Welcome to our FPL GW18 Scout Picks blog! Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! The festive fixtures have a special place in football fans’ hearts, so let’s hope that this round of games delivers! With many managers also looking to FH this week before the chips are reset after Christmas, this blog will also act as a Free Hit draft.
We had a decent week in FPL GW17, with our scout picks delivering a total of 77 points all out, a score which pails in comparison to the 92 scored by the Official Scout’s Picks…
We go into FPL GW18 10-7 in our favour…
| GW1 | GW2 | GW3 | GW4 | GW5 | GW6 | GW7 | GW8 | GW9 | GW10 | GW11 | GW12 | GW13 | GW14 | GW15 | GW16 | GW17 | |
| AAFPL Team | 62 | 58 | 57 | 68 | 34 | 60 | 77 | 67 | 58 | 73 | 39 | 52 | 59 | 82 | 58 | 82 | 77 |
| Official FPL Team | 56 | 50 | 57 | 90 | 43 | 57 | 67 | 63 | 41 | 78 | 54 | 52 | 41 | 66 | 67 | 80 | 92 |
As always, our Scout Picks will be based on the eye test, stats, and analysis. But before we discuss player picks, let’s take a look at the fixtures for FPL GW18.
Link to all our FPL GW18 blogs including scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, best forwards, and more. Completely free to access as well!
FPL GW18 Fixtures
Teams to target in FPL GW18
- Liverpool
- Arsenal
- Manchester City
FPL GW18 Scout Picks
FPL GW18 Scout Picks – Goalkeeper
Pickford (5.5m) starts for our AAFPL Scout Picks team for FPL GW18 as Everton face Burnley away from home. Against Bournemouth in FPL GW17, Burnley had just 4 shots (only 1 inside the box and 1 on target), created less than 0.5xG, and just 1 big chance, which, to be fair, they ended up scoring. Those are not the attacking stats of a side that screams goals…
Everton, on the other hand, have a fairly mixed defensive record in recent games, keeping clean sheets in 3/6 of their most recent Premier League games. Those stats are ameliorated when one considers that the teams they conceded against were Newcastle, Arsenal, and Chelsea, three decent teams. Pickford himself is the third-highest scoring GK in the game with 70 points, just 10 shy of Roefs in top spot and 4 of Raya in second.
Moyes has made this side solid if unexciting, and with some issues in attack at the moment (due to AFCON, injury, and suspension), he may well take a more conservative approach and focus on stability, something which Pickford owners will certainly benefit from!
Further Read: Top FPL Gameweek 18 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL GW18 Scout Picks – Defenders
O’Reilly (5.3m), Frimpong (5.7m), and Timber (6.3m) form our defense for FPL GW18…
O’Reilly keeps his spot in the team after a decent return of 6 points in FPL GW17. The young fullback offers multiple point scoring avenues, from high CS potential to high attacking output, O’Reilly does it all! 1 Goal and 3 assists thus far is a decent haul for a defender at this point in the season, but it is the underlying stats which make O’Reilly such an attractive option…
0.35xGI/90 is very good for a defender in FPL, and now that he has nailed a spot down in the team, O’Reilly is becoming a quasi-essential asset. With 3 clean sheets in their last 3 games and 5 wins in 5, City look pretty unstoppable at the moment, and it would take a brave man to bet against them this weekend as they face Forest away from home.
STAT: In their 18 meetings, Pep is unbeaten against Dyche (16-2-0) with 53 goals scored and just 7 goals conceded.
Timber also keeps his place in the defense after another CS in FPL GW17 against the aforementioned Everton. Arsenal remain a phenomenal defensive outfit, having amassed now 9 clean sheets in just 17 matches in the league, or about 1 every other game. If they continue at that rate, they will finish with just over 20 clean sheets (still 5 short of the record held by Chelsea 04/05). It’s crucial to have at least 1 Arsenal defender due to their EO, and Timber looks pretty at this point. Brighton have scored just 1 goal in their last 3 games, and are two matches without a goal going into this one.
Frimpong is our wildcard defender for this round of fixtures… Wolves at home is certainly a fixture to target, but VVD and Alison will likely be more popular picks due to their perceived nailed-ness. Frimpong is not normally nailed as he has faced a number of injury issues and has lost his place in the team on a number of occasions to Bradley, Gomez, and even Szobo. With the first two injured and Szobo out due to suspension, it is likely that Frimpong will come in at RB for this one. Alternatively, he may play at RW as he did against Spurs, an even more exciting prospect for the small percentage of managers that own him…
Regardless of his nominal position on the pitch, Frimpong is a great FPL asset when fit and starting for this team (though obviously as an out-of-position attacker, far better) due to his attacking instincts. Wolves, Liverpool’s opponents for this week, are on a ten-game losing streak in the league and have scored just 4 goals across those 10 games. Wolves lost 2-0 against Brentford in FPL GW17 and are bottom of the league for both goals scored and xG. With Liverpool looking much improved in recent weeks, it’s a good idea to target their assets for this one!
Further Read: FPL GW18 Predicted Lineups, Injuries, & Press Conference Updates
FPL GW18 Scout Picks – Midfielders
Grealish(6.5m), Rice (7.2m), Foden (9.0m), and Wirtz (8.1m) come into the midfield for FPL GW18…
Grealish comes into the Scout Picks this week, the Toffees attacker will be facing Burnley in GW18, and also have a great run of fixtures until GW23. He could also be on penalties with regular penalty taker Ndiaye away at AFCON.
Burnley have the second-worst defensive record at home in the league, having conceded the second-most xGC thus far(12.96 in 8 games) in home games, with only Wolves having a higher xGC(14.94 in 9 games). Grealish has blanked in the last three games, but two of those were against tricky opponents(Arsenal & Chelsea), and with a great run of fixtures starting with Burnley, we feel he’s going to hit form soon.
Rice comes into the team after being rested in midweek for Arsenal’s Carabao Cup fixture against Palace. Rice came on after 86′ to contribute in the penalty shoot-out, which Arsenal ended up winning to put them through to the semi-final of the League Cup.
Rice has been fairly ever-present for the Gunners thus far in the league and is the third-highest scoring midfielder in FPL behind only Bruno F and Semenyo. At just 7.2m, Rice offers great value and a more affordable way into Arsenal’s attack. Brighton have conceded the 6th highest xGA in the division, making it important to cover Arsenal’s attack for this fixture.
Foden also keeps his place in the team as Pep faces Dyche for the 19th time in FPL GW18. As mentioned, Pep sides have scored 53 goals against Dyche sides in 18 meetings, averaging almost 3 goals per game. City have scored 3+ goals in all of their last 5 fixtures and in 7 of their last 8 in the league. Foden has been in phenomenal form and has shot up to 5th place overall for points scored by midfielders. The Englishman created 2 chances and 1 big chance against West Ham and was pretty unlucky to come away without a goal contribution – he remains an excellent FPL option and a decent alternative captaincy option.
Wirtz makes the cut for FPL GW18 after a stunning performance against Spurs last weekend. Wirtz put in a man-of-the-match performance in that one, creating 2 chances, 1 big chance, and assisting Isak for the second goal. The German is finally getting up to speed in the Premier League and is finding his place in this much-changed Liverpool team. 2 assists in his last 5 games is not spectacular, but it shows that perhaps the midfielder was written off too early…
Coming off the left, as opposed to the number 10 position, the midfielder is able to find much more space and interpret the game better than in the congested centre of the pitch. I suspect that his future remains in the middle of the park, but until he is fully up to speed with the pace and physicality of the Premier League, he is best utilized out wide. 0.36xGI/90 is by no means bad for a midfielder in FPL, and though his price tag is high, the fixture this week is one worth targeting. With few other LFC midfield options available and Wirtz in a decent bit of form, now is the time to gamble on him!
Further Read: Best Bruno Fernandes Replacements to Consider for FPL GW18
FPL GW18 Scout Picks – Forwards
Woltemade (7.3m), Haaland (15.1m), and Ekitike (8.9m) complete the team for FPL GW18…
Haaland, of course, keeps both his place in the team and the captaincy following a huge 16-point return in FPL GW17. Captainers and triple captainers alike will be happy with that return and will surely be hoping for a similar haul this weekend against Forest. Haaland now has 19 goals and 4 assists in just 17 matches in the league thus far, having blanked just 5 times. There is one other popular captaincy option for this weekend, though…
Ekitike is being touted as a potential captain for those looking to go against the grain in FPL GW18. With 5 goals in 3 games, Hugo is arguably in better form than Erling going into this one. Furthermore, Wolves at home is arguably a better fixture than Forest away, as Wolves’ defensive record is pretty abysmal this season. With Isak now injured until at least February, it looks like Ekitike could finally become a decent FPL option and a safe way into this steadily improving Liverpool team.
STAT: Ekitike has the second-best goal per 90 record (0.74) in the league so far this season behind only Haaland (1.2) AND the second most non-penalty goals in the league!
Woltemade comes into the team following his sensational performance against Chelsea in FPL GW17. The German scored 2 against the Blues but could have come away with even more, missing a great chance in the 45th minute and getting into some great positions during the game. After a 3-game-goal-drought, Wolte certainly made a statement against Chelsea and proved to the many FPL managers who transferred him out going into this fixture wrong!
Manchester United, Newcastle’s opponent on Boxing Day, are in a bit of defensive crisis going into this fixture with the likes of Mazroui and Amad away at Afcon, and Maguire and De Ligt both doubts. United lined up with a back three of Shaw, Heaven, and Yoro for their game against Villa on Monday night and were comfortably beaten. While some of the absentees will likely be back for this one, the instability in the defensive line will surely cause United some issues and may offer Woltemade the perfect opportunity to build on his excellent GW17 performance.
STAT: Amorim’s side have conceded the 7th most xGA and the 6th most goals in the league.
Further Read: FPL Gameweek 18 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold, & Sell
FPL GW18 Free Hit
As this article is acting as both a Scout Picks and a Free Hit draft, we thought it would be a good idea to include a few alternative options to consider for those playing the powerful chip this weekend.
PLEASE NOTE: For those wondering, FPL GW18 is the penultimate week that managers have to play the free hit chip, as it resets after the FPL GW19 deadline on the 30th December at 19:00.
Alternative Goalkeepers / Defenders to target:
- Keane (4.7m) – Everton decent defense, high defcon, high CS potential, cheaper than Pickford.
- Alison (5.4m) / VVD (5.9m) – Double up on LFC defense for Wolves fixture.
- Lewis-Potter (4.8m) – Out of position attacker (defender in FPL), fairly nailed due to AFCON, Bournemouth patchy defensively.
- Ballard (4.7m) / Roefs (4.8m) – Great defensive numbers (season-wide) + CS in FPL GW17 but facing an in-form Leeds side.
Alternative Midfielders / Attackers to target:
- Cunha (8.1m) – On pens, nailed, decent form, Newcastle patchy.
- Mount (5.9m) – Alternative United option.
- Grealish (6.5m) – Burnley (A) good fixture, very high underlying numbers both season wide and recently.
- Saka (10.3m) – Premium Ars Mid option for a good fixture, also rested mid-week.
- DCL (5.8m) – Great form personally and team, decent fixture as Sunderland is facing Afcon losses.
Further Read: AK’s FPL GW18 Team Reveal & Transfer Plans | 3x Top 5K Finishes
FPL GW18 Scout Picks + Free Hit Draft
Further Reads from ALLABOUTFPL Ahead of FPL GW18
Premier League Players who will miss PL due to AFCON 2025
FPL GW18 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Stats & Eye Test
Top FPL GW18 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of Deadline
FPL GW18 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis and Matchups
FPL GW18 Predicted Lineups, Injuries, & Press Conference Updates
Best Bruno Fernandes Replacements to Consider for FPL GW18
AK’s FPL GW18 Team Reveal & Transfer Plans | 3x Top 5K Finishes
FPL Gameweek 18 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold, & Sell
FPL GW18 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More
Link to all our FPL GW18 blogs, including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!
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