FPL GW26 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups

Welcome to our FPL GW26 Scout Picks blog! We are well and truly into the final stages of the season now, with just 13 GWs and everything to play for at both ends of the table… Don’t worry if you’ve had a couple of sub-par weeks, or if a chip hasn’t payed off, there’s still so much football left to play! The AAFPL Scout Picks team returned a massive 93 points in FPL GW25 – extending our lead over the Official FPL Scout to 16-9.

	GW1	GW2	GW3	GW4	GW5	GW6	GW7	GW8	GW9	GW10	GW11	GW12	GW13	GW14	GW15	GW16	GW17	GW18	GW19	GW20	GW21	GW22	GW23	GW24	GW25	Total
AAFPL Team	84	65	92	44	59	42	59	26	72	35	83	70	83	67	63	51	95	65	73	71	77	49	78	113	92	16
Official FPL Team	64	96	77	46	54	39	44	46	71	55	78	66	97	66	78	46	89	59	82	68	72	59	61	121	86	9

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 GW26.

FPL GW26 Fixtures

Link to all our FPL GW26 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 GW26 Scout Picks

FPL GW26 Scout Picks – Goalkeeper

Brentford’s recent defensive improvement, and an attractive fixture against a promoted side, mean that Flekken (4.4m) is our GK selection for FPL GW26. The Dutch international recovered from his injury to deliver a huge 10 points in GW25 to the less than 10 percent of FPL managers who own him. 2 clean sheets in 5 games (he missed the Spurs game through injury) is nothing to be ashamed of, especially as Flekken has coupled them with 20 saves and 3 bonus points in that same period!

While Brentford’s underlying numbers in recent weeks have been fairly bad, this can be put mainly down to the fact they played Liverpool, City and Spurs in the last 5 games, 3 of the top 4 highest scoring teams in the league. Even with those tough fixtures, their xGA numbers have started to creep down from the dizzying heights they were at at the start of the season…

In the reverse fixture against Leicester, Brentford won 4-1. The Foxes created under 1xG and scored their only big chance of the game – creating very little outside of that. Leicester have scored just 25 goals (3rd fewest) from 28.12xG (2nd lowest) – they are not a great attacking team. Flekken, you have disappointed many FPL managers this season, now is your chance to shine!

Further Read: FPL Gameweek 26 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell

FPL GW26 Scout Picks – Defenders

All three defenders retain their place in the team for FPL GW26, with Kerkez (5.0m), TAA (7.4m) and Gabriel (6.3m) completing our defensive unit…

Despite only returning 2 points last week, we’re backing Kerkez again in FPL GW26. Bournemouth beat Southampton 1-3 and conceded just 0.79xGA during the match, so the Hungarian was perhaps unfortunate to come away without a CS. Kerkez created 1 chance and took 1 shot against the saints, proving again just how much of an attacking threat he can be (ps. Kerkez scored in the reverse fixture against Wolves earlier this season!)

Wolves have the third lowest xG in the league, and have overperformed it big time so far this season, scoring 35 goals from 28xG – this form is unlikely to continue. Since the turn of the year they’ve scored just 4 – the second fewest in the league in that period. Wolves conceded a lot of dangerous chances down their right flank in the first half against Liverpool, with Diaz making diagonal runs into the box and Robertson overlapping – Kerkez will be looking to replicate this!

TAA returned a massive 13 points in FPL DGW25, so we’re backing him again despite his tricky away trip to the Etihad. The last time Trent and Liverpool visited Manchester City’s home, the scouser scored a great goal to draw the game in the late stages of the match – let’s hope he does the same again!

Trent is by far the most attacking defender in the game, averaging 0.38xGI/90 – there’s a reason he’s got such a premium price tag! 2 goals and 6 assists so far this season does not paint the full picture – he has created 49 chances and taken 33 shots this season, and has been let down on occasion by his teammates (I’m looking at you Nunez). The chance of a CS is not super high, though the Reds did manage to keep one against City earlier this season – it all depends on which version of City and which version of Liverpool turn up on the day…

Finally we have Arsenal’s Gabriel. In spite of hiring a new manager, West Ham continue to put in mediocre performance after mediocre performance, and with Arsenal now well and truly back in the title race after Liverpool’s dip in form and results, they’ll be looking to make a statement. Earlier this season the Gunners put 5 past West Ham, but did concede twice in the process – with many of their attackers absent through injury they may look to play it a bit safer, and rely on their superb defense to pull them through this one.

Arsenal have conceded the fewest goals in the league, have the best xGA in the league, and are facing a West Ham side who are comfortably bottom half of the table in both goals scored and xG. In two of their last 4 matches the Hammers have failed to score and created less than 1xG.

Further Read: 2024/25 FPL Chip Strategy Guide – Best Windows and Analysis

FPL GW26 Scout Picks – Midfielders

Salah (13.7m), Mbeumo (7.9m), Kluivert (6.0m), Outtara (5.1m) and Mitoma (6.3m) make up our midfield five for FPL GW26!

Salah managed 3 goal involvements across DGW25, taking his tally to 24 goals and 15 assists for the season so far. He is in stratospheric form. He also loves a goal against City, having scored 8 goals and provided 5 assists across his 15 appearances against them in the league – incredible considering how dominant City have been in that period. With City continuing to wobble both domestically and in europe, Salah is a lock (as usual), and is keeping the captain’s armband for FPL GW26.

FPL fan favourite Mbeumo returns to the team as Brentford face Leicester in FPL GW26. The Foxes remain one of the most important teams to target from both an attacking and defensive point of view. They’ve conceded the 2nd most goals against and the 3rd most xGA in the league, and have conceded 2+ goals in 9 of their last 10 matches – the notoriously blunt Everton managed to put 4 past them!

This means that Mbeumo, and Brentford’s attack more generally, is a great option for FPLG GW26. Earlier this season the Bees scored 4 against the Foxes, though Mbeumo himself blanked… While Mbeumo continues to overperform his underlying numbers (14 goals from 9xG), his xG/90 and xA/90 are still great for an FPL asset of his price.

Next up we have the Bournemouth duo of Outtara and Kluivert! Bournemouth have been in great form recently and have a very attractive fixture against Wolves in FPL GW26. They scored 4 against Wolves earlier this season, and with the form each side is in, I wouldn’t be surprised if they scored the same or more this time around! Outtara is playing out of position as a striker, so if you have to pick one I’d go for him, but if you can, an attacking double up should definitely be considered. I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves…

Finally we have Brighton’s Mitoma. The Japanese international scored an absolutely beautiful goal against Chelsea in FPL GW25 and has an excellent fixture against newly promoted Southampton in FPL GW26… Mitoma has gone a bit under the radar this season due to the form, price and hype surrounding his Brighton teammates Welbeck and Pedro, but let us not forget that Mitoma himself was once a darling of the FPL community too! His 6 goals and 3 assists is decent, but it’s his underlying numbers that set him apart from the rest of the Brighton players…

Mitoma has the joint highest xG (6.62) in the Brighton squad and the highest xA (4.62). While his xGI/90 is lower than some of the other Brighton attackers, his security of minutes and availability has meant that he has been able to accrue higher totals than others. Outside of ‘keeper Verbruggen, Mitoma has played the most minutes of any Brighton player, and has appeared in every single game under Hurzeler this season. Due to his minute security, form and consistency he’s our pick for FPL GW26.

Further Read: FPL GW26 Tips- Assistant Manager Options, Wildcard Thoughts & More

FPL GW26 Scout Picks – Forwards

Completing the Brentford triple up, Brighton double up, and our team, are Wissa (6.3m) and Welbeck (5.5m)!

Both Wissa and Welbeck face relegation zone sides this weekend while premium forward options such as Isak, Watkins and Haaland all have tougher fixtures. All that I wrote in the Mbeumo and Mitoma sections applies here with regards to the fixtures, so I won’t repeat any of that here – let’s instead look at what the stats say…

Wissa VS. Welbeck (Attacking Stats):

• xG/90 – 0.65 vs. 0.4
• xA/90 – 0.11 vs. 0.1
• Goals – 10 vs. 6
• Assists – 2 vs. 4
• Shots/90 – 2.69 vs. 2.43
• Form (last 5 games) – 1G0A vs. 0G2A

Both players are top 10 for FPL points per game amongst strikers (I’m not including Marmoush because he’s played 2 games), and are 6th (Wissa) and 9th (Welbeck) for value among forwards. Brentford don’t have too many attacking options to choose from outside of Mbeumo and Wissa (though Damsgaard is a very interesting prospect and a great differential!), so his inclusion was likely considering the fixture. Welbeck on the other hand was chosen due to his security of minutes – he’s Hurzeler’s go to man up front, and is consistently picked when fit.

Further Read: Upcoming FPL Double/Blank Gameweeks | 24/25 FPL Season

Full GW26 Scout Picks Team

Further reads from AllAboutFPL ahead of FPL GW26:

2024/25 Ultimate Chip Strategy Guide- Best Windows to play all Chips & Combinations
FPL GW26 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups
Top FPL GW26 Differential Picks to Consider Ahead of Deadline
Top FPL Gameweek 26 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL GW26 Tips- Assistant Manager Options, Wildcard Thoughts & More
FPL Gameweek 26 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell
Upcoming FPL Double/Blank Gameweeks | 24/25 FPL Season
Sleeper GW26 Draft Fantasy- Best Punts and Hidden Gems
FPL GW26 Tips- Assistant Manager Options, Wildcard Thoughts & More

Link to all our FPL GW26 blogs including scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 26 of the 2023/24 FPL Season?

We’ll be covering differential picks, transfer targets, Buy, Hold, Sell analysis, scout picks, gameweek preview, captaincy metrics, FPL GW26 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, Threads and Facebook keep our notification ON.

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