Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 2
Bloke from Swindon celebrates freak Pereyra captaincy with friends. (Not pictured: Mulled wine)
Here we are, already diving into Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 2. Gameweek 1’s high flyers comprised the usual medley of routine regulars and ragtag randoms we’ve come to expect from the dawning weekend of an FPL season. Thousands took to the streets for Mo Salah’s 8 points; hundreds danced in the aisles to the tune of Jamie Vardy’s late Old Trafford cameo; while one hungover bloke from Swindon raised a refilled glass of mulled wine to his previous night’s drunken captain punt on Watford’s Roberto Pereyra.
Disappointments for many included Harry Kane’s continued August allergy and Sergio Aguero’s unwillingness to find an unmarked Kevin De Bruyne with a square pass. In summary, GW1 belonged to the underdog, but GW2’s fixtures do little to discourage us from making the same mistakes again.
As last week’s excellent FF247 Captain Picks writer Rosco alluded to, there’s no getting away from the fact that this season’s armband choices will be dominated by familiar faces. So I decided to dig deeper and read up on the men behind the legends.
MO SALAH – “THE STORY OF A HERO” by Emad Anwar (Cairo: Arabi Publishing House), 2018.
The book charts Mohamed Salah’s life from childhood, and his upbringing in a humble Egyptian village, before moving onto his journey from the Arab Contractors team to the top of the Premier League pyramid.
Author Emad Anwar (who, as most of you are probably aware, is a journalist at Al-Ahram Institution’s Al-Arabi Magazine) asks,
Why does football love the poor, and why do they represent the majority of its stars?
Well, I had a quick peek into the car park at Liverpool FC’s Melwood training ground and can confirm none of their stars are poor. Less controversially though, he also posits that Salah is an “extraordinary player” who has earned his place among the football elite and can compete with the likes of Ronaldo and Messi. Incisive.
PROs: Inspirational tale about overcoming the odds.
CONs: Version I had was in Arabic.
OVERALL: ★★★★★ A weekly bestseller.
SERGIO KUN AGUERO – “BORN TO RISE: MY STORY” by Sergio Aguero (Trinity Mirror Sport Media), 2015.
Describing how Aguero became one of this era’s top strikers this autobiography paints a background of hardship. His parents had to rely on the kindness of others to help him get through school, but from getting his first football as a father’s gift at the age of 5, he never looked back.
Actually, that’s untrue. He looked back at Carlos Tevez who was prostrate on the floor during that title-winning victory at QPR,
When (Tevez) started to get up he was insulting Joey Barton in Spanish…
This book is an admirable and in-depth behind the curtain view of Kun’s incredible adventure which saw him rise though the ranks at Independiente of Avellaneda, Atletico Madrid and achieve legendary status at Manchester City. Whether he was “Born to Rise” is up for debate, but he does have a child with Maradona’s daughter.
PROs: Inspirational tale about… overcoming the odds.
CONs: I couldn’t get the cellophane off. Got Kevin de Bruyne to assist.
OVERALL: ★★★★☆ If in stock, a must-have. Availability an issue though.
HARRY KANE – “THE BIOGRAPHY” by Frank Worrall (John Blake Publishing), 2017.
“Apocalypse Now“. “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite“. Some titles just crash through the window, set off a firework in your living room and demand your attention. Then there’s this, which paws lightly on the front door with limp wrists before meekly prising open the letterbox and, with all the assertion of a postman hiding from a vicious rottweiler, whispers, “The Biography” in a half-arsed breathless murmur. A functional-at-best title it may be, but the author makes this hyperbolic claim,
…the golden boy from North-East London who has the world, literally, at his feet.
If ever the word ‘literally’ was misused (It is, literally every day) it’s here. The ball may be literally at his feet occasionally. The world may be metaphorically at his feet, sure, no problem. The logistical problems with the world literally being at his feet are innumerous. Anyway, it’s a book about a player rejected by Arsenal. He went down the leagues to prove himself. Now he’s a superstar. Next.
PROs: Inspirational tale about… *sigh*… overcoming the odds.
CONs: Out of print during August.
OVERALL: ★★★☆☆ Evergreen blockbuster, yet summer jinx a slight concern.
JAMIE VARDY – “FROM NOWHERE: MY STORY” by Jamie Vardy (Ebury Press), 2016
“From Nowhere: My Story”. Now that’s a title. Unfortunately it raises a few philosophical concerns such as “Where is nowhere?”, “How can you come from a place that doesn’t exist?”, “It’s an autobiography, of course it’s your story.”
It’s a well spun trope now that Vardy went from playing pub football with Stocksbridge Park Steels, while still working in a factory, to a star role in Leicester’s 2016 title win. He declares in his book,
It’s the stuff of dreams
Maybe it’s just me, but I have recurring dreams about being hunted down by colossus, murderous robots in the street I grew up in. It’s not something I particularly wish to be realised. Ok, Jamie? Good.
Look at that cover, though. Those Sheffield steel blue eyes. How could I ever stay angry with him.
PROs: Inspirational tale about… blah, blah, blah.
CONs: Not suitable for parties.
OVERALL: ★★☆☆☆ A fox who could scatter the wolves pack asunder.
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 2. This article was written by Bry.
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So who from the GW1 dream team do we think is a must-have and who is a flash in the pan? Or are they all sound investments?
Ahoy there Gentle!
Just my assessment here:
McCarthy would serve you well if rotated, but by no means essential
The 5 defenders could all be great, minus Shaw for rotation and Holebas every fifth game as he’ll be on yellow card suspension that often.
Pereyra-Mane-Richy-ManCityMid could well be my 4-man mid for the long haul.
Wilson will do well for his price bracket, but King may take over penalty duty and id prefer him.
If Schlupp keeps playing OOP he could become a must-have. Obi-Wan is likely staying for the season as well.
I reckon Mane and Mendy will score big over the season – so leap in for Mendy and if you are able to, get Mane as well. Rich/Pereyra/Neves/Shaw are still on the wait and see list for me.
I’d fancy Mendy from that lot as a season keeper.
Pereyra as an outside chance as a budget 4th, his stats are beginning to stack up.
No issue with Richarlison as a 3rd mid, I have him there already.
Mane then competes for that 2nd spot with Erik / Alli etc. Also depends on how many other Liverpool you have – namely either Firmino or a defender alongside Salah.
Rest of them I’d be a bit ‘meh’ on.
This
Can’t disagree with anything people have already said. Schlupp is of some interest to me but has got away for the time being.
Ahoy Pancho, Red Robbo and Init!
I agree with everything you say. I have Mendy and Obi-Wan already, but thinking Schlupp may need to come in if he continues being OOP.
I already have Richarlison, but I’m looking very closely at Neves. I can’t fit in Mané what with having Salah and Firmino (and Robertson) but he may need to be crowbarred in if he continues to outperform Firmino. I’ve got King and hope Pancho is right about him!
Overall, I’m not worried about these initial price rises. I need to see the GW2 performances before deciding to make a change to my team.
Am I the only one that feels like so many articles on this site are of such first-class quality, that they’re slightly wasted on our rag-tag bunch of fantasy punters?! Absolutely top shelf Bry, cheers.
That’s Colriles exiling himself from every other reader / member right there ladies & gents…….
For Coriles;
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
I was only joking. You didn’t have to kill him
Hold up, he just wrote off the entire squad of managers, so instead of sinking to his level I raised the bar (no not that bar Rosco), via poetry to defend the masses, of which I’m part
So there! LMAO
Hey, he’s a Zorro (albeit a secret one, hush!), he’s meant to fight for the commoners!! 😉
I was hoping that would be taken with some tongue-in-cheek – and have my praise of Bry’s article stand first and foremost, but alas…. I’ll slink back to my hole to watch baseball with hot dogs and Budweiser
I did take it tongue-firmly-in-cheek, and enjoyed the joke!!
Fantastic write up Bry. Really put a smile on my face on the bus to work.
This article is just top notch. Benchmark changer. Thanks Bry
Hello lads.
Thanks a lot for helping me lock down my team last week. I’ve smashed my local league, only problem was I was too focused on having the right people in and not making sure my formation was right. 24 points on the bench, ouch! Still a solid start. Was hoping for some advice this round. I was thinking of saving my transfer for next round and doing a double swap depending on how each team fairs this round. I have attached my team which I intend to leave + the idea I was thinking next round (could change). Can anyone see a better route to take than leaving saving my transfer his week? Cheers!
Oh that first photo of what I was thinking is very wrong. I guess the idea is I’m going to save my transfer, take out Firmino for a cheaper option and bring in some Chelsea support.
I’d just leave things be, though I know I say that to everyone.
Like you I’m looking at Chelsea quite closely. Though in terms of the third midfielder, Richarlison’s bright start has soothed my mind.
Nice write up! Also massive well done to Mito on the GW1 review …massive help and Init, Floydeth and the team for sorting the ‘my recent comments…big thumbs up!
It’s started….
Neves Wolves Rise
Pogba Man Utd Rise
Martial Man Utd Fall
Shaw Man Utd. Rise
Jones Man Utd Fall
Mendy Man City Rise
Mané Liverpool Rise
Sobhi Huddersfield Fall
Richarlison Everton Rise
Wan-Bissaka Crystal Palace. Rise
I don’t think I’ve ever had a bench player on the rise. Very handy that.
Jones’ fall was / is of some interest, given his propensity for bps.
Keep on falling, Jonesey.
It’d be nice if Jones became an option, had him from GW1 last season and he served me well up until the last quarter …I’m even more hopeful that Shaw will keep his place though or at least get another rise before being dropped!
3 up, 0 down, yay!!!
Hopefully Pogba rises again before I bin him