Tips

The Complete Guide to Scout’s tips and advice to FPL Gameweek 23

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Gameweek 23 ahead of today’s 11:00 GMT deadline.

The big news is the announcement of more Double Gameweeks in 24 and 25. Legomané updated his ticker, which includes non-Premier League matches.

Manchester City, Everton, Burnley, Fulham, Southampton and Leeds are the six teams to benefit from an extra fixture. 

There will also be a double in Gameweek 26, but which teams play twice depends on the FA Cup results in midweek. The winners will have their Gameweek 29 matches shifted to 26.

The other outstanding fixtures yet to be rescheduled are: 

  • Aston Villa vs Tottenham Hotspur
  • Aston Villa vs Everton
  • Manchester City vs Southampton
  • Fulham vs Tottenham

Six and the City

The Man City backline continues to dish out regular six-point returns thanks to their incredible run of clean sheets. Provided, that is, your selected defenders make the starting XI.

John Stones (£5.2m) returned to the starting XI against Burnley but with Aymeric Laporte (£6.0m) fit and available there’s now the risk of a benching, as happened against Sheffield United.

Some on site, such as Camzy, are considering switching to one City defender and two attackers. And, whisper it softly, on the Scoutcast Karam even suggested selling Ilkay Gündogan (£5.9m) for those who want to stick with two at the back.

The reason is Raheem Sterling (£11.6m):

I started to like someone else, he’s not performing at £11.6m just yet, but if I want to move away from defence and I want to stay in attack, then I think I would take a risk on Sterling … his expected goals is 2.31, the most of any City asset over the last four Gameweeks … for me – as someone who is struggling now with the rank – the fixtures are there for scoring goals, I think Sterling is worth a shout. Now I know Gündogan is crazy value, which I agree, but if you need that element of taking a risk – and we know that Sterling is capable of braces, and he looked good against Burnley.

– Karam

Seb added:

The only thing on Gündogan is … he’s created nine chances in the last three but only had three shots – two of those were goals. In the last match he had an xG of 0.03 … I’d just keep an eye on if things are shifting or how City are playing against a deep defence, whether Gündogan is the goalscorer. For me that would just be the difference whether I captain him or not – not whether I have him or not.

– Seb

David noted the impact of Gabriel Jesus (£9.2m) over the last two matches, his presence in the City team does stop Gündogan from shooting as often.

But the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder remained a creative force, fashioning two big chances for Sterling and creating five goal scoring opportunities in total – the most of any player at Turf Moor.

Another factor in the German’s favour is that his ‘expected minutes’, something Career Hall of Fame No 1, Fábio Borges, places great importance on, is high:

Gündogan has less competition to worry about and seems to be in the form of his life so I’m hoping he will play both matches [over the Double Gameweek]. The fact that he could be on penalties and is ridiculously priced at £5.9 million makes him a much better pick than Sterling in my opinion … if I didn’t already have Dias and Gündogan in my squad, they would definitely be my main transfer targets from Guardiola’s team.

– Fábio

Fábio talked through his transfer targets for the upcoming small Double Gameweeks in his latest FFScout contribution. Nick Pope (£5.5m) or a Burnley defender were high on his list of priorities given their favourable fixtures.

While fellow Pro Pundit Lateriser touted Luke Shaw (£4.9m) in his recent article:

With Shaw, you are not just dependent on clean sheet points. He’s become incredibly vital to the Red Devils and is a ball progressor and an attacking outlet on that left-hand side. In the last six Gameweeks, Shaw has created 19 chances, which is top amongst all defenders. Shaw is also top for big chances created (five) in the same period and is on some set pieces and corners.

– Lateriser

And the highest ranked of our elite contributors, Andy, who climbed another 200 places to 479th overall after Gameweek 22, reviewed his season so far, reflecting on what has worked well for him

This year I’ve made a conscious decision to always have who I believe is the best captain each week, even if that means transferring out a big hitter. This sounds simple, but often FPL managers will forgo the best captain because they don’t want to sell a big hitter … I’ve sold Salah, Son, and Kane twice already this season and I’ve found not having value wrapped up in them makes my decisions much easier knowing I can just buy them back as there’s no money “lost”.

– Andy

Captaincy Debate

The armband for Andy this week is firmly on Son Heung-min (£9.7m) ahead of an encounter against West Brom’s obliging defence. 

However, Captain Sensible writer, Jan, does not necessarily agree:

Despite receiving plenty of attention in the captaincy debate for Gameweek 22, I do not think Son is necessarily as strong a candidate as some might think.

– Jan

Jan notes the slump in form for Tottenham Hotspur along with the poor underlying statistics for Son in particular – his total of 15 touches in the box over his last four matches is bettered by 33 Premier League players.

So while West Brom have conceded two goals in each of their last seven matches, could a defensive approach from Sam Allardyce frustrate an off-colour Spurs?

Bruno Fernandes (£11.5m) and Marcus Rashford (£9.6m) are alternatives from a buoyant Manchester United side, and West Ham’s Michail Antonio (£6.7m) could prosper against Fulham. 

Fernandes is my top captaincy pick for Gameweek 23. Given that his underlying statistics are continuously impressive and his Manchester United colleagues are back in their groove, he could easily repeat the haul he achieved the last time Manchester United faced Everton.

– Jan

However for David – who enjoyed a successful 17-Gameweek captain run back in 2018/19 – Antonio is his favoured armband selection from this week’s Scout Picks.

The in-form West Ham striker has hit attacking returns in four of his five last games. With the highest expected goals rating of any forward in the last six Gameweeks, we are backing Antonio to continue his impressive form against a Fulham side whose recent defensive improvements have stuttered.

– Scout Picks

Team News

In the Team News, Jamie Vardy (£10.0m) is set to return following his hernia operation, while Ricardo Pereira (£5.9m) could be a useful asset in the absence of Timothy Castagne (£5.7m) over the coming weeks.

And Wilfried Zaha (£7.2m) has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

While from Pep Guardiola’s Friday press conference, we received confirmation that Sergio Aguero (£10.3m), Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) and Nathan Aké (£5.4m) are still on the sidelines with their respective issues.

Community Competitions and Head-to-Head Fixtures

RedLightning rounded-up the latest Community mini-leagues and competitions

Pro Pundit Andy’s youtube.com/letstalkfpl mini-league is currently the Best League in FPL based on the average score of the top five teams, taking over from our Community Members League, which slips to third.

For those participating in the Head-to-Head Leagues, the main page can be linked to here. The fixtures for Gameweek 23 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

2,746 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Puzzle
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Robertson or Mee/Coufal this GW?

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

      I have all 3 of these and I'm playing Coufal.

      Clean sheet odds are better for West Ham than Burnley this week and Robertson looks knackered.

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

        Actually sensible. Just have a big difficulty benching players like Robbo. Think I'll go Coufal as well.

  2. Ao Senshi
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Who to start?

    A - Maguire
    B - DCL

  3. You've got red on you.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Really tough this week.

    Anything you would switch and why?

    Meslier
    Maguire - Cresswell - Cancelo
    Mane - Gundogan - Soucek - Fernandes - Son (c)
    Bamford - Antonio

    Bench: Areola - Dias - Watkins - R. James

    1. Come on you Kante
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Gtg

      I’ve doubled up on Man City leaving Dias in hopefully clean sheet with Liverpool of mixed sorts atm they looked tired vs Brighton

    2. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      G2G
      Playing both City defence myself.

  4. Come on you Kante
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Any ideas which game Kane will return for?

    And does Vardy start vs wolves?

    Any ideas lads

    1. Van der Faart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Kane back midweek or v City

      1. Come on you Kante
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Cheers great name lol

        What about Vardy

  5. Nespinha
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    bench mee or cancelo

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Cancelo

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

      coin toss really

  6. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Start DCL or AWB? Its a headache

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Wan B

    2. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      DCL

  7. Hybrid.power
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Here's to benching all the wrong players!

    1. Eh, just one more thing ...
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Fact ... surely I can’t do worse than last week by benching 32 points ....

  8. jimmy.floyd
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bench one:
    A AWB (have DDG)
    B Coufal (have Cresswell)
    C Cancelo
    D Souček
    E Sterling

    1. Hybrid.power
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B

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

      B

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

    I started DCL and benched Salah and am pretty comfortable with it.

    1. Sean
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Not sure you should be but GL

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

      you don't like good ranks?

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

        I do but pool have not scored in 3 matches at home and they play a team with cleanies in like 6 games. .

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

          city won't sit back like other teams

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

            Still, I do not see Liverpool scoring.

    3. Letsgo!
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Lol sure

    4. FantasyTony
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Madness

    5. Free Hat
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I like it

    6. DandyDon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He did score against city last league game!

    7. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      no you are not

    8. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Probably wise.

      Don't see Liverpool scoring

  10. I SPEAK ENGELS AND DRINK GI…
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Robbo or DCL starting?

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

      Dcl

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

    Play Digne or Dias?

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

      Dias

  12. hazza44
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Which 2 to start? Thanks
    Coufal
    Cancelo
    Justin

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

      Last 2

    2. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      first 2

  13. Sean
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Everyone buying Pope has made one of my only differentials disappear

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

      Was bound to happen with Burnley's recent performances

  14. Johan Queef
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bench one:

    A) Dallas (CRY)
    B) Mee (BRI)
    C) Coufal (ful)

    Thanks!

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

      C

    2. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B

    3. Thomas Shelby from Birmingh…
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B

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

      B

  15. Bobby_Baggio
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Question of alot of minds. (C)....

    A) Son
    B) Bruno
    C) Antonio

    1. jimmy.floyd
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B

    2. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A

    3. My heart goes Salalalalah
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      C

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

      C

    5. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      A

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

    Any news on Mane?

  17. Baron Penguin
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Punt on 0-0 and play double City defence? Looking for excuses to bench Gundo.

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

      City scoring not a problem. Only Liverpool will have an issue scoring so play.

    2. FantasyTony
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Liverpool have no chance but to go all out pre-Van Dijk style football.

      Can't see there being clean sheet on either end.

  18. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Mark sold Salah.

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

      How do you know? For Son?

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

        Yeah, just watched FPL BlackBox.

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

          Ahh ok, nothing spectacular there tbh considering Salah's form

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

      Wow

    3. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      FAKE NEWS

    4. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      good move

    5. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Damn thats a Son haul now

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

        😆 better be for his reputation 😆

  19. jernej93
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Which 2 to start:

    1. Gundo
    2. Lowton
    3. Creswell
    4. DCL

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

      1 3

    2. Bavarian
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      3 4

  20. Fergiesarmy
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Start Adams or DCl
    Captain Bruno or Bamf?

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

      Adams Bruno

  21. KuttiBunja
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    2 free transfers.
    watkins to antonio for 1?

    have dcl, bamford.

    1. HonestBlatter
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Yes

    2. FantasyTony
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I did it. Antonio has form + fixtures right now

    3. I SPEAK ENGELS AND DRINK GI…
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thats crazy but ok

  22. Letsgo!
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bench order dallas dcl stones correct order?

  23. fridge
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    1. Start one pls
    A) McCarthy
    B) Pope

    2. Start one pls (have Dias already in)
    A) Coufal
    B) Stones
    C) Lowton

    3. Start two pls
    A) Soucek
    B) Gundo
    C) DCL

    1. Super John McGinn-
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      B
      A
      AB

  24. Thomas Shelby from Birmingh…
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sterling captian...ballsy or dumb?

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

      close to dumb I guess

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

        It can work, but potential seems low, atleast on paper

        1. Thomas Shelby from Birmingh…
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Other options would be Son, Bruno, Salah, Antonio, Bamford...I think Pep will be going on a war against Pool tomorrow

          1. Thomas Shelby from Birmingh…
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            5-0 is what I am looking at

    2. Tinkermania
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I am considering. Nailed and due a haul against Pool.

  25. GROBARI
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Good morning guys! I really don'f know what to do in my team. 2FT 4.3m itb
    My team
    Martinez Steer
    Justin Dallas Stones Dias Mitchell
    Son Salah Bruno Gundo Soucek
    Bamford Antonio DCL

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

      Mitchell to Rudiger

  26. DycheDycheBaby
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Start one:
    a) Alioski
    b) Stones
    c) Taylor (Bur)

  27. Muchentuchel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Cheers! I really need some help on this. Any suggestions?

    Meslier - Nyland
    TAA - Rüdiger - Creswell - Justin - Holding
    Salah - Son - Bruno - Gündo - Madders
    Antonio - Bamford - DCL

    Squad Value : 104.4m
    In the bank : 3m

    Had 2 FTs and brought in Rüdiger for Mitchell yesterday.
    I'd really like to get rid off Salah and get Soucek into the team but It feels exrtemely odd to have 10.1m in the bank.

    What should I do? Pls. help me out

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

      Save FT

  28. DandyDon
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Rashford or Bruno captain and why?

  29. Free Hat
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    When in doubt, bench the least owned player...

    I wont hurt as much after!

  30. jonnybhoy
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Any changes or GTG??

    McCarthy
    Cancelo Coufal Justin
    Salah Son Bruno Soucek
    DCL Bamford Antonio (C)

    Forster Gundo Stones Alioski