The Scout helps managers in Fantasy Premier League plan ahead by highlighting clubs with fixture swings from Gameweek 14 onwards. Remember, you can now save up to FIVE free transfers.
Brentford
With Brentford emerging as a free-scoring surprise package this season, managers have brought in Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m) in their droves over the course of the first 12 Gameweeks.
The Cameroon international sits fifth in the overall standings on 79 points and is the fourth most-owned player in Fantasy, found in 41 per cent of squads.
But Mbeumo’s attacking potential looks set to be severely put to the test following his home encounter with Leicester City this weekend.
Brentford will face EIGHT of the current top 10 sides in their subsequent nine matches in a brutal run that lasts all the way through until mid-January.
That schedule is also reflected by the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), with only one of their nine matches from Gameweek 14 scoring just two - that's in Gameweek 20, at Southampton.
Brentford's fixtures GW14-22
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
| 14 | Aston Villa (A) | 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Newcastle (H) | 3 |
| 16 | Chelsea (A) | 4 |
| 17 | Nott'm Forest (H) | 3 |
| 18 | Brighton (A) | 3 |
| 19 | Arsenal (H) | 5 |
| 20 | Southampton (A) | 2 |
| 21 | Man City (H) | 5 |
| 22 | Liverpool (H) | 5 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Finding a replacement for Mbeumo is likely to be a priority for millions of managers in the upcoming period, given his huge ownership.
Brighton & Hove Albion pair Kaoru Mitoma (£6.4m) and Georginio Rutter (£5.6m) have the form and fixtures to provide cheaper options in midfield.
Mitoma took his tally to two goals and three assists for the season with his strike against AFC Bournemouth last weekend. Meanwhile, Rutter is the Seagulls' joint-top scorer in Fantasy on 43 points since making his full debut in Gameweek 4. He has blanked just TWICE over the last seven Gameweeks.
According to the FDR, four of Brighton's five matches from Gameweek 14 score only two.
Brighton's fixtures GW14-18
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Fulham (A) | 3 |
| 15 | Leicester (A) | 2 |
| 16 | Crystal Palace (H) | 2 |
| 17 | West Ham (A) | 2 |
| 18 | Brentford (H) | 2 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison (£7.6m) is among the very best like-for-like Mbeumo replacements. His two goals against Manchester City last weekend took Maddison to 68 points for the campaign, more than any team-mate.
West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen (£7.4m) is another strong solution at a similar price to Mbeumo. The Hammers' talisman has three goals and four assists so far this season and faces Leicester, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton across Gameweeks 14-18.
West Ham's fixtures GW14-18
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Leicester (A) | 2 |
| 15 | Wolves (H) | 2 |
| 16 | Bournemouth (A) | 3 |
| 17 | Brighton (H) | 2 |
| 18 | Southampton (A) | 2 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Staying on the subject of West Ham, Bowen's team-mate Lukasz Fabianski (£4.1m) could grow in popularity if he can maintain his form at his ultra-cheap price.
The Pole is the cheapest starting goalkeeper in Fantasy after claiming the No 1 spot ahead of Alphonse Areola (£4.3m) back in Gameweek 9. Fabianski has been quick to make an impact, keeping clean sheets against Everton and Newcastle United in West Ham's last two matches.
