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The wait is almost over. The premier league can’t return soon enough, and it is finally time to start fretting over our fantasy teams again! With the teams having played their first 11 games in a span of 87 days, it’s now going to be a congested sprint all the way to the new year, with the next 11 being crammed in under 50 days!
Though this may be a source of immense joy for us premier league enthusiasts, it isn’t so for the FPL addicts within us. With team rotation bound to be more frequent than ever now, a lot of us are going to face disappointment as some of the regular starters in our team may not be as regular anymore.
It’s time to remove bench fodder, and start scouting for cheap regulars so that we have a well-balanced team of 15.
An interesting, proven FPL strategy is to attack fixtures, i.e. target players based on fixtures. This is because there are more than 15 excellent players over the season, and it’s all about having the right ones at the right time. Based on this strategy, here are our top scout picks for the upcoming weeks, segregated by price range.
NOTE: Stats updated up to 15 November 2017
Goalkeepers
Budget options
Nick Pope - Burnley (£4.5)
Tom Heaton was last season’s standout goalkeeper and his Burnley counterpart has so far been the standout goalkeeper of this season. His bonus points over the last 7 games read 1,0,2,1,0,2,1. His ownership is a meagre 2.2%.
Burnley have one of the stingiest defences in the league, with only the Manchester giants and Spurs having kept more clean sheets. They also have an attractive run of fixtures until gameweek 18. Burnley have averaged 4.1 saves per game, which is a whopping 0.5 saves per game more than second-placed Swansea.
All these figures point to one simple fact – Pope is an absolute gem! With a high influx this week, his price is bound to rise soon. If you intend on getting Pope in, do it now!
Player to watch: Julian Speroni - Crystal Palace (£4.0)
Are you one of the many managers trying to gather funds to assemble the ultimate forward trio of Morata, Kane and Lukaku? Here’s an option that could free up a valuable 0.5 at the other end of the pitch.
At a paltry price of 4.0, Speroni from Crystal Palace looks like a value-for-money buy, especially considering the fact that the Eagles do not face a top 6 team until GW20. Yes, they haven’t managed to keep a clean sheet so far, but at 4.0, it may well be worth the gamble.
Goalkeepers
Premium options
Thibaut Courtois - Chelsea (£5.4)
The run of fixtures that Chelsea have until gameweek 27– Well, let’s just say that you must see it to believe it! Courtois is the cheapest facet of a reliable Chelsea defence. With Kante having recovered from his hamstring injury, be assured that they will keep a good number of clean sheets in the coming weeks.
If you aren’t looking to cheap out on your goalkeepers and are willing to spend a hefty £5.4, Courtois is the way to go.
Player to watch: David de Gea - Manchester United (£5.7)
No surprises there! Lloris is injured. Ederson may not be the best option until gameweek 19 for 3 reasons - Otamendi is suspended for a game, Manchester City have conceded in 3 of their last 4 games, and they face Spurs and their Manchester rivals in the next 7 gameweeks.
This leaves de Gea as the only logically viable option. Manchester United don’t have an ideal run of fixtures coming up, and their defence has seemed a bit shaky over the past few weeks.
Also, Jones seems have picked up a knock, and he has been pivotal in their defence so far. But hey, all said and done, they have had 8 clean sheets this season. The combination of Mourinho and David de Gea surely means frequent clean sheets?
Defenders
Budget options
Alberto Moreno - Liverpool (£4.5)
Usually, having a Liverpool defender is a big NO. However, they have an excellent run of fixtures, primarily against teams that like to play deep. Liverpool have been good defensively at home, having kept 4 clean sheets at Anfield in 5 games.
With 4 home games in the next 6, and 6 home games in the next 10, Liverpool could be in for a respectable number of clean sheets. To add icing on the cake, Moreno is a regular attacking threat. At a measly £4.5, he could be an asset to your fantasy team, offensively, as well as defensively!
Player to watch: Ben Mee - Burnley (£4.5)
If not Nick Pope, Ben Mee is your other way into an organized Burnley defence. He’s racked up 5 bonus points over the last two games owing to his high number of clearances, blocks and interceptions (CBI).
With 95 clearances, he’s third on the list of most clearances this season. He is a regular threat from set pieces, and hasn’t scored yet, which should ideally mean that he’s due one soon.
Ward is another option in the Burnley defence, and he is due to get some attacking returns. However, Mee is £0.4 cheaper and is more likely to get bonus points owing to his CBI potential.
Defenders
Mid-range options
Charlie Daniels - Bournemouth (£4.8)
Over the next 5 weeks, Bournemouth have the best run of fixtures. Daniels has always been one of the biggest threats from defence over the last couple of seasons. Having bagged one screamer against Manchester City and an assist against Everton so far this season, we wouldn’t be surprised if he gets double-digit returns in one of the next 5 games. Buy him right now as an excellent short-term asset.
Player to watch: Scott Dann - Crystal Palace (£4.7).
Crystal Palace don’t play a top 6 team until gameweek 20. Scott Dann has been a regular threat via set pieces this season. He’s managed to have 12 shots on goal this season, which is second to only Alonso’s 17, and has been really unlucky to not have had his name on the scoresheet so far.
With 3 goals in 23 appearances last season and 5 in 35 the season before that, he’s surely due a few this season as well. With an attractive run of fixtures coming up, it could be the right time to invest a reasonable £4.7 on him.
Defenders
Premium options
Marcos Alonso - Chelsea (£6.9)
Azpilicueta may have delivered more points so far this season than Alonso, and at a cheaper price too. However, Marcos has been a regular threat with 17 shots this season, which is 5 more than the next best defender. He has been unlucky to not have had more assists and goals.
The way he is going, he's likely to get them sooner than later though. Also, Conte doesn’t have too many options for left wing back, so Alonso should be nailed on in the starting eleven. At 6.9M, it’s a big gamble to take, but it’s one that could reward handsomely in the long run. Keep an eye out for the highest scoring defender of last season!
Player to watch: Jan Vertonghen - Tottenham Hotspur (£6.0)
Spurs have a defence that is fixture-proof. With Aurier-Rose-Davies-Trippier being high rotation risks, we must turn towards the centre backs for guaranteed starts. He’s had an impressive 9 shots on goal this season and is always a threat from set pieces.
He generally picks up bonus points as well, as he did last week against Palace. He has acquired a heel injury recently, so watch out for Pochettino’s press conference before you take the leap of faith on him!
Midfielders
Budget options
Eric Choupo-Moting - Stoke City (£5.7)
He is listed as a midfielder, but plays as a striker. He has had 33 shots, which is 5th on the list – ahead of the likes of Aguero and Morata. Stoke have a run of good fixtures coming up. He costs 5.7M. He has an ownership of just 6%.
Add all this up, and Choupo-Moting could slot into your team as a cheap 4th or 5th midfielder. An interesting observation is that he gets most of his points at home.
Player to watch: Demarai Gray - Leicester City (£5.3)
He made it clear that he’s unhappy with not getting enough starts this season. Having been given the opportunity by new manager, Claude Puel, he hasn’t failed to impress. With tremendous pace and outstanding skill, the young boy has been extremely creative so far.
Owing to this pace and creativity, he is a big threat on the counter, which is how Leicester like to play. At a very reasonable 5.3M, he is a great option for the fourth or fifth midfielder slot.
Midfielders
Mid-range options
Wilfried Zaha - Crystal Palace (£6.8)
7 losses in 7 weeks with not a single goal scored. Such was the plight of the then-hapless Crystal Palace. Then a certain Wilfried Zaha made his comeback, after injury had kept him out for a good part of 2 months, and Crystal Palace managed to not just score against, but also beat the defending champions Chelsea.
With prime striker Benteke out injured, Zaha has been playing up top alongside Townsend. He scored against Chelsea, he scored a last-minute goal against West Ham (thanks to Antonio giving away the ball cheaply in the 97th minute), and was very unlucky not to score against Spurs.
As mentioned earlier, Palace don’t play the top 6 until gameweek 20. With an ownership of just 4.5%, and a reasonable price of 6.8M, Zaha could be the perfect differential 3rd midfielder to have on your team.
Player to watch: Richarlison - Watford (£6.4)
He has had 39 shots on target, which is second to only Harry Kane and no one else. Yes, Salah and Lukaku have taken lesser shots than he has. He gets a lot of touches in the box and be assured that he'll be in the points for most of Watford's goals.
His price has shot up to 6.5M and is on the rise. He seems to be the Josh King of last season, so get him in before he gets dearer!
Differential option - Cesc Fabregas - Chelsea (£6.9)
We just had to mention him. With Conte choosing to play 3 in midfield lately, in order to give Hazard a freer role, Cesc is getting regular starts. He takes corners and free kicks, and is bound to find Morata’s head a few times over the coming weeks.
With easy fixtures, he will create more and could be a good differential at 6.9M with a low ownership of 4.8%. However, Conte could switch to his reliable 3-4-3 at any time, so watch out!
Midfielders
Premium options
Mohamed Salah - Liverpool (£9.4)
He must be in most of your teams already, but just in case he’s not, it’s time to get him in. He has been an absolute revelation this season. He has more shots on target (24) than Lukaku (18) and even Kane (22). Only Leroy Sane has bagged more FPL points than him this season.
With him being listed as a midfielder, he gets that extra point for every goal he scores as well. He has an ownership of around 40%, and it’d be risky not to have him in your team considering the form he’s in.
He has shown that he is consistent enough to be trusted with the captain's armband. He is a must have right now. Don’t think so? Have a look at Liverpool’s fixtures, and I’m sure you’ll be more convinced.
Player to watch: Eden Hazard - Chelsea (£10.6)
Conte seems to have changed his formation to include 3 midfielders, which means that Eden has a freer role up front rather than his fixed role as a left winger last season. He has looked close to his very best over the past few games, having already created 17 chances in the 471 minutes he’s played in.
He is sure to deliver some big points over Chelsea’s upcoming good run of fixtures, and could justify his exorbitant 10.5M price tag. He has picked up a knock in the international break, however, so watch what Conte has to say in his press conference before taking the plunge.
Forwards
Budget options
Glenn Murray - Brighton & Hove Albion (£5.8)
Murray is in goal-scoring form, having scored 4 goals in his last 3 games. He looks good to keep up this run, owing to excellent playmakers in Knockaert and Gro? playing behind him. He also has the added incentive of being on penalty duties. Expect him to be in the points whenever Brighton score.
Player to watch: Omar Niasse - Everton (£4.9)
At 4.9M, he’s an excellent choice for a third forward in case you want to free up funds elsewhere. He has been subjected to rotation with Calvert-Lewin over the past few weeks, but comes on as a substitute every game at the very least. And when he does come on, he always threatens to score. He is a good differential to have on the bench.
Forwards
Mid-range options
Marcus Rashford - Manchester United (£7.6)
To be honest, we would recommend not having a mid-range forward. There are many expensive options, and if you have enough only for a mid-range striker as your 3rd forward, we would suggest going cheap and beefing up your midfield/defence.
If you’d like a mid-range forward though, who better than the man who went from nowhere to a matter of such prominence in such a short time, Marcus Rashford! He is listed as a striker and plays down the wing, but is a threat all the same.
Martial seems to be cementing his role as more of a “super sub” now, thus giving Rashford the guarantee of more frequent starts. He could have been in the points against Chelsea had he got his head to the ball in the opening 10 minutes.
Player to watch: Josh King - Bournemouth (£7.0)
He was the gem of last season, having been listed as a midfielder and at a cheap price. He is now listed as a forward, and is more expensive than he was last time out. However, he is a goal threat all the same.
He has been out with a back injury for some time now, but did play last game and was unlucky not to score. With Bournemouth’s upcoming peach fixtures, he could be an outstanding differential to have, so keep an eye out!
Forwards
Premium options
Alvaro Morata - Chelsea (£10.3)
Not much has been said about this man. He has looked impressive, both with his head as well as with his feet. Chelsea have excellent fixtures coming up, and some big victories are on the horizon, where he’ll surely be on the scoresheet more often than not.
He does seem to lack match fitness though, and this congested run of fixtures could see him rested at some point, particularly in the games around the champions league fixtures.
Player to watch: Romelu Lukaku - Manchester United (£11.5)
Yes, the ex-Chelsea forward may not have scored in 4 premier league games now (even more if you consider other competitions). But we must remember, it’s Romelu Lukaku after all.
If you believe in the law of averages, you know he’s due to score now. With 2 home games coming up against smaller teams, don’t be surprised if he nets a hattrick.
