Scout Picks

Gameweek 31 Scout Picks built on Liverpool triple-up

Liverpool’s key players form the spine of our Gameweek 31 Scout Picks.

Following DavidNealeTom and Andy‘s Scout Squad submissions, we have chosen a starting XI of our best players for the next round of action.

This week we line up in the traditional 3-4-3 formation and come in at £82.1m, £0.9m inside our budget of £83.0m.

Goalkeeper

My Own Strategy to select 'Set and Forget' Shot Stopper for the rest of the Clean-Sheet-less Season

Bernd Leno (£5.0m) is our representative from the Arsenal defence in Gameweek 31 ahead of a trip to Sheffield United. The Blades have scored 10 goals at home this season, only West Bromwich Albion and Fulham (nine) mustering fewer at their own grounds.

Defenders

From a Fantasy perspective, Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.3m) looks set to offer points potential for the 2020/21 run-in. He has produced 5.6 points per game over the last six matches, a period in which he among the top two defenders for key passes and big chances created.

We believe Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat to West Brom was a blip, a Gameweek 31 trip to Crystal Palace offering César Azpilicueta (£5.9m) and his colleagues a chance for redemption. The Eagles are currently second-bottom of the Premier League for shots on target over the last six, while Azpilicueta remains the most nailed-on starter in the Chelsea defence outside of goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Only Sheffield United and Fulham offer a lower goal conversion rate over their last six matches than Newcastle. That could be good news for value defender Matt Lowton (£4.4m), who is joint-top for big chances created among defenders over the same period.

Midfielders

Only two FPL midfielders have registered more shots in the box than Mohamed Salah (£12.4m) over the last six matches. The Egyptian also ranks joint-top among players in his position for big chances.

Raheem Sterling (£11.3m) is our chosen representative from the Manchester City attack as they prepare for a potentially end-to-end meeting with Leeds. Rests against Leicester and Borussia Dortmund suggest the England international will feature on Saturday afternoon and, if he lines up on the left-hand side of a front-three, he will enjoy a decent match-up. Leeds have conceded 20 chances down their right-hand side since Gameweek 25, more than through the middle or left.

Diogo Jota (£6.9m) has hit the ground running since his return from injury. The former Wolves man has produced three goals in his last two matches and is offering the sort of form that arguably makes him undroppable for Jürgen Klopp. Still, even if he does find himself on the bench, the fact that he has been involved in 50% of his team’s league goals scored when on the pitch this season shows that even a substitute’s appearance can be fruitful, just as it was against Arsenal last time out.

Sheffield United still have the worst figure for expected goals conceded (xGC) over the last six matches, suggesting Arsenal’s attackers can enjoy their trip north on Sunday evening. During the same period, Bukayo Saka (£5.2m) ranks joint-second among Mikel Arteta’s charges for shots in the box.

Forwards

Gameweek 28 Scout Picks built on Spurs, Everton and Villa assets

While a Gameweek 31 meeting with Manchester United is hardly an appealing fixture, there is no ruling out Harry Kane (£11.7m) recording an attacking return on Sunday afternoon. He has two double-digit hauls across his last four matches from a total of five goals and two assists.

Chris Wood (£6.2m) faces a Newcastle defence that has conceded at least twice in nine of their last 13 Premier League matches and has good form of his own to bring into Sunday’s Turf Moor clash. Over his last six matches, he ranks second in the whole division for shots on target, netting in each of his last three.

Without Declan Rice, West Ham conceded the second-highest number of shots in the box of any team in Gameweek 30. Kelechi Iheanacho (£5.8m) could take advantage of that on Sunday afternoon having supplied at least one goal in three of his last four starts.

Substitutes

  • Edouard Mendy (£5.2m)
  • Ben Mee (£4.9m)
  • Rob Holding (£4.2m)
  • Pedro Neto (£5.7m)

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 Gameweek 31:

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.

Peteski29 takes on the Scout Picks in Gameweek 31 going with a 3-5-2 line-up of Leno; Alexander-Arnold, Alonso, Rüdiger; Salah (c), Sterling (vc), Mount, Jota, Neto; Kane, Vydra.

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

1,033 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Nate(U)dog(ie)
    • 3 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Play one:

    A) Cresswell v Leicester
    B) Iheanacho v West Ham

    1. EmreCan Hustle
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Iheanacho

    2. Traction Engine Foot
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      B

    3. Lemongrab
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      B

    4. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      B

    5. Nate(U)dog(ie)
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Thanks all

    6. Reece’s Pieces
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Nacho

  2. TheDragon
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Dias or Castagne?

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

    WC team GTG??

    Mendy

    TAA - Azpi - Fofana

    Salah (C) - Jota - Son - Mahrez - Lingard

    Kane - Iheanacho

    (Forster - Callum Robinson - Holding - Coufal)

    1. HD7
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Mahrez starts for you?

      1. seanie3
        • 12 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        yeah why not? lottery for man city mf.. who do you think plays

        1. HD7
          • 7 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Sterling Gundogan for me

          1. seanie3
            • 12 Years
            2 years, 11 months ago

            Hope your right as both in my WC team

  4. liboo
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Play one of

    A. Dallas
    B. Aina

    ???

  5. Lemongrab
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Leno in a lot of WC teams I've seen on here...Arsenal haven't kept a clean sheet for 14 games! I know fixtures are good but there's no way I'd be picking him.

    1. #Swish41
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Agreed!

    2. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Crazy stat

    3. Studs Up
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      No Luiz increases the cs chances lol

    4. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      No idea why people are looking at Arsenal defence. Baffling

  6. MagicMessi
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Lads Captain
    A Auba
    B Werner
    C Diagne(wbm attacker)
    !? Thanks

    1. Lemongrab
      • 14 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Auba out of those three.

      1. MagicMessi
        • 11 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        I hope he delivers this time I'm on him now Diagne VC

    2. linkafu
      • 4 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      B

      1. MagicMessi
        • 11 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Nooo 😀 I can't decide

    3. JBG
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      D Salah

  7. Pukki Blinders
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Welcome to my team Callum Wilson

    1. Thomas Magnum
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Can you persuade me to sign him over Diagne? 🙂

      1. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Wilson has 70% goal involvement this season + penos... and fighting for survival. Enough said

        1. Thomas Magnum
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          I just question which game after this he scores in

          1. Pukki Blinders
            • 4 Years
            2 years, 11 months ago

            Look at the next 3 after Burnley... can honestly him scoring in 2-3 of them

            Vs a WHU defence without Rice or ogbonna

            Vs a Pool team shocking at Anfield (with 2 slow CBs)

            Vs an Arsenal team that hasn’t kept a CS in their last 14 games

    2. Reece’s Pieces
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Good punt

  8. Avery
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    GW31 anytime returns % https://twitter.com/FPL_Salah/status/1380400080704786432?s=20
    Aguero: 66%
    KdB: 66%
    Alonso: 63%
    R.James: 63%
    Cancelo: 61%
    Mahrez: 61%
    Salah: 60%
    Sterling: 60%
    Chilwell: 59%
    Jesus: 58%
    TAA: 57%
    Jota: 57%
    Torres: 56%
    Foden: 56%
    Robbo: 54%
    Rudiger: 53%
    Laca: 53%

    GW31 clean sheet probability % https://twitter.com/FPL_Salah/status/1379675307335094273?s=20
    CHE: 54%
    MCI: 51%
    ARS: 50%
    LIV: 43%
    BUR: 42%
    FUL: 40%
    BHA: 38%
    SOU: 36%
    WOL: 35%
    LEI: 33%
    MUN: 31%
    NEW: 31%
    EVE: 30%
    WHU: 29%
    TOT: 27%
    WBA: 27%
    SHU: 20%
    CPL: 20%
    AVL: 15%
    LEE: 11%

    GW31 anytime scorers % https://twitter.com/FPL_Salah/status/1380037692679933955?s=20
    Salah: 55%
    Aguero: 52%
    Laca: 47%
    Jesus: 45%
    Auba: 44%
    Jota: 43%
    Gundo: 43%
    Sterling: 43%
    Kane: 42%
    Ings: 41%
    Mahrez: 40%
    Mane: 40%
    Wood: 39%
    Vardy: 38%
    KdB: 38%
    Werner: 38%
    Bruno: 36%

  9. Cilly Bonnolly
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Coady or Saiss on wildcard? Or someone else 5.2 or less?

  10. sirmorbach
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Mendy
    TAA, Dias, Holding
    Salah, Bruno, Son, Gündogan, Lingard
    Kane, Wood

    Forster, Iheanacho, Rüdiger, Coufal

    Good to go? Any changes needed— including transfers, since WC activated?

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Jota over Son and switch to Son next week?

    2. JoeJitzu +42
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Surely play Rudiger?

    3. Zlatan F.C
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Nice team

    4. Zlatan F.C
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      What was your team value?

  11. Dreaming of glory
    • 8 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Dallas > TAA for -4

    And then bench Bamford or trossard.

    Would you do it?

  12. The Mighty Whites
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Rob Holding (is he nailed?) or Coufal on WC?

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Nailed until Luiz is fit. But feel like he’s a sale waiting to happen.

      Go Coufal

    2. Jebiga
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      at least 3 gws

  13. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    To Start...

    A. Ben White
    B. Cresswell

    1. The Mighty Whites
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      A

  14. bigdip
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Fill in the blan: Rudiger, Phillips, Fofana, Coady, ____
    A) Shaw
    B) Reguilion
    C) Lindelof
    D) Saiss
    E) Any 5.5 def

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Shaw

  15. tissae
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Coady or Fofana on WC?

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Fofana

    2. bigdip
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      got both

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

      Was looking at both and will play the form player when needed

  16. Rolls-Royce
    • 10 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Auba -> Salah(c) for -4?

    ya or na?

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Yes

  17. Plagued by indecision
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Start Holding or Shaw?

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

      Holding

    1. RAFA THE GAFFA
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Haha! What you think for Dias?

      1. Make United Great Again
        • 11 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        I feel this might be the game he’s benched. KBD to start though

      2. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        If there's a game to rest him in, this one makes sense.

        But Leeds are no joke. May feel AVL is the easier one to do so in.

        1. RAFA THE GAFFA
          • 7 Years
          2 years, 11 months ago

          Would you WC the team below? Still got Bb. Really torn

    2. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Oh no. Please no.

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

      Pep praising a defender and then benching him is predictable.

      But Pep Roulette is never predictable.

      So is this predictably unpredictable?

      Still keeping Dias on my WC tho...

  18. RAFA THE GAFFA
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Digne >> TAA worth a hit? Still got WC and BB.

    Martinez
    Dias. Alonso. Digne
    Bruno. Son. Lingard. Jota. Raphinha
    Kane(C). DCL
    (McCarthy. Bamford. Coufal. Dallas)

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      I don't think you NEED to WC but suffer the issue of pricey defenders blocking you from Salah.

      Rather than answer your question, I was looking at the same move but looked forwards and think I want Salah more... potentially.

      Thus TAA is too expensive (right now for my team).

      I do actually want TAA a lot, just can't fit him in with someone like Salah, unless Bruno or Kane disappeared.

      1. RAFA THE GAFFA
        • 7 Years
        2 years, 11 months ago

        Thanks mate. My WC would be something like this;

        Mendy. Forster
        TAA. Rudiger. Shaw. Holding. Masuaku
        Salah. Bruno. Son. Lingard. Jota
        Kane. Iheanacho. Vydra

  19. FPL_Crisis
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Is it stupid to bring in Laca on wc and debate whether to start him or Nacho?
    Got draft team of Salah Bruno lingard Gundo Jota along with Kane

    Already got benching headaches so how best to solve?

    1. FPL_Crisis
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Anyone

  20. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Who to play?
    A) Dunk
    B) Raphinha
    C) Bamford

    *Also starting Sanchez

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      B

  21. linkafu
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    A Gundo Fofana
    B Saka Castagne

  22. Goodfeathers
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Anyone taking a punt on Aguero this week?

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Stay far away

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

    Think I need your help. Would you go for A or B on wildcard?

    A. Rudiger, Coufal, Maddison
    B. Ricardo Pereira, Masuaku, Lingard

  24. SHOWSTOPPERRR
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Guys Shaw or James on wc? Have mendy and Rudiger as well.

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

      Shaw

  25. Luton_Fan
    • 14 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    A. alonso and coady or
    B rudiger and castagne

    on wc. TIA

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

      Cody rudiger

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

      Oh i see what you mean. B

  26. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Bruno to Salah (C)

    Or just captain Jota or Kane?

    1. MagicMessi
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Keep Bruno

    2. FPL_Crisis
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 11 months ago

      Would imagine Jota starts vs madrid
      Can he be expected to start 3 in a row post IB?

  27. Muscout
    • 4 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    G2g?

    McCarthy
    Cancelo Shaw Rud
    Salah (C) Son Gundo Lingard Raph
    Kane Watkins

    Martinez Maupay Dallas Dier

    5m itb, no chips, will prob do Gundo and Maupay to Bruno and Vydra next week with 2FT

    A) Save
    B) FT suggestion?

  28. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    To start:
    A) Sanchez (EVE)
    B) Martinez (LIV)
    &
    1) Dunk (EVE)
    2) Digne (BHA)

  29. LLoris
    • 5 Years
    2 years, 11 months ago

    Would you make any changes for my WC?

    G2g?

    Mendy Forester
    TAA D.Sanchez Coady Holding Fofana
    Salah Jota Fernandes Son Esm
    Kane Iheanacho Vydra