Fantasy football scout tips gameweek 12: Alvaro Morata, David de Gea, Richarlison, Wilfried Zaha and more

How many of this week's picks are in your team?

After a two-week international break, the Premier League is finally back and it returns at full pelt.

There are 11 rounds of fixtures in the space of just over six weeks, which means twice as much tinkering for fantasy managers as usual.

This may well be where the season is won and lost, so get off to the best start possible and assess our scout picks for gameweek 12.

Alvaro Morata

Of all the premium price strikers, Romelu Lukaku has the best fixture on paper but his recent drought makes us hesitant.

Harry Kane has a great record in the north London derby, home and away, but has let us down too many times this season. We are, as ever, in the dark as to whether Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus will start up front for Manchester City.

It leaves us with Alvaro Morata, who is likely to be hot property in a few weeks’ time once a trip to Anfield is out of the way. Before that, the Chelsea frontman plays a out-of-sorts West Bromwich Albion who could well be there for taking.

Perhaps now is the time to invest in Morata before the masses do.

Richarlison

It is a trip to Vicarage Road up first for David Moyes. Judging by Watford’s cavalier style and the defending on show for Slaven Bilic’s final game a fortnight ago, this weekend could see some punishment for West Ham United.

Again, we are backing one of the break-out stars of this fantasy season, Richarlison, who has risen to £6.5m during the internationals. It is still a fair price to pay for a midfielder who takes shot after shot but can be wasteful at time.

After notching against Everton last time out, we are hoping he beat Joe Hart and find the net again.

Charlie Daniels

As pointed out in these pages earlier this week, Bournemouth’s fixtures enjoy a favourable swing over the next few.

Eddie Howe’s side have conceded three goals in their last four but remember two of those games were against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, and the last time out they walked away from St James’ Park with a clean sheet.

Charlie Daniels is the Cherries defender with the most attacking potential and his price recently dropped to a tidy £4.8m.

David de Gea

Nick Pope has served many of us well over the last few weeks but with Burnley’s fixtures soon taking a turn for the worse, it may be time to break with tradition and bring in a premium goalkeeper.

Manchester United’s defence has been too good to ignore this season for those of us sweating on Phil Jones’ fitness, David de Gea promises us the same clean sheets along with saves and bonus points.

Newcastle United should not provide too much threat this weekend, nor should Brighton and Hove Albion the week after.

Wilfried Zaha

Bournemouth are not the only side with a positive fixture swing. Crystal Palace’s schedule gives them the chance to make up a lot of ground and if there’s one player who will drag them out of the bottom three, it is Wilfried Zaha.

Christian Benteke’s back in training, so Zaha is not assured of starting up top against Everton at Selhurst Park, but the Ivory Coast international still looks like a sound pick, with two goals in his last four starts since returning from injury.

After Everton, it’s Stoke City at home for Zaha, followed by Brighton (A), West Bromwich (A) and Bournemouth (H). By the end of that run, he should have made his way into many a manager’s squad.

Alberto Moreno

Another survivor from our last round of picks. Alberto Moreno may not have picked up a clean sheet against West Ham United but that was hardly his fault and, in any case, Liverpool’s defensive record at home is excellent.

Just one goal conceded at Anfield all season gives us hope that a goal-shy Southampton will not threaten too much when the two sides meet there on Saturday afternoon.

Moreno, never backward in coming forward, carries attacking potential too.