FPL GW16 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups

Welcome to our FPL GW16 Scout Picks blog! Our AAFPL Scout picks team returned a decent 63 points in FPL GW15, with our Captain Palmer coming in clutch! That being said, we still managed to score fewer points than the Official FPL Scout’s team, mainly thanks to their (lucky) inclusion of Vardy… We’re still ahead, but we need a good week this week to re-establish a big gap between us and them!

	GW1	GW2	GW3	GW4	GW5	GW6	GW7	GW8	GW9	GW10	GW11	GW12	GW13	GW14	GW15	Total
AAFPL Team	84	65	92	44	59	42	59	26	72	35	83	70	83	67	63	9
Official FPL Team	64	96	77	46	54	39	44	46	71	55	78	66	98	64	78	6

As always, our Scout Picks will be based on the eye test, stats, and analysis. Let’s first take a look at the fixtures for FPL GW16.

Link to all our FPL GW16 blogs including scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

GW16 Fixtures

FPL GW16 Scout Picks

FPL GW16 Scout Picks – Goalkeeper

Despite Arsenal conceding 3 goals in the last 3 GWs we have not been deterred from selecting Raya (5.6m) as our GK for FPL GW16. Statistically, Arsenal are the 2nd best defense in the league, having conceded just 15 goals and around 17xGA, only behind Liverpool, however, in more recent weeks (the past month), Arsenal have in fact conceded the fewest goals and the fewest xG. Their defense is renowned for being elite, but what of their opponents for GW16?…

Putting their most recent result (4-0 win against Wolves) aside, Everton have been in really poor form. Before last weekend they were winless in 5, a run which included games against the likes of Southampton and West Ham, two teams they need to be beating if they have any hope of staying up this season. The Toffees are 19th in the league for xG, with less than 1xG the difference between them and the bottom of the table for this metric, and joint 17th with 3 teams (so basically 2nd from bottom again) for goals scored.

Arsenal rarely concede chances, Fulham had 2 shots and 0 big chances against Arsenal in GW15, and Everton generally struggle to create them – it’s a match made in heaven for Raya owners! Speaking of Arsenal defense…

Further Read: Top FPL GW16 Differential Picks to Consider Ahead of Deadline

FPL GW16 Scout Picks – Defenders

We’re looking for Timber to do a lot of the defensive work in this very attack-minded back three! Kerkez (4.5m), Trent (7.0m) and the aforementioned Timber (5.7m) make up our backline for FPL GW16…

Kerkez was a late addition to our team in GW15, coming in for TAA due to Liverpool’s match being called off. He had an excellent game and very nearly got an attacking return from his 5.2% of FPL managers! In the last month (GW11 and onwards), Bournemouth have the 4th best xGA in the league, behind only the two Merseyside clubs and Arsenal. The Cherries go into GW16 off the back of a 3-match win streak, which included a victory over Spurs – they have truly been in great form recently!

Kerkez is one of Bournemouth’s most creative players, and has proved time and again with great performance after great performance why he should be on the radar of all FPL players. His 0.19xA/90 is very decent for a defender, especially one that costs just 4.6m. Over the past three games, he’s been averaging 0.36xA/90, the highest of any Bournemouth player during that period. Bournemouth’s opponent in GW16 is West Ham, a team who are slowly clawing their way away from the relegation zone after an appalling start to the season, but while the Cherries are in this good form, I wouldn’t bet against them!

Timber also retains his spot in the AAFPL Scout Picks team this week, giving us an Arsenal double-up in defensive positions. As mentioned with Raya, Arsenal have been the best defense in the league over the past 5 GWs, and with a fixture against one of the worst attacking teams in the league in GW16, a defensive double up was a no-brainer!

While Timber’s xG/90 numbers are significantly lower than Gabriel’s and Saliba’s, he is about 0.5m cheaper, making him one of the cheapest ways into one of the best defenses in the league. Furthermore, Arsenal seem to change who they target from set-pieces every week depending on opposition and match-ups, so there’s a chance that Timber is the main target from set-pieces in GW16!

Trent completes our backline having only missed out on our team last week due to his game against Everton being called off. Of players to have played over 500 minutes this season, TAA has the second highest Points per match of any defender, behind only Everton’s Young. His attacking prowess is well-known, and is backed up by the stats.

TAA Attacking Stats this Season:

• 0.38xA/90
• 2.29 Key Passes/90
• 4.2xA
• 3 Assists

He is one of the most creative defenders in the league playing for the best defense in the league, so both clean sheet points and attacking returns are definitely on the cards! Fulham are a decent team, but with the ability to get FPL points in so many different ways, TAA is a great pick for FPL GW16.

Further Read: FPL Gameweek 16 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell

FPL GW16 Scout Picks – Midfielders

Our midfield quartet this week is made up of Salah (13.3m), Palmer (11.1m), Saka (10.6m) and Semenyo (5.7m) – let’s dive straight into the stats!

Palmer rewarded our faith in him in GW15, putting in an electric performance in Chelsea’s 4-3 comeback win against Spurs. He retains his place in the AAFPL Scout Picks team for GW16 for the 5th week in a row! His numbers are off the charts; against Spurs he produced 1.68xG and 0.67xA, but these kind of numbers are not out of the ordinary for Chelsea’s main man!

He’s currently averaging 8.3 points per match (2nd in the game behind Salah) and has the highest xGI of any Midfielder in the league! In GW16 Chelsea face Brentford, a side who have been brilliant at home but struggled when travelling, a great opportunity for Palmer to secure another haul for his many FPL managers!

Saka also retains his place in the team despite blanking in the last two GWs. His numbers have actually been pretty poor recently, with Arteta clearly looking to shift Arsenal’s chance creation away from being so right-side heavy. Nonetheless, Saka is still the best Arsenal attacker in the game, with Martinelli and Trossard both prone to rotation, and Havertz erratic in terms of goal-scoring.

While Saka struggled last week in the league, he had an excellent outing mid-week in Europe’s top competition: The Champions League! He scored twice and provided one assist in the Gunners’ 3-0 win against Monaco, taking 3 shots and creating 3 chances over the course of the 90. Everton have been pretty good defensively in recent weeks (keep an eye out for the battles from set-pieces as both teams are excellent at both attacking and defending set-pieces) but that’s having faced weaker sides like Southampton, Wolves, and West Ham, against an elite side like Arsenal they may well struggle.

Next up is FPL fan favorite Semenyo! As I wrote in last weeks post, “His 4 goals and 1 assist is a great return for a player at such a low price, and his numbers tell us that he’s been unlucky not to score more!” The underlying numbers tell us that he should have scored almost 6 goals and provided 3 assists. In our opinion, he remains the best sub-6 million midfield pick for FPL, even with the emergence of Enzo and the recent hat tricks from Schade and Kluivert.

Behind Kluivert, who’s numbers are skewed due to his 3 penalties against Wolves, Semenyo has the best attacking numbers of any Bournemouth player to have played 600+ minutes. Over the last 3 GWs, Bournemouth have created the 2nd highest xG in the league, ahead of the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, and Semenyo remains the best option for those who are keen to get a slice of the Cherry cake! West Ham are statistically pretty mid-table, but the eye test tells a different story… The Hammers play really unappealing football and struggle not only to press themselves but also to deal with opposition presses, meaning that they will come under immense pressure against Iraola’s high-energy side.

Finally, we have Salah. We all know that Salah’s numbers are extraordinary and that he is by far and away the best FPL asset in the game right now, but what really sets him apart this week is Fulham’s defensive injuries. Fulham are likely to be without both of their starting CBs, Anderson and Bassey, with the former out the injury and the latter out through suspension. This means that the Cottagers are likely to start the game with a CB partnership of Diop and Cuenca, a duo which have never started a league game together before.

Salah has been in amazing form recently and will relish the chance of playing against the flying fullback Robinson, who is likely to roam forwards and offer the Egyptian spaces to attack in behind. Furthermore, we saw in the Newcastle game the impact that TAA back fit has on Salah, with his introduction late in the second half coinciding with a 10-minute spell in which Liverpool’s right winger was unplayable. November’s Player of the Month also takes the Captain’s armband for GW16.

Further Read: Top FPL Gameweek 16 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics

FPL GW16 Scout Picks – Forwards

Our team is completed by a front three of Delap (5.6m), Isak (8.6m) and Solanke (7.5m)…

Delap comes in as our budget option this week, with his side facing Wolves in GW16. Leif Davis was also a consideration for this week, as we’re keen on Ipswich’s attractive fixture and decent form. Delap himself has been in great form so far this season having scored 6 goals and provided 1 assist. His 0.48xG/90 is the highest in the Ipswich squad, and he’s currently bang on target with his xG, 6G from 6xG!

Since the start of November, Wolves, Ipswich’s opponents for GW16, have conceded the most goals, with 4 of those 13 coming against goal-shy Everton in GW15. Delap is being talked of as a transfer target for many of England’s top teams, and it’s clear to see why; even in a struggling Ipswich team he is thriving!

Next up we have Spurs’ Solanke. Spurs were unable to sustain their late October early November form when they were beating the likes of United and Villa. They’ve fallen off significantly since then, and now consistently concede far too many chances for a top team. That being said, Solanke himself is having a decent season though, averaging a solid 0.65xG/90!

Solanke is fifth place in Fantasy Football Hub’s predicted goal scorers list for GW16, coming in behind Haaland, Salah, Palmer and Isak. While he did score against Chelsea in Spur’s most recent premier league game, prior to that, he hadn’t scored in the league in over a month, with his only FPL points in that period being an assist against Manchester City. However, context is key, and this week the context is that Spurs are facing Southampton…

Southampton remain by far the worst defensive team in the league, in large part due to Martin’s obsession with playing out from the back, despite the inability of his players to perform such a difficult build-up. Southampton have made 10 errors leading to goals so far this season, 3 more than the next team in the list, and the same number as Brentford (the team who made the most errors leading to goals last season) made ALL of last season. Southampton’s kamikaze play style will play into the hands of Spurs and Postecoglou, who play with such an intense press and high line.

Finally, we have Newcastle’s Alexander Isak! Newcastle play Leicester in GW16, and as we should all know by now, it’s crucial to target the promoted sides! While Leicester have had something of a new manager bounce in recent weeks, they remain a side to target, especially from an attacking POV. Over the past 3 games they’ve conceded 7 goals, and against West Ham, a side who have been pretty poor at chance creation this season, they conceded over 2xGA!

Newcastle on the other hand have been in poor form recently, and are currently winless in 4 matches. They only failed to score on one occasion across those 4 matches however, scoring twice against Brentford, three against Liverpool, and one against Palace. Isak is both their most creative and most clinical player, averaging the highest xG/90 and highest xA/90 of any Newcastle player to have played over 700 minutes. The fixture is too good to ignore, especially considering Newcastle are at home, and as Isak is by far the best FPL asset from the Magpies, it was an easy decision to include him.

Further Read: FPL GW16 Tips – Palmer, Mbeumo, Watkins Dilemmas and More

Full FPL GW16 Scout Picks Team

Please note that our bench includes a 4.0m ‘keeper, a 2 x 4.0m defender, and a 4.5m midfielder, as all of the players selected are expected to start and have significant game-time in FPL GW16.

Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW16:

FPL Gameweek 16 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell
FPL GW16 Tips – Palmer, Mbeumo, Watkins Dilemmas and More
FPL GW16 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups
Top FPL Gameweek 16 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
Top FPL GW16 Differential Picks to Consider Ahead of Deadline
FPL GW16 Tips & Ultimate Guide: Differentials, Captaincy & More

Thanks for reading the “FPL GW16 Scout Picks” blog. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for regular blogs. Also, follow our 180,000+ community on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to stay updated on regular Posts and FPL updates.

What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 16 of the 2024/25 FPL Season?

We’ll be covering differential picks, transfer targets, Buy, Hold, Sell analysis, Scout picks, Gameweek preview, Captaincy metrics, FPL GW16 tips, and more. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for all our blogs. We’ll also be posting regularly about the same on our social media accounts so follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook and keep our notification ON.