Scout Picks

FPL Gameweek 5 Scout Picks features Liverpool triple-up

A Liverpool triple-up forms the spine of our Gameweek 5 Scout Picks for Fantasy Premier League (FPL).

After Sam, Az, Neale and Tom submitted their Scout Squad selections earlier this week, we have chosen our best players ahead of tonight’s 18:30 BST deadline.

We line up in a 4-4-2 formation and we’ve used every penny of our £83.0m budget.

GOALKEEPER

With our expensive purchases further forward, we needed a £4.5m option for goalkeeping duties this week. Aaron Ramsdale (£4.5m) fits the bill after a debut that earned huge plaudits from his manager, and it was no surprise that the Gunners finally recorded their first clean sheet of the campaign when they had their first-choice back four all available for the first time. The rotation risk can’t be eliminated, especially after this match, but a clash with Burnley doesn’t seem like the time to reinstate Bernd Leno (£4.9m) give his inability to handle crosses.

DEFENDERS

Thomas Tuchel’s Blues have had the best backline in Europe since January and are yet to concede from open play this season. Weekend opponents Tottenham Hotspur offered very little in the final third in Gameweek 4, registering just two shots, and are a lowly joint-18th for big chances created in 2021/22. That lack of goal threat, plus an injury crisis in north London, makes us keen on Chelsea representation at the back. It’s always a nerve-wracking game trying to second-guess Tuchel’s line-ups but Reece James (£5.6m) at least had a ‘rest’ last weekend thanks to suspension and his tallies of four shots and five key passes in just 161 minutes of pitch-time really catches the eye.

On the subject of solid defences, Manchester City’s often doesn’t get the attention it deserves thanks to their exploits further forward. The reigning champions are on a run of three clean sheets and have remarkably only conceded one shot on target since the opening weekend, with even Ederson (£6.0m) smothering that effort at source. With injuries to other centre-halves and concern over possible rotation at full-back, mainstay Ruben Dias (£6.0m) is the safe play.

A home match against Palace might have looked like a stonewall banker for a clean sheet under the dour Roy Hodgson but Patrick Vieira has got the Eagles playing with a bit more attacking verve since his appointment. But shut-outs are only a small part of the reason why we love Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) so much, and the Liverpool right-back is in red-hot form: over his last 14 matches, the prolific chance creator is averaging 7.8 FPL points per match.

Marcal (£4.6m) delivered the goods for us last week but we’re changing flanks for Wolves representation against a Brentford outfit who look solid at the back but who are struggling up top. Marcal has generally been providing service from out wide but Nelson Semedo (£4.9m) is the one who has been more regularly drifting infield into threatening goalscoring positions and had two of the six big chances that Wolves created last weekend. Semedo’s 11 penalty box touches is a tally beaten by only two FPL defenders this season.

MIDFIELDERS

Who are the best FPL captain options for Gameweek 2? 6

The solid centre-half pairing of Marc Guehi (£4.5m) and Joachim Andersen (£4.5m) look like they could really improve the fortunes of Palace’s backline this season but after Liverpool racked up 52 shots against Leeds United and AC Milan in the last week, we can’t look past the Reds on home soil. Serious consideration was given to a rested Sadio Mane (£11.9m) after he registered an eye-catching 10 goal attempts against the Whites but it was unsurprisingly his two attacking comrades who instead received the bulk of the votes in this week’s Scout Squad.

Mohamed Salah‘s (£12.5m) totals of 16 goal attempts, 14 shots in the box and 12 chances created all rank among the top three players in the Premier League this season, while his points-per-match average of 9.5 is the best among FPL midfielders. And Diogo Jota (£7.7m), as he did for much of the previous campaign, is right up there Liverpool’s premium midfield pair for underlying stats: a total of 0.99 big chances per 90 minutes is even better than what Salah is managing this season. Had it not been for Mane’s wastefulness in Gameweek 4, the Portuguese – who carved out six chances last Sunday – would have dodged a blank.

With slight concerns over Ferran Torres’ (£7.2m) minutes after five successive starts for club and country over the last fortnight, we’ve opted for a relatively rested Ilkay Gundogan (£7.3m) as our not-entirely-risk-free route into a potent Manchester City attack. Gundogan evoked memories of last season’s purple patch with his stats against Leicester last weekend, racking up six shots and four key passes.

We have yet to see the best of Leeds this season but as luck would have it, along come Newcastle United. The Magpies are woeful at the back, bottom of the table for goals conceded and big chances allowed. They also shipped seven goals to Marcelo Bielsa’s side last season across their two meetings. Raphinha (£6.5m) has yet to catch fire but still sits 14th among FPL midfielders for expected goal involvement (xGI) despite facing fairly sturdy backlines in Manchester United, Everton and Liverpool.

FORWARDS

The best FPL forwards to consider as Calvert-Lewin and Antonio replacements 7

On the subject of the Friday night game, Patrick Bamford (£7.9m) was cleared to play by his manager to quieten the social media frenzy around a possible ‘pinged’ hamstring. Among the top five Fantasy forwards for penalty box touches and shots in the opposition box despite the tricky start to the season, the striker averaged 5.89 points per match in away fixtures last season and four of his five double-digit hauls came on the road.

It was a toss-up between Romelu Lukaku (£11.6m) and Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.6m) for our premium forward slot. With little to separate their own credentials, it’s as much about the opposition this weekend. Nuno Espirito Santo’s counter-attacking Spurs look like they will fare better against the bigger teams this season but are ravaged by injury going into Sunday’s game. West Ham, meanwhile, have registered just two clean sheets in their last 15 Premier League fixtures (both against Southampton) but may well set up in a more defensive shape in east London, as they did in both league meetings with the Red Devils last weekend. The Portuguese gets the nod, marginally, with the Hammers’ loss of an out-ball in Michail Antonio (£7.9m) likely to invite more pressure and the form of Craig Dawson (£5.0m) iffy.

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.

COMMUNITY CHAMPION

FPL Gameweek 2 round-up: Sunday goals, assists, bonus and injuries 4

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.

BobMcMayday, who triumphed 74-68 in Gameweek 4, has set the target to beat.

Our champion this week is Boleyn Boy.

The Scout Picks are 3-1 up on the community this season.

1,419 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 6 months ago

    Sarr or Traore (im not gonna pick Raph on WC he is out)

    1. nadman89
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      sarr but
      why iis raph out lol

    2. FPL_Crisis
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      yeh having doubts on wc myself
      have not considered traore one bit so maybe Sarr and keep 0.5 itb

    3. Visionaries
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Source on Raph?

      1. Shark Team
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        I think the guy who covers Leeds on Skysports mentioned it before some mins

        1. WALOR
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          2 years, 6 months ago

          claiming that a highly-owned player "is out", shortly before deadline, because you "think" it was mentioned is garbage

          1. Shark Team
            • 6 Years
            2 years, 6 months ago

            this is what i read on twitter by a Leeds fan

            1. WALOR
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 14 Years
              2 years, 6 months ago

              link?

                1. WALOR
                  • Fantasy Football Scout Member
                  • 14 Years
                  2 years, 6 months ago

                  awesome, now was that so hard?

    4. Pukki Party
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Sarr

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

      you don't know he's out. Stop spreading stuff.

  2. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    2 years, 6 months ago

    Firmino back in training next week. Jota will be fine for the next 2

    1. aapoman
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      yes thats what I like to hear 🙂

    2. Threat Level Midnight
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      At least

    3. Bubz
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Why do people think Jota's place will even be taken by Firmino? He's been way better than Firmino

      1. JONALDINHO
        • 6 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        He might be a better ‘striker’ but Firmino plays the role that’s required a lot better

        1. cjhewitt92
          • 10 Years
          2 years, 6 months ago

          With Elliot set for long time out injured, and Liverpool first choice back 4 all fit, could Jota be moved into central midfield, behind front 3.

        2. Threat Level Midnight
          • 5 Years
          2 years, 6 months ago

          This

    4. cjhewitt92
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      With Europe could Firmino, Jota, Salah and Mane all rotate to have best 11 available for key games

  3. RUUD!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    2 years, 6 months ago

    Jiminez or Bamford and why?

    1. nadman89
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      if you have raph id go jimmy if you dont have raph id go bamford

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

        Never fully understood this point, why does it matter what other players I have? I want the guy who will score more points, irrespective of who else I've got

        1. @persecuted_by_mods
            2 years, 6 months ago

            Hedging bets, you can't be certain when backing anyone after all

          • Khark
            • 8 Years
            2 years, 6 months ago

            Its the cautious way to play the game. Depends what sort of manage you are. I do say bamford regardless though in this case.

    2. aapoman
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Bachmann
      TAA Shaw Ayling Veltman
      Salah Bruno Jota Raphinha Benrahma
      Toney

      Foster; Livramento, Scarlett, Antonio*

      2ft and 2.5itb. After the rumors about Raphinha I'm completely lost... Any ideas on what to do? Might keep Bruno for now and sell Toney and Ayling -> Bam/Jimenez -> Semedo.

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

        I'd still prioritize getting one of Lukaku or Cristiano in.

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

      Worth doing Son to Jota if i'm already starting Tsimi right? Have Fernandez first and only playing asset on bench currently.

    4. GCM0803
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Bruno, Ings > Torres, Ronaldo??

      Or is this not really an improvement

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

        Thats good

      2. Paqueta Rice
        • 3 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        Read the article above. Torres has played 5games in two weeks if you include the internationals. Is a risk

    5. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Antonio, Raph, Barnes and Benrahma all in my starting 11 and my first sub is Livramento away to City…

      1. Steve The Spud
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 4 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        Still time to wildcard

      2. Khark
        • 8 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        Antonio, fair bench.
        Raphinha - ill put money on he starts, he's on the Leeds twitter feed for the game.
        Barnes - Scored against Napoli, form starting to come for him as he hit the bar against city as well?
        Benrahma, didn't play 90 against Zagreb, could be upfront.

        Don't panic, its a marathon not a sprint. Damage limitation weekend like most of us.

    6. Paqueta Rice
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      I’m on FH and have Raphina? Where are the rumours coming from?

      1. Miniboss
        • 5 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        Someone saw something in twitter which wasn't official or confirmed. Now flames are spreading, as always.

        1. Paqueta Rice
          • 3 Years
          2 years, 6 months ago

          What was it they saw?

          1. AC/DC AFC
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            2 years, 6 months ago

            It's just chit chat on a forum. Not much in it with any veracity.

    7. Athletico Underachieving
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      If Raph is out, I’m 5-4-1 with no subs. Could be a long weekend!

    8. Lingard’s Shin Guards
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      new article

    9. King Kun Ta
      • 8 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      On WC....

      A Callagher or B Benrahma (keep him)?
      1 Gray or 2 Doucoure?

      Ta lads!

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

        A Jamie Carragher

        1. King Kun Ta
          • 8 Years
          2 years, 6 months ago

          thanks! and 1 or 2?

    10. fplfansss
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      GTG?

      Sanchez
      TAA, Dias, Coady
      Jota, Salah, Benrahma, Gray
      CR, Lukaku, Dennis

      Steele, JMA, Manquillo, Omobamidele

    11. nadman89
      • 12 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      whered these raph rumors come from i literally transferred him in this morning

    12. zon
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Transfer out for Semedo:

      A) Tsimikas
      B) Omobamidele?

    13. TheYogaDaddy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Sanchez (Steele)
      TAA Shaw White (Livramento) (Amartey)
      Salah Jota Greenwood Barnes (Brownhill)
      Ronaldo Toney Antonio

      1 ft, 0.5 itb

      a. Save FT and play livramento/brownhill
      b. Something else?

    14. KKluigi
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Coady + starting 4.5 mid, or Marcal + non-starting 4.4 mid? The midfielders will be 2nd on the bench.

      1. waldo666
        • 13 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        Coady

    15. cjhewitt92
      • 10 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Which is best option

      A) Odegaard
      B) rashica
      C) Klich
      D) Mbeumo

    16. cmorris22
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Townsend, Gray or raphinia to replace Torres this week? That is the question

    17. Shark Team
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Opinion on Pukki and Jimenez potential? Do they represent good vfm?

    18. Pepe
      • 3 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Greenwood or Torres? (for upcoming gws)

      Duffy or Ayling? (for this gw)

    19. Flakydough
      • 2 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Thoughts on wildcard:

      4-3-3
      Sanchez
      TAA-James-Marcal-Semedo
      Salah-D.Gray-Soucek
      Ronaldo-Lukaku-Bamford

      Bench
      Steele-Livarmento-Delph-McArthur

    20. Michelle Davin
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Sometimes I prioritise players who plays on a Friday ,just to make me watch the game with afew beers.

      It sounds sad I know haha.

      1. Mr. O'Connell
        • 11 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        Yeah I'm gonna buy Willock on WC I think just because I don't like these Raph rumours and I want a player tonight

    21. Shark Team
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Duffy/Veltman or Williams better for this gw?
      Williams more likely to keep cs but Leicester weak on set pieces which can favour Duffy

    22. Champions League Varane
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Would you play williams or sissoko this week?

    23. Michelle Davin
      • 7 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      A ) Jota & Williams
      or
      B) Raphinia & Dias

    24. TheythinkHITSallover
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Salah, Jota, Torres, Traore, Rahinha
      Bamford Lukaku Pukki

      Who do I bench?

    25. Shark Team
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      What's more likely?
      A) Norwich cs
      B) Sarr attacking return

    26. Gidian87
      • 5 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      In need of help. Currently top of my league with current team

      Sanchez
      TAA-Livramento-smartest-coufal
      Son-fernandes-benrahmi
      Vardy-Antonio-DCL

      RAMSDALE GREY SHAW GILMOUR

      Have already played wild card and free hit and have 0.7 in bank any suggestions as three players aren’t likely to start and am fearing a *hite week.

      Any suggestions would be appreciated Thinking of 2 transfers and sacrificing 4 points.

      Thoughts?

    27. Shark Team
      • 6 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Am I crazy if I go Mane Raphinha Gallagher over Bamford Jimenez Jota on WC?
      Cause i want to (C) Mane this gw

      1. Wheato182
        • 11 Years
        2 years, 6 months ago

        No, i like it tbh!

    28. Wheato182
      • 11 Years
      2 years, 6 months ago

      Raph or Jota/Torres?