The Scout is tipping five players for big success in Gameweek 17 of 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League, ahead of Saturday's 11:00 GMT deadline.
Alex Iwobi (Fulham) £5.7m
The Gameweek 17 visit of Southampton marks the start of favourable run of fixtures for Fulham.
Five of the Cottagers' next six matches score two in the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR).
Iwobi is increasingly looking like the safest route into the Fulham attack, with Raul Jimenez (£5.5m) and Emile Smith Rowe (£5.5m) potentially at risk of rotation over the busy Christmas period.
An ever-present in Marco Silva's line-up this season, Iwobi averages 86.9 minutes per start in 2024/25. Smith Rowe and Jimenez, by contrast, average just 74.4 and 76.8 minutes when they do make their head coach's starting XI.
It's not just game time guarantees that Iwobi offers, however.
Over the last six Gameweeks, the Nigeria international is Fulham's leading player for shots (12), shots in the box (nine), chances created (nine) and Expected Goal Involvement (xGI), with a score of 2.09.
His total of 78 FPL points is also more than any other £6.0m and under midfielder this season.
Iwobi's first goal v Brighton
Forcing the error. 👊 pic.twitter.com/g0Jmd2O2LN
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) December 6, 2024
Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) £6.6m
High-flying Nottingham Forest have just finished a tricky six-Gameweek run in which they encountered five of last season's top eight.
Despite chances being at a premium during this period, Wood still emerged with another two goals to his name.
He will now expect more opportunities to fall his way and add to his total of 10 goals this season.
Forest's next two opponents, Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur, rank in the bottom eight for Expected Goals Conceded (xGC) in 2024/25.
Only three teams have conceded more goals than the Bees, too.
Matches against the three clubs sitting 16th or lower in the Premier League table then follow across Gameweeks 19-22.
Wood's clinical edge separates him from many other forwards vying for Fantasy managers' attention.
The New Zealand international has scored with 35.7 per cent of his shots this season, a goal conversion rate that is superior to every other forward except Yoane Wissa (£6.2m).
Anthony Gordon (Newcastle) £7.2m
The Newcastle United winger is starting to recapture some of the form that made him such a popular pick in FPL last season.
Gordon has one goal and two assists over his last three starts, doubling his attacking returns in 2024/25 Fantasy in the process.
Over the last four Gameweeks, only three players can better Gordon's combined total of 19 shots and chances created.
While the upcoming fixtures may appear to be a mixed bag for the Magpies, Ipswich Town - who host Newcastle in Gameweek 17 - haven't kept a clean sheet on home soil all season.
Then comes the visit of Aston Villa, who are without a single shutout on the road.
Meanwhile, Gameweek 20 opponents Spurs have conceded 15 goals over their last five encounters with Eddie Howe's side. Beyond that, there are four matches that score two in the FDR between Gameweeks 21-24.
John McGinn (Aston Villa) £5.2m
Morgan Rogers (£5.3m), who is owned by 19 per cent of Fantasy managers, has been, and remains, a popular pick in FPL this season.
But McGinn, sat in fewer than one per cent of squads, has been outshining his team-mate recently - at least in terms of underlying numbers.
Over the last six Gameweeks, McGinn beats Rogers for xGI (2.27 to 1.81), shots (12 to 9), shots in the box (nine to four), chances created (12 to 11) and big chances created (four to one).
McGinn has two assists to show for his efforts over this period.
A recent tactical tweak from Unai Emery, in which both of his full-backs are pushed very high and wide up the flanks, has been favourable for McGinn, who has been able to take up some more threatening positions alongside Villa's central striker.
The upcoming visit of Manchester City would usually be a daunting one, but the champions have conceded two or more goals in six of their last seven Premier League contests.
As a cheap fifth midfielder, McGinn can be started by his FPL owners in the more favourable matches over the festive period (Gameweeks 17 and 19-21).
Levi Colwill (Chelsea) £4.6m
No team has a more appealing run of fixtures than Chelsea over the coming six Gameweeks, with all of their matches over this period scoring two in the FDR.
Fantasy managers seeking out a budget-friendly defender, perhaps to replace the suspended Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.8m), should consider Colwill.
He's started more Premier League matches than any other Chelsea defender this season, his only benching coming in the Gameweek 14 win over Southampton.
The Blues have kept just three clean sheets so far this season, but only Liverpool and Arsenal have conceded fewer goals this season, so Enzo Maresca's side are one of the more reliable backlines in the division.
While Colwill's total of four shots is a modest one, his 15 penalty-box touches in 2024/25 highlight that he's still a threat at set-pieces.
