The Scout helps managers in Fantasy Premier League to plan ahead for Gameweek 4 and beyond. Remember, you can now save up to FIVE free transfers.
Brighton & Hove Albion
The Seagulls have enjoyed a perfect start to their first season under Fabian Hurzeler, recording wins over Everton and Manchester United across their opening two matches.
A visit to Arsenal this weekend, however, shows why any investment in Brighton's key players should be temporarily put on ice.
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From Gameweek 4, though, Brighton embark on a run of three home matches over four Gameweeks, which gets under way with back-to-back encounters with Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest at Amex Stadium.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), both those matches score a mere two, underlining the potential for returns at both ends of the pitch.
Brighton's schedule from Gameweek 4
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Ipswich (H) | 2 |
| 5 | Nott'm Forest (H) | 2 |
| 6 | Chelsea (A) | 4 |
| 7 | Spurs (H) | 3 |
Hurzeler’s side can offer great value in Fantasy in attack, with Danny Welbeck (£5.6m) and Kaoru Mitoma (£6.6m) their top performers in 2024/25 Fantasy.
Welbeck’s two goals and an assist have helped him collect 21 points, just three points behind Erling Haaland (£15.1m) in the forward standings.
The underlying numbers also indicate why Welbeck has outperformed his fellow budget forward Joao Pedro (£5.5m) - he leads the Brazilian, who has 10 points so far in FPL, by five shots in the box to two, and by four key passes to two.
Similarly to Welbeck, Mitoma has attacking returns in both his appearances, totalling 14 points thanks to a goal and an assist. The Japanese winger has boasted the greatest goal threat of Brighton's midfielders, producing four shots in the box, while his two big chances are a team-leading total.
Yankuba Minteh and Simon Adingra (both £5.5m) offer a saving of £1.1m over Mitoma and could offer good value. At present, Minteh is the more secure pick of the pair – he has started both matches, supplying an assist against Everton in Gameweek 1. However, Adingra is surely pushing for a place in Hurzeler’s first XI after delivering attacking returns in both his outings off the bench this season.
At the back, Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) boasts a big threat from set-pieces and is the best budget pick – his 27 shots in the box and 21 headed shots both ranked among the top three defenders in 2023/24 Fantasy.
It’s worth noting, however, that Pervis Estupinan (£5.0m) has stepped up his recovery from injury, playing 19 minutes as a substitute in the 4-0 EFL Cup win over Crawley Town on Tuesday. As evidenced by his three goals and 10 assists in 46 starts across his two seasons with the Seagulls, the Ecuadorian’s greater all-round potential may justify the extra outlay over Dunk.
West Ham United
After falling to defeat at home to Aston Villa in their first match under Julen Lopetegui, West Ham bounced back with a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace in Gameweek 2.
Similarly to Brighton, the Hammers are a no-go area in Gameweek 3, when they play at home to Manchester City.
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Beyond that tough match-up, however, the schedule certainly suggests Lopetegui’s key players can be worth the investment in Fantasy.
According to the FDR, only one of their eight matches from Gameweek 4 scores more than three. That run starts with a trip to Fulham, with West Ham also facing kind match-ups against Brentford, Ipswich, along with Nott'm Forest and Everton in Gameweeks 10-11.
West Ham's schedule from Gameweek 4
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Fulham (A) | 3 |
| 5 | Chelsea (H) | 3 |
| 6 | Brentford (A) | 2 |
| 7 | Ipswich (H) | 2 |
Although Jarrod Bowen’s (£7.5m) goal against Palace last weekend is likely to earn him interest from managers in Fantasy, it’s worth noting that his strike at Selhurst Park was his only shot over the Hammers’ two matches.
Bowen has, nonetheless, been their most creative player, with his six key passes twice the total of any team-mate.
The Hammers’ new forward Niclas Fullkrug (£6.9m) continues to be eased into action following his summer arrival and is one to monitor for now.
Budget asset Tomas Soucek (£5.0m), by contrast, has been a huge goal threat for Lopetegui – his eight shots in the box are not only twice the total of any team-mate, they are also more than any other midfielder in Fantasy.
In defence, centre-back Max Kilman’s (£4.5m) threat at set-pieces can give him the edge over goalkeeper Alphonse Areola (£4.5m) as the standout pick from the backline.
Reunited with Lopetegui following their time together at Wolves, Kilman collected 12 points against Palace last weekend, combining his clean sheet with an assist and three bonus points.