Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 9
Welcome to Fantasy Football Captain Picks Gameweek 9
We start as always by casting an eye backwards to the previous week to see who drew the golden ticket and who, the short straw.
Gameweek 8 Review
Salah v Watford (KRALIN – 13 points via 1 goal, 1 assist and 2 BPS)
Son v Newcastle (SMASH – 9 points via 1 goal and 2 BPS)
Foden v Burnley (ROSCO – 6 points via 1 assist)
So no one blanked but still some did a lot better than others huh? Each week it just feels like it’s a race to select Salah for writing duties in order to gain some credit in this column the next week. Whatever we can do to massage these massive football/FPL egos at FF247 towers we will. A happy ship and all that…
Kralin – you da man!
Let’s see who has Salah in Gameweek 9, and who is fighting over the crumbs around the kitchen table leg…
Smash: Romelu Lukaku v Norwich City (H)
It’s often said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Well this can easily be said about captaining Lukaku this week or even owning Lukaku after his fourth blank in a row! The Belgian really has not performed, he’s shown glimpses but Jamie Vardy is outscoring the big man every week. Here we are again backing Lukaku, who is firing blanks, over Vardy who is scoring every week… INSANITY I TELLS YA!
I usually come up with lots of stats justifying why I favour a captain when writing, however there really is not much favouring Lukaku on recent form. He has had 16 Shots in the Box, 6 Shots on Target and an xG of 2.50. He has also created 3 Big Chances with an xA of 2.13 which is ok. He has been unfortunate not to have scored in his last four matches. A few marginal offside goals and Big Chances missed suggest he’s been unlucky. Chelsea are top of the league, Lukaku is the striker; the one expected to score the goals and he plays the team who are bottom of the league, Norwich! You would usually say this is a no brainer. Salah even has a tricky game as he faces Manchester United away (hahahaha … oh you’re being serious – ED).
So why captain Big Bad Rom? They play Norwich at home who are just awful and are looking very much like Championship certainties after just eight games! 50% of Vardy’s attacking returns this season were against Norwich and Burnley; that’s the two teams Lukaku plays next. The Canaries have conceded 16 goals (19th), 84 Shots in the Box (18th), 21 Big Chances (19th) 122 chances conceded (14th) with an xGC of 15 (19th). I repeat Norwich are rock bottom of the league and Lukaku is the striker who plays for the team that is top of the league, so you captain Lukaku right… If you say it enough times it will come true.
Kop: Mohamed Salah v Manchester United (A)
As I sit here contemplating what to write I can already hear Smash waffling on about how you must captain Lukaku this week as Chelsea face a Norwich team with the 2nd worst defence in the league. This is true, Norwich do have the 2nd worst defence in the league but it’s worth noting that they’re coming off back to back clean sheets. There’s also the fact that Lukaku hasn’t scored in his last four games. Perhaps Lukaku isn’t the shoe in everyone seems to think he is!
What of GP & Harry Kane? Don’t mind the crazy Scot!
So forget about Lukaku & Kane, it’s all about Mo. The Egyptian is playing at a level above everyone else in the PL, some might say he’s at a different level to anyone in world football at the moment.
Let me bore you with some stats. He’s the joint top goal scorer in the league with seven goals. Only Paul Pogba has more than his five assists. Remember the days when he was immune to bonus points, those days are gone as he currently leads the way with 13 BPS. He’s had more penalty area touches than any other player, more goal attempts and attempts on target than any other players, while only Bruno Fernandes has created more chances.
Granted, Liverpool don’t have the greatest record at Old Trafford in recent years. In fact, their 4-2 victory there last season was their first win since 2016, but this a United side who are yet to keep a clean sheet at Old Trafford this season. While United have struggled at home, Liverpool have been in scintillating form on their travels scoring 3+ goals in eight consecutive games in all competitions.
The Egyptian King should not be ignored!
GP: Harry Kane v West Ham United (A)
So all it took was for Nuno to figure out that 4-2-3-1 is better than 4-3-3 (for him and Spurs currently – not an invitation to debate the nuances between the systems) and to use Tanguy Ndombele as an attacker.
Result – goals for Ndombele, Son AND KANE! and in the game before that, for *checks notes* Hojbjerg and an own goal. Ah well, a win is a win is a win and that is now two matches in a row Nuno has used Kane at the top with a cast of Moura, Ndombele and Son behind him and it seems to be clicking into gear (eventually). Add to that the wide/overlapping of Royal and Reguillon ballasted by a core of Dier, Romero, Skipp and Hojbjerg and (whisper it) Spurs might actually be about to do a ‘run’.
This is backed up by Spurs posting their highest combined team xG of the season against Villa (1.54) and then bettering that away to (huge caveat) Newcastle, with 1.58.
Kane himself secured his first return of the season against Newcastle – 12 points – in Gameweek 8. That’s extremely poor BUT the tide is turning, a goal, assist and the three BPs and he’ll be feeling much brighter about a trip to West Ham on Sunday. He has a career total 11 goals against the Hammers including a double last year in the home fixture.
Whilst everyone gravitates to Lukaku this week, should Kane be the move and if so, should he be your captain?
Your host this week has been The Gallant Pioneer and who better than to recommend a few good casino sites to you, But which one we here you ask? Well here they are!
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 non-escape clauses than a Daniel Levy created contract but this is the writers’ initial gut feeling based upon who they actually own.
DMC — Romelu Lukaku
Jamesimmo – Romelu Lukaku
Ivan — Cristiano Ronaldo
Swirly — Romelu Lukaku
Horse — Mohamed Salah
Matt — Romelu Lukaku
Loud Atlas — Romelu Lukaku
Smash — Romelu Lukaku
Kop — Mohamed Salah
The Gallant Pioneer — Romelu Lukaku
Rosco — Mohamed Salah
Elleffcee — Romelu Lukaku
Floydeth — Romelu Lukaku
Init — Romelu Lukaku Salah
Mito — Romelu Lukaku
VOTE ON THIS WEEK’S CAPTAIN POLL GAMEWEEK 9
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Aubameyang for a hit?
I brought in Havertz as my FT. I don’t have enough for Kane, not too taken with Toney as I am looking for a bit of a differential, although I could be persuaded, I suppose!
Was thinking of Jesus but he didn’t play last GW – dreaded Pep roulette. So it kinda leaves me with Auba or Firmino.
Any thoughts? Many thanks
I would say “No”, but I am very anti-hit whenever I have 11 starters.
Thanks GentleBen…I would probably agree if Brighton weren’t playing City. Mind you I suppose 2 point from Bissouma is better than a -4! Cheers
Am I going a bit too crazy with this captain pick? In my mind he plays and get a huge score or doesn’t and the band lies on Salah. I doubt he will share minutes with chilwell as they are similar players. Thoughts?
You could have 5-minute cameo hell there. You could end up as a gibbering wreck.
We’d have to pretend we were sympathetic. Don’t do it – for our sake.
I dont think he plays
Lol fair enough. Damn it’s tempting but yeah a cameo would KILL me.
Might be able to catch wind of the team sheet before kick off.
Cancel and Foden both start. However, Duffy benched?