Our usual pre-Gameweek member’s article comes around now as we take time out to assess the armband options available for the reduced round of matches.
To kick off, we begin by checking in with the main Captain Poll contenders, then take a look at the Opta numbers and Rate My Team rankings before introducing a differential or two into the mix.
The Captain Poll
With Alexis Sanchez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic handed the weekend off, Romelu Lukaku dominates this week’s Captain Poll as Everton welcome Sunderland to Goodison Park.
Over 42% are backing the Belgian with the armband, with the striker having already put three past David Moyes’ men in Gameweek 4, while scoring four goals against Bournemouth in his previous home appearance.
Chelsea pair Diego Costa and Eden Hazard are Lukaku’s nearest rivals, earning 19% and 12% of the votes ahead of a home clash with Swansea.
Both have struggled for a cutting edge of late: Costa has three goals in eight, while Hazard has netted twice in his last ten league outings.
In front of their own fans, though, Costa is the consistent pick – he’s produced returns in 11 of 12 appearances but has yet to register a double-figure tally. Hazard has served up 10+ points on five occasions the Bridge.
Selected by 1% of voters, their team-mate Pedro has scored just once in his last four home appearances, though has still managed double-digits on three occasions at the Bridge.
Sadio Mane and Harry Kane complete the top five, with a mere 6% votes apiece.
Snapped up by more than 245,000 FPL managers after netting twice at home to Spurs last time out, the Senegal international visits a Leicester City defence that has conceded at least twice in six of their last seven at the King Power.
With most of the traffic going Mane’s way, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho have been picked by less than 1% voters.
Firmino has already delivered 15 points against the Foxes this season and is in better form than his compatriot: while Coutinho has failed to produce points since Gameweek 11, Firmino has chipped in with two goals and an assist in the last four.
Having grabbed a hat-trick in last week’s FA Cup win at Fulham, Kane’s contribution could be key as Spurs look to improve a run of form that’s harvested a single goal in the previous three Gameweeks.
That league drought means that, along with Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli, last term’s Golden Boot winner has been subject to plenty of transfers out this Gameweek, yet all three have been fairly reliable at home.
At the Lane, Kane has netted four times in his last two, Eriksen has served up double-figure hauls in four of his previous six, while Alli has bagged a goal or assist in four of his last six.
