The Scout builds a 15-man squad to help managers who are looking to play their Bench Boost chip in Gameweek 8 of Fantasy Premier League.
Over 137,000 managers currently have their Bench Boost chip active, allowing them to profit from the points of all 15 players in their squads.
Burnley’s home match against Leeds United is one of the main draws here, with the Clarets’ No 1 Martin Dubravka (£4.0m) the most-owned goalkeeper in Fantasy, found in 34 per cent of squads.
Players from promoted clubs such as Dubravka are typically kept on the bench in case of emergencies, but in a Gameweek where Sunderland are also at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, now could be the ideal time to play the Bench Boost chip, if you still have it available.
The red-hot Erling Haaland (£14.5m) retains the armband, with Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m) named as vice-captain. All four players on the bench are from promoted clubs.
Alphonse Areola (West Ham) £4.3m
The arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach of West Ham United lifts the appeal of their backline after the Portuguese steered Nottingham Forest to 13 clean sheets last season. A cost of £4.3m makes Areola a bargain buy for Nuno’s first home match in charge against Brentford on Monday evening.
Gabriel (Arsenal) £6.3m
Arsenal’s centre-back offers multiple routes to returns at Fulham. Gabriel has produced at least nine points in three of the last four Gameweeks, thanks to a goal, two clean sheets, six defensive contribution points and five bonus points.
Josko Gvardiol (Man City) £5.9m
The Manchester City defender has 24 points over the last four Gameweeks since returning from injury. Owned by just five per cent of managers, Gvardiol has the form and fixture to make a big impact in mini-leagues, with Pep Guardiola’s side entertaining Everton on Saturday afternoon.
Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea) £5.1m
Chelsea’s centre-back visits a Forest side who have scored just a single goal in their four league matches under Ange Postecoglou. Chalobah also offers a decent goal threat, with his six shots in the box bettered by just three other defenders in Fantasy.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) £9.9m
The Arsenal star's converted penalty against West Ham last time out suggests the winger could have kept his role as their first choice for penalties ahead of Viktor Gyokeres (£9.1m). Saka also faces Burnley and Sunderland over the next four Gameweeks, highlighting his huge potential during the upcoming spell.
Antoine Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth) £7.9m
AFC Bournemouth’s star visits Crystal Palace with a 21-point advantage at the top of the midfielder standings, producing six goals, three assists and 66 points. Semenyo’s 17 shots, 15 shots in the box and six big chances – or situations where the player is expected to score – all rank first in his position in Fantasy, taking his ownership to over 60 per cent.
Mohammed Kudus (Spurs) £6.8m
Tottenham Hotspur’s summer signing welcomes Aston Villa on the back of one goal and three assists over his last three matches. As Spurs’ first-choice taker for free-kicks and corners, he will pose a big threat to a Villa side who have conceded 34 shots from set-pieces across their seven matches, the fourth-most in the league.
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea) £6.7m
Chelsea’s Argentinian has three goals and two assists this season and will be on penalty duties if he recovers from a knee problem as Cole Palmer (£10.3m) misses out again due to injury.
Erling Haaland (Man City) £14.5m
The Norwegian has become the most-owned player in Fantasy over the international break, with over 61 per cent holding Haaland for Man City's home encounter with Everton. His 28 shots, 27 shots in the box and 14 big chances are all league-leading figures and show just why he’ll be the top captain pick for Gameweek 8.
Joao Pedro (Chelsea) £7.7m
A visit to Forest gives Chelsea’s Brazilian the chance to get back to his best. Postecoglou’s side have conceded a league-high 15 big chances during his four matches in charge and are among only three sides without a clean sheet all season.
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) £7.7m
The West Ham talisman's ability to hoover up bonus points lifts his appeal as a captaincy option against Brentford. Bowen has scored in three of the last five Gameweeks and earned maximum bonus on each occasion.
Bench
Martin Dubravka (Burnley) £4.0m
The Clarets host a Leeds side who have failed to score in two of their three away matches this season.
Nordi Mukiele (Sunderland) £4.0m
Sunderland’s centre-back has collected defensive contribution points in four of his five matches this season. Mukiele can also deliver a clean sheet against a Wolves side who have scored only one goal across their three away matches.
Granit Xhaka (Sunderland) £5.0m
The midfielder’s three assists and eight defensive contribution points have made him one of the most consistent players in Fantasy. Xhaka has returned four or more points in five of his seven matches.
Joe Rodon (Leeds) £4.1m
A third clean sheet of the season could be on the cards for the centre-back against Burnley. Leeds have conceded just nine big chances, the joint-third best record in the league.