With the international break nearing its conclusion, we now look to launch our Gameweek 30 Captain Poll and assess some of the main candidates to consider.
Leicester City’s recent renaissance is likely to ensure that Jamie Vardy (9.8) and Riyad Mahrez (8.9) emerge as viable captaincy options as they prepare for Stoke City’s visit on Saturday.
The Foxes have won three straight league fixtures since Craig Shakespeare took the helm, scoring three goals on each occasion. They also know how to get the better of Mark Hughes’ charges, being one of only three teams to score more than one goal against the Potters at the bet365 Stadium, along with Spurs and Chelsea.
Now with the home advantage, Vardy boasts three goals and two assists in his last trio of league starts and scored again for England in Sunday’s international with Lithuania. He has been subject to more than 57,000 transfers in over the last 10 days.
Meanwhile, Mahrez has produced two goals from open play in as many matches, while Stoke have conceded 25 times on the road this campaign, increasing confidence in the Leicester pair.
League leaders Chelsea are another likely source of potential poll leaders ahead of Crystal Palace’s visit to Stamford Bridge.
Diego Costa (10.7) will be expected to recover from an ankle knock, picked up in training with the Spain squad over the weekend, to perhaps add to his eight goals and three assists at home this season. Eden Hazard is another Blues injury concern but should also be a strong contender in our latest poll if he shrugs off the calf injury that kept him out of the Blues’ Gameweek 29 trip to Stoke.
With those two key attackers currently doubts, Pedro (7.2) could also earn interest. Five of his seven goals have arrived at the Bridge this season, while he’s also supplied six assists on home turf. With a mere 10% ownership, the Spaniard provides an intriguing differential to Costa (39.7% ownership) and Hazard (28.3%).
However, we should consider that with three clean sheets and just one goal conceded in their last four matches, Sam Allardyce’s troops will be no pushovers. The Eagles have also allowed the joint lowest amount of shots in the box over that period, a record they share coincidently with Chelsea.
Elsewhere, interest in frequent poll leaders such as Alexis Sanchez (11.6) and Romelu Lukaku (10.5) could be somewhat muted with Arsenal facing a tricky home clash with Manchester City, while Everton will be embroiled in a Merseyside derby at Anfield.
This is also set to dent the appeal of City’s Sergio Aguero (12.7), Raheem Sterling (7.7) and Leroy Sane (7.5), as well as Liverpool’s midfield options.
Fixture difficulty could also limit support for Spurs pair Christian Eriksen (8.7), who has four assists on the road, and Dele Alli (8.9), with seven away goals. They visit a Burnley side that has conceded just 12 times at Turf Moor.
This all leaves the door ajar for a number of differential options to earn support.
It could even see some turn to a defender as an option, with Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia (5.8) a potential candidate. Fresh from scoring his first of the season in Gameweek 29, he will welcome a West Brom side to Old Trafford that has shipped nine goals and kept just one clean sheet in their last six.
The Ecuadorian has delivered clean sheet or attacking points in seven of his last eight league starts; with more than 64,000 transfers over the international break, he is currently the most popular FPL acquisition following Seamus Coleman’s cruel leg break in midweek.
Swansea City’s protagonist Gylfi Sigurdsson (7.8) is another left-field captaincy candidate that warrants consideration. He has accrued eight goals and 11 assists this season, while the Welsh outfit’s top scorer Fernando Llorente (6.5) – with 11 successful strikes – may also gain some traction.
The Swans host a Middlesbrough side without a permanent manager, five points from safety and with just a single clean sheet in eight road trips.
The south coast battle at St Mary’s between Southampton and Bournemouth could also garner interest in prolific Cherries midfielder Josh King (5.8), who has nine goals in his last 11 starts.
Should Saints talisman Manolo Gabbiadini (6.9) recover from a groin injury, he is another strong option in this encounter; the 9.5% owned Italian has four goals in his five starts since joining in January.
There are further viable cheap striker options vying for attention in Watford’s home clash with Sunderland. For the Black Cats, Jermain Defoe (7.8) will be buoyed by a goal on his recall to the England team on Sunday, while the hosts’ skipper Troy Deeney (6.9) is in impressive form with five goals in his last seven Gameweeks.
West Ham’s visit to Hull City looks another provider of alternative armband contenders, with both sides conceding nine goals over their last four matches.
Among Slaven Bilic’s charges, Andy Carroll (6.3)’s record number of penalty box touches in Gameweek 29, during the Hammers home defeat with Leicester City, underlines his potential. Only Kasper Schmeichel’s heroics deprived the target man of a healthy tally that day.
Meanwhile, Andre Ayew (7.1)’s three goals and an assist in his last four matches, three of which were substitute appearances, should also attract attention. Three goals in six for Manuel Lanzini (6.4) also looks attractive against a Tigers outfit that has just one home shutout in the league.
The Captain 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.
We will be back to check in on progress in the poll later in the week, providing our “Captain Sensible” article for members, offering an analysis of the results and the statistics behind the leading contenders.
