Captains Picks Fantasy Football Gameweek 28 – Fantasy Premier League 2014/15
Just when you were still agonising and dissecting GW27 and had thoughts of spending days planning your next move, stop right there! GW28 starts on Tuesday, yep it’s another quick turnaround for us Fantasy addicts. Truly no rest for the wicked. Now I don’t know if you have heard but GW28 is actually DGW28 (*quiz show style ‘Wooooooo’*). Traditionally this sees us FPL managers purr at the delight of a huge weekly score. However, DGW28 only sees two sides playing twice, namely QPR and Spurs, so the opportunity for a blockbuster score may be limited, but one lives in hope with many pinning there captaincy badge on the obvious Harry Kane. But there are other candidates for the brave and those looking to go against the crowd – maybe a Spurs alternative, a gamble on Rangers, or maybe ignore the DGW and select someone with just one match, but an attractive one at that. So let’s have a quick glance at the fixtures and investigate the best choices for the armband this week.
The Fixtures
Aston Villa v West Bromwich Albion
Hull City v Sunderland
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Manchester City v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Manchester United
Queens Park Rangers v Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur v Swansea City
Stoke City v Everton
West Ham United v Chelsea
Liverpool v Burnley
Queens Park Rangers v Tottenham Hotspur
Now as mentioned above, GW28 contains our first double game week of the season in which QPR and Tottenham play two matches in one week.
The R’s have both games at home – firstly vs Arsenal on Wednesday and then against Tottenham on FA Cup Quarter Final Saturday (7th March). Spurs face Swansea at the Lane on Wednesday and then travel to play QPR on Saturday.
General fantasy consensus dictates that you cover both teams appropriately (not quite six but not quite none) and maybe three would be the ideal number. Funnily enough I bet you, like me, know which three will be the most popular. Unsurprisingly, these three are involved in the seven to follow for GW28:
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[/three_fourth]Christian Eriksen – The sighs could be heard in the fantasy world at high noon last week when the Great Dane was left on the bench for the jellied eel derby against West Ham. Of course, as soon as Tottenham were struggling, Pinocchio turned to his best playmaker and brought him on at half time. Now if you could guarantee me he would play 180 minutes in the DGW, then I’d transfer him in and captain him. Tottenham have had many plates to spin with the League Cup Final, a double header in the league, as well as their trip to Florence on Europa League duty last week. In his favour, Eriksen has a taste for scoring important late goals so if he is on the bench, chances are that even if he does appear late on he could still weigh in.
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[/three_fourth]Harry Kane – For Harry Kane, read much of Christian Eriksen – lots of important games coming up and already played. The big difference? Eriksen can be rotated with competent midfielders such as Townsend, Dembele, Lamela etc. Kane has Adebayor and Soldado and therefore I say Hurrikane starts both league games. So Swansea and QPR ahead for a boy who has scored twice against Chelsea and Arsenal and once versus Liverpool? Yes please. The favourite and likely to lead every Capo poll in the world this week!
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[/three_fourth]Charlie Austin – QPR’s only viable option? You bet. The Hoops have both matches at home and at least that is in their favour. Austin has done it against the big boys. The likelihood is that many will perhaps bring him in but not captain him. It might be prudent to take a second glance though – fourteen league goals and nine of them at Loftus Road. And he is guaranteed to play both games and if Rangers are to stay up, it’ll largely be on the back of Austin’s returns.
Now for the rest of these guys, can they do in one game what the others can in two? It’s not impossible and strange as it may seem, the following names may be in the ‘differential’ captain category.
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[/three_fourth]Santi Cazorla – The Arsenal penalty taker with Arteta out injured. Santi seems to be secured in the team after a period last season where it seemed his obvious brilliance couldn’t find its place in Arsene’s team. He has only failed to play 90 minutes in one of the last fourteen matches and could be the points beneficiary of all those intricate Arsenal penalty box plays when QPR act all clumsily defensively (in my mind).
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[/three_fourth]Sergio Aguero – He’s back, for now. The brilliant striker is at the ‘default’ captain stage (taking Luis Suarez’ mantle) and providing he stays fit, he could be your captain from now until the end. It so happens that at home, City could take five off of anyone (don’t feel too bad Newcastle, although you did make it sooooo easy for them!). Next up at the Etihad are leaky Leicester with just four clean sheets in 26. Were this not a DGW, Aguero would surely be captained by everyone.
David Silva – Well you know the fixture but what does Silva offer – well he has a great eye for goal (already he has beaten his best ever season for league goals) and almost everything for the Sky Blues goes through him. He was very unlucky not to get the chance for a hat-trick against Newcastle by being substituted and could again find the space to nick another couple against the league’s bottom side. City looked to be back to their best going forward in that Newcastle game (not so much in the Liverpool one!) and a happy and confident Silva could be your cheeky differential captain this week.
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[/three_fourth]Daniel Sturridge – A home game against Burnley on paper could be the very game where the England striker (apologies to Reds for mentioning the national team in the same sentence) properly announces his return to the Kop. Being brought back in slowly after a bad run of injuries means that his game time in matches has been erratic. Having managed 106 minutes against Besiktas (away) on Thursday he was then only used as a late sub against Man City coming on after 76 minutes. If you think he is due to start the Burnley match – which he probably will, then he could be groovy-dancing more than once in this one.
Traffic Signals:
RED: (Take a punt): Charlie Austin
AMBER (Proceed with caution): Sergio Aguero
GREEN: (If you have him, armband him): Harry Kane
Enjoy your football, enjoy your fantasy football and enjoy your DGW.
Thanks for reading Captain’s Picks Fantasy Football Gameweek 28. This article was written by The Gallant Pioneer
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Don’t forget to vote on our Captains Poll
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Hey guys, Need advice here not sure what moves to make. I don’t mind hits as I am playing catch up
Hey Starfox, if you don’t think your rival will go for Austin then him for Defoe makes sense and could be a handy differential. Just pray Eriksen doesn’t go nuts if he has him!
I was even thinking of these moves
silva > eriksen
defoe > austin
I know getting rid of silva is a gamble but i have Kun cover and.. i think im in a position to need to gamble. My rival has Silva you see and if that works..
Cat and mouse. Is there not a danger he adds Eriksen to Silva?
Many thanks for your time and effort on this again GP. Two in two weeks is some going. Reckon you can rest for at least six now on that rota system. Although it may be enforced if you get this weeks wrong :hippo:
Great article GP – am I crazy to be thinking of kun???
I second that TGP: really good stuff. Your traffic lights always help. :thumbup:
Evening Mitro – nah I don’t think it’s ever crazy to consider Aguero really – in fact, against Leicester at home, it’d probably be mad not to!
However, actually picking him is another matter and would be brave, but the risk could well pay off… Kane for me though.
Either kun could go crazy against Leicester and Kane blanks both times!!! Or it could be the opposite
Which of my defenders should I bench for this week – it’s a tough one!
Terry / Bellerin / Bertrand?
Thanks a lot for your help guys!
why don’t you play all of three?
And bench Dawson? I thought WBA would be pretty solid for the clean sheet.
Leave as is, for me.
Hey GP, cracking write up part deux my friend. i think many are agonising over NOT choosing Kun at home to Leicester! Think they’ll be a few nervous people on Wednesday evening!
Much appreciates article sir.
I’d hate to have Adam Johnson in my FPL team
Or in your bed!
I’m too old for him