Captain Poll – Gameweek 17

With the Gameweek 17 deadline already just over 24 hours away, we’ve launched our latest Captain Poll to gauge your views on the best armband options.

Harry Kane (12.8) looks a strong bet to reach the summit once again following his brace and 12-point return in Spurs’ 5-1 demolition of Stoke City at Wembley.

Following a slow start to life in Spurs’ temporary home, Kane has netted five times in the last four in front of his own fans and has another enticing home clash on Wednesday, when out-of-sorts Brighton drop by.

The Seagulls last won in Gameweek 11, away to Swansea, and have conceded 10 goals since.

Already Kane has picked up 80,000+ new owners this week as managers scramble to fit him into their frontlines.

Yet his team-mate Heung-Min Son (7.9) could also come into consideration. The South Korean finished as the top scoring player for Gameweek 16, with a goal and two assists delivering in 16 points.

Since Saturday over 45,000 have acquired Son – more than any other midfielder.

A home encounter with West Brom means that Liverpool’s attackers are set to rival Kane at the top, with Mohamed Salah (9.9) expected to lead the charge.

The most popular player in FPL, with a 55.4% ownership, the Egyptian’s strike in Sunday’s Merseyside derby stalemate was the eighth successive Gameweek in which he’s scored or assisted.

Both Salah and Kane were tied at the top for goal attempts in Gameweek 16 high, with seven apiece, and the former’s 67^th minute substitution also indicates he should retain a starting berth against the Baggies.

Drafted in by 293,000 and 220,000 FPL managers respectively for Gameweek 16, Philippe Coutinho (9.0) and Roberto Firmino (8.5) seem near-certain to start in midweek after being used off the bench on Sunday.

Coutinho has accrued two goals and four assists in his last three league starts and also hammered in a hat-trick against Spartak Moscow in the Champions League last week. Firmino has also excelled recently, with five goals and two assists across his last four starts in all competitions.

Chelsea’s 1-0 away defeat at West Ham on Saturday suggests that Antonio Conte can ill-afford to take Huddersfield Town for granted when they travel north tomorrow night.

This should ensure that Alvaro Morata (10.8) and Eden Hazard (10.9) have the chance to bounce back from their blanks against the Hammers.

Five goals and three assists over his last seven starts makes the Belgian a particularly attractive armband option, particularly as three of his goals arrived on the road.

With just one goal in the last four Gameweeks, Morata is the top target for transfers out (58,000) since the weekend deadline. Yet it’s worth noting that he’s fired more efforts inside the box (14) than any player during that stretch.

Manchester City’s wealth of attacking options could see Pep Guardiola shuffle his pack for his side’s trip to Swansea.

After being rested for the Sky Blues’ 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, Sergio Aguero (11.6) looks a likely starter in midweek, though. The Argentine, who has been released by more than 48,000 managers since Saturday, netted twice in the corresponding fixture last term.

David Silva (8.1) is another likely to garner interest after netting in each of the last two Gameweeks. The Spaniard has only failed to start once this season in the league and has three goals and eight assists to his name.

Despite a poor run of form, with just one goal in his last nine league matches, Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku (11.3), may still gain some attention after scoring four past visitors Bournemouth last season at Goodison Park, when he was with Everton.

The Cherries have conceded 42 close range efforts over their last four, which is more than any other side.

West Ham’s resilient home display against Chelsea could temper interest in Arsenal assets ahead of their trip to the London Stadium.

Nevertheless, with attacking returns in four of his last five league matches their Alexis Sanchez (11.8) has upped his consistency. And let’s not forget that the Chilean served up three goals and an assist away to the Hammers in 2016/17, amassing 23 points.

Other alternatives include Everton’s Wayne Rooney (7.3), who travels to Newcastle on the back of four goals and an assist in the last three Gameweeks. The Magpies, along with Stoke, has conceded a league-high 11 goals over the previous four rounds of fixtures.

Away day specialist Richarlison (6.6), whose 29 goal attempts on the road is second only to Kane (35), may also pick up some votes with his trip to Crystal Palace, who are set to be without influential centre-back Mamadou Sakho.

Southampton’s Charlie Austin (6.1) is another name to consider after netting four times in his first three starts under Manuel Pellegrino. His visitors Leicester have just one clean sheet on their travels and boast the third worst record for shots on target against (43) away from home.

The poll is now live in the middle column on your homepage on desktop, or via the slide-in menu on mobile and tablet under recent comments.

Remember, we are looking for your vote for the player you think will be most effective, regardless of whether you own them or not.

We will be back to check in on progress in the poll later ahead of the Gameweek 17 deadline when we deliver our “Captain Sensible” article offering an analysis of the results and the statistics behind the leading contenders.