Captains Picks Fantasy Football Gameweek 21 – Fantasy Premier League 2014/15
Welcome to Gameweek 21 and 2015. Can it really be 2015? Remember Y2K? The electronic apocalypse! Our bank accounts would magically disappear, electricity, heat and running water would be a thing of the past, and life as we knew it would cease. Instead we got cheap champagne, some knob playing Prince’s “1999” one last time and a midnight kiss from some broad with a snaggletooth. Fifteen years on, Apple has taken over the world, “reality” TV has destroyed that entertainment medium and it turns out Pluto was never a planet. Where has the time gone?
We hope you survived the Holiday fixture madness, slept off the New Year’s Day hangover and put away all the Christmas albums for another year (though we give you permission to keep “Fairytale of New York” in your regular music queue). It’s been tough to getting back to work and, while we can’t cover for you when you drag yourself through your work’s side door fifteen minutes late, we can help you tackle more important matters: who wears the captain’s band this week? We’ve done the work so you don’t have to!
Without further ado, let’s take a look at our options…
FIXTURES
Sunderland v. Liverpool
Burnley v. QPR
Chelsea v. Newcastle
Everton v. Manchester City
Leicester v. Aston Villa
Swansea v. West Ham
West Brom v. Hull
Crystal Palace v. Spurs
Arsenal v. Stoke
Manchester United v. Southampton
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[/three_fourth]Alexis Sanchez (home vs Stoke)
Despite tallying just three points in his last two league games Arsenal’s Energizer Bunny makes our list. Despite an obvious need for a day off the Chilean will undoubtedly feature in an Arsenal side that practically picks itself due to a litany of injuries at nearly every position. Away from home, Stoke will be happy to play to a draw while Arsenal will be keen for revenge after losing 2-3 at Mordor earlier this season. Sanchez’s tireless work rate and knack for being in the right place at the right time makes him a constant threat to score or provide an assist, and we think him Arsenal’s best bet to score against the mighty Orc Army and their revolutionary 10-1-0 formation.
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[/three_fourth]Harry Kane (away vs Crystal Palace)
With five goals, three assists and ten bonus points in his last five games it should shock no one to see the Tottenham youngster on this list. His offensive explosion has seen his price jump from £5.0 to £5.6 in that same time period. Crystal Palace has shipped the third-most goals at home this season and has a new manager. Spurs come to town brimming with confidence after playing to a scoreless tie against United and putting five on the board against Chelsea. This one could get ugly early, and we expect Kane to be in the middle of it all.
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[/three_fourth]David Silva (away vs Everton)
The miniscule midfielder has benefitted from the absence of Sergio Aguero, with Manuel Pellegrini granting the pocket-sized prowler the freedom to play further up the pitch. The results speak for themselves: diminutive David has scored four goals in City’s last five league games. The Elfin executioner travels to Everton to face a defense in complete disarray; the Toffees have allowed a second-worst 33 goals this season and are without goalkeeper Tim Howard until mid-February. Everton backup keeper Joel Robles yielded three goals to Newcastle and saw Hull score twice. This fixture sounds like a recipe for disaster. With Aguero out and Yaya Toure wasting his form at the Cup of African National Goblet Cups, we think the miniature midfielder will be the beneficiary.
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[/three_fourth]Cesc Fabregas (home vs Newcastle)
The second ex-Barcelona player to make our list this week, and you really have to wonder who is in charge of talent evaluation at the Camp Nou. Cesc’s performance this season has made his boyhood club look the fool. With 14 assists in just 19 games, Cesc is on track to shatter his career-best 20 assist effort in Arsenal’s 2007-08 campaign. While his goal-scoring may have dropped off – and if he didn’t play so deep for Chelsea he’d probably have more goals to his name – his vision and precision passing is as sharp as it’s always been. At home against Newcastle we expect him to provide at least an assist and may pick up a clean sheet as well.
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[/three_fourth]Eden Hazard (home vs Newcastle)
Yes, we are tipping another Chelsea midfielder for the captain’s armband and with good reason: Hazard has scored three times and added three assists in his last five league appearances. Meanwhile, Newcastle are a mess. Toon fans finally realized their dream of forcing Alan Pardew out. With Steven Taylor out (again), and Daryl Janmaat and Fabricio Coloccini nursing injuries, this Toon dream becomes a nightmare. We expect Chelsea to score early and often, and we think Hazard will provide the firepower to bring down Newcastle. We’re expecting a big day for the Belgian and think he’ll reward us with at least a goal, an assist and a few bonus points. Double that and you’re week is off to a good start.
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Honourable Mention
Charlie Austin (away vs Burnley)
With goal totals of 16, 25 and 17 in his last three seasons, it really shouldn’t surprise anyone that Austin has already tallied 12 goals this season. Despite relatively poor form away form – he’s scored just three goals away from Loftus Road – Austin hasn’t gone three straight league games this season without scoring a goal. Last week Burnley let Steven Taylor (12 goals in 8 seasons), and Jack Colback (6 goals in 7 seasons) score against them. Jason Shackell is questionable, Michael Duff is out, and Charlie Austin could have another multi-goal game.
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One-Week Punt: Ashley Barnes (home, QPR)
The Burnley forward has quietly tallied three goals in his last five league games. QPR comes to Turf Moor this weekend having conceded a league-high 22 goals away from home. It’s a match made in a claret-coloured, soon to be relegated heaven. Barnes will score a goal this week – you heard it here first.
Thanks for reading Captain’s Picks Fantasy Football Gameweek 21. This article was written by Lawdogg
Follow @PlanoGooner
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Should Valdes to United cause me to rethink DDG?
Not unless we’re planning on selling De Gea this month! Which is highly doubtful.
yeah, Valdes to United is really interesting though. With quality clubs that would love to fit him right in as a starter (ahem Arsenal) I don’t see why he would choose to sit on the bench with United. Especially with the form that DDG has discovered. Would have made sense to me this summer, but not right now.
It’s a bit of an odd one, that’s for sure. I’d love to know what sort of wage he’s on. That would tell the whole story i think, but it’s unlikely that that will be made public knowledge.
i think Arsenal is all set in goal – i was thinking he’d land at Liverpool and unseat Mignolet.
Hey gang, here’s a non-WC question! 1FT this week – who do I bring in for Bony?? Max of 8.5….Jovetic, Ings, Pelle…..
Guzan, Krul
Terry Zab, OShea, Shackell, Clyne
Haz, Sanchez, Siggy, Downing, Barton
Costa, Kane, Bony
Allo allo. Pelle or Giroud, for me. I’d lean toward Giroud this week due to the immediate fixture.
I’d say Jovetic as you have no City cover and i expect City to turn Everton over quite easily.
Cheers you two. I doubt I’ll go with Giroud as I don’t fancy doubling up on Arsenal attack. Stoke has been pretty stingy recently, no? I had planned on Jovetic for City cover but now the little voice keeps saying “Ings……Ings.”
Colriles,
For one week? A punt on Burnley.
Longer term, I like Pelle I have to say.
Cheers GP, it would prob be this gameweek and next before I wildcard.
When is kun back? Im reading some people are getting him in now using WC
Starfox, there are rumours that he could be on the bench this weekend.
Evening all,
Trying to plan a wc team incase kun comes back this week.
If you already had Sanchez and hazard in midfield would you go
1) adm + downing enabling azpi and Phil jones in defence
Or
2) cesc and adm meaning duff and Cameron in defence
I’m thinkng 1 coz I’mpretty sure the Che/utd defence combo plus downing will easily outscore cesc plus the Burnley/ stoke combo
Hope that makes sense!
Thoughts anyone?
hammers
I think you’re right and the first trio would outscore the other. Duff is injured any way.
Init,
A late, late question on flags and price protection. When you say “protection occurs only once that flag is removed not before.”, does this mean that one has to protect against price rises before the flag is dropped? I’m thinking of the possibility rumours that Aguero may be on the bench this weekend may spark some WC interest (and non-WC), and possibly increase Aguero’s price. Is this possible? (I’m on a tin dime here, fooling with a Wc play).
Thanks for this, and many other things.
KI, Aguero won’t be able to rise in price until 8 days after his red flag is removed. So if they remove his flag on Saturday let’s say, he wouldn’t go up at all the following game week. So if money’s very tight, just keep an eye on his status and watch for when that red flag is removed on the FPL site. You’ll have 8 days to get him in before he can rise from then.
Cheers Red, you got my back 😉
KI, for a full explanation I recommend this light reading, scroll down and this is covered within one of the questions but the rest is worth a read too to get a full understanding of it all –
http://www.fiso.co.uk/forum/crack-the-code-2014-15-the-fiso-guide-to-fpl-price-changes-t110979.html
Aguero red flag now removed
Still orange though. :p
Orange means longer protection right?
Why can’t bloody Kun stay injured for a little longer so I can activate my WILDCARD after the 17th.
RedVt and Init,
Many thanks for the clear explanations and light reading. It seriously helps.