After a hiatus in the three-Gameweek week, the Scout Squad returns for Gameweek 16.

In this article, our in-house team discuss who they think the best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) players are for the upcoming Gameweek in isolation. It’ll hopefully provide some food for thought for those on a Free Hit, especially.

Staff writer Marc, general manager Sam, deputy editor Tom F and editor Neale explain their picks in the article below.

MORE ABOUT THE SCOUT SQUAD

The focus is only on the upcoming Gameweek with the Scout Squad, so there’s no medium-term planning involved.

The players who get the most votes are much more likely to make the Scout Picks. However, the final XI can’t exceed £83.0m – so occasionally, we have to source cheaper alternatives.

Each of our writers must meet the following requirements for this feature:

• At least one sub-£5.0m goalkeeper
• At least one sub-£5.0m defender
• At least one sub-£6.0m midfielder
• At least one sub-£7.0m forward
• No more than three players from the same club

SCOUT SQUAD: BEST FPL PLAYERS FOR GAMEWEEK 16

• MOST PICKS: Trevoh Chalobah, Bukayo Saka, Erling Haaland, Igor Thiago, Hugo Ekitike, Raul Jimenez (four); Bruno Fernandes, Ollie Watkins, David Raya, Dango Ouattara, Keane Lewis-Potter (three)

MARC SAID…

As a Gameweek 16 Free Hit user, I’m benefitting massively from this Scout Squad task. Pick the players you think will score lots of points. Genius.

In truth, there won’t be too many changes to my usual squad’s XI, but time is running out to activate, and it has only one Arsenal pick. The hardest task is deciding whether to go big on the Gunners’ backline or attack in their top versus bottom hosting of Wolverhampton Wanderers – especially with this defence being a mix of injuries, knocks and a suspension.

I’ll plump for goalkeeper David Raya and the assumption that Mikel Arteta was simply resting Jurrien Timber in Bruges. Bukayo Saka, fresh from an attacking return in three consecutive matches, is a potential captain.

Also tripled-up on are west London neighbours Fulham and Brentford. Marco Silva’s side have kept clean sheets when you’d back them too, against Leeds, Wolves and Sunderland. On two of those occasions, Joachim Andersen’s DefCon rewards took him to 10 points.

In attack, both Harry Wilson and Samuel Chukwueze are in form. The Welshman, boasting two goals and two assists in three matches, seems more nailed to start. Raul Jimenez subsists on assists and has the ideal fixture, but I’m doubtful enough to also select opponent Martin Dubravka.

As for Brentford, they’re good at home, and so is Dango Ouattara. His last three at the Gtech Community Stadium brought in two goals, three assists and 27 points. The suspension for Kevin Schade should secure starts for both him and Keane Lewis-Potter. Admittedly, shutting out Leeds looks tougher now they’ve scored eight times versus Man City, Chelsea and Liverpool. With Lewis-Potter, at least I’d have an FPL defender who is playing as a winger.

Igor Thiago is a more straightforward choice. Bought millions of times in recent weeks, the only individual to beat his 11 goals is Erling Haaland. But the Norwegian’s three blanks in four have him on our ‘Goals Imminent’ table. A safe manager, I don’t want to go against either his or Phil Foden’s ownership on a Free Hit, even though they have a nasty-looking trip to Crystal Palace. Foden has the momentum of 44 points from three outings, too.

Elsewhere, I’m staying well away from the Wear-Tyne derby. Playmaker Bruno Fernandes paired his long-awaited goal with another, making him the top-scoring FPL midfielder. Man United next host a Bournemouth side that collected a mere two points from six matches.

Although the Cherries did just keep Chelsea quiet in a 0-0 stalemate. The Blues have conceded the second fewest shots on target (45) and penalty area attempts (99), so I like Trevoh Chalobah combining this solidity with an attacking threat that places him as FPL’s number three defender.

Micky van de Ven joins him on three goals from the back. Tottenham go to Nottingham, where Forest’s earlier run of scoring once in seven matches feels long ago. Yet, they’re currently on one from three.

Former boss Nuno Espirito Santo is starting to improve West Ham, yet I still think Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez can keep them at bay. At the other end, this in-form team’s goals are annoyingly spread out. Five players have either three or four of them, including Ollie Watkins.

My final forward is Hugo Ekitike. It’s a risky punt when considering game time, but he netted twice last week and is the one Liverpool striker who actually looks bothered, which is always handy.

SAM SAID…

Gameweek 16 has some really attractive fixtures for us to target, but that also made for some difficult decisions when trying to fit everyone into my picks.

Arsenal have a home fixture against a Wolves side that has no clean sheets and has scored the fewest goals so far. Choosing to double up in defence or attack is therefore tricky. Further complicating this are injuries and illness, not knowing who’ll start after seeing Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber miss out in midweek.

Bukayo Saka is an essential pick, in my view. He came on in the 71st minute on Wednesday, meaning he’s had a nice rest heading into Gameweek 16. I pondered on Viktor Gyokeres but, with uncertainty over his and Rice’s minutes, I’ve chosen the defensive double-up.

David Raya is the league’s best goalkeeper right now, keeping more home clean sheets than any other. Perhaps limited to a six-point ceiling, he should secure these. I’ve also taken a punt on Jurrien Timber being ok.

The Dutchman could also become Ben White if he doesn’t make it. But I much prefer Timber, taking Wolves’ set-piece vulnerability into account. Over the last four Gameweeks, they’ve conceded 22 attempts from set pieces, more than any other team. This bodes well for Saka and Timber.

I like to begin my Scout Picks with the teams that I’ve tripled up on. Normally, that’s Arsenal plus the likes of Manchester City. However, this week, it’s fellow London clubs Fulham, Brentford and Spurs that also have three picks.

Fulham have really impressed me recently, especially midfielder Harry Wilson. He’s successively registered 10, eight and eight points, having grabbed two goals and two assists.

Alongside him, Raul Jimenez has had four attacking returns since Gameweek 9, also racking up his team’s most big chances and, apart from Wilson, the most shots (23). Jimenez has their most shots from set pieces and meets a Burnley side that has conceded the fourth-most attempts from these situations.

My third Fulham pick is goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Of course, Burnley have an annoying habit of scoring that one clean sheet-wiping goal. But the shot stopper has made 38 saves and picked up nine points from these. The Clarets have taken 73 shots from outside the box, and just 51 inside.

Brentford are another attacking double-up. Defender Sepp van den Berg is a great budget option, due to 12 DefCon points, which only Nathan Collins can better amongst teammates. Dango Ouattara has a fantastic record at home this season, and my final Bees pick comes in the form of Igor Thiago. A top target for many FPL managers right now, it won’t surprise anyone to see him here.

Yes, yes, I know. This Spurs fan has maybe gone a little overboard on Lilywhites. But back-to-back wins both came with a clean sheet.

Guglielmo Vicario is my third choice goalkeeper this week, and Micky van de Ven‘s importance in this defensive unit should not be underestimated. He remains a good budget-friendly option with a reasonable set-piece threat.

There’s also Mohammed Kudus. Because Ghana didn’t qualify for AFCON, the midfielder will be staying here over the busy festive period. He took Tuesday’s first penalty in the Champions League, despite the presence of a pretty full-strength set of attackers (bar Dominic Solanke).

If Kudus is the club’s first-choice for spot kicks, this will further broaden his FPL appeal. Up next is a trip to Nottingham Forest, a team that dislikes clean sheets (two), concedes many goals (25, the fifth most), and isn’t scoring themselves (14, the second lowest).

Looking at other clubs, I’ve doubled up on Aston Villa via Matty Cash and Ollie Watkins, as well as having one each from Liverpool (Hugo Ekitike), Manchester City (Erling Haaland), Manchester United (Bruno Fernandes) and Chelsea (Trevoh Chalobah).

TOM F SAID…

Let’s start with Arsenal and Fulham, who face off against Wolves and Burnley respectively in Gameweek 16.

David Raya is my preferred goalkeeper; however, I am reluctant to double-up on Mikel Arteta’s backline, even when facing Wolves. Arsenal’s injuries at the back are far from ideal, particularly with Piero Hincapie failing to convince. And with Riccardo Calafiori suspended, Rob Edwards’ side do at least have the potential to ask a few questions.

But Wolves are a mess defensively, which is why I’d prioritise an attacking double-up in the Scout Picks.

Bukayo Saka only came on for the last 20 minutes against Club Brugge on Wednesday, while Eberechi Eze had the night off altogether. Eze’s underlying stats are hardly setting the world alight (he hasn’t registered a shot since the north London derby!), but Wolves have allowed at least 12 more chances to be created from the centre zone than any other club this season. On the assumption he starts centrally, Eze could potentially exploit that weakness on Saturday night.

As for Fulham, I’d be happy with either Samuel Chukwueze, Harry Wilson or Raul Jimenez as the Cottagers’ attacking representative against a Burnley side who have lost six in a row. Chukwueze is off to AFCON next week but the winger has looked bright in recent matches, with seven shots and eight chances created in just 232 minutes of football over the last four Gameweeks. DefCon magnet Joachim Andersen also gets the nod.

Little needs explaining with my Man City attacking picks, but I went for Nico O’Reilly as my third defender option, with his goal threat – as well as Daniel Munoz’s injury – the main reason for the left-back’s inclusion.

Elsewhere, it felt like Liverpool’s primary objective in midweek was to keep a clean sheet, flooding the middle of the park with four central midfielders. I’ve consequently opted for Virgil van Dijk, while Hugo Ekitike also gets a look-in – he scored a brace and racked up five shots in the box in a similar-ish system at Leeds last week.

Keane Lewis-Potter is a defender I’m keen on this Gameweek. Kevin Schade’s suspension means he will miss out, so we could see an ‘OOP’ runout for the 24-year-old against a Leeds side who haven’t kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 3. I’ve also included Brentford teammates Caoimhin Kelleher and Igor Thiago for obvious reasons.

Finally, Bruno Fernandes surely picks himself in Gameweek 16, while Jarrod Bowen is passing the eye-test and should get a bit of joy down Aston Villa’s left flank. Additionally, I anticipate a low-scoring encounter at Stamford Bridge, hence selecting Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah.

NEALE SAID…

The midweek minutes (or lack thereof) against Club Brugge would have gone a long way to cementing many people’s Arsenal triple-up this weekend. Still, there’s some debate yet to be had.

Bukayo Saka was limited to a welcome cameo, while Eberechi Eze sat unused and Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber were on the sidelines with illnesses or “kicks” that you suspect they may have played through had the Gunners not been facing Belgium’s third-best team.

I did consider Eze and two-goal Noni Madueke but I’ve settled on Rice for now, in the hope of a positive update on Friday (who am I kidding…). While his goal threat, unlike his assist potential and healthy DefCon returns, has been lacking in 2025/26, his only two league goals have come against Burnley and West Ham United, both sides in the bottom three. Wolves are another one of those. The weaker the opponent, the more attacking license. That’s the theory, anyway, although it could be derailed if Rice deputises for a rested Martin Zubimendi in the ‘six’ role. I suspect the Scout Picks panel will be haggling over our Arsenal contingent well into Friday.

That goes for the defender of choice, too. Do we really want centre-halves with DefCon potential (ie Timber and Piero Hincapie) at home to a shambolic Wolves side? I’d rather chase the attacking upside with one of the full-backs, which will hopefully include Ben White. He’s had more final-third touches in the last two Gameweeks than any Arsenal player. Can he manage a fourth straight start?

There are triple-ups on Brentford and Fulham, too, although I’ve got more conviction with the former due to their home form. Burnley, who the Cottagers face, have been stubborn at Turf Moor.

Igor Thiago and, in his final match before he leaves for AFCON, Dango Ouattara are predictable selections. Dango is joint-third among all FPL midfielders for big chances this season, while he’s also won more penalties – helpfully for Thiago – than any other player.

The Brentford defender, Keane Lewis-Potter, might seem like more of a curveball. But with Kevin Schade suspended, and Keith Andrews surely going with a 4-2-3-1 at home to Leeds (as opposed to a defensive 5-3-2), I suspect FPL defender Lewis-Potter is going to play ‘out of position’ on the left flank. I’ll be hoping for a clean sheet as a minimum, then, along with the increased possibility of an attacking return.

As for the Fulham trio, I’ve sided with Samuel Chukwueze, Raul Jimenez and Bernd Leno.

Chukwueze (like Dango, in his final pre-AFCON match, so will surely start given that he’s not involved in next week’s EFL Cup quarter-final) has impressed since his breakthrough cameo in Gameweek 12, registering two goals and as many assists in that time. With Kyle Walker suspended, I’m hoping Chukwueze can have a right go at Oliver Sonne or another square peg who deputises.

I’m not expecting great shakes from Jimenez: he ticks by with the odd goal or assist, so I’d be happy with five or six points from this. At least there’s not much game-time threat with Rodrigo Muniz sidelined.

As for Leno, I’d prefer DefCon-gobbling Joachim Andersen, whom I own. However, I wanted to cram in a couple of other defenders this week, and with Burnley not giving away too many DefCon points to the opposition this season (just six defenders have managed it at Turf Moor, and three of those were knackered Palace assets who soaked up pressure for the last half an hour), he was the sacrificial lamb.

Speaking of those other defenders, they’re Trevoh Chalobah, Matty Cash and Djed Spence.

Defenders (23 of them, in all) do tend to pick up DefCon points against Everton. Chalobah, who has started every Premier League game he’s been available for this season, is not just the safest route into Chelsea’s backline but also offers a bit of goal threat (he’s scored three times already) and occasional DefCon points (10 in total).

The final two picks are throwbacks of FPL of yesteryear, the attacking, budget full-backs who were much coveted before defensive contribution monsters reigned supreme. I refer you to last weekend’s Scout Notes for some Spence analysis (TL;DR: he’s very high), while Cash is one of just six defenders to hit double figures for both shots and chances created. It also helps that Gameweek 16 adversaries West Ham United have allowed opponents to create more chances from their left flank than any other team.

Triple-ups on Arsenal and Brentford (so no David Raya or Caoimhin Kelleher) means I round off my goalkeeper picks with Robert Sanchez and Robin Roefs. On the latter, I can unfortunately see Sunderland being right up for this long-awaited Tyne-Wear derby and exploiting our travel sickness – if you can call a 30-minute trip on the Metro an away day.

Erling Haaland, Ollie Watkins, Bryan Mbeumo and Hugo Ekitike complete my selection.

We’ll see a jump in Ekitike’s expected minutes if Arne Slot persists with a two-striker set-up, and he’s looked the most sprightly of Liverpool’s big-money forwards anyway recently. Seeing Bart Verbruggen kept busy against lowly West Ham, after conceding four against Villa, makes me think that even a cagier Reds side could cause the Seagulls problems.

Haaland hasn’t failed to score against Crystal Palace in any league game he’s featured in (unlike Phil Foden, who has never found the net!), while Watkins has, to me, looked better in recent weeks. He nearly followed up a brace in Gameweek 14 with a goal against Arsenal, but for some David Raya heroics.

Finally, Mbeumo might be wishful thinking as an owner of the AFCON-bound winger and not Bruno Fernandes. A defence with a higher line (the second-highest in the division, say Statsbomb) could suit Mbeumo as the United out-ball.

• READ MORE: Best Munoz replacements in FPL: Lateriser picks out some defenders to consider