Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 2 2017/18
Welcome to Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 2. There are some fantasy players who use the ‘Perma Captain’ tactic – i.e. they decide from the start who their most productive player will be and slap the armband on him for the entire season. In recent seasons this can be argued to be a pretty good, if slightly boring tactic when you consider we have had the luxury of choosing players such as Aguero, Kane and Alexis. One game-week into the new season and the favourite for the ‘PC’ brigade is of course Romelu Lukaku after his opening weekend brace. With United looking like they are at least going to be better than last season and with many predicting another second season turnaround by Jose, Lukaku will likely be near the top of most capo polls this season. But for those who like some excitement and tactical nous there is always a choice to be made, so let’s take a walk through the weekend’s fixtures to see if we can identify the best candidate for the armband in GW2.
Go big, go early!
Romelu Lukaku (away vs Swansea)
And sure enough, here he is! It’s difficult to ignore the claims of Big Rom after an impressive preseason was followed by last week’s brace at home to the Hammers. United’s main striker looks to have settled into life at Old Trafford very easily and with the likes of Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Rashford and Martial pulling the strings to create chances for the Belgian another big scoring season seems odds-on for Lukaku. Confidence will be high around the camp as United travel to South Wales, but the Swans surprised many by coming away from Southampton with a well-earned point, when most were predicting them to get beaten. However the Welshies have never stopped United from scoring since returning to the Premier League in 2011 and will face a slightly sterner test than trying to keep out Gabbiadini and Tadic. This fixture looks ripe for another impressive showing from Lukaku, the only question is if you are willing to armband a player in the early match of the weekend!
If you managed to resist the lure of the early match, then Saturday’s 3pm kick-offs provide some decent options for the armband.
Jamie Vardy (home to Brighton)
Shades of two seasons ago as Vardy and Leicester looked great going forward at Arsenal last Friday. With many early knee-jerkers looking to take advantage of Vardy’s 8.5mln price tag. A home fixture vs Brighton will likely bring the England striker a decent chance to add to his early brace. It’s a bizarre comment to write, but it is quite likely that Brighton’s defence may actually put up a better fight than Arsenal’s, however we have all witnessed what a confident and firing Vardy can do and it would be no surprise if the toothless Fox can build on his early season tally.
Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane (home vs Palace)
Many have one, some doubled up, I haven’t yet seen a team with all three, but Liverpool coverage again looks like paying dividends, at least on the attacking front. Not much changes at Liverpool – they concede a few, they score a few and the points are shared around. The best advice is probably to stick with your choice, enjoy the inevitable points when they roll in and accept that sometimes your chosen one will be the one to miss out. Three goals at Watford provides enough evidence that Klopp’s team will continue to create and attack and they could have doubled that tally at Vicarage Road, so a home fixture vs a Crystal Palace team that was humbled at home by Huddersfield bodes well for the Three Musketeers. All three scored at Watford and had chances aplenty to score more – Mane got the ball rolling, before Firmino took advantage of his penalty duties and Salah continued his preseason form – the latter two also weighed in with an assist each. Goals and points from the trio are almost guaranteed most weeks, don’t be without one and to maximise the effect maybe they also deserve your armband?
Still not used the armband? As we enter Sunday there are just three matches left and all provide options for your captain choice. There is a maverick pick and a more traditional FPL option.
Steve Mounie (home vs Newcastle)
Along they came, the first team to be promoted from the Championship with a negative goal difference and within a week of the season starting Huddersfield’s hot new striker gets his mention in the Captain article! And fully deserved too, for Mounie destroyed Palace last weekend and this week faces a Toon side with injuries at the back and their captain, who has more hair than sense, suspended. Mounie was electric at Selhurst Park and was another who opened the season with an opening-day brace – he says his idol is Didier Drogba and we saw flashes of Drogba in Mounie’s performance. Can this form continue? Time will tell, but your captain should be the person who you believe will score you the most points in any given week and Mounie has both the form and the fixture and is clearly the main man for the Terriers.
Harry Kane (home vs Chelsea)
Spurs can’t play at Wembley. Harry Kane doesn’t score in August. Both factually correct statements, but are you seriously trying to tell me that Kane will never score in August or that Spurs won’t perform at Wembley in 19 league matches this season? Do me a favour. It would be very easy for me to mention Dele Alli and/or Christian Eriksen in this piece – and I’ll happily admit both are also decent shouts for your armband this week. After all Alli scored at Newcastle last week and notched a brace in this fixture last season, while Eriksen created both goals for Spurs last weekend. However, my pick from Spurs this week is Kane – not my favourite player by any stretch and one who I feel is slightly overrated, but stats are stats and the bloke can score goals at this level at least. He was within inches of notching a brace vs the Toon as he hit the post and was denied by the keeper late on. The margins are fractional and if one or both of those chances had gone in we’d all be raving again. Well I wouldn’t, but a lot of you lot would be 😉 Chelsea come to Wembley this weekend in a state of disarray – beaten at home by Burnley, conceding three, Cesc and Cahill sent off, Conte under so much pressure his hair extensions could fall out and if that ain’t enough Diego Costa laying into the manager from his extended holiday in Brazil. There will be no better time to play the Blues – with Cahill suspended, Kane will be confident of taking on Luiz and Rudiger at the back and if all else fails he has penalty duties to fall back on if the Blues lose their discipline once again. Time for Kane’s August curse to be exorcised? I think so.
Ah, you sneaky little excitable things – you’re fallen for the ‘I love a Monday night captain’ haven’t you?
Jesus, Sergio Aguero, Kevin de Bruyne (home to Everton)
‘Coverage is a must’, we were told. KdB was the main man to be tipped though of course Kun and Jesus had their followers, while for those that punted on Sterling or Sane, you get what you deserved you bargain hunting cheapskates. An opening match at newly promoted Brighton would surely reward those who had invested in the Sky Blues. Well Aguero owners were happy, but KdB and Jesus disappointed, at least from a FPL point of view, and Sane and Sterling owners were left wondering how to find the money to upgrade their cheap and nasty failures. So, Monday night Everton come to town with a clean sheet under their belts (they were only playing Stoke), can they keep City at bay? History suggests they have a chance – last season the fixture ended 1-1 and the season before was goalless. However, we know what City can do – Jesus and Aguero played well together at Brighton and created chances that in weeks to come when they are league match sharp they will tuck away with no bother, while KdB will always be sniffing around the box, working his magic, looking to create, and will also be on many set pieces. Enough to captain any one of the three? Probably not for me – Everton are no mugs. However, some cannot resist a Monday captain and let’s be honest, all three have the ability to fully reward their loyal owners.
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 2
Vote on our Captain Poll Now
The League Codes for FF247 for the 2017/18 season are as follows:
The main public FF247 League , which anyone is welcome to join, can be accessed using the following code 1503-553 (auto-link below).
We are delighted to say that this has a prize pool of £300 which will be split between the top 3 and this has kindly been sponsored by STARTING ELEVEN Please take a minute to click on the link and visit their wonderful Live Daily Fantasy Football game.
Join Our League – Quick Link
League Code: 1503-553
View league standings
Our Regulars League for 2017/18 is now open and has a cash prize pool of £300 paid directly to the winners from the FF247 management team. The first 5 places are paid out in a tiered system.
To enter this one you need to be an active and recognised site member and you need to e-mail us for the league code – Elleffcee@fantasyfootball247.co.uk
*terms and conditions apply and are available upon request. Management reserve the right to review membership of this league on an ongoing basis. If you enter and win a prize you have to have commented on the site at least 10 times for 3 consecutive months between January 2018 and March 2018 or you will not be considered for a prize.
Gameweek Tracker GW2-11
Cookie, really good stuff, mate. I’ve been looking forward to this as choosing between Salah and Lukaku seems impossible…
It still is! 😉
Good luck then lol !!
Great write-up as per usual.
Can’t see beyond Lukaku for captain though.
Cheers Webstar, Lukaku seems to be the popular pick thus far.
Hey guys, how’s it going? I have a philosophical/strategy question and I’d love to hear your opinions. How much importance do you place on increasing team value early doors? Like many I have a Zaha problem and he needs to be replaced. However, I think Mee can come in at home to WBA to replace him in a 4-3-3 this week and I don’t love any of the 7.0 options to replace Zaha. I do like the idea of KDB + Zaha out for Silva + Eriksen, which I can just afford today before Zaha drops and Silva + Eriksen rise. But that requires a hit right off. So what do you like best?
1. KDB + Zaha out for Silva + Eriksen (-4 but + .3 in TV and a better team going forward)
2. Save FT and play Mee in a 4-4-3 (2FT next week but lose .1 in TV and priced out of Silva/Eriksen)
3. Shut your pie hole and replace Zaha with a 7.0 or less player with your 1 FT
I’m trying to win a tough H2H match this week so I don’t want to give up 4 points already, but I feel Silva + Eriksen are stronger long term than KDB + a 7.0 player. What would you do??
Red, one question. Why did you pick KdB in the first place?
Hey Cookie, thanks for the Captains article! I picked him because I wanted a City player and I couldn’t fit in Jesus/Aguero with Kane and Lukaku up top. I like KDB, but I’m thinking that Silva could keep pace with him (if he’s going to play regularly) and that allows me to get Eriksen instead of some 7.0 blah midfielder. Long term I think Silva/Eriksen are great FPL value, I just don’t want to give up 4 points already and throw my H2H match this week. The H2H strategy is at odds with normal OR strategy at times and I feel conflicted. Team value/better team vs Points.
You’re right, they are conflicting games. When I asked you why you selected KdB I was going to rebuke you for giving up on him so quickly, but if you’re sure enough that Silva will get good game time then I actually really like the moves.
Thanks Cookie, I appreciate your thoughts. And I understand FPL is ultimately about points and many top players with great ranks end up with relatively low TVs because they don’t chase price rises. It’s just hard to ignore big price swings, especially at the beginning! I was all set to save my FT this week until Zaha got crocked, now I’m not sure what to.
Yeah same here re Zaha and saving the transfer. I assume you have a bit of spare cash in the pot to afford Silva and Eriksen? They really are nice moves.
The one caveat I’d mention Red, is that in a few weeks I may look to turn JRod into Vardy. This all depends on JRod’s form and indeed West Brom’s plus also Vardy’s – so maybe it’s an idea to keep some cash back?
Then again that could always be dealt with by using the wildcard. Just a thought.
Thanks Cookie. Yes, I always save at least .5 to start so I have a little wiggle room to put out fires and make moves. I’ve considered Vardy/Firmino as 3rd strikers and they both looked great gw1. I’m just not sure I want to 2 lightweight midfielders playing every week just to fit one in up top. Currently thinking there may be good value in Mounie/Austin/Jrod/Abraham/etc in that 3rd forward spot allowing for a stronger midfield. At least until one of these budget mids really starts standing out. Definitely something to consider for the 1st WC though!
Red,
On your philosophical question, I tend to try and build up some team value early on, and am willing to take hits to do so as (for me at least) it has often been a big advantage on my ML opponents when it comes to the second half of the season, and in particular putting together wildcard squads for the DGWs.
As an order of transferring out preference, I make the transfers for any injured/suspended players first, then non-performing “fringe” players, and very rarely a big hitter who just isn’t performing – which one GW is never enough to make judgement on IMO.
That makes it option 3 of above – your points will still come from Kane/Luk/Salah/KDB so unless you think you need to completely change the strategy you (hopefully) spent ages thinking about before GW1, just shunt Zaha out and take a punt on somebody
Thanks Robbo, appreciate your thoughts mate. So hard at the start to decide on the best moves, especially since we only have 1 gw to go on really. Like you, I definitely try to work on TV when possible and make moves accordingly. Option 3 is the simplest and probably makes the most sense, but that’s never stopped me before, ha! Thanks again and best of luck this weekend!
Hi Red, personally I place zero importance on it. I’m very against making early transfers and so the whole thing goes out the window with that approach really. Only time I’ll consider an early one is if I really really want a particular player and it wouldn’t be possible due to price changes if I didn’t make the move.
Usually means I have a low TV come the end which is often the difference between getting a 7.0 and a 9.0 on the late WC. If that’s the pay off for not getting caught out by doing early transfers then I’m fine with it.
Others will play differently and may do better as a result but that’s just how I play it.
Helps that none of my ML would have much of a clue as to how TV works anyway!
Hey Init, thanks for replying. Yeah, you are definitely one of those I was thinking of when I mentioned top players with great ranks who don’t chase TV. This is one of those cases where I would be priced out of the move, but only if I HAVE to get Silva, which I don’t I suppose. KDB can go to Eriksen at any time, and I can bring in a 7.0 mid for Zaha right now for free. This would just cover me with City and Silva, and gives me Eriksen who I want at the same time while I can afford it. TBH, if there wasn’t a tough H2H match to consider I’d probably just take the hit and do it as I want both of them long term, but I’m trying to make the smart move and not throw my match this week.
I’m in the exact same predicament, we have very similar teams (only 4 different players in fact) This gives me confidence as I consider you a top manager so to be thinking in a similar fashion means I’m doing something right! We have the same midfield only i have Mane where you have Salah so I don’t have the luxury of 0.5 ITB.
Last night I considered a hit for Zaha – Mkhi but in the end there wasn’t a player in my team who I was willing to sacrifice for the extra million.
For me that now rules out a hit as I’d only be doing it for a player I don’t want. So I’m left with either benching Zaha and sucking up the price drop or bringing in a player of similar or lower value.
At the moment the 7.0 that seem popular are:
1. Rambo – Mitro’s endorsement gives me confidence that he’s a good shout.
2. Willian – He was in my team until a few days before GW1 but Zaha got the nod due to being their ‘main man’ and as such nailed on. Clearly lots of people are making either Fab – Willian or Zaha – Willian as he’s due to go up tonight.
I’m not 100% on both the above so I’m looking over cheaper options with a view to using the money saved as and when, there are some good options but its always tricky picking the right one at lower value, Mooy looks interesting so may go down that route given their favourable fixtures!
Either way I’ll have to make my move tonight with Zaha going down so if not tonight then I’ll just bench him and work with 2 next week when it might be clearer which other player is worth ditching!
H2H muddies the waters a bit Red. Depends if that’s important to you and how much so in relation to OR or ML. Not saying you can’t do / have both but they often conflict. I’ve never made a decision based upon a H2H match though so I’m probably the last person to ask!
Hey Rosco, thanks for your thoughts and the kind words, mate. You’re a top FPL player as well so I’m happy to hear we’re thinking along the same lines! Those are the same 7.0 players I’ve been considering and I must say none of them fill me with much confidence. Since I can put out a good side by fielding Mee I’m tempted to save the FT and bench Zaha, just hate the idea of losing money on him. 2 FT with another week’s worth of info sounds pretty good, though! Let us know what you do if you make a move, we’ll have to sh*t or get off the pot before price changes tonight!
To TV or not to TV this is the ? Red the last two seasons I have tried to build up TV & in both seasons I have been in top 1000 for TV but this has had a dramatic impact on my league postion so this season I have told myself not to take as many hits which you need to do to build up cash.
But in your case it’s something you have to deal with & with the market place going crazy sometimes you have to take a hit to get a better squad by changing two players & taking a hit it improves your whole team as you don’t see a straight swap will do that.
TV is important in the lg run & needs to be managed & plays a big part in the later end of the season.
I nearly took a hit just to increase my TV but tied my hands together , in your case it’s worth considering as players you want become out of reach 😉
Fulham have just signed Sheyi Ojo on loan from Liverpool. Don’t know anything about him other than him not being a fantasy option…. Any info from any Reds on here? Good pickup? Lucas Piazon broke his fibula yesterday so maybe straight into the side.
Not a red Colriles but from what I know he’s a very promising youngster and has played 1st for Liverpool so clearly he’s got something about him. I think he had a bad injury, broke his back or something, so I imagine that’s put him back a bit.
Cheers Innit, hope we get a look at him soon.
Evening chaps. Back after a couple days tabbing through the Indian foliage. Night off tonight, so back with FFL.
Lukaku is my cpt pick again, driven through a risk management thought process. Cant risk falling behind 40% of the masses.
Carrol or Elneny in the long term? As a 4.5m option? Swans look to be on the path of a long, hard and ultimately futile season. And Arsenal have a wealth of talent to choose from.
Carrol for sure. I would hesitate to call Elneny nailed on whereas Carrol is, and with Siggy gone may play a more prominent role. Just as a personal preference, with £4.5m midfielders I try and go for a big fish in a small pond above a small one in a big pond, which Elneny certainly is looking at Arsenal’s midfield.
Carroll without a doubt.
Carrol
OK guys..Gayle or Mounie??
i would go with Mounie
Thanks Wafflez.. transfer made