Fantasy football scout tips gameweek 17: Harry Kane, Charlie Austin, Jonjoe Kenny, Heung-Min Son and more

Saturday looked like it would bring another disappointing afternoon at Wembley for Harry Kane, but then came a second-half brace against Stoke City that was welcomed by the many fantasy managers who had captained him.

Can the Golden Boot winner for the last two years running finally find some consistency in front of goal? If he can, it would go some way to solving our long-running selection headache up front.

Tottenham Hotspur’s visitors on Wednesday are Brighton and Hove Albion who, after conceding seven goals in their last two games, look ripe to be on the wrong end of another Kane haul.

With Sam Allardyce’s arrival at Everton, we hoped a squad full of cheap assets would start producing results and though it remains early days, the signs are promising.

Though Dominic Calvert-Lewin offers an inexpensive alternative up front, we are more taken by Everton’s defence and particularly full-back Jonjoe Kenny.

Though likely to drop out once Seamus Coleman eventually returns, Kenny is a steal until then at just £4.3m and Allardyce’s well-organised side seem capable of shutting out Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

The leading budget option in attack appears to be Southampton’s Charlie Austin, who has four goals in his last four and the only member of Mauricio Pellegrino’s squad able to find the net with any consistency.

Three tough away fixtures at Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United are a concern but on Wednesday, Leicester City travel to St Mary’s before visits from poor travellers Huddersfield Town and Crystal Palace.

For those playing a 3-5-2 formation, Austin is an ideal ‘third striker’, able to deputise in weeks like this one when managers feel the force of injuries and rotation.

Sticking with the same match, Leicester’s Demarai Gray is also worthy of our consideration.

Claude Puel has entrusted the youngster with starts since his arrival in the east Midlands and has been repaid in kind, with two goals in his last two.

Many managers will need to see more before they break the current midfield template but at just £5.3m, Gray is a budget option to keep a close eye on.

After his exploits against Stoke, notching a goal and two assists, Heung-Min Son has seen a surge of interest in his services.

The South Korean will tempt those who are playing catch up in their mini-leagues as he is owned by just 3 per cent of managers and on Saturday, he was central to everything Tottenham did going forward.

Son is a player Mauricio Pochettino often likes to rotate and he has a blank in gameweek 21 to consider, so playing time is a concern. For those forced to take risks though, he is one to consider.

After tipping a Watford defender last time out and failing spectacularly with the injured Kiko Femenia, here’s hoping the same fate does not befall Christian Kabasele.

There’s a lot of competition in the budget defender ranks at the moment and no clear path to follow, but Watford’s generous Christmas period suggests we should consider at least one of their backline.

Kabasele does not carry the same consistent attacking threat as Femenia, who is expected to return at the weekend, but has a decent chance of returning a first clean sheet in three away to Crystal Palace this week.