Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 23

Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 23 2017/18

Welcome to Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 23. Back to a bit of normalcy after that miserable DGW and there’s nothing like the old miserable regular game-week to get us back in the spirits. This week I was tasked with coming up with some captaincy options for you all to mull over. I was also told to not pick them and then spend a whole paragraph on why they were actually bad options, like I apparently did last time. Basically they have asked me to hide the truth… I can do that, I don’t have a problem with doing that at all 😉 In fact, if you must know there are a few things I live by, which I think would serve most people well, but let me just mention the one that is most relevant to this article.

“It’s not a lie, if you believe it” my uncle George Constanza

Now, now, don’t worry, I am not going to bend the truth that much, besides that would get edited out by the fun police, in some circles known as Init. This GW is a touch peculiar, because there are some nice fixtures, but the top players in them fixtures are not necessarily in great form, or indeed possibly injured. There are also cases like Jesse Lingard where you are slowly starting to trust him, but making him captain might make you squeamish. Then there is Kane, who some of you might have started to grow a special kind of ‘fpl’ hate for, the kind of hate that usually is only reserved for King Joffrey or your mom-in-law. Anyways let us get to the options and see if we can get you to try some rose coloured glasses on for one of them.

Harry Kane vs Everton (H)
Everyone who has known me for the last several seasons knows that I am the biggest Harry Kane fan. I have been following his progress carefully over the last couple of seasons and was on the he is ‘world class’ bandwagon before anyone. By the way, pardon the length of my nose as I continue to sing the praises of Prince Harry. In 20 starts, Kane has delivered at the very least a goal in 9 of them. So almost 50% there, which is not bad when you consider the huge hauls he has gotten this season. In the 9 games he did score, he had 7 of them where he grabbed either one of five braces or one of his 2 hat-tricks. The last time he faced Everton he scored 2 and grabbed the 3 bonus. If you think Harry is going to score in this fixture, then he looks the best choice because of his propensity to score more than one when he does get on the score sheet.

A short story on a friend that we won’t name (Kop) he has captained him 11 times this season and Harry has failed him 7 times. Now, I know I said I would not be negative on a player and I am not, I am being negative on Kop. In the other 9 weeks he owned him (didn’t own him for 2 GWs) if he captained Kane he would have had 5 hits on his big C for that week.

Eden Hazard vs Leicester (H)
Fixtures over form? Possibly there is a little of that here. Also, I am a Real Madrid fan and I thought our #1 and #2 targets should go on here as one and two, because in the end it is all about ‘Los Blancos’!

Leicester doesn’t look like a team that is that weak, so perhaps I am misreading this? Think again! Leicester have played 8 games vs top six opponents and have conceded two or more 7 times, so they are there for the taking. If you are wondering why I picked the top six, just know it was not arbitrary at all and it wasn’t to make the stats work in my favour. Frankly, I am appalled you would think such a thing. In the last 3 meetings between CFC and Leicester, Chelsea has scored 3, 3 and 2. If Hazard scores, it comes with an automatic 3 bonus. Sure, he might score and not get the full 3 you say, but that be the first time it happened this season if it did. So one goal and you are on at the very least 10 points, possibly even 11 if they get a CS also. If you still have him, he has to be considered, besides who else are you going to captain from this fixture? Alonso? …actually… Oh behave!

A short story on a friend that we won’t name (Kop) he captained Hazard once out of the six GWs he owned him for and it was successful to the tune of six points, having said that seven of his eleven players scored the same or more that week, so almost any captain would have proved successful. What is important to note is that he owned him for six weeks and he only got an assist out of him. Now, I know I said I would not be negative on a player and I am not, I am being negative on Kop. Kop bought him after his 15 point haul and sold him before his 10 point haul this past GW. Sounds like this is a ripe time to captain him, well unless Kop announces he is buying him back 😉

Manchester United vs Stoke (H)
How could I pass up the opportunity to write about one of my favourite teams in the world? Just couldn’t. I love them so much I couldn’t pick just one, so I went Pancho on you all and included the whole fixture so I could cram in several players from United.

Fixtures over form, part deux? Maybe. It kinda depends who on United you have your eyes set on. Lingard is in the form of his life, but is he too scary? Lukaku is well, Lukaku, but if you think United is going to lay a beating on Stoke, he makes sense, right? Then there is Pogba. If he is given freedom to attack he is definitely worth a shout, he has proven that through the season. When he is advanced he is a fpl gold mine, but where will Jose play him?

Lingard based on form and fixture is ironically probably the safest choice even if you can’t fathom the thought. In his last 9 appearances he has 7 goals, 2 assists and 8 bonus points. He has taken 13 shots in the last 4 games and he only played a half in one of those. With so many new investors and many feeling burned by Kane, don’t be surprised if Jesse becomes the pick of the rebels. I am not going to sit here and make a huge case for Lukaku and Pogba. The case for them is based on the fixture and their position on the pitch. Almost all the hauls that Pogba has gotten this year has been when he was advanced, even if it he only got 20 minutes or so. So if there is any indication that Jose will play him advanced, definitely consider him. Lukaku has to start scoring sooner or later, this is as golden an opportunity as any. Stoke City has allowed 26 goals in six fixtures against the Top 5. If you are wondering why I picked the top five, just know it was not arbitrary at all and it wasn’t to make the stats work in my favour. And Frankly, well you know the rest. In them six fixtures, the three away ones had them concede 17. Also, to add to that Stoke has allowed more goals than any other team. Being the only team to allow more than 2 per game on average. Trust me, playing away doesn’t lower the average either.

A short story on a friend that we won’t name (Kop). A couple of weeks ago a friend that we will call Cookie for the purpose of anonymity, suggested he buy Lingard. In short order this is how the conversation went. Now, I know I said I would not be negative on a player and I am not, I am being negative on Kop.

Anonymous Cookie: Lingard goal. Again.
Secret friend (Kop): He’s still a tosser
Anonymous Cookie: He’s still scoring.

30 minutes later
Secret friend (Kop): Hazard is nothing but a troll
Anonymous Cookie: Sell him for Jesse and bank the 5mln
Secret friend (Kop): Never!

3 weeks later (yesterday)
Secret friend (Kop): I might buy Jesse today

Liverpool vs Man City
What is the final score in this one? To some degree you have to look at this one as you would Barry and Paul’s predictions game and guess the final score. That should give you a quick answer as to whether anyone is worth captaining. If you think this turns out to be a dull affair, stay away, but if you think these two will go after each other then this fixture is loaded with the best of the best in fpl. Eight of the top fifteen players in fpl are likely to start in this one, would be nine if Coutinho had stayed. The top 3 – Salah, Sterling and KdB could be involved, not to mention the 2nd and 3rd best fpl forwards.

Liverpool is the best defensive team in the league at home. However, do you believe LFC is great defensively or that most teams tend to sit back and park the bus when they visit Anfield? I think it is the latter, LFC is given the respect at Anfield that City is given everywhere. Teams are simply scared to go at them for fear of letting in a bunch of goals. Despite all the barricades that are put up by opposing teams against these two, they are still easily 1 and 2 in goals scored. Scoring an amazing 114 goals combined in 44 fixtures. The almost 3 goals a game and City won’t fear Liverpool and finally someone from Manchester will show up with enough balls to go at Liverpool which should also lead to the Scousers having their chances on the opposing goal without having to go around a full XI barricaded in their own 18. Their last meeting ended in a 5-0 win for City, but that was aided by a Mane red card in the first half. Before the red card one could tell that Klopp was willing to test the City defence and with the game being at Anfield one would expect that the attitude will only take on a more defiant nature. This could turn out 0-0 or 1-0, but the hope is this turns into a 4-2 or 3-3 and it could very well happen, if both managers are brave and seeing as that said managers are not named Jose nor Rafa, this could be real fun.

Aguero, Salah, Sterling, KdB and Firmino depending on who you own all look like options in this one. Just a matter of what you think the final score is and which one you trust the most.

I really don’t have a short story on a friend that we won’t name (Kop) for this one. All I can think of is that he would probably like me to mention that he never stopped following and supporting Raheem Sterling and that all LFC fans should do the same.

Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 23

This article was written by Mito21.

@TheLegendMito21

Gameweek Tracker GW23-28