Fantasy Premier League Captain Picks Gameweek 28
Welcome to Fantasy Premier League Captain Picks Gameweek 28. Combinations can sometimes conjure up the most unique and magical fusions, take Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole (treble winning strike partnership); Morecambe and Wise (timeless comedy duo); Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (iconic dance partners) and an ice cream cone strategically placed on a donkey (unicorn). Alternatively, an unexpectedly gruesome hybrid can be produced from merging two otherwise great things together; like Star Wars and Samuel L. Jackson.
This all brings me rather unsteadily to present you this haphazard homogenization of the Captain Picks and Tips articles, which I’m unofficially calling Cat Pain Tips*.
But first let’s look at the 4 fixtures on offer:
BOURNEMOUTH v WEST HAM UNITED
EVERTON v WEST BROM
HULL v SWANSEA
LIVERPOOL v BURNLEY
The first thing to rejoice about is that, no matter what happens, FPL fans won’t be subjected to another Kane/Alli ‘celebration’ which, if it was a 90’s boyband would be A1; highly choreographed, yet almost universally despised. Watch Spurs v Millwall at your own peril. Now where were we…
BOURNEMOUTH v WEST HAM UNITED
Captain Pick – Joshua King (BOU)
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[/three_fifth]Despite an alarming string of results for the Cherries, Joshua King is one of the most in-form FPL players of late, enjoying a hot streak of 5 goals in 6 games. Owned by a criminally low 3.4%, the Norwegian could prove to be an unorthodox yet effective captain choice against a West Ham team that’s failed to keep a clean sheet away from home since winning by a single goal at Selhurst Park way back in GW8. Josh has years of experience looking after cats and notes, “During heat, my cat suffered from a loss of appetite, but she still ate a little to keep up her energy. Cats go back to normal eating behaviours as the heat wears off.”
Best of the rest –
Manuel Lanzini joined previous club Al Jazira as a replacement for Abdelaziz Barrada, who linked up with Marseille. It must be deja-vu for the Argentine who now inherits the burden of Marseille’s recent recruit Dmitri Payet. Robert Snodgrass may have been the official stand-in, but it’s the former River Plate star who seems to be ably filling the creative void. Nicknamed ‘La Joya’ (the jewel), Lanzini has bagged 25 diamond-encrusted points in the past 3 fixtures. His 12 goal attempts in that period puts him behind only Coutinho in this week’s available pool of players. Another notable Hammer includes a rarely healthy, but usually dangerous Andy Carroll, who will be keen to face a defence that hasn’t kept a clean sheet this year.
EVERTON v WEST BROM
Captain Pick – Romelu Lukaku (EVE)
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[/three_fifth]His Bournemouth bonanza aside, the Belgian’s FPL scoring graph has rarely spiked above the ordinary. The difference this season however has been his consistency. In years gone by, Lukaku has struggled to attain this, but now squeezes out points like an OCD teenager with chronic acne. The Everton striker epitomised this perfectly in last Sunday’s clash with Spurs, scoring even at the death when the Toffees were staring defeat in face. Post-match, he kindly shared this insight with fans, “If your cat begins growling, swatting or snapping when stroked, touched or moved, that’s a sign something is bothering him.”
Best of the rest –
Take some comfort that when Trump eventually smashes that big red Trident button on his desk, perhaps ending humanity and even worse, FPL, Seamus Coleman will still be out there by himself getting assists for… ah, wait, I haven’t thought this through. Not only has he recaptured his form of yore, he looks like having his best season ever with 4 goals, 4 assists and no sign of slowing down. As for the Baggies, well we all know about Gareth ‘goal machine’ McAuley, but maybe you’ll find room in your hearts for an ever-improving Nacer Chadli who’s starting to deliver reliable returns.
HULL v SWANSEA
Captain Pick – Fernando Llorente (SWA)
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[/three_fifth]Llorente is known as ‘The Lion King’ by his Spanish compatriots. He kick-started his career with a prolific stint at Athletic Bilbao, and now aged 32 his Welsh renaissance appears to be completing the circle of his footballing life. 3 goals in 2 games has coincided with a remarkable reversal of fortunes for the Swans since Paul Clement’s arrival. The 6’4″ gentle giant, and the most popular ‘transfer in’ for this GW, confides, “My cat’s left hip is more arthritic than the right one, and I suspect it’s more comfortable for her to sleep on the right side for this reason. ?Nants ingonyama bagithi baba. Sithi uhhmm ingonyama…?”
Best of the rest –
Gylfi Sigurdsson’s progress has been well documented around these parts, but will merit inclusion for a while longer yet if he maintains his current run of scoring or assisting in each of the last 6 games. Left-back Martin Olsson completes the triumvirate (copyright The Gallant Pioneer) of double-letter-laden Swans. The £4m January signing has settled in quickly to shore up a leaky back four, and his two goals suggest he doesn’t seem too shy in front of goal either. Hull City, despite being another team boosted by a new managerial arrival, are still a relatively unappealing FPL proposition. However, with 2 assists in 2 games, recent acquisition Kamil Grosicki may be worth keeping in your thoughts.
LIVERPOOL v BURNLEY
Captain Pick – Sadio Mane (LIV)
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[/three_fifth]Jurgen Klopp isn’t the only manager who’s frustrated with Liverpool’s inconsistency. The ever revolving merry-go-round of points shared among his midfield stars has FPL gaffers across the land reaching for the Prozac. It was Mane last week, next week it could be Firmino, Coutinho, Wijnaldum… But the Senegalese seems the safest bet given his returns of 12 goals and 7 assists thus far. Mane is also acutely aware of the tell-tale signs regarding feline joint discomfort, “Holding the appropriate positions for peeing and pooping can be very difficult for a cat with sore hips or knees.”
Best of the rest –
Clean sheets are almost impossible to predict these days (especially for Sadio Mane’s cat), but with a home fixture to a side woeful on their travels, Simon Mignolet at home to Burnley seems as good a punt as any. Roberto Firmino will be popular with those wishing to bring in an extra Liverpool body alongside Mane, but don’t discount Phillipe Coutinho. Yes, he’s being overshadowed by his peers, but 20 attempts in the past 4 gameweeks plonks him firmly at the top of the shooting chart, and it’s surely only a matter of when he starts finding his groove again. Sean Dyche’s men will naturally be up against it, but if they do get a result expect marksman Andre Gray to be the main contributor.
*Legal disclaimer: Quotations fictitious unless stated otherwise. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Thanks for reading Fantasy Premier League Captain Picks Gameweek 28. This article was written by Bryan Cooper
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The Tracker in full…
Afternoon all.
Going with captain lukaku this week.
Should I take any hits? Already used my 1 ft
ur in a strong position this gw. i wouldnt take any if i were you.
I’d put Firmino or Coutinho in for Sterling I think
I’m with Smash. If Phillips and Amat don’t play, you’re down to 6. Feels light.
Ok so I have 9 players, I’m on -4 and I’m thinking of taking another hit to swop out Capoue for either Firmino or Coutinho… a -8 shock horror!
Ok hear me out here, I see a lot of people saying it’s crazy to take too many hits this week, but surely if there was ever a time to take a hit ( other than a DGW) then it’s now?
Let’s say I bring in Firmino and he starts, that -4 is only a -2, if he does anything else ( assist, goal) then I’m up if even for a point.
I’ve always tried to be concervative with hits, take two weeks ago, I wanted to do Ibra -Kane but it would have cost me -4… so I didn’t do it, in that time Ibra has got me 4 points… Kane would have got me 33 ( -4) so had I took the risk I’d now be 25 points better off!
I’m not saying every hit guaranteed points ( god knows it’s back fired many times!) but let’s not forget it is a game and surely taking those risks are the type of things that make the game fun!
I’m sure that some people will disagree but I’d love to get some opinions either way!
Have you recovered from last night yet? 😉
I think it’s a calculated risk that’s worth taking, provided it doesn’t screw your plans for after this week.
Ha ha yeah I sat down and realized had it not been for the DGW and bringing in Aguero I would 100% captained Ibra and we all know how that would have worked out!! Onwards and upwards! How about you buddy!?
Yea pretty much the same. I would’ve had it on Ibra too, and I still scored 87 points, so could’ve been worse!
87!!! Bloody hell id be a happy camper with that score I got 62!!!
Yea but I was on 73 before last night, with Kun TC, Sterling, Stones & Pieters to play. With my ML rival only having Grant & Pieters!
I wish I’d had pieters and kept Ali ( he went for sterling!)
I made the same mistake last year in the DGW when I ignored the less high profile teams only for palace to get 2 clean sheets!
Personally I’d lean towards the 8pt hit (gamble) IF you intend to keep that player for the next few weeks and think they will give you returns. And as you say, it’s only a game and it’s a great feeling when a gamble pays off
Yeah exactly! Well next week I was going to bring in Kane for Kun and possibly hit for Ali for one of my mids, the move for Firmino or Coutinho isn’t really affected by this and if they perform I’ll obviously keep them!
The game really is about having the best team for each game week( with a little forward planning!) and I’m inclined to think this may work out… I’m obviously being greedy too! Ha ha
I am really tempted to take another hit to have 9 players. I’m tempted to get Coutinho/Firminho in for Eriksen but am reluctant due to Spurs good fixtures after GW28. Might toss a coin.
Rosco that’s a great post and a very good question. I really like the -2 theory, as I’ve said numerous times previously over the years whenever these odd weeks come up. I’ve not studied mine yet but I have a rough idea of the situation and I’ll likely take a -8 if it suits and fits a longer term plan. I have absolutely no issue with taking each one on it’s merits and calling it a -2 and seeing where it goes from there. For someone like Firmino with an ‘easy’ *coughs fixture then it’s got to be worth the small gamble. He’s a premium player who you would ordinarily have no issue having in your team. What I wouldn’t be doing is hitting simply to fill spaces on players who don’t fit that criteria as they often just get 2 or so and so will most likely get that this week also.
Thanks init, I’m relatively knew to the game ( second season) but I do enjoy the more strategic approach FPL offers in comparison to other ‘ inferior’ fantasy formats I’ve played ( going back some 20+ years in various rag newspapers and more recently SKY). It’s weeks like this where I think a little bit of a gamble comes in to play, I do realize that not every hit works out or indeed every transfer for that matter but damn it these little moments of risk, when they do pay off they feel bloody good! No doubt I’ll be lamenting what went wrong come the end of the week, but if I look at it objectively I’d rather regret something I tried than regretting something I didn’t ( the Ibra example is a good example of this!)
I think I’m going to make the move so now all I have to decide is which one! Firmino is the more obvious choice if we follow recent FPL points but Coutinho could prove to be something of s differential and his underlying stats suggest he’s due a haul..hmmmm decisions decisions!!
Couldn’t agree more on the ‘regret / no regret’ philosophy. Doing nothing is of course a choice / option and sometimes just as good but if it feels worth the risk and the outcome isn’t harmful then I’d always err on the side of doing it. Risk v Reward and all that. The ceiling on this (possibly 10 plus points) absolutely outweighs the floor (probable -2 at worst). And as I say you’re left with a player who you wouldn’t mind having anyway.
As for which one I think a coin is as good a way as any with these Liverpool mids! Kop looks at the underlying stats a lot more than I do and I believe he also said Coutinho is the best in that respect.
A lot of posts ask whether it’s a good idea to take ‘extra’ hits – the assumption being that -8 must necessarily be more risky than -4 or that -12 is more risky than -8. I see it more as a question of ‘will this particular transfer (be it the third or fourth one in the GW) be a good bet for getting me at least four more points this week than if I left the team as it is?’ Of course it’s a guess, based on fixtures, form and so on. And then you also have to ask whether the transfer is sensible too in your more long-term planning. You may of course make the wrong decision, but that also happens with any free transfer (though you don’t stand the risk of incurring a four-point penalty with an FT). Long-winded way of saying that each transfer just has to be judged on its merits regardless of the number of transfers already made in that GW. You will also have to judge whether the number of transfers warrants a WC (if still available). In this case the use of the WC is slightly more of a defensive measure (protection against minus points) than an offensive one (‘how can I maximise my points?’). The threshold number of transfers at which we use the WC depends on our individual risk-averseness. Think I’ll shut up now.
Spot on. That’s what I meant by each on its own merit. It’s not a cumulative hit number, it’s a -4 for each one. It’s a much better and more realistic way of assessing each.
No more posts of this nature are good and the reason I come here!
I totally agree about compartmentalizating each transfer and weighing up each upon their individual merits.
You only need look at GW27s highest scorer to see the benefits of an aggressive approach to oddities within a season ( DGW and BGW etc). He took -20 but the moves he made paid off with a score of 137, so even after deductions he still scored an impressive 117 on the GW.
I do of course recognize that such gambles of that magnitude rarely pay off but I am inclined to think that in isolation these sort of weeks are the ones where that risk is offset somewhat.
I’ll approach the remainder of this season with this cavalier attitude and I’ll happily stand up and be counted should it go wrong! I
Ignore my dodgy spelling I’ve had a beer!
Really enjoyed reading views on hits. I for one take hits regularly for 2 reason to allow me to get essential players that i dont havr that g.w which also mean increasing squad value. This week i have been excessive and made 4 tranfers resulting in 12 point hit. My Ft transfer was for king, i then took a hit for mane and llorente. As i got these players in early it means once i have sold llorente i have gained atleast 0.1m depending on how many times he goes up. My last hit was lanzini for sane. I done this for 2 reason, 1 to give me extra players for gw 28 and 2) to allow mo the sell king and llorente for costa and alli in the next 2 gameweeks. I feel taking a hit for only 4 fixture is wise considerin im selling some players i no longer want for players who are essential this week and also i want to keep for coming weeks which for me is 3 out of the 4 players.
also what i tend to do is NEVER take a hit on defenders. that for me is more risky for obvious reasons.
Great reasoning Saloba. I always enjoy seeing the working out behind the answer! This is a perfect example of the case in point – makes sense for this week as a slight risk but also considers the future implications of the moves.
On the WC, the point about the hits is valid but more relevant to the first half one I feel. The second half one should really be used for a DGW in conjunction with Bench Boost. WC the week before, obviously. Those 2 come as a perfect pair in my opinion.
Looking at how your transfers in GW 27 panned out I’d say you are without doubt a great example of how strategic hits can pay out in style!
So far this season I’ve made 53 transfers (excluding the pre-December WC), which is a bit excessive, I guess, in some people’s minds. Part of my thinking has been to get team value up so that when I eventually deploy ny second WC towards the end of the season I’ll be able to afford more premium players and so make the most (hopefully) of a BB in one of the DGWs. Have I been successful? Well, yes and no. My overall ranking is c180K which is not a disaster, though of course nowhere near the superstars who are members of this community. TV is £105m, which is the highest by a long way in my mini-league – but again probably not as high as some FF247ers have managed. I’m 48 points behind my ML leader, who has a more conservative transfer strategy – but I’ve matched him for points since around GW6. He’s not increased his lead at all since then. Equally, I’ve not reeled him in (yet, hehehehe), but I’ve enjoyed giving a good go!
I’m looking forward to that second WC & BB DGW fornight already!
Some great responses to my post and some inspiring insights!
As always it’s been a pleasure gents, must get some shut eye in now!
Roll on the weekend! FPL and another home match for me to go to in sat! Got to make the most of the championship as hopefully next season it’s back to the relegation dog fight of the prem!!
Evening guys. So, I’m just about cheering up after last night. Onwards and upwards.
I’ve already taken a hit to get here. I have 6.2 ITB. Should I hit some more?! I’m thinking maybe Chambers to Coleman?
My focus after this will be to do Kane & Costa in for Kun & Llorente. If I get Coleman I’ll ditch Baines fairly soon, probably for Walker or Alonso.
Worth another hit? Anything else I should be considering?
Thanks.
Team looks well set for this GW. And you’ve already got 3 from Everton, so Chambers > Coleman would be a no go.
Oh yea! Very good point!!! I tend not to count Holgate as he never bloody plays! 😉 Should I hold fire here then? I can’t see any other hits worth taking.
I would hold. I think 8 will be the average and you’ve got all the best options this week. Unless you can’t help yourself…. 😉
Holgate to Coleman…..
I did consider Holgate to Coleman, but it’d be sods law and Koeman will give Holgate a run out.
Chambers for Maguire was the other one I was considering? But probably crazy to take a hit for it?
This deserves a Cookie-like “Yes that’s crazy man!!”
I’m think you’ve done a fine job of making me realize no more hits are advisable here! Thanks.
Gents
Team for GW28 – good to go?
Looks good to me. You’ve got most the key players. How many hits did that take?
Banjo – on a -4 at the minute mate
Just the one hit for that lot is pretty good going. You’ve obviously got some dead wood, but probably nothing worth hitting for (unless there’s loads ITB). I’m really tempted to cappo Mane over Lukaku, but I guess LKK is the safest bet.
Got 5.9 ITB!
I suspect I might do a last minute cappo change and go with mane
Just realized you’ve already got double Liverpool mids, and west ham (or a defender) for a hit is pretty crazy, so probably leave it where it is this week. What’s the plan for the kitty? Mines going on Kane.
Kane & sanchez are my priorities next week!
Evening all. Am thinking to hold the transfer and then next week switch out Aguero Sterling and Snodgrass for Kane Alli and Pedro. Woth price fluctuations and my 0.7 I should be able to pull it off hopefully (can right now!) anyway this is my team for this week. Good to go?
Neilos
Decent team for this week and good transfer plans.
I think Lukaku is more reliable than Mane just now but that’s personal taste.
Cheers GP am possibly thinking of switching lol. What’s your plans for this week?
I think I have 7 players and I may just captain Lukaku and leave it at that. I’m not excited by this Game-week at all.
Me neither….dunno why but got a feeling coutinho could do something special
Bryan
Been a bit crazy with work the last two days so just reading this and ithe has me feline fine!
Brilliant effort mate which deserves lots more ‘thank yous’ than it had been getting.
Beautiful read as ever. :clap:
Cheers GP. No thank you’s are needed mate. The unsung heroes on here are the ones who put in the work every week. Don’t know how they do it! Let me know how much the publishing rights are for ‘triumvirate’!
I think some may take time to comprehend it all in relation to FPL Bry
It’s a superb piece mate. Thank you. Although I may have said that at the start too. Just repeating it in case the thank you monitor missed it 😉