Best picks for FPL Challenge as Under-23 players score DOUBLE

See our top choices for Gameweek 6 as FPL managers take on football pundit and broadcaster Alex Scott

This week in FPL Challenge, Fantasy managers are pitted against football pundit and broadcaster Alex Scott. In this week's Challenge, named "Young Guns", players aged under 23 will have their points doubled.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland, managers will be able to go head-to-head with Scott.

Every bottle and can of Coca-Cola and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar sold in the UK and Ireland has a QR code which provides entry to the head-to-head duels where they can win prizes.

Managers outside the UK will still be able to take part in the weekly challenges as usual, but will not be eligible to enter the head-to-head element and win prizes.

Managers have an unlimited budget to pick their 6-a-side team, however they can only choose one player per club.

This means if you choose a Young Gun captain, they will earn FOUR times their points total with the armband.

Managers can also select players who are aged over-23, but none of them will earn double points.

One important factor to note is that players must be aged 23 or younger on the final Matchday of the Gameweek, which is on Monday 29 September, to earn double points.

So, Joao Pedro, for example, will miss out on double points in Chelsea's home fixture against his former club Brighton & Hove Albion, as he turns 24 on Friday 26 September.

Here, The Scout assesses the best picks for Gameweek 6.

Pick your Challenge team NOW

Goalkeepers

There are two first-choice Premier League goalkeepers who have started every match so far this season - Sunderland's Robin Roefs and Brighton's Bart Verbruggen.

Roefs has kept two clean sheets so far this season and registered a double-digit return against Crystal Palace in Gameweek 4. Sunderland's goalkeeper has registered 29 points to date, a tally only bettered by Nick Pope and Guglielmo Vicario. 

Meanwhile, Verbruggen has just eight points so far. 

Managers may have been tempted to pick Chelsea's Filip Jorgensen after Robert Sanchez's red card in Gameweek 5. However, Sanchez will be available for selection in Chelsea's match against Brighton. The 'keeper served his ban in their EFL Cup tie against Lincoln City on Tuesday. 

Of the picks aged 23 or under, Roefs looks like the best goalkeeper for managers wanting to target double points. 

Defenders 

Sunderland's Trai Hume has two clean sheets and two defensive contribution points so far this season. He was also unfortunate not to register the additional two defensive contributions in Gameweek 3, when he racked up nine defensive involvements. Just one more would have scored him an additional two points.

See: What are defensive contribution points

Hume also has attacking potential, he has created five chances for his team-mates and supplied 22 crosses. Choosing Hume, however, would mean that managers can't have Roefs in goal. 

Riccardo Calafiori is the fourth highest-scoring defender in FPL, with 35 points so far. His three attacking returns in the opening five Gameweeks is tied top across all defenders. Calafiori has started all five matches for Arsenal this season and is averaging seven points per match.

He is set to face a Newcastle United side who have played out two 0-0 draws in the last three Gameweeks and therefore there is a good opportunity for Calafiori defensively.

Calafiori's opponent on Sunday, Tino Livramento is one of only five players to have returned in every league game so far. Newcastle have the best Expected Goals Against (xGA) rate in the league meaning that they are the team who have been expected to concede the least goals this season.

Opponents Arsenal are second-best, which means two good defensive performances are likely. Livramento has returned four clean sheets, the most in the league and an assist so far. 

Other under-23 options include Adrien Truffert and Nico O'Reilly. Truffert has started every match this season, with O'Reilly standing in for the injured Rayan Ait-Nouri in the last two matches.

With Ait-Nouri likely to miss out again in Gameweek 6, O'Reilly should start. However, managers might want to look outside the under-23 players for those with the most potential for returns. The rules of this week's challenge means that managers can only select one player from each Premier League side.

Therefore if managers want to select the likes of Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland they wouldn't be able to select either Truffert or O'Reilly. 

With the one-player restrictions, Calafiori and Livramento are the best under-23 options, despite playing each other. 

Midfielders

There are a trio of under-23 options from Tottenham Hotspur. Xavi Simons, Lucas Bergvall and Pape Sarr all have excellent potential for returns against a Wolverhampton Wanderers defence who have conceded 12 goals already, with only West Ham letting in more.

Though Xavi was benched for Spurs in Gameweek 5, managers have the benefit of being able to switch to a different player in FPL Challenge if Spurs rotate ahead of their UEFA Champions League match next week, as they are able to see the line-ups and make alterations until kick-off.

Despite three fewer appearances, Xavi has had more attempts on goal (four) than both Bergvall and Sarr (three). Bergvall and Xavi have also both created two chances, compared to one for Sarr.

Xavi has the additional appeal of set-piece threat from corners and free-kicks. Opponents Wolves have conceded 21 attempts from set-pieces in the opening five matches.  

Chelsea's Moises Caicedo is another player to have returned in all five Gameweeks. His average of 6.6 points per match is only bettered at Chelsea by Trevoh Chalobah and Joao Pedro, who are both over the threshold to benefit from having their points doubled this week.

In addition Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch heads into Gameweek 6 in great form. Gravenberch registered 15 points against Everton last weekend, making him the joint-highest points scorer in Gameweek 5. The Liverpool midfielder now has three attacking returns this season. 

Jeremy Doku also has an attractive fixture against Burnley and will see his points doubled. Doku has been Man City's most creative player this season, having made nine chances for his team-mates.

However, if Haaland is on the teamsheet for Man City on Saturday, managers will likely want to opt for the forward and this would rule out picking Doku. 

Forwards 

There are two regular starting forwards who will benefit from having their points double this week.

Newcastle's Nick Woltemade has started every game since signing for Newcastle, and in the continued absence of Yoane Wissa, looks set to lead the Newcastle frontline against Arsenal. However, Arsenal's defensive solidity makes Woltemade a difficult pick.

Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko has had a difficult start to his Premier League career, with no attacking returns in the opening five matches. Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike would have been a popular choice with managers, however he is now suspended for Gameweek 6 following his red card in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. 

Managers might want to keep an eye on Chelsea's teamsheet because if Cole Palmer misses out, Marc Guiu could get his first start of the season. If he does, it could be an interesting under-23 pick. 

Despite being an injury concern, Haaland looks likely to be a better pick than all of the under-23 forwards. The Man City forward is the highest-scoring player in the game, he has scored the most goals and produced the most attempts on goal. It should be noted though that he will not score double points as he is aged over 23. 

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