The Scout is tipping five players for big success in Blank Gameweek 34 (BGW34) of 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League ahead of Saturday's 11:00 BST deadline.
Marc Cucurella (Chelsea) £5.4m
Chelsea host Everton in the first match of BGW34. The Blues are unbeaten in their last seven home matches, winning five and keeping three clean sheets.
Five of Cucurella's six attacking returns have come at Stamford Bridge, including four goals in his last nine home starts. The Spaniard also found the net in Chelsea's most recent UEFA Conference League match.
Over the last six Gameweeks, Cucurella sits second for penalty-box touches among defenders, with 21, emphasising his strong goal threat.
Chelsea's underlying defensive data has been very strong over the last six Gameweeks. Only Liverpool, with 3.54, have a lower Expected Goals (xG) in that time than Chelsea's 4.20, while the Blues rank joint-second for big chances conceded, with seven.
Cucurella's BGW34 opponents, Everton, have scored just four goals in their last six matches and rank in the bottom half for both big chances, with 10, and an xG of 6.43 during that run.
Matheus Cunha (Wolves) £6.9m
Since returning from suspension in Gameweek 32, Cunha has picked up a goal, an assist and five bonus points, despite playing just 110 minutes.
The Brazilian is enjoying his best-ever season in Fantasy, delivering 158 points so far, a tally underpinned by strong underlying data.
Only Erling Haaland (£14.8m) has had more shots among forwards, while no forward has created more big chances over the season than Cunha's 12.
This creativity benefits him in the Bonus Points System (BPS), no forward who has started three matches or more can better Cunha's 6.6 minutes per baseline bonus point. This has earned the Brazilian 38 bonus points in 25 starts this season.
Cunha looks primed for a third consecutive attacking return in BGW34 against a Leicester City who are without a clean sheet since Gameweek 7.
Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford) £7.9m
Sold by more than 1.5 million Fantasy managers since Gameweek 29, Mbeumo moved up to second in the overall Fantasy points standings with a stunning 18-point haul in Double Gameweek 33.
The Cameroonian passed 200 points in a season for the first time in his Fantasy career thanks to two goals and an assist against Brighton, his 17th and 18th goals of the season. Mbeumo also carries high assist potential, only two midfielders have created more big chances over the last six Gameweeks.
In BGW34, Mbeumo faces a Nottingham Forest defence that looked unusually ragged against Tottenham Hotspur, conceding an xG of 1.76, and will be coming off the back of a tricky FA Cup semi-final tie against Manchester City.
With favourable upcoming fixtures, especially match-ups against three bottom-seven sides in Wolverhampton Wanderers, Manchester United and Ipswich Town; Mbeumo is a solid selection in BGW34 for those who are using their Free Hit chip, or aren't.
Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham) £4.1m
Currently owned by fewer than two per cent of Fantasy managers, Sessegnon looks the ideal high-upside differential for those playing their Free Hit chip in BGW34.
Since forcing his way into Marco Silva's starting XI in Gameweek 31, Sessegnon has played on the right-wing, despite being classified as a defender in FPL. In three starts, Sessegnon has picked up two attacking returns and a couple of bonus points.
It should be noted that Sessegnon was substituted in Gameweek 32 but has played beyond 60 minutes in two of his last three Gameweeks.
As shown in the table below, over the last three Gameweeks Sessegnon's out-of-position role has made him one of the most attacking defenders in the game.
Sessegnon's stats GW31-33 (rank among defenders)
| Stat | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| xG | 0.52 | =5th |
| Shots | 6 | 1st |
| Penalty-box touches | 19 | 1st |
| Points | 19 | =3rd |
In addition to Sessegnon's threat going forward, a game against Southampton provides strong potential for a clean sheet. Only Leicester have produced a lower xG over the course of the season than the Saints' 30.13.
Harvey Barnes (Newcastle) £6.0m
Over the last six Gameweeks Barnes has made the most of Anthony Gordon's (£7.4m) absence and is the top points scorer in Fantasy, with 51 points in seven starts.
In that time, the Newcastle winger has racked up four goals, four assists and four bonus points. Despite this red-hot form, Barnes is owned by fewer than five per cent of Fantasy managers.
Among midfielders, only Salah has registered a higher Expected Goal Involvement (xGI) in the last six Gameweeks than Barnes' 4.29, while no midfielder can better the Newcastle man's 18 shots in the box.
In BGW34, Newcastle face an Ipswich defence that will be without the suspended Leif Davis (£4.2m) and has conceded the most xG in all away matches across the season, while only Man City have scored more home goals than the Magpies.
