We’ve put together our Scout Picks ‘bus team’ for Gameweek 26 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
ABOUT THE SCOUT PICKS ‘BUS TEAM’
In this selection, we choose a first draft of our regular picks. We will then finalise and publish them much closer to Friday’s deadline.
Plenty can change between now and then, of course.
The upcoming Scout Squad nominations will help shape the final Scout Picks.
There is one more Gameweek 25 fixture, Manchester City’s midweek European tie and the pre-match press conferences still to come, too.
There are certain restrictions for our picks, however:
- An £83.0m budget for our starting XI
- An overall squad limit of £100.0m
- No more than three players per team
GAMEWEEK 26 FIXTURES
Above: The Gameweek 26 fixtures sorted by difficulty on our Season Ticker
THE LIKELY LADS
There aren’t too many players who you would say are nailed-on for Scout Picks duty in Gameweek 26.
Brentford have a favourable trip to Leicester City on Friday.
The Foxes generated just 0.22 expected goals (xG) against Arsenal in Gameweek 25 and have now lost five home games in a row to nil. Brentford’s away form has picked up, too, with three consecutive victories on the road.
Mark Flekken (£4.4m) and Nathan Collins (£4.5m) therefore merit consideration, while Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m) and Yoane Wissa (£6.3m) are the stand-out options from the Brentford attack.
Arsenal assets also look like certainties for Scout Picks inclusion.
At least one of David Raya (£5.5m), Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.3m) and Jurrien Timber (£5.6m) seems like a no-brainer.
Saturday’s opponents West Ham United have been poor in attack under Graham Potter, while Gabriel scored and assisted against the Hammers in the reverse fixture.
In addition, West Ham’s defensive deficiencies were badly exposed by Brentford on Saturday, particularly on the counter, so Ethan Nwaneri (£4.5m) really ought to be in the conversation for Friday’s selection.
The teenager was a constant threat in Gameweek 25, claiming an assist for Arsenal’s first goal at the King Power Stadium and twice hitting the woodwork himself. Alternatively, Leandro Trossard (£6.9m) or Mikel Merino (£6.0m) might be the way to go.
Scout Picks staple Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) is another nailed pick. Opponents Manchester City picked up a significant 4-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday but rank among the worst three sides for big chances conceded since the start of November.
IN CONTENTION
Given the dearth of obvious clean sheet opportunities in Gameweek 26, perhaps the best bet is to back defenders who boast a bit of attacking threat.
Pedro Porro (£5.4m) and Antonee Robinson (£5.1m) have the fourth and eighth-best rates of expected goal involvement (xGI) among FPL defenders, with James Tarkowski (£4.8m) joint-sixth for headed goal attempts.
The aerial power of Dean Huijsen (£4.5m) could pose a threat for Wolverhampton Wanderers, too, who have conceded on more occasions from set plays than any other side in 2024/25.
Milos Kerkez (£5.0m), Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.5m), Tariq Lamptey (£4.4m) and Djed Spence (£4.4m) are also in the mix.
Further forward, Justin Kluivert (6.0m) and Karou Mitoma (£6.3m) trail only Omar Marmoush (£7.1m) for ‘transfers in’ ahead of Gameweek 26. The two in-form players will naturally be in the running for Scout Picks duties this week against Wolves and Southampton respectively.
Above: Players sorted by Transfers in – Gameweek 26
Antoine Semenyo (£5.7m), Dango Ouattara (£5.1m), Georginio Rutter (£5.1m) and Danny Welbeck (£5.5m) are other stand-out options under consideration from Bournemouth and Brighton and Hove Albion.
Representation from Tottenham Hotspur’s attack also seems likely – but who?
James Maddison (£7.4m) ran the show while he was on the pitch against Manchester United on Sunday, Dejan Kulusevski (£6.3m) has created more chances than any other Spurs player in 2024/25, while Mathys Tel (£6.0m) impressed with his shot volume in Gameweek 26.
Budget shouldn’t be an issue either this week, so Son Heung-min (£9.7m) is another potential inclusion.
As for Cole Palmer (£11.2m), he is suffering a form slump, with just four attacking returns in his last 10 appearances. That said, Aston Villa’s lack of clean sheets (three in 25 matches) and fit centre-halves undoubtedly boosts his appeal.
Up front, Alexander Isak (£9.5m), Ollie Watkins (£8.9m), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.3m), Chris Wood (£7.1m), Beto (£4.9m), and to a slightly lesser extent, Liam Delap (£5.6m) and Raul Jimenez (£5.6m), are all ‘in contention’.
Isak gets the nod for now, with opponents Nottingham Forest uncharacteristically open at Craven Cottage on Saturday. In fact, Fulham had 24 shots and finished the game with an xG of 2.24.
THE LONG SHOTS
There is little incentive to select Matheus Cunha (£6.8m) this week. He is top among forwards for shots over the last four matches (19) but opponents Bournemouth have become a force to be reckoned with under Andoni Iraola. They also have the best home defensive record in the division with only nine goals conceded.
Elsewhere, it’s difficult to make much of a case for a Manchester City attacker. Erling Haaland (£14.7m), Marmoush and Savinho (£6.2m) all returned on Saturday but fixture difficulty is against them as City and Liverpool square off at the Etihad. The same applies to Liverpool assets, outside of Salah of course.
Morgan Rogers (£5.7m) and Marcus Rashford (£6.6m) are outside possibilities against a leaky Chelsea side who have kept just one clean sheet in 12 matches.
Finally, only Southampton and Everton have scored fewer away goals than Manchester United this season. Amad Diallo (£5.5m) is probably out for the rest of the season, too, so Bruno Fernandes (£8.3m) and Alejandro Garnacho (£5.9m) have to be low down the priority list in Gameweek 25.
GAMEWEEK 26: EARLY SCOUT PICKS
