FPL Gameweek 28 Scout Picks: Five doubles

It’s Gameweek 28 Scout Picks time as we finalize our Fantasy Premier League (FPL) player selection for the next round of fixtures.

The chosen XI is partly influenced by the Scout Squad entries of Neale, Tom F, Sam and Marc.

As usual, we are limited by certain restrictions:

A budget of £83.0 million for our starting XI
A total selection cap of £100.0 million
No more than three players per team

GAME WEEK 28 SCOUT PICKS

KEELER

FPL preseason: Kelleher + Damage injury updates, Henry starts

Kevin Kelleher (£4.7m) received unanimous support from our Scout Squad panel ahead of Brentford’s trip to Burnley. Keith Andrews’ side have kept a clean sheet in two of their last five away games and against a Burnley team ranked 20th in expected goals (xG, 22.72), Kelleher looks to be a safe pair of hands for Saturday afternoon’s showdown.

DEFENDERS

Senesi v Hill: Who is the best FPL defender to pick?

Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m) follows Kelleher in the Scout Picks, with the Dutchman one of Liverpool’s top aerial threats. West Ham United have of course made a habit of conceding on set play this season. The match is also attractive from a defensive perspective: even during their recent three-match unbeaten run, Nuno Espirito Santo’s troops have still only found the net three times.

Nico O’Reilly (£5.0m) is our preferred route to Manchester City’s backline as they prepare to face Leeds United. Although classified as a defender, Pep Guardiola has recently opted to play O’Reilly in central midfield, often placing him much higher up the pitch. He scored three times in his last two games, a period in which he scored seven shots, the most of any City player.

Above: Manchester City players sorted by shots in matchweeks 26 and 27

Bournemouth’s James Hill (£4.1m) retains its place in the Scout Picks. A home game against Sunderland, with a number of players injured, could potentially yield returns on both sides of the pitch on Saturday. The budget defender has provided three assists in his last five starts. Meanwhile, Sunderland are in the bottom two in terms of away goals in the 2025/26 season, having found the net just six times in 13 away games. Like van Dijk, Hill also has potential for defensive contribution points (DefCon).