Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 19 2017/18
Welcome to Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 19. Well we have got to the midway point of the season with the last round of games before the fixtures all reverse. This season is flying by and so are the runaway leaders Man City who are flying away from the rest of the competition after going on a 16 game Premier League winning streak. Barring a complete meltdown from City I don’t see them doing a Spurs and throwing the title away (sorry, not sorry).
The one thing that has made this season fly by so fast is the amount of footie on the telly and that is what makes this time of year so great. It has been mentioned on the site by many, and the actual managers themselves, that this time of year is very chaotic – with rotation and injuries galore it leads to a lot of moaning especially from Raz, our very own Mourinho 😉 Ask yourself this though, would you really have it any other way? It adds that bit of excitement seeing the lineups come out and seeing those players we have put our faith in actually starting from the off and also that smug smile when your mini-league rivals team is plagued by rotation.
For us to get the most out of these festive fixtures we not only need to have the right players but the right captain and even vice-captain. This week I have decided to do it a little different to try and give you the best and then second-best captain choice (vc) to try and curb that pesky rotation.
5. Richarlison (Brighton, Away)
This young Brazilian must be the stuff of dreams for those Hornet fans. This season Richarlison has come into London and stormed to being Watford’s best player. Richarlison has grabbed himself 5 goals and 6 assists this season which sees him in about 20% of teams this season. Only thing that I don’t like about Richarlison is all his missed chances but if you cap him on the day he sticks those chances in the net you will be laughing!!! Richarlison only has 4 bonus points this season so obviously don’t be relying on that but against a poor Brighton team who really only have one attacking player in Pascal GroS I can see Richarlison doing some damage this week.
My vice-captain choice for this match was going to be Doucoure but he went and got himself suspended so naturally I was going to suggest Deeney but guess what… he’s now suspended too! That lead me to Andre Gray who should lead the line in he absence of Deeney and if you really wanted a captain other than Richarlison in this fixture I would bet on Gray.
4. Wilfried Zaha (Swansea, Away)
Well old Woy is a better manager than Frank De Boer, it’s official (not really). Hodgson has managed to get the eagles soaring again with a 7-game unbeaten run including 3 wins. One of the key men in this revival is Wilf Zaha who has come back to the form that saw him move to United before becoming suddenly sh*t under Moyes, funny that. Zaha has got a goal and 2 assists in his last three games and is looking like the most attacking of the Palace players so I would expect those numbers to rise over the coming weeks. One downside to Zaha’s play is the fact he has not received a single bonus point this season but that is usually due to the fact any time Palace get a clean sheet, or indeed don’t lose, then their defensive players get the plaudits.
My vice-captain choice for this match has got to be Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The young Englishman has got a lot more time on the pitch this season and with the suspension of Benteke (are all the strikers suspended this week??!!) I would imagine RLC will get pushed up further forward. Swansea currently prop up the table and have let in 25 goals so far this season and so with Zaha and co. coming to town I would not be surprised to see more goals hit the Swans net.
3. Paul Pogba (Leicester, Away)
I debated this a lot and to be completely honest I’m still questioning myself as I write it but Leicester have just been spanked by Palace this weekend so I feel that a returning Paul Pogba fresh from his enforced break could be in for a good weekend. Pogba has not been playing much this season only appearing in 8 games but still getting 3 goals and 7 assists and being United’s 3rd highest midfield points scorer. United cannot afford to lose any more ground on their noisy but rampant neighbours so will be looking to grab all three points away from home.
Even though I feel Pogba will start this week I can’t read Mourinho’s mind so he could well bench the Frenchman. In the absence of Pogba, Kop’s mate Jesse Lingard has stepped up and performed out of his socks with 4 goals and an assist in his last 5 games so it would be madness from Jose if he drops a player who is performing so well but we all know how crazy Jose is anyway. I would consider one of these boys away from home.
2. Mo Salah (Arsenal, Away)
Can this man do no wrong? That is not rhetorical, the answer is no!! This Egyptian God is on 20 goals for the season already with 14 of those coming in the Premier League and to go along with his goal scoring record is 4 assists. Arsenal have improved but I don’t see them sitting back and parking the proverbial bus which means there is plenty of chance for some counter-attacking football from Salah and the rest of the Fab Four. Arsenal have not been setting the world alight lately but this fixture always promises goals so Salah could be scoring high in the Emirates under the Friday Night Lights (wrong sport I know!)
The vice-captain slot could go to any of Liverpool’s attackers to be honest and Klopp is very difficult to try and figure out when it comes to rotation. I think Mane and Salah start and so should Phillipe Couthino and with the form that little man is in with 2 goals and 4 assists in his last 4 games it is strange seeing him in only 10% of teams. A perfect differential choice who is one of the best in the league.
1. Kevin De Bruyne (Bournemouth, Home)
Would this even be worth reading if I did not include some sort of City coverage? One of the best players in the league, if not the best, is Kevin De Bruyne and this guy is just amazing. This season he has grabbed 6 goals and 8 assists with 3 goals and 2 assists in his last 5 games. City are just swatting teams aside this season and this Belgian is the dynamo in the middle of the park so if you have him cap him if not do what you can to bring him in. The Cherries have just been smashed 4-0 by Liverpool and with another attacking side coming up against them I feel sorry for their defence as KDB and co. could smash them again this weekend.
Much like Liverpool, I could literally tip any of City’s attackers and it could work out. Only downside is that Pep is the king of rotation and the bane of an FPL managers life as he does not give anybody any warning as to who will be rested next. I think Raheem Sterling is going to be my vice-captain choice for this game due to the form he is in this season and due to the fact Pep has not rotated him yet. This could mean Sterling is rested this weekend or that he is actually super fit and Pep does not feel he needs much rest. I would not fret about Sterling scoring big because even if he only comes on for 20 mins it would be against a tired Bournemouth defence and Sterling’s speed could exploit that fatigue.
All the best for this week and have a great Christmas folks!!
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 19
This article was written by Matt.
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Gameweek Tracker GW18-22
This includes all of the festive fixtures. This will be your best friend at Christmas. Take a screenshot and save it somewhere on your phone…
Morning all. With Man City and Arsenal getting through to the league cup semis and probably being joined tonight by Chelsea and Man Utd I thought I would look at their fixtures in GW 28 the weekend of the League Cup final.
GW 28 fixtures are
Ars v MCI
MUN v Che
I got a feeling that the league cup finalists normally play their DGW before the League Cup final BGW. Can anybody remember if this is true?
A potential DGW week with City United Arsenal and Chelsea looks really tasty and could be perfect for the Free Hit chip.
United’s double was at a different time to Sotons double last year wasn’t it?
Thanks Mr Bean. I think you are right.
They can’t play it midweek prior to it as that’s a CL week. As is the one previous also. Looking at it all the only conceivable midweek available between knowing who is in the final and the final itself, which is actually free, is the midweek of GW26. And they’d have to agree to rearrange pretty sharpish as that’s the first week in Feb and the semis only finish midweek of the 22nd Jan.
Cheers Initt. Interesting!
Just checking, does mean that even if United City Chelsea and Arsenal get knocked out off Europe they still wouldnt be able to play a premier league game in a CL week due to tv rights?
They can’t get knocked out prior to the final as that’s when the next round of the CL actually is, which they’re involved in. They’ll all still be involved until either the 7th or 14th March which is when the 2nd legs conclude.
After that it is possible to play in a CL week, with special permission from UEFA. There is a precedence here as Arsenal did it a year or two ago. They just had to kick off a bit earlier.
Hi All,
Ive 1FT and 0.1m ITB – I also have the WC left.
Would appreciate some advice on what to do this week – my defence is probably the area of focus, one of Kolasinic or Long should be shipped out I’m thinking.
Very nice side.
If you didnt have a WC I would recomend holding the FT.
Maybe Kola to Ota.
Cheers Horse – im 0.1m short for him due to price rises/falls. I should have pulled the trigger on it earlier in the week.
Kolasniac to Jones or Smalling
cheers Smash – I was thinking about them alright but don’t know am I too keen on double United defensive coverage
Who to transfer out between Shaqiri & Richarlison? Who to replace either one with, Sterling/Pogba?
I’d ditch Shaq I think
Yeah I am thinking in that direction but Richarlison’s lack of bonus points concerns me
Morning all, have 2fts + 0.7 itb. Want to do Alonso/Richarlson to Christiensen/Sterling, find myself 0.1 short. Should i take a 3rd transfer for a -4 to fund said moves or just get Jones (pic 2) and double up on Utd defence ?
That’s annoying. I’d just get Jones
Afternoon all! Hope everyone’s feeling suitably festive! Any suggestions with what to do here, I have 1FT and 0.1 itb. Thanks in advance!
Right, I’m still undecided on who to replace Doucoure with.
Would prefer William or Lingard, but worried about rotation. Lanzini is banned.
So the options are; Arnautovic, Richarlison or Zaha – who would you go for?
I’d go Arnautovic or Richarlson