Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 16
Welcome to Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 16. Much like the other day with AT, you only have me in this shortened gameweek (other than the Site Team) and again like the other day I’ll only be looking at who we should give the armband to. That may not be what you readers necessarily want but it is the most important question at this, or indeed any time of the season.
We are rounding the corner into silly season and that means rotation, rotation, rotation and the biggest worry we all have is that our ‘primary’ captain is suddenly rested. And in some extreme cases, as evidenced in this past midweek, the back-up one is too! You can either man (or indeed woman) up or cry off home with your ball like Rosco. Every line-up matters now but I am sure we will all get stung at some point. The midweek games will hopefully be a sort of guideline as to who will play this weekend, but they are only that, a guideline. I will give you my main options for the armband but just because I’m nice I’ll stick in another back-up choice or two just in case the main options are given a break.
Salah vs Bournemouth (A)
BURNLEY, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Roberto Firmino of Liverpool looks on from the bench during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Liverpool FC at Turf Moor on December 5, 2018 in Burnley, United Kingdom. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Now if you don’t fancy Salah for the armband then my back-up option would be the oddly shaped, Xherdan Shaqiri. The little Swiss did start against Burnley and got yet another goal so I’d expect him to continue to start at the weekend and if he does I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the scoresheet again. He has been great for Liverpool this season; he has got 3 goals and 2 assists in 11 games, but it is also all the other work he does that you only realise when watching him. If he was playing with the Bobby, Salah and Mane from last season his tally would be even higher right now. Well, ok, you probably won’t captain him but the worst you could do would be to pick him up as a punt this week, that’d by my ‘Tip’. Listen… I’m trying to cover for 3 articles here, so lay off ok!
Aubameyang vs Huddersfield (H)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Shkodran Mustafi of Arsenal celebrates with team mates after scoring their team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on December 5, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Now I think PEA is relatively safe in the line-up but if you feel otherwise the next best option for points who has an attacking threat is Lacazette. Which may be an odd one given that he hasn’t actually started the last two games but he has come on as a sub in both, and got points in both. Much as Auba was doing himself before he suddenly started a few and suddenly became flavour of the month. I’d fully expect Laca to be restored to the starting line-up for this one and as per Auba… it’s Huddersfield… at home.
Kane vs Leicester (A)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Harry Kane scores his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton FC at Wembley Stadium on December 5, 2018 . (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
If you are really stubborn, or just adamant that you do not want to bring in the Spurs striker, or simply cash strapped, than I would recommend Eriksen just for guaranteed minutes. He does not seem to be on every set piece anymore, but the great Dane is one of the best midfielders in the league and like Kane he will only profit from the upturn in fixtures.
Matt’s 3 Punts…
Richarlison v Watford (H)
Talking of flavour of the month players it wasn’t so long ago that Richarlison was a must have, much like Auba, albeit for a week also! Funny what a brace does to FPL manager’s sensibilities. He is however proving somewhat durable after another goal in midweek put him on 7 for the season and this week sees another home game, this time against Watford, which looks favourable for yet more returns. And don’t be put off by his return to the wing position in midweek, this may actually be beneficial as this is where he has scored the majority of his PL goals from after all. Sometimes it’s better not to be the actual centre of attention in order to actually become so.
Paterson vs Southampton (H)
The reason I’ve gone with Paterson here is twofold. And no, one is not insanity… One, Cardiff are on a bit of a run right now and are winning a few games at home. Two, they are playing SOUTHAMPTON! That should be reason enough to get Paterson in and stick the armband on him, but I suppose I should try and entice you a little more. Paterson has gone 3 games without scoring but in the four games before that he 3 scored goals and an assist so coming up against a struggling side that couldn’t even beat United ( 😉 ) Paterson should have no trouble. Cardiff have been keeping things tight in the last few weeks ignoring their most recent game against West Ham so Paterson and co. shouldn’t have to defend too much and it will give the midfielder / come OOP striker more chances to produce.
Raheem Sterling vs Chelsea (A)
Had this been at home young Raheem would probably be front and centre in the main section but City do tend to be a tad more conservative in their away games. It is all relative though and by conservative we mean only being the 3rd highest scorers away from home as opposed to being the highest at it, by some distance. Chelsea are looking like they have hit a sticky patch which is not the thing you want to be doing just as City are rolling up. In theory this should be a tight game, in reality it may be another cakewalk for Pep’s men.
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 16. This article was written by MattX.
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Many thanks to Matt for his thoughts for the best Capo candidate for GW16.
It’s Aubameyang for me this week I think.
Very helpful, thanks.
Haven’t the foggiest who I’m going to captain yet.
Thanks for the super speedy turnaround on the article Matt. This reminds me of the MLS crazy schedule 🙂
I’m currently on capo Kane and VC Sterling, but may yet switch them round 😀
Cheers for this, Matt.
Which premium defenders are people looking at? Spurs’ backline looks like it will be riddled with rotation. Chelsea’s defence looks poor and Arsenal aren’t keeping clean sheets!
Leaves Liverpool & City then!!
Haha, it does but then Robertson is already in and I don’t really fancy any of the City defenders at their prices. Delph is the only one I’m considering, but he’s got Zinchenko laying in wait!
just get Laporte, he’s had his rest
He doesn’t score though
Need some insiparation guys. Never been so low. have had many bad weeks in the past, but, this feels the worst.From 50k to 110k is a very game game. I understand that I need to hold my horses for now and handle the situation patiently. But, everything I do seems not to be working. Lagging way behind in my ML. Missed out on key players and now It’s too late I believe. Don’t know how but, my ML leaders are continously hitting green arrows every week. None of my differentials seem to be working as of now. What should I do. feel like quitting this season.
Hi, you are just at 108k, you have a lot of GWs left to climb into top10k, heck, even 1k. Just a GW at a time. For now I would drop Mendy and Duffy.
Hell man it is not a sprint just play as normal. I watched a video of FPL General who has 3 top hundred finishes in the last 4/5 years and he is at 300K plus – he said he will continue with what has previously worked well – if it is good enough for him Constantine it is also for you too – end of lecture!
A lot of people would love to be 110k, including me! Your keeper has good fixtures, if you do Mendy —> Laporte or a similarly priced player (you have to get rid of Mendy this week) you’ve got a pretty decent back 3, your midfield is fine, and your front two are looking good, plus Billing will be back soon enough. I’d probably suggest you do a -4 and fix Arnie.
Quitting the season with a rank of 110k out of 5.6 million?! I really wouldn’t worry, bud, you’ll be back in the top 100k in no time and probably end the season in the top 10k or even 5k, which I’m sure you would have more than taken at the start of the season.
I got down to 1.8 million a few weeks ago but now I’m up to 575k which is still very poor for my standards, however things do turn around that quickly. Chin up!
We go on, as the footballers tweets would say.
Constantine, my OR is 1,587,542 and I don’t give a s*it mate. I’ve won my work ML quite a few times in the past years and if it doesn’t happen in this one, who cares. Play for fun and think about the turn of the tables 😉
Constantine. If being ranked 110k is driving you to such depths of despair, I’d stay away from Watership Down.
Like Ivan, my OR is awful, but there’s always something to play for.
This time last year I was 2.2m OR and in mid table obscurity in my ML. I won my ML on the last day of the season after some successful GW34/GW37 shenanigans and a final day of the season triple captain.
It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.
When feeling low it is always a good idea to check out Monty Python’s ‘4 Yorkshiremen’ sketch (‘You think you had it bad?’)! It’ll put everything back in perspective.
110k is not such a bad place to be, when you’ve just made it into the top 950k!
Or as Eric Idle sings ‘Life’s a piece of shit, when you look at it…’!
Just keep on keeping on buddy – as my rugby league coach used to tell us ‘if you’re feeling exhausted, then the blokes in front of you probably are too – just get in there and give it to ’em!’ Don’t know if this is reassuring, but I think you’ll be okay!
Hello all, another GW is at hand.
1FT
Ederson
Robbo Digne Doherty
Sane Hazard Mane Richalison
Auba Wilson Jimenez
Boruc Alonso AWB Højbjerg
A. Mane -> Eriksen
B. Hazard + Mane -> Sterling + Eriksen (-4)
C. Other?
Morning Little Red,
If Robbo and Mane are declared fit, I’d prob just do Hazard to Sterling if affordable.
Hi Cookie, unfortunately I am 0.1 short.
Little Red, damn that’s a shame – maybe hold then if Mane is ok? I’d be a little wary of Erik ahead of the Barca game.