Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 23
Welcome to Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 23.
GW22 saw a mixed bag to say the least, ranging from a Jimenez blank returning Matt’s ‘supporters’ a meagre 4 captaincy points, all the way through to GP topping the pile with his Rashford pick, who rewarded him with two goals, three bonus points and 24 lovely points, despite only playing for 58 minutes! In-between these we had Init backing Mane to no avail and 6 points, Rosco seeing his Vardy party fizzle out after a solitary assist and 10 points, Smash stepped up with a goal, or at least Tammy did, to get him 12 points and it was close but no cigar for Cookie as KDB and his wonderful assists brought him home with 18.
After a bumper week of potential candidates it’s slimmer pickings this time around but let’s go see who Smash, Kop, Cookie and DMC are backing for that all important armband for GW23.
Smash – Mo Salah (H) vs Man United
(Photo by Visionhaus, Getty Images)
So there I am walking round an Tutankhamun exhibition in London all about ancient Egyptian history and I get asked who my captain pick is this week. Well if that’s not a sign from the pharaoh gods I don’t know what is. Its got to be the Egyptian King himself Mo Salah!
Liverpool just keep winning, 20 wins from 21 games this season which makes it very difficult to argue against another Liverpool win here. United aren’t exactly the team from the Fergie years with Ole at the wheel . Now there’s always the conundrum of who to captain Salah or Mane for Liverpool assets. In this case Mane will be up against Wan Bissaka while Salah faces off against the rookie United defender Williams or well always injured or never match fit Luke Shaw. Now for home form Salah has 9 goals and XG of 7.11 to Mane’s 7 goals and XG of 5.52. Salah also shoots a lot more at Anfield having had 41 goal attempts to Mane’s 26 which may suggest Salah has been unlucky not to have scored more.
Salah’s ownership is currently 25% which is almost differential territory for a player as explosive and generally popular as Salah. Mo also currently has the added bonus of being on Penalties as James Milner will continue to miss out through injury. Now last week I said Tammy Abraham was on the list for anyone that likes a goals imminent table and he duly scored. This week Mo Salah is currently on the same list maybe another Pharaoh god sign.
Kop – Danny Ings (H) vs Wolves
(Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
In our capos article ahead of GW21 AT picked a certain Danny Ings. He was ridiculed in certain parts but Ings came up trumps for the kid with a goal and three bonus points. AT put together quite a lengthy case for Ings in said article, something I don’t intend to do today!
Ings followed up his goal in GW21 with another last weekend against Leicester to bring his tally for the season to 14, 10 of which have come in his last 11 games. He is unquestionably the inform striker in the league. Sometimes it’s not about stats, it’s a simple as going for the guy who’s scoring. That guy is Danny Ings. At times last weekend he was unplayable, he hit the woodwork twice and Schmeichel pulled off a world class save to deny him. Not only is he scoring goals he’s also picking up bonus points, a staggering 27 to date.
A quick word on the opposition, Wolves. Defensively they’re not a shambles, in fact they have the 7th best defence in the league. However, this record is a little deceiving as they have kept just one clean sheet over the last 14 game-weeks. Granted they haven’t conceded more than two goals in any game during this period but I wouldn’t let that concern you. Ings only need one goal to pick up maximum bonus points. Don’t believe me? He has picked up maximum bonus points on seven occasions this season and in six of these games he only scored once.
Cookie – Sergio Aguero (H) vs Crystal Palace
(Photo by Visionhaus)
When one decides who should be their captain in any particular week, there are a number of factors any candidate should pass. Form and fixture are the obvious two. Explosiveness and high ceiling are in there also, as is ownership. Sergio Aguero at home to Crystal Palace fits all of the above and more. Kun has scored 13 goals this term and sits below just Vardy, Aubayemang, Ings, Tammy and Rashford in the race for the Golden Boot, despite playing in half of the minutes of the others.
His hat-trick at Villa last week gave non-owners a reminder of what the striker is capable of and rewarded those managers who retained faith in the scorer of the most Premier League hat-tricks. This week’s opponents haven’t kept a clean sheet in six game-weeks and are beset by injuries.
Owners will be captaining Aguero this week, non-owners will be trying to find a way of fitting him in to their current plans and will be hiding behind a large sofa if they go into GW23 without him.
Kun is the perfect captaincy candidate this week. Dare you go without him?
DMC – Jamie Vardy (A) vs Burnley
(Photo by Daniel Chesterton/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
He scores when he wants – Jamie Vardy.
So, you have been lured by my co-panellists into captaining Salah, Ings or Aguero right? Don’t do that to yourself, it’s a trap. They all are. Utd have been better at defending of late so that won’t be a goal fest. Ings plays a Wolves team that likes possession play and are comfortable on the ball. Only three times this season have they let in more than 1 goal away from home in eleven games. And then there’s the diminutive Argentine that we all know is going to be rotated/rested/whatever in this next home game as he was in their last home game.
Ok, I’m just being mean. Those are all good picks. But they are not Jamie Vardy. This man is having a tremendous season leading the line for a team that is having a remarkable season. Many tipped them to battle for Champions League football at the beginning of the season but no-one in their right senses would have predicted that they would sit in third come GW 22, 11 points clear of 5th spot. Sure, they have shown a small dip in form and their recent record shows 3 league losses in their last 5. However, that period includes matches vs the almighty Liverpool and an away game at City in which old Jamie actually scored a beauty. Papa Vardy missed two games recently but after a poor-ish display from him and the team vs Villa in the league cup last midweek he then returned an assist in GW 22. Reports suggest this was a lacklustre showing by Leicester but let not that fool you. They were playing the form team in Saints who are second only to Liverpool in that chart in the last 5. How about Burnley? Well, they are no Saints… they are actually culprits of 4 losses on the bounce including losing to Aston Villa of all teams. At Turf Moor. They are not showing the home form they were once known by with 6 losses and 17 goals conceded in 11 games. Now Vardy likes an away goal as his 9 of those in 17 show. Here’s another interesting stat: this season, he has only blanked in 3 away games and they were vs top 6 opposition (Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool). He is playing away. He scores when he wants and he has scored in two of his four Premier League games at Burnley so far so this seems like the perfect time to trust him with the armband while the bandwagon collects a blank elsewhere.
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 23. This article was written by Kop, Smash, Cookie and DMC
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***NEW ARTICLE- CAPO PICKS GW23***
Smash goes all sceptical, Kop goes trendy, Cookie finally goes for a forward and DMC goes route one.
Many thanks all!
Thanks for the cracking article guys.
Have I got my starting 11 n sub order right?
Grealish or Traore to start?
Traore plays vs a team in form but lower than them in the table. But Grealish is arguable the better player but plays a team that’s not in great form but higher than them in the table.
Advice?
Looks good FPLdoc.. I’d put VC on KDB though. He’s my captain anyways.
Looks good.
Who all are thinking of TC Mane/Salah in GW24? Any reasons to not to do the same?
Page 5 / 26 in GW 23 Analysis
my love for Aguero is showing. im thinking of Vardy out – Aguero in
Will need to also go Marial out – Grealish in
Aguero & Grealish OR Vardy & Marial?
what you reckon fellas?
(i had planned to go VanD to TAA and Marial to Grealish, but happy to keep VanD instead of TAA ahead of their DGW)
Hello people – and thankyou all (AND you Rosco for your fine opening innings – wonderful article mate!) for this fine elucidation of who to captain!
I’ve been hiding lately as I feel such a fool – and could be renamed ‘The Ancient Mariner’ for my actions (The Ancient Mariner is a figure from a poem, who commits a stupid act and is punished for it by having to spend the rest of his life travelling round the world telling people of what he did – and is a symbol of eternal regret!):
For I, AJW have invented the ‘Self-sabotage Card’ (can be used at any point of the season!) and have discovered painfully that by activating your WC, and making changes to transfers validated can actually reduce your team value considerably!!! I lost 1.3m TV in such playings around this week!
At first I was just going to use my 2FT + 1 (-4) to shift out Alli/Soy/Rashers for Salah/Holgate/DCL (good enough team!), but when Fabianski went down, and Fleck featured prominently, I panicked and got in Ryan+Fleck – then thought ‘Cuff it! I’ll use my 2nd WC!’ and went all out and got Martin (cheap goalie) plus Ings and when Kun went wild, I actually sold Vardy to get Firmino (change of style, dumping Salah for Traore), thinking that I would replace him with Kun in GW 25 – THEN (sugar this is long-winded!) realised that it would be better to get Kun straight away as he was on a roll (thus planning to replace Vardy with Firmino only for GW 24 and then bring back Vardy for GW 25!) – and THEN realised that my team valuehad been frittered away by endless changing and validating of transfers (and thus the possibility of rechanging to organise my team to get in Salah instead of Firmino for GW24!). In short, painted into a corner my very good friends!!!
Luckily though, my team looks really good and I always envisaged getting in Kun at some stage, which is a huge saving grace. BUT I feel really regrettful about losing so much team value and leeway for future movements!
Team as it stands:
Ryan – Martin
TAA – Lundy – Holgate – Stephens – Williams
Mané – KDB – Maddie – Traoré – Fleck
Aguero – Vardy – Ings (Looks like an exclusive club for the over 30’s!!!)
End of ramble – I feel satisfied but stooopid. I realise it could have been worse, but it actually prevents me from getting in certain players I was toying with later on.
This message will now be the Albatross I carry around my neck! (Check it out on Wikipedia!)
And thus the Ancient Mariner hath spake!
Bye for now, I promise!
BTW, have since regained 0.3 m of TV, so that’s nice!
Hmm, well, perhaps you can blame it on the person from Porlock (wrong poem I know). I hope you haven’t been suffering The Pains of Sleep as a consequence.
However it’s easily done and you’ll know for next time (he said in a sententious manner). I suggested to someone on here the other day, quite seriously, that they wildcard. There are no strictures on when it needs to be done and we all know – or should know – our own sides.
Is the plan a quick Kun / Firmino swap next week so you can gorge on Liverpool players / drag down the mean average of your front line?
Hahaha Kralin – yes the plan is to give Darth (Vardy) some rest for one week, leaving the swashbuckling Argentinian in the team permanently (from now on) and bring in the ever-smiling Brazilian, so I can have my fill of Liverpuddlians for that GW (you made me seem like one of Dracula’s acolytes – when they are preparing to overtake the world after setting up shop in London – hmm, maybe Stoker had foresight of how PL club owners would operate in the 21st century!!!).
Had planned to WC quite early, but quite ignorant (well I’d forgotten) of the loss of value when making transfers, validating then switching within one’s WC week. BTW, what do you think of the team? I quite admire it, but the lack of further leeway (I have 0.1 ITB) is a concern. Bleeding Albatross!
Obviously won’t keep Firmino but for a brief cameo appearance! GW 25, the world’s greatest Dad comes back in! Don’t want to receive nasty social media comments from ‘Bekah!
Your team? Well – what does it matter what you say about people?
It looks fine to me. Loads of points. I was slightly taken aback that you hadn’t gone for three Liverpool players but I was soothed by your plans beyond GW23.
Thank you Kralin. Yes the actual plans are hard to decipher from that lot I admit, but basically just giving R Firmino a run for one week (even more if he goes sky-high!). Enjoy your evening!
Hey AJW – sorry to hear that. If it makes you feel better, I am then clearly even more of fool – as I have done this in the past and not even been able to figure out what happened! Are you saying, one should activate their WC, but not actually make the transfers until all set?
I think he just means that if you take someone out who you have value in and then decide to put them back in later you lose half of the profit you made on them because you are effectively repurchasing them at today’s price. It’s a common mistake / misconception, I did it myself a few years back.
Aaaaah, I get it now. Thanks init. :slaphead:
Initt’s hit the nail on the head! Thanks for your replies guys. My consolation is the quality of my team. I love it when I have Aguero in (and he’s on song!). Was thinking also of a last modification in Traore out for Doucoure. Good luck to you both!
Great article cheers guys.
What should I do here?
Got 2ft 0 in the bank.
I need to replace Fabianski was thinking to McCarthy maybe for funds.
Could do Jiminez or Abraham to Ings aswell.
What u think?
Or should I try get another Liverpool player in
Fab to McCarthy seems fine to me this week. 2FT next week will open up vistas of the third Liverpool player.
But I’d sort out the goalie first: going into the GW with only 10 players doesn’t seem at all wise to me (all points are important in the final reckoning, even if it’s only 1 or 2). And goalkeepers can sometimes brighten our GW with spectacular returns.
Cheers kralin
Yes definitely replace Fabianski and save the other transfer as otherwise the team is fine! I don’t know which keeper to get though, I’m pondering on that myself, McCarthy seems like a good bet, but I don’t know I don’t trust us to keep cleanies, but then again I might be biased (as in being overly fearful)…
Zed, I am in the same boat, but I have Ramsdale. I am deciding between Ryan and McCarthy (but I have 5.0m ITB). I will be going with McCarthy, for the reasons of, he is cheaper, it allows me to do DCL->Ayew, instead of DCL->Greenwood when I use my 2xFT next week. 1 of those FT will be Grealish->Salah.
I think Ayew has more potential than Greenwood, and plays more minutes.
Obviously if Rashford is out that could change.
The only blot for McCarthy is they have Pool in a few weeks, but I will just go for saves on that one.