The Scout is tipping four players for big success in Gameweek 17 of 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League ahead of Saturday's 11:00 GMT deadline, to help managers gain an edge over their mini-league rivals.
With Manchester United star Bryan Mbeumo (£8.2m) and Everton's Iliman Ndiaye (£6.3m) having departed for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), managers could consider the three midfielders listed as possible replacements.
Antoine Semenyo (AFC Bournemouth) £7.5m
After a slight dip in output over the last two months, Semenyo is starting to show signs of his early-season form.
The winger scored against Man Utd on Monday, ending his eight-match wait for a goal.
But his underlying data remains impressive.
Over the last four Gameweeks, his total of 11 shots in the box is the second-highest among midfielders.
And a total of nine chances created over the same period puts him among the top 10 players in his position.
Up next for Semenyo and Bournemouth is the visit of a Burnley side that haven’t kept a clean sheet away from home this season. No club have conceded more than their 23 goals on the road.
A week later, it's a trip to a Brentford, who have conceded in each of their last seven home matches.
While the fixtures aren’t so kind thereafter, owning a secure starter over the hectic festive season, when rotation could be rife elsewhere, means the Ghanaian is worth holding.
Semenyo has not been benched once in 2025/26, lasting 90 minutes in all 15 of his starts.
Rayan Cherki (Man City) £6.5m
With Jeremy Doku (£6.5m) set to be sidelined until Gameweek 20 at the earliest, Cherki's short-term starting prospects look strong.
Cherki is enjoying a purple patch at present, providing seven assists in as many Gameweeks, while he scored a stunner in Wednesday night’s 2-0 win over Brentford in the EFL Cup.
Over the last seven Gameweeks, he's created 15 opportunities for others, with five of those classed as “big chances” - situations where the player is expected to score. That total is only bettered by one other midfielder, team-mate Doku.
When Cherki is assured of game-time, which looks likely over the next two Gameweeks at the very least, he generally delivers. The Frenchman averages 6.2 points per start in 2025/26 Fantasy, which is better than any other Fantasy midfielder bar another team-mate, Phil Foden (£8.8m).
Cherki could even improve on that average this weekend. Manchester City's opponents in Gameweek 17, West Ham United, have yet to keep a clean sheet since Nuno Espirito Santo took over.
There is often a suggested risk of rotation when it comes to City players. However, Pep Guardiola has stuck with a pretty settled side lately. In fact, across the last seven Gameweeks, he's used fewer players in his starting line-up (12) than any other Premier League manager.
With the injured Doku being one of those dozen players, Cherki's place looks relatively secure for now.
Harry Wilson (Fulham) £5.6m
After being bought by almost 800,000 managers between Gameweeks 15 and 16, this week’s top target looks set to be the Fulham winger.
Wilson comes in at a low price but is delivering premium-level returns. He has three goals and four assists over his last four appearances, producing an eye-catching 16-point haul at Burnley last weekend.
Indeed, from Gameweek 13 onwards, only Foden and Bruno Fernandes (£9.3m) beat the 28-year-old for FPL points and double-digit scores.
All three have a joint-best seven attacking returns during this period.
The Wales international is establishing himself in the Fulham side, starting the last 12 matches in which he’s been available for. His minutes should be even more assured while team-mates Alex Iwobi (£6.4m) and Samuel Chukwueze (£5.3m) are at AFCON.
Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton) £4.6m
The Brighton centre-back offers an exciting mix of good form and promising fixtures.
Over the last 10 Gameweeks, Van Hecke has produced three clean sheets, three goals, one assist and four defensive contribution points.
During this period, his 55 points rank fifth among all defenders.
Across all of 2025/26, Crystal Palace’s injured wing-back Daniel Munoz (£5.9m) is the only defender to better Van Hecke’s seven shots on target, with the Dutchman providing a considerable attacking threat.
Brighton have favourable matches against Sunderland, West Ham and Burnley over the next four Gameweeks.
Meanwhile, Fantasy managers with low-priced Sunderland or Leeds United defenders on their benches could start one of those instead of Van Hecke in Gameweek 18, when Brighton visit Arsenal.