Fantasy Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 30
Welcome back! It’s been a while, but it’s probably also fair to say that, for once at least, we were probably all grateful for a prolonged international break, after the disaster that was BGW29. We shall not dwell on that one, and dig up further nightmares of Free Hit 18 point weeks, and the sort.
The good news is that the big hitters are back this week (in theory…) and that by captaining one of them successfully, he could on his own outscore your entire team from last week! Wouldn’t be too difficult.
To add to the lustre there are actually a good few options to consider this week, and for once one of them is not even called Haaland. Shock, horror. You could go there of course, but with a tight top of the table clash, and with half of the Man City defence metaphorically dying a death in an England shirt this week, as opposed to Maguire doing it literally, this may be the week to give him a swerve.
Let’s go look at what the other options may be…
Rosco — Cole Palmer v Burnley (H)
With double-game weeks on the horizon, we realistically have just 6 ‘normal’ captaincy picks left to manoeuvre from here through to GW38. Of those 6 there are standout picks in probably 3-4 of them so there are few opportunities left to go against the crowd. This week feels like one of maybe 2-3 weeks where we have a genuine choice to make.
If you have Salah or Son they both feel like obvious picks, but I’ll let someone else tell you how great they are. Instead, I’d like to suggest you hand your GW30 armband to one of the greatest FPL players of all time.
Now and then you get a dirt-cheap player who comes along and has their breakthrough season, making a mockery of their FPL price into the bargain. We’ve seen it before with Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez to name but a few. In Cole Palmer, we have been blessed this season.
Back in GW7 when he started getting regular starts for the Blues, you could pick him up for just £4.9m and from GW7 through to GW29 only Ollie Watkins (156pts) has scored more FPL points than Palmer (138pts). In that period, he has 20 attacking returns (11 goals, 9 assists) from 19 starts, averaging 7.2pts per start.
He comes into the game week on the back of 3 double-digit home returns (13,8,10,14pts) in his last 4, and has averaged 8.3pts in his last 10 appearances.
Palmer faces a Burnley side second from the bottom, only Sheffield (57) have conceded more than the Clarets (50) and away from Turf Moor they’ve kept just a solitary clean sheet, leaking 28 goals in 14 fixtures.
The season is nearly over, time to have some fun!
Matt — Mo Salah vs Brighton (H)
It feels like a long time since I even considered the Egyptian Pharaoh, let alone wrote about him. Salah has only played a full league game once in 2024 and that was back on the 1st of January. He got 2 goals and an assist that day but did miss a penalty. Since then he has travelled to AFCON and then been carrying an injury. He did make a cameo back in GW25 for 46 minutes and also grabbed a goal and assist. Finally, he made a small appearance before the international break against City for 29 minutes and didn’t get anything but he then made only his second 90 minutes against Sparta Prague where he grabbed a goal and 3 assists. He also grabbed a goal against United in the cup so basically…. when he plays he tends to return!
That fact is exactly what we want from the player we decide to put the armband on. Salah has backed up that fact time and time again so why would we now challenge our faith in that majestic man by gambling against him with someone like Son or Palmer…. Ugh… peasants compared to Magical Mo!
Liverpool will be looking for a reply to the 4-3 loss against Man United right before the break. Plenty of the players have been on international duty and tearing it up, Diaz captained and assisted, VVD with a clean sheet, Gakpo with 2 assists, Kostas with an assist, Szobo with a goal and more had great times. This should be great confidence coming back and most importantly Salah has got a nice rest after Egypt allowed him to stay at Liverpool.
Brighton are tied 6th for the worst defence in the league having conceded 44 goals. They don’t keep many clean sheets and while they have 2 in their last 5 they came against Forest and Sheffield United who aren’t exactly top quality compared to Liverpool. I wouldn’t be too put off by the recent clean sheets especially with the game being in Anfield. Just go safe and captain Salah. I don’t think you’ll regret it!
Init – Son vs Luton (H)
(Photo by Apinya Rittipo/Getty Images)
I was 3rd to pick here, and when I saw that Son was still left, I must admit I assumed I had missed the news about some hamstring injury on international duty.
When we asked for the confessional picks below they began rolling in… Palmer, Mo, Mo, Palmer.
Surely I had missed something – maybe the plot…
But he’s playing Luton at home – who have conceded the most goals away this season (34)????
That’s when I actually checked the news to see if he had died in a horrendous flight crash on the way back from South Korea, or perhaps they had played Malaysia and they had been at it again… Perhaps I had just somehow overlooked it. Or BBC news had; they do tend to lose focus at times!
Maybe people had just lost faith after being burned last time out, when Spurs got unexpectedly gubbed by Fulham.
Turns out he’s in fine fettle, and has in fact played Thailand twice this week, rather oddly, and has been in fine form too, with two goals.
Fit, healthy and on his way back, presumably with all his fingers in-tact this time, I popped my choice on. And low and behold there followed a flurry of ‘Son picks’, in said confessional.
Perhaps they had just forgotten about him too.
Let’s not forget that he duly gubbed Villa himself the week before, to the tune of 17 points.
He’s explosive, and Luton can be implosive.
Feels like the perfect storm to me.
The confessional…
This is where we ask our entire writing team to tell us who they think they will pick this week… There are more caveats and get out clauses than a meeting with Daniel Levy but this is their initial gut feeling based upon who they actually own. And they promise that their picks will be allowed to leave for free if a better offer comes along…
Ivan — Son
Swirly — Son
Matt — Salah
Loud Atlas — Son
Rosco — Palmer
Ellefcee — Mo
Floydeth — Salah
Init — Son
Gear — Son
Stone Frog — Palmer
OddDane — Cole P. (Salah if I WC)
Jamie Mc — Son
VOTE ON THIS WEEK’S CAPTAIN POLL
Thanks for reading Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 30. This article was written by Rosco, Matt X and Inittowinit.
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***NEW ARTICLE – CAPO PICKS GW30***
We’re back! We’ve forgotten what we’re doing, and apparently there’s a new game in town that we are unaware of (uninterested in!). But besides that we have at least pulled a few Capo choices together.
We’re back in the game! Feels like a long, long time.
9.6 itb and looking at Bowen>Mo. Can’t afford Haaland as well but will risk it this week. Am I missing a better option?
Bowen to Mo seems great mate.
0 FT and 8.0 ITB
Already took a hit a few days ago to bring in Salah and Palmer avoiding the price increase.
Do I take another one to jump on the Muniz train or hold? FH and WC still available.
Prob not for a second hit mate but saying that, he is bang on form with good fixtures upcoming so if you really fancy it why not have some fun with it.
I think you either hold or WC. I don’t see the point of a -8 with a WC to be used soon.
Thanks SADC and SF. It will be a last minute decision.
For free probably yes. As stone frog said, don’t see need for hits at this stage with WC still left.
Walker might be injured, but could be a low scoring game and so Saliba should be fine as a replacement. I’d stay put Ivan
Solanke or muniz this week for Morris? Haaland will come back next week. I’m not sure who to get rid of to bring Saka in over the next couple of weeks.. Any advice appreciated x
Short term muniz. If u still have WC then Solanke before the dgw. Probably need to sell Son if u want Saka.
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