FPL Captain Picks For Gameweek 17
With the resumption of the Premier League, we also see the return of Erling Haaland as the default captaincy for most FPL managers.
However, as usual, I want to present some differential options that I believe could outscore the striker in game week seventeen. So, without further ado…
Harry Kane
Tottenham take on a Brentford side that has struggled at the back all season. Their defensive solidity from 2021-22 seems to have disappeared, and the Bees have slipped to 18th for xG conceded.
Brentford shipped five against Chelsea on Tuesday in a behind-closed-doors game, and having averaged 1.6 goals against this season, with only four clean sheets, Harry Kane will be targeting this fixture for a potential big haul.
Kane has posted some impressive numbers thus far that seem to have, for the most part, flown under the radar.
Whether that’s down to the electrifying start of Haaland or because Spurs have been pretty poor is anyone’s guess, but he has, and his 102 FPL points from fifteen games can only be bettered by the City star.
With 15 goal involvements already, again only second to Haaland, his 6.87 points per 90 demonstrate a consistency that means it would be foolhardy not to consider the England skipper on form and fixture.
However, question marks remain over his ability to bounce back following a penalty miss against France that ultimately saw the Three Lions bow out at the quarter-final stage in Qatar.
But Harry Kane is no stranger to adversity, and I’m sure his resilience will see an unshifting focus on helping Tottenham maintain their push for a European qualification spot.
The early kick-off gives Kane a solid 75 per cent chance of any return, combined with appealing odds (66%) of grabbing a goal.
With Kane being involved in more than half of all Spurs’ goals this season (57%), it is clear why he is heavily fancied for predicted points, placing him second overall.
Wilfried Zaha
The winger continues to be the Eagles’ talisman ending the first half of the campaign on a high with three goal involvements in his last five matches, form that has continued during the break.
However, it must be noted Zaha did miss a penalty against Botafogo. Round 17 offers one of the most appealing attacking fixtures in what promises to be a high-scoring, entertaining affair.
The Cottagers, in particular, have been pretty poor at the back, with 26 goals against (17th) and the highest xG conceded.
You can also factor that Zaha has been bubbling under the surface with some great numbers: 5.01 FPL points per 90 average and 0.6 Goal Involvements.
If you want to back Palace, then Selhurst Park is the place to do it, as two-thirds of their total points, this season have come on home soil. Meanwhile, Fulham have lost 4 of their seven matchups on the road, averaging just a point per game.
Compilers give Zaha a better than 1-in-2 chance (55%) of returning this weekend, which places him in the Top 10 for predicted points. Factor in the Eagles’ odds of winning (50%), and he looks like a good differential option.
Callum Wilson
I still can’t get my head around why FPL managers still seem to be sleeping on the Newcastle striker, who is owned by less than 10 per cent of the community.
Injuries may have hampered his season, but when fit, Wilson has been unstoppable, with his seven-goal involvements between gameweeks 9-14 earning him a place in Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad.
Also, during that period, Newcastle had the best attack in the league: scoring the most goals, with the highest xG and the most Big Chances Created.
However, I would’ve been a lot more confident with this pick during the opening ten game weeks, but since then, Leicester seem to have remedied their problems at the back having amassed seven clean sheets across eight games (all comps), with only Manchester City managing to breach their backline… and that was a special strike from Kevin De Bruyne.
Bukayo Saka
The current league leaders entertain London rivals West Ham, and the Gunners are heavily fancied to secure all three points (67%), particularly as their opponents have several injury doubts ahead of the game.
Aaron Cresswell and Kurt Zouma are both flagged, while Moroccan World Cup hero Nayef Aguerd is yet to be assessed after injury curtailed his tournament.
The Hammers average over a goal per game against, and with a perfect record at The Emirates, Arsenal will be looking to continue their 3.2 goal average. Everything points to a victory for the home side, even their recent head-to-head record (5 wins and one draw).
Bukayo Saka is my pick. The England star was in fine form at Qatar, and the added appeal of penalties bolsters his fantastic underlying stats.
He is averaging a massive 0.84 goal involvement per 90, and with 5.82 points per 90 this season, he is one of the best-performing assets in the league.
West Ham will be hoping to end the year on a high, having suffered four defeats in their last five, but I don’t see that happening on Boxing Day. Back Saka to compound David Moyes’ misery on Monday night.
You can read the rest of Ben Dinnery’s article here on 888sport.com
