The Scout highlights the main takeaways from the nine matches played in Gameweek 8 of Fantasy Premier League so far.
Invest in Arsenal’s set-piece threats
Arsenal's huge threat from free-kicks and corners once again made the difference in their 1-0 win at Fulham, with Gabriel's (£6.3m) assist for Leandro Trossard’s (£6.9m) winner taking the centre-back to the top of the defender standings on 59 points.
Mikel Arteta’s side were ranked top for goals from corners last season, scoring 14 of them, and they are already HALFWAY towards matching that total after Gameweek 8.
Investing in the aerial threat of Gabriel or Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m), combined with the delivery of Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) and Declan Rice (£6.6m), could prove the best way of profiting from the Gunners’ growing threat from set-pieces.
Defensive contributions add to Saka's appeal
Arsenal winger Saka was not involved in their goal yet still emerged from Craven Cottage with a seven-point haul.
Saka made 13 defensive contributions to collect two points, marking the first time this season that he has profited from the new metric, and only furthering his appeal as a premium midfielder.
The England star also created six chances in the 1-0 victory to collect two bonus points, and he picked up a further one point for the clean sheet, Arsenal’s fifth of 2025/26.
Haaland an automatic pick as captain
A massive 6.3million managers captained Erling Haaland (£14.6m) at home to Everton, almost 4.8m more than his nearest rival Mohamed Salah (£14.4m).
Manchester City’s frontman became the most-selected player in Fantasy over the international break and is now found in a hefty 65 per cent of squads.
His two goals and 13 points against the Toffees means that Haaland has now returned eight or more points in seven of his eight outings.
That consistently high points ceiling, combined with his huge ownership, looks to have ended any debate over who should wear the captain's armband in Fantasy right now.
Get ready for Palace pair in Gameweek 10
Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.6m) and Daniel Munoz (£5.6m) are set to be major targets when Crystal Palace’s schedule turns favourable in Gameweek 10.
Both players delivered their season-high hauls in the Eagles’ 3-3 draw against AFC Bournemouth, with Mateta’s hat-trick earning him 17 points, while wing-back Munoz supplied a pair of assists to collect 10 points.
The pair’s statistics also show why they could soon be must-haves in Fantasy. Mateta had six big chances – situations where the player is expected to score – against Bournemouth. To put that into perspective, only two players – Haaland and Antoine Semenyo (£8.0m) – have had more big chances across the whole season so far.
Munoz, meanwhile, has produced 11 shots and 10 shots in the box this season, putting him second on both counts among defenders.
Any immediate enthusiasm should be tempered, however, as Palace’s visit to Arsenal in Gameweek 9 limits their potential at both ends of the pitch.
From Gameweek 10, though, Oliver Glasner’s side have three home matches and visits to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley in their subsequent five fixtures.
Kroupi could be a budget gem
Managers have been placed on alert after Bournemouth’s budget forward Eli Kroupi (£4.5m) scored twice in his first start of 2025/26 against Palace.
The Frenchman was afforded the chance to impress in the absence of his injured strike rival Evanilson (£7.0m) and seized his opportunity with a 12-point haul.
Kroupi now has three goals in just 95 minutes this season and, while his goal conversion rate of 60 per cent is clearly unsustainable, Evanilson’s struggles are laid bare by the numbers. The Brazilian has one goal and an assist in 617 minutes, converting just 6.7 per cent of his shots.
While it’s too early to get carried away, there’s no doubt that Kroupi’s ultra-low price could have a significant impact on managers’ plans if he retains his starting place.
Managers rushing to Woltemade
Nick Woltemade (£7.4m) is the No 1 target for managers ahead of Friday’s 18:30 BST deadline.
The Newcastle United forward’s sublime finish against Brighton & Hove Albion took his tally to four goals in five outings for the Magpies and has earned him 307,000 new owners for his home match with Fulham.
Crucially, Gameweek 8 marked the first time that Woltemade has earned back-to-back 90-minute outings since arriving on Tyneside over the summer, an indication he is less likely to be withdrawn late on in matches.
By contrast, Anthony Gordon’s (£7.4m) minutes continue to be managed by Eddie Howe, with the winger’s last 90-minute outing coming back in Gameweek 1. As evidenced in Gameweek 7, this could prove a decisive factor when considering the Magpies’ attack, as Gordon’s early withdrawal allowed Woltemade to take and score a penalty against Nottingham Forest.
Newcastle’s great long-term schedule could now give Woltemade the chance to establish himself as a key figure in managers’ forward lines. Nonetheless, with Mateta and Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m) also looking like strong picks alongside Haaland, there’s no shortage of options right now.
Joao Pedro sales continue as James gets more attacking returns for Chelsea
Sales of Chelsea’s Joao Pedro (£7.5m) are picking up after the Brazilian blanked for the fourth straight Gameweek in their 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest.
Despite his disappointing form, the forward is the third most-owned player in Fantasy, found in just under 60 per cent of squads. Many of those FPL managers are likely to hold on to him for Chelsea’s home match with Sunderland in Gameweek 9, before then moving to Mateta.
Reece James (£5.4m), on the other hand, has the form, fixtures and, more importantly, fitness to make a big impact in the upcoming period.
While the right-back’s injury history has made him too risky a pick for managers in the past, it’s worth noting that James has started and played 90 minutes in each of the last four Gameweeks.
Certainly, his 18-pointer against Forest – courtesy of a goal, an assist, a clean sheet and three bonus points – will get the headlines. Yet James has also supplied an assist in two of those other four matches, as well as collecting two defensive contribution points.
If James can stay fit, Chelsea’s run of opponents could reward backers with big returns. Their home clash with Sunderland is one of three against promoted clubs over the next six Gameweeks.
Promoted clubs increase impact of Bench Boost chip
More than 289,000 FPL managers played their Bench Boost chip in Gameweek 8, with Burnley’s home clash against Leeds United one of the main draws due to the popularity of the Clarets’ goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (£4.0m).
The Slovakian – who is the most-picked goalkeeper in Fantasy with an ownership of 34 per cent – rewarded those managers with his season-best haul of nine points in the 2-0 win, combining a clean sheet with one save point and two bonus points.
But it wasn’t all about Dubravka among the promoted sides, with his midfield team-mate Florentino (£5.0m) also excelling.
The Portuguese midfielder extended his 100 per cent record for defensive contributions when starting – he’s started the last four matches and hit the threshold in all of them. Added to an assist, he picked up eight points.
Sunderland, meanwhile, now boast the top THREE players for value in Fantasy in terms of points per million spent.
Their 2-0 home win over Wolves took their No 1 Robin Roefs (£4.6m) to the top of the goalkeeper standings on 48 points.
In defence, Nordi Mukiele (£4.0m) delivered a bumper 17-point haul, courtesy of a goal, a clean sheet, two defensive contribution points and three bonus points. That took him to 44 points, just one behind his fellow Sunderland centre-back Omar Alderete (£4.1m) among the nine top-scoring defenders.
Midfielder Granit Xhaka (£5.0m) extended his consistent season with two more defensive contribution points. The Swiss has produced at least four points in six of the first eight Gameweeks.
Sunderland’s home fixture against Leeds in Gameweek 18 will offer another strong opportunity for those who are yet to play the Bench Boost chip, although the Black Cats' displays actually show their stars merit places in FPL starting XIs right now, rather than being on the bench.
Time to sell Spurs defenders
Managers are selling Tottenham Hotspur's popular defenders after their run of matches without a clean sheet was extended to four against Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon.
Micky van de Ven (£4.8m), Pedro Porro (£5.6m) and Cristian Romero (£5.1m) are all among the five most-sold defenders following their 2-1 home loss.
As the most-owned defender in Fantasy, Van de Ven has proven a huge disappointment to his 32 per cent backers, with a mere five points in the last four Gameweeks. That’s in stark contrast to Spurs’ fine start under Thomas Frank, when they claimed three clean sheets in the first four matches of his tenure.
Their upcoming schedule suggests this exodus will only continue, with Spurs facing Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle among their opponents in the next six Gameweeks.