is not a problem in itself but could become a serious one should he aggravate it further

    3. linkafu
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bam

  10. Oggle22
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez
    Holding Stones Cancelo
    Salah Son Bruno Foden
    DCL Bamford Antonio

    Steele Soucek Konsa Mitchell

    Start Konsa or Holding

    Transfer foden out for another city mid feel a benching coming

  11. hustler7
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cancelo or Salah captain? Keep switching between the 2!

    1. BeWater
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I'm on Salah.

    2. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Salah no brainer.

    3. Stupendous
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Mo

    4. hustler7
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Unanimous, thanks!

    5. Krafty Werks
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      As a chaser and owner of both, the only City player i'd captain over Salah is Sterling.

  12. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Hello sports fans.
    Should I sell ESR for Grealish or save?
    Any changes to the lineup?

    Martinez
    (C)ancelo Stones TAA
    Bruno(v) Son Gundo Saka*
    DCL Richarlison Antonio

    McCarthy | Tierney**, ESR, Mitchell

    1FT. 7.6 ITB

    1. AC/DC AFC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

      1. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Useful

    2. The Mighty One
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      ESR to Jack is smart. Do it.

  13. JollyGoodYellows
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Have i benched the right ones here?

    Martinez
    Digne Dias Stones
    Bruno Son Salah Gundo
    DCL Bamford Antonio

    Martin Wan-Bissaka Soucek Dallas

  14. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Can anyone put forward a case for keeping Digne? I get they have doubles but that's just an extra game for them to not get a clean sheet. 1 CS all season so you're left praying for attacking returns...

    Horrible fixtures too, Leeds this GW then Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool next 3 away games after.

    1. WE GO FOR IT
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      His attacking threat will always be there and Everton will get the odd CS. If you've got him just now, might as well keep till the DGW24. Then you can move to a Chelsea defender when we have more info on who's first choice. Or any other DGW26 defender, if you don't fancy Chelsea.

      1. Begbie.
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Yeah fair points although watching the game at the weekend it struck me how Hamez was taking the set pieces which is another bummer as a Digne owner.

    2. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Allan back soon should make a major difference.

      Check Man U and Chelsea attacking record against contenders!

    3. Royal5
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Defo keep for Leeds. That's a great fixture for him imo. Plenty of room for him to get attacking returns.

  15. Better luck next year
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    First sub?

    A) Chilwell
    B) Soucek

    1. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B

    2. Don Rogers FC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B

    3. Krafty Werks
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B

  16. Patson Dabaka
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Still can't decide on this. Bench one

    A) Cresswell
    B) Dallas

    A head scratcher fo sho

    1. linkafu
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      b

  17. Sanchit
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Which players do you think would have EO > 100% this week?

    1. The Road to Turfdom
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Salah

    2. Mr. O'Connell
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Salah, Bruno and City defence.

    3. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Just Salah

  18. SHOWSTOPPERRR
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Guys 1 ft

    A) gundo to sterling free
    B) kwp to Rudiger free and bench him..

  19. FlashGilbert
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Play Justin or Cresswell?

    1. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Justin

    2. Krafty Werks
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Justin

  20. WE GO FOR IT
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Play Alioski/Coufal?

    1. Don Rogers FC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Coufal for me.

    2. Krafty Werks
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Just Coufal i think?...likely gtd the '90.

  21. AC/DC AFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Salah (c), Son, Bruno, Gundogan, Saka

    DCL, Bamford

    Who to VC please?

    1. The Wanton Trader
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bruno

    2. Drogba Legend
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Bruno

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers guys.

        Was even tempted by Bamford...

  22. AzzaroMax99
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Start Dallas or Cresswell?

    1. Kuyt Hero
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Same dilemma and going with Dallas I think

      1. AzzaroMax99
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Thx. GL

        1. Kuyt Hero
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          You too mate!

    2. WE GO FOR IT
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I'm on a a similiar boat with cheaper options from both teams in Alioski and Coufal. Currently on Coufal.

  23. tabby98
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Start one:
    A) Digne
    B) Soucek
    C) Coufal
    D) Raphinha

    1. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      D

    2. AzzaroMax99
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      C

    3. Kuyt Hero
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      D

    4. Krafty Werks
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      ONE?!! D then i guess.

  24. Arteta
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Stones to Cancelo for free?

  25. joersherman
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bench Antonio or Watkins?! Painful!

  26. Shafinology
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Guys should I do Werner & Saka to Antonio & Grealish(-4)?

  27. Captain Vantastic™
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Son hasn't blanked three gws in a row this season. Bench/Sell at your own risk.

    1. linkafu
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      It has to start somedays

    2. Mr. O'Connell
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Salah hadn't blanked for 6 games in a row for like 4 years.

    3. Team Bobcat
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Means nothing.

      Selling Son is a risk considering he is being downgraded.

      Keeping him is a risk also. No one knows which risk will pays off in the short medium or long term.

      Gamble away at will

  28. linkafu
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bench order??

    A Raphina
    B Justin
    C Coufal

    1. Don Rogers FC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Easy as ABC

      1. Krafty Werks
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        This ^

  29. Khalico
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Who should I start, Meslier or Areola?

    1. linkafu
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Aerola

  30. Gman
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Who would you bench between DCL, Bamford, Wilson, Gundo, Son, Sterling?

    1. The_FF_King
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Same problem. I feel a Gundo bench