The Scout Squad – Gameweek 1

Welcome to the first Scout Picks Squad article of the season, which for the 2016/17 campaign has been revamped to offer you a greater insight into the decision making process behind each Friday’s selection.

Each midweek Mark, Paul and myself will list the 18 players we think have the best chance of success across the four positions, listing them in rank order. This article will then highlight some of the likely discussions and disagreements that will take place behind the scenes as the Scouts look to back their players and secure a place for them in the Scout Picks as well as our Spot the Differential articles.

Finally, we will also reveal the Community Champion who has been selected by our lottery to represent the community and be in with a chance of winning a £100 Amazon voucher.

The Scouts’ Picks

Players are listed in order of rank for GW1.

Goalkeepers

This looks to be a good Gameweek for those opting for a budget friendly goalkeeper with Paul, Mark and myself all backing key value picks.

Burnley’s Tom Heaton (4.5), who faces Swansea at home, features in all three Scout Squad selections and is Mark’s top choice after Burnley kept 20 clean sheets in the Championship last season, 12 of which were at home.

Mark is also backing Middlesbrough stopper Victor Valdes and Palace’s Wayne Hennessey, who face home clashes against Stoke and West Brom respectively. Both are priced at 4.5 and of the pair Valdes has the larger FPL ownership, of 8.2% compared to Hennessey’s 5.7%.

Meanwhile, Paul and myself are both optimistic of the clean sheet prospects of two 5.0 priced stoppers. Leicester’s Kasper Schmeichel (12.1% FPL ownership) faces a manager-less Hull side away, while Southampton’s Fraser Forster (4.8% FPL ownership) squares up at home to a Watford side that was amongst the bottom five sides in terms of goals scored on the road last season.

Defenders

There is a clear concensus over the prospects of 5.5 priced defenders, Southampton’s Virgil van Djik and Leicester full back Christian Fuchs, who was the fifth highest point scoring defender in FPL last term. Van Djik’s three goals and 29 goal attempts last season has also attracted the interest of 12.4% of FPL managers, compared to Fuch’s 11.9%.

Areas of contention could centre around Manchester United’s defence against Bournemouth. While Mark and Paul have shunned their backline altogether, I am opting for Antonio Valencia (also 5.5), after the right back impressed in pre-season, including three assists in Manchester United’s 5-2 win over Galatasary. With 6.5% FPL ownership Valencia is certainly the differential Manchester United option over the 18.1% owned Luke Shaw.

Both Mark and Paul have drafted in City new boy John Stones (5.0) as a result of today’s switch from Everton. Having featured in pre-season for the Toffees there should be no concerns over his fitness and considering that Pep Guardiola started with Aleksandar Kolarov and Fernando at centre-half in the 3-2 loss to Arsenal, Stones could well be fast-tracked to the first XI at home to Sunderland. He’s climbed to 20% ownership in FPL as a result of this morning’s switch.

Both Paul and Mark will also be looking to persuade me that Crystal Palace’s Scott Dann is worth his price hike to 5.5 this season on the back of five goals last term. Currently he is owned by 8% of FPL managers. Dann’s threat from set-pieces is clearly a factor, along with West Brom’s struggle for a cutting edge.

In addition, I face a tough task trying to include Chelsea’s 6.0 full back Cesar Azpilicueta in this Friday’s picks. Paul in particular believes that, on the back of a strong pre-season, West Ham are more than capable of scoring when they visit Stamford Bridge on Monday. Meanwhile, I’m backing the strong organisational skills of new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte to shackle Slaven Bilic’s side.

Midfielders

Despite some potential arguments brewing amongst the Scouts regarding midfielders there are two players where there is already strong agreement.

Dusan Tadic’s role at the tip of Southampton manager Claude Puel’s midfield diamond in pre-season has been picked up by all three of us. The 7.5 midfielder, who is also on penalties, certainly looks to be an ideal differential pick this week with just 4.8% FPL ownership. Interestingly there’s no sign of Nathan Redmond (6.0) despite his potential role up front – with Tadic clearly the preferred option until we’ve put Claud Puel’s system under scutinty.

All three Scouts have also taken note of Arsenal’s defensive problems, with Gabriel and Per Mertesacker injured and Laurent Koscielny only just returning to training. As a result they are backing Roberto Firmino (8.5) to carry on his sensational pre-season form, in which he has scored three goals, when Liverpool visit the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The midfielder is in just 8.8% of FPL teams, perhaps due to a lack of awareness of Arsenal’s defensive woes.

Areas of potential fireworks though include my pick of Alexis Sanchez (11.5), who could be set to take the striker role in the expected absence of Oliver Giroud. Mark and Paul remain unconvinced of his prospects despite the Chilean being deployed in this position in Arsenal’s friendly against Manchester City last weekend. FPL managers also agree with Paul and Mark, with just 6.6% selecting him.

Eden Hazard (10.0)’s potential to bounce back from a dire 2015/16 also looks to be a keen source of debate ahead of Friday’s picks, with Mark shunning the Chelsea man, who is being backed by Paul, myself and 16.3% of FPL managers. Instead Mark has opted for Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (10.5) as a key premium pick. He and 10.1% of FPL managers are hoping he will run riot when Sunderland visit in the early evening Saturday kick off.

Last season’s form and fixture has driven Mark and Paul’s selection of Leicester’s 9.5 priced midfielder Riyad Mahrez. Paul says:

Hull are hammered by injuries and Leicester could have a field day.

However, I feel that on the back of a tepid Community Shield display and continuing speculation about his future, Mahrez may not be in the right frame of mind to orchestrate a rout against Hull.

Paul and I may also come to blows over the inclusion of Spurs’ 8.5 priced and 13% FPL owned midfielder Dele Alli, away to Everton. While Paul will be able to say that eight of his 10 goals came on the road last term, I remain optimistic Everton under new boss Ronald Koeman will be able to handle a Spurs outfit without key midfielder Mousa Dembele, who is suspended.

Forwards

On the subject of Dembele, his absence is the major reason why Harry Kane is not in my five forward picks. Paul remains convinced that he will prevail, but Mark has also left him out after the Spurs striker only managed to score once in the nine games when Dembele was absent last term.

Elsewhere, there is an unsurprising lack of debate around the 39.4% owners Sergio Aguero (13.0)’s ability to deliver at home against Sunderland or that Jamie Vardy (10.0) will lead the charge when Leicester visit Hull.

All three Scouts have also picked Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11.5), who is in 37.3% of FPL teams, for Manchester United’s visit to Bournemouth, but Mark points out this is reluctantly in his case. Mark says:

I’m taking a big risk by largely overlooking Manchester United but I genuinely think that the trip to Dean Court is a major test for them. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has to remain in my thinking but I do feel that Eddie Howe’s men are equipped to deal with him – for me, it will be the midfield runners posing the major goal threat.

Each of us has also put forward an individual pick, which may help form our thinking for our Spot the Differential articles.

For Mark, Southampton’s Shane Long (6.5), who is owned by 14.8% of FPL managers, looks set to prosper when Watford visit. His 10 goals and four assists last term certainly give him cause for optimism.

Paul remains convinced that West Ham will do well at Chelsea and believes Andy Carroll (6.5) will bring his strong pre-season form, in which he has scored four times, to Stamford Bridge.

Meanwhile, I think Chelsea’s 9.5 priced striker Diego Costa is being unfairly overlooked and could be set to make a mockery of his meagre 5.2% ownership, especially after getting on the score sheet in Chelsea’s final pre-season game against Werder Bremen on Sunday.

Community Champion

Representing the Community against the Scout Picks in Gameweek 1 will be Fantasy veteran Frankie the Gent, who is about to start his 11^th FPL season. His 2010/11 rank of 17,915 is his highest finish so far.

The community champion who has the best lead over the Scouts during 2016/17 will win a £100 Amazon voucher (currently we can only offer Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com vouchers).