Captains Picks Fantasy Football Gameweek 32

Captains Picks Fantasy Football Gameweek 32 – Fantasy Premier League 2014/15

Well I begin this article in a different state of mind this week, one of someone writing an article with a fair idea of what he is talking about. Well my captain didn’t totally bomb last week in other words. I backed Eden Hazard.
Now, those of you expecting a follow-up to last week’s excellent captains article by Lawdogg, I’m afraid I’m going to let you down early here. The pressure is too much and that last effort was far too clever for me to compete with. Lawdogg – you clearly have too much time on your hands, you are too clever for us or you employ a fantastic team of writers you charlatan! It might be all three in fact.
I also don’t rap like Cookie. No-one raps like Cookie though. I’ll rather predictably stick to the football and highlight a couple of things that have raised my eyebrow this week.

A week where we started back from the international break and the Premier League treated us to a hatful of amazing goals. Defoe, Zamora and Adam – three very well-known faces in fantasy terms. Charlie Adam, ladies and gentlemen, a man who frustrates and amazes in equal measure. My favourite part of his whole wonder goal reaction was his comment that he was “actually disappointed that Courtois got a hand to it”.

What’s that? Joey Barton did someone say? No? Well anyway, the leg-end himself commented this week that he would have had 100 caps had he been able to represent Northern Ireland, Wales or Scotland. Someone should tell the poor disillusioned chap that red cards and suspensions count in international football too. Knock a ‘0’ of your estimate and we’d be more realistic Joseph.

Anyway back to the fantasy game. There are only seven gameweeks to go this season. Doesn’t it seem only weeks ago we were all RMTing team after team after team? Upson, Trippier and Austin were all the rage and some were trying to fit all three of Sanchez, Costa and Fabregas in to their teams. The point of this pointless nostalgia is to highlight that we will be back in close season before we know it. And whilst we are playing the game this season we must squeeze every possible point out of every possible one of our players in every game. Captaincy means double points and therefore in these final weeks, getting the right (or at least not the completely wrong) man is vital in cementing your No. 1 spot or closing that gap. To this end, I’ll cover five Big-Hitter Differentials (one for the MLS lads) but also five potential Sideshow Show-Stoppers (copyright me). Bear with me . . .

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The Fixtures
Swansea City v Everton
Southampton v Hull City
Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa
Sunderland v Crystal Palace
West Bromwich Albion v Leicester City
West Ham Utd. v Stoke City
Burnley v Arsenal
Queens Park Rangers v Chelsea
Manchester Utd. v Manchester City
Liverpool v Newcastle Utd.

Let’s get the usual suspects out of the way first shall we?

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[/three_fourth]Eden Hazard – Well a trip to QPR should not affect the sleep pattern of the top point scorer in the game. Perched upon 194pts you wouldn’t bet against him busting the 200 mark this weekend. The penalty taker and Chelsea tormentor in chief, he should be able to pick holes in a Rangers defence who will have had two huge (and probably more important) games against West Brom and Villa to contend with. He has three goals in his last four and eight bonus points in the same period.

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[/three_fourth]Harry Kane – Everything was going so well for the HurriKane and then Woy got a hold of him. He blanked at Burnley at the weekend but that was always going to happen at some stage. Prince Harry goes up against Aston Villa (Prince William’s team funnily enough – terrible link sorry. Only mentioned it for the royalties. Boom Boom) and I’m sure it will be one he’ll be licking his lips about. Again, Spurs, like Chelsea, will be meeting a team who have played midweek and should therefore be fresher and with an injury to Diego Costa, Kane will now really fancy pulling clear at the top of the goalscorers charts. Nineteen league goals and a hat-trick the last time out at the Lane, Kane is also only behind Hazard for BPs this season.

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[/three_fourth]Alexis Sanchez – The Chilean is having a phenomenal first season. I know he dropped off a bit but if we are criticising a man who has fourteen goals, eight assists and twenty six BPs then we really are an unforgiving bunch. Hey I know it’s a game of form but those lads who held their nerve and held the Chilean, well done you lot. You’ll even consider captaining him this week. And none of the rest us impatient managers would blame you. A word of caution though, he has scored only four of his goals outside of the library and only one of those (at QPR) was this year.

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[/three_fourth]Olivier Giroud – If you have this guy then the answer is staring you in the face. He has scored in six consecutive games (twice in one), collected ten BPs, and is generally lucky in getting on the end of almost everything the brilliant midfield behind him does. He also happens to be so dreamy. #dodoagiroud. An away trip to Burnley will not scare our FPL Adonis and it’ll be a surprise if he doesn’t contribute to another win for the Gooners as they continue their march towards trying to catch Chelsea. Orf secure 2nd spot.

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[/three_fourth]Wayne Rooney – Playing again as a striker and being in excellent form, it may well be worth a second look at Wayne. If you are put off by the enormity of the game, then consider that Man City have been quite shaky in defence in recent times and your gran’s man is the record goal scorer in the Manc derby. Not to be ruled out by any means, the England and United captain scored a cracker vs Villa last weekend and will be looking to take advantage of City’s brittle confidence following their Monday evening defeat at Palace.

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And if you fancy or rather NEED, something a little out of the ordinary, I offer:

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[/three_fourth]Bafetimbi Gomis – The Frenchman has had to be very patient indeed in his quest to be given the striking responsibilities at the Liberty Stadium. First of all he was up against Bony for one position which wasn’t going to ever end well and then he suffered the latest in his fainting episodes at Tottenham last month. Lately it seems we are beginning to see the Bafetimbi of Lyon and the French national team. He has scored three in his last two and collected full BPs last time out in the game against Hull where it has to be mentioned, both his finishes were top class. Priced at £6.5m with another home fixture he could be the ideal go-to-man for those ditching Charlie Austin this week. Some will hold on to the QPR striker though, so . . . .

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[/three_fourth]Charlie Austin – No doubting that the R’s man is not much of a differential (22.5%) but captaining him at home to Chelsea would be. Despite his second goal of the gameweek at Villa, many have him ear-marked for the heave-ho after the DGW and with fair reason. But if you hang on to him do you back him to do to Chelsea what he has already done to Arsenal and City and five other teams at Loftus Road? You know what you get with Charlie – 90 minutes, chance of penalties and a massive desire to do it against the best.

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[/three_fourth]Saido Berahino – OK, so he hasn’t scored in the last three, but you are looking for something different right? If you are one of his 11.9% of his owners then you’ll maybe be attracted to the home fixture against Leicester. Saido has twelve goals already and you could just see this as being a game he could get a brace. You can bet there will be a Pulis-led reaction from the Baggies after the horror show at home to QPR last week and Leicester at home is the fixture you’d choose for such a reaction. That’s if Newcastle were not available, of course!

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[/three_fourth]Christian Benteke – The former Belgian beast had been more of a Belgian bunny (had to get an Easter reference in somehow) since his return from recent injury. Well that was until the beginning of March when he notched goals against West Brom & Sunderland to hint to a potential return of his absolute brilliance of his first season. A goal at Old Trafford on Saturday was followed by even more glory with a stunning hattrick vs QPR this evening, which could well increase his interest ahead of a trip to White Hart Lane. The Benteke of old would not have feared this fixture and with Jekyll and Hide Spurs conceding three to Leicester at home most recently, those who hold the striker, especially those who captained him, may keep faith particularly after his scintillating DGW performance.

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[/three_fourth]Jordan Henderson – Lastly we have the man who has slipped in to Steven Gerrard’s place in the Liverpool team and in fairness to him, has scored a few Stevie G-esque goals in recent weeks and stamped his authority on the team. The top corner effort versus City in particular caught the eye. The rumoured Chelsea target (yawn) has scored four goals and assisted once in his past five matches and bagged six BPs over the same period. Interestingly, he stuck away the penalty against Arsenal and may again assume duties depending who is on the field. He has already bettered his best goals, assists and overall fantasy points tallies from previous seasons. If he does manage to rifle another goal of the month contender this weekend against Newcastle, there will be no-one happier than his fantasy managers. Well, maybe Tim Krul!

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Traffic Signals:
RED: (Take a punt): Any of the Sideshow Show-Stoppers lot!
AMBER (Proceed with caution): Harry Kane
GREEN: (If you have him, armband him): Olivier Giroud

**Final thought**
Do your best to get the captaincy right but in reality its in the lap of the gods. Take the rough with the smooth and go again next time if you don’t get it right. Please don’t blame me. I’ve given you ten names. Bound to be a decent one amongst that lot surely (he prays).

Enjoy your football!

WooFBet

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Thanks for reading Captain’s Picks Fantasy Football Gameweek 32. This article was written by The Gallant Pioneer

Follow @mitchellcraig81

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WooFBet

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Don’t forget to vote in this week’s Captain Poll

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