We’ve put together our Scout Picks ‘bus team’ ahead of Double Gameweek 27 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
In this early selection, we select a first draft of our regular picks before they are finalised and published much closer to Saturday’s deadline.
We are limited to an £83.0m budget for our starting XI, while our bench is also price-capped after a reader vote.
In the meantime, this ‘bus team’ article – a term coined by the duo behind the Always Cheating podcast – will discuss the players who are likely to be in the running.
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 27 FIXTURES
Times given in GMT
THE LIKELY LADS
We start with Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford, both of whom ‘double’ in Gameweek 27.
Roberto De Zerbi’s troops are averaging 2.2 goals per game since the World Cup, a period that has seen them take 17 points from 27. With three clean sheets in their last six matches, all at the Amex, Pervis Estupinan (£4.8m) will surely be a popular pick among the Scout Squad panel. The flying full-back has five assists across the season, more than any other FPL defender bar Andrew Robertson (£6.8m). Jason Steele (£3.9m) and Lewis Dunk (£4.7m) could potentially be in the mix, too.
Albion produced a swaggering attacking display against West Ham United on Saturday, with two of their attacking midfield trio included here. Karou Mitoma (£5.4) and Alexis Mac Allister (£5.4m) both served up double-digit hauls, leaving Solly March (£5.1m) owners empty-handed. Still, the latter impressed, assisting the assister on two occasions whilst also missing a decent opportunity himself. So, it remains unclear which two will get the nod later this week.
As for Brentford, they are in fine form too, with their unbeaten run now stretching to 12 matches.
With appealing trips to Everton and Southampton to come, both of whom are among the division’s lowest scorers at home, David Raya (£4.8m), Ben Mee (£5.1m), Rico Henry (£4.5m) and Ethan Pinnock (£4.4m) are all appealing. The former perhaps edges it, given that he has made at least seven more saves than any other FPL goalkeeper in 2022/23.
Further forward, options are a bit more limited, with Ivan Toney (£7.7m) the star attraction. The England centre-forward has an eye-catching 17 attacking returns in 21 starts this season, with five of those arriving in his last four away matches.
Moving on from Brighton and Brentford, Gameweek 27 is all about some juicy-looking fixtures for teams near the top of the table. Both Manchester clubs, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all face sides ranked 12th or below, while Liverpool visit a Bournemouth outfit who have struggled defensively all season.
As a result, leaving any of Mohamed Salah (£12.7m), Erling Haaland (£12.2m), Harry Kane (£11.7m), Marcus Rashford (£7.3m) and Kieran Trippier (£6.0m) out is a particularly scary prospect, which is why we’ve crammed them all into our ‘bus team’, even if it leaves us short in other areas.
IN CONTENTION
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