Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 14 2017/18
Welcome to Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 14. I’m rarely referred to as ‘a man of few words’. Indeed, some around these parts (Mito), have ribbed me mercilessly over my inability to keep my word count below Tolkien levels. Therefore, with time short and only 2 days between game-weeks 13 and 14, time, both yours and mine is precious. I shall endeavour to embrace brevity; no recounting my DIY mishaps, no shameless bragging of my latest ‘vacation’, no time for distractions.
The first mid-week fixtures of the season will give us all a glimpse of things to come; three game-weeks, played over ten days. Normality briefly returns for GW15, then we’re officially into the festive fixtures, and it’s looking busier than ever this season. GW16 through 22 will see 7 game-weeks in just 25 days. Imagine how many Hits and RMT’s Mitro will throw up in that short space of time? And If you think Pep’s rotation has been bad to date, buckle up, because you ain’t seen nothing yet…
Harry Kane (Leicester, away)
He doesn’t score in August, he can’t score at home, then he can and then he can’t again. Harry has delighted and dismayed managers in equal measures this season. When you’re the most expensive player in the game expectation and scrutiny will always be high.
Three of Harry’s four double-digit hauls have been on the road this season, but again he disappoints those who captained him in his last away game at the Emirates. A goal and 2 bonus points in GW13 offered relief more than satisfaction and managers will no doubt have been left feeling short changed, given the opposition and their current plight.
Einstein is often quoted as saying ‘the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results’. Obviously Albert did not play FPL, lucky sod. Time and time again we hand Harry the armband, knowing he can explode in any given game-week. Maybe this will be that week (God willing)? In the corresponding fixture back in May, Spurs beat Leicester 6-1 at the King Power Stadium. Harry notched 4 goals, an assist and maximum bonus points, he finished on 24 points for the day. Perhaps Albert was wrong and we should all be a little insane once again this week?
Eden Hazard (Swansea, Home)
Starting the season on the treatment table, Hazard made things a little easier for FPL managers. Spoilt for choice, with a plethora of high priced forward options, it simplified our decision on how to appropriate our funds.
Hazard didn’t play a full match till GW8, the current world number one Damir TeNay brought Hazard into his team in GW9, in GW10 he handed him the armband, and was duly rewarded with 22 points as he scored his first goal of the season and took home maximum bonus points. Smart man that Mr TeNay.
In GW12, 2 more goals, an assist and maximum bonus points; 18 points. Last week another assist and maximum bonus points away to Liverpool; 8 points. 45 points in just 5 game weeks. He’s becoming hard to ignore.
Swansea sit second bottom of the league, they’ve lost 8 of their 13 games and haven’t kept a clean sheet on the road since GW5. With the return to full fitness of both Hazard and Alvaro Morata, Chelsea are starting to play without fear. Swansea could be in serious trouble this week.
With a mere 6.4% ownership, Hazard is still something of a differential, if you have him in your team, pat yourself on the back and give him the armband this week. If you don’t own him, perhaps it’s time to reappropriate some of those funds.
Mo Salah (Stoke, away)
Jurgen Klopp reckons on current form, Mo Salah could score 70 goals this season. No doubt sensing that he sounded more bonkers than usual, he did go on to say that this is however unlikely. Bonkers or not, Jurgen is clearly as enamored with Salah as his 2.5 million FPL owners will currently be. Prior to GW11, entrusting Salah with your captain’s armband could have been viewed as a maverick, but successive scores of 15, 16 and 7 (he was robbed of those bonus points!) in his last 3 matches have made him a contender week in week out. Salah is the top scorer in FPL (95) the second highest owned player (45.6%) and he’s scored the most league goals (10).
Liverpool put 4 past the hapless Hammers in their last away fixture, Salah scored 2 and took maximum bonus points. This week it’s Stoke who welcome Liverpool to the Bet365 stadium. Without a clean sheet since GW2 they currently sit just 3 points above the relegation places, time to see if Salah can do it on a cold rainy night in Stoke, I certainly wouldn’t bet against him.
Alvaro Morata (Swansea, Home)
In recent weeks the allure of the ‘Power 3’ forward line has very quickly faded. A quick look at the top 10 players in the world shows only one team currently playing with this set-up.
As planning has begun in earnest for the busy festive period (busy as in FPL not making sure that you’ve bought Baileys and sprouts), a lot of discussion within the FPL community has focused on the ideal front 3. One name that seems to come up time and time again is, Alvaro Morata. Whilst we’ve been dealing with Pep’s rotation, Harry’s blanks and Romelu’s lacklustre performances, Morata has jumped to joint second (with Kane) in the forward scoring table on 74 points; just a point behind top placed Sergio Aguero.
If you don’t have Eden Hazard then hopefully you’ll have Alvaro Morata, there’s a good chance he’ll be adding to his 8 premier league goals against the Swans this game-week.
Leroy Sane ( Southampton, Home)
I’ve decided I don’t like Pep Guardiola, I suspect I’m not alone on that one. So much has been written on Man City and their players that it becomes difficult to write something that’s not been written before. We’ve discussed Pep’s rotation policy at length, each week trying in vain to predict who will start. We hang on every word Guardiola utters, hoping it will give us an indication of who will start the next game-week, it rarely does.
It’s difficult to give your captaincy to a player who may or may not start, or worse, appear late on for a 1 point cameo, so with that in mind I’d recommend if you do choose a city player this game week, you pick Leroy Sané.
Sané has for the most part suffered the least from Pep’s unpredictable rotation, starting every Premier League match since GW6. He’s here on merit too; 6 goals, 6 assists, 5 double digit hauls, he’s currently the second highest scorer in FPL with 81 points.
Southampton will have taken encouragement from their 4-1 victory over Everton in GW13, but it would take a brave individual to bet against anything other than a City win. Beaten 3-0 in their last away fixture to Liverpool in GW12, they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet on the road since way back in GW5, and that was against Crystal Palace.
Given that Raheem Sterling was the top point scorer in GW13, you could be forgiven for wanting to hand him the armband this week, however note of caution, unless we are talking about Mo Salah it is rarely advisable to chase the points. Good luck one and all, may green arrows fall upon you and yours.
Note from the Editor
That sounded unintentionally grand! Just to keep everyone in the loop as to our article intentions this week –
GW14
Obviously it is a short turnaround on both GW14 & 15 so we are intending to post the Site Team ahead of GW14, after this article, probably on Monday night, wildcard and all, and then go straight to Live Match Chat. There will not be a Predicted Line-ups Article for GW14. As such. What we mean is that we will not be putting our usual slant and comment on each game but the article will however be updated in terms of the line-ups themselves. We will post in comments when that is ready and it can be found HERE. On Tuesday we will tweet all the press conference news and endeavour to have it posted in the comments also.
GW15
We will again have a Captain Picks article just after the GW ends. We shall then have a Site Team article and the usual Predicted Line-ups Article on Friday. We hope that is all ok. If not then DM Mito on twitter and see what happens 😉
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 14
This article was written by Rosco.
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Gameweek Tracker GW14-19
Evening lads, am I all set here?
Only things I am wary about is:
1. With Mane getting benched against Chelsea and Salah starting does anyone think this might be switched this week?
2. What keeper should I play?
i have the same keeps and i will play Pope
Nice team there
Cheers Wafflez that’s what I was thinking of changing to.
id probably captain Morata as Swansea arent great…..
Salah is a slight rotation risk having featured in the last 3 games and given the fact Firmino and Man were rested
Cheers Super.
Hi guys. I took out. Aguaro Stirling. Silva
In. Sane. Pogba. Morata. Lost lots of points. Idiot !!!!! Going to Hazard. &. Young
Front 7. Gross. Hazard. ( c ). Salah. Young. Mane.
Kane. Morata
Worst year ever. Played w/c. Wk 9. Gone down hill since (a silly moment )
Alan
Hey Alsed. That’s really unlucky mate but it could have happened to any of us.
Did Maguire to Kolasinac, not sure if its wise to bench Richarlison so who would you bench?
Got 0 Transfers and 2.2 million in then bank btw..
I’d leave it as is.
+1
I’d bench Mee as you have Pope anyway
+1
I’m still spewing at ditching Kun & Sterling. Oh well. Onwards and upwards (hopefully). Am I good to go here? Should I play Richarlison or RLC?
Hey banjo how’s it hanging .?
Nice team btw
RLC Looking good lateley
But I’d still play Richarlison !
Hey Bigpopz… I’m just about recovering from the weekend. Ditching Kun & Sterling and playing Elliott over Fabianski were some pretty bad decisions! RLC or Richarlison seems the toss of a coin.
Interesting you’ve captained Hazard over Morata. I’m doing the same.
I’d play RLC over Rich personally but get it, hes in great form at the minute.
Probably means Hazard will blank 😉
Not gonna help, but id actually go RLC!
Your call, could go either way
That’s 2-1 to RLC now!!!! Anyone else wanna pitch in?
Hi banjo. Rich has returned against ARS, CHE and LIV this season already so I wouldn’t bee too put off by the fixture. RLC is in form but he still hasn’t proven himself against any decent defences yet – only WHU, EVE and STO – so I would stick with Richarlison.
Cheers Robbo! That’s 2 each now though… I need a deciding vote 😉
Play Richarlson
Cheers Smash!!! Decision made.
I’m in the Richarlison camp!
Wilson and mee could cancel each other out so if you really wanted to play RLC then you could bench Wilson v that Burnley defence
I did consider that, hammers. It seems Brighton are just as solid as Burnley though, and I just fancy Wilson to score over RLC. Plus I tried to avoid canceling players out last weekend by benching Fabianski and playing Elliott!!
Hi all,
Having the worst fpl since I started playing this sodding game ?
Anyone care to have a look at these likely lads and tell me where I’m going wrong…
Bongo
Ur not the only one
I’m having a shocker myself buddy.
Not really in a position to give advice, but with rotation on its way ur bench won’t cope…
#keepgoing
No idea! It doesn’t look a lot different to most apart from the two cheaper options up top but that extra 5th stellar mid should be covering for that. Have you just been getting the armband wrong or something? Like, a lot. What’s your rank, if you don’t mind me asking?
dont see much wrong with it tbf.. just part on the game, keep going pal!
you got a solid team, cracking midfield!
That’s near identical to my team and I’m somehow 19k… you can’t be doing that bad?!
Maybe he just has higher standards
Touché! I’ve got a nose bleed. I’m not used to it up here.
Cheers Bigpopz/innit/macca
Yeah just a really frustrating season this year, keep saying to myself that my luck will change but every week it’s the same thing
Innit, my current rank is 1.6m but my TV is over 103m and I’m fairly happy with my squad, but I just can’t seem to get anything right. Never seem to get a captain pick right and always leaving big points on the bench. This is my 7th year and I’ve never finished outside 100k and have had two top 10k finishes but feel it ain’t gonna happen this year.
Trying with a different formation as of this week hence the 5 strong midfield, but it will take a miracle to get back into my mini leagues.
Bongo, I’d just be patient mate. Your TV indicates you’re doing things right. The cappo picks and stuff will turn in your favour soon enough. Still plenty of time to get a good finish.
Bongo I’m shocked at that rank then given the team there but as you say you’ve probably just got lots of little things wrong, but just consistently!
Pretty sure I’ve recovered from similar ranks in November to come home ok so just keep doing what you know is right and it should come together in the end.
Bango/Innitt,
Thanks lads, really appreciate it. I ain’t giving up that’s for sure, I can’t have the guys at work who normally are miles behind me giving me stick for doing so badly, especially when there’s money involved and there rubbing it in big time… head down and crack on I say, change of luck starting tomorrow
Bongo, Bango, this could get confusing! Fingers crossed your luck changes tomorrow, in the form of captain Hazard 😉
Touché bango, low ownership with form and fixture spells green arrows 😉
thoughts please, am i right leaving wilson on the bench?
hopefully defence will scrape through as well
I’d play Wilson over RLC myself. In fact, I will be playing Wilson over RLC 😉
Then you should ignore my post in 58 lol