It’s time to focus on the captaincy conundrum for the weekend’s ten fixtures.
As always, we check the Opta data for the main contenders and assess the team statistics and Rate My Team’s (RMT) reckoning before offering up some differential captains in light of the data analysis.
The Captain Poll
Spurs, Manchester City and Manchester United dominate our Gameweek 3 Captain Poll, with each supplying three of the top nine players.
A home clash with Burnley elevates Harry Kane to the summit for the first time this season.
Sold by over 120,000 FPL managers this week, the Spurs frontman earns 36% of the votes cast despite failing to score in the first two fixtures.
Sean Dyche’s side kept just four clean sheets on their travels last season and conceded an attempt on goal every 4.8 minutes away from home – only relegated Sunderland boasted a worse record.
Despite supplying the assists for all three of his side’s goals this season, Christian Eriksen has convinced just 4% to consider his armband potential.
Meanwhile, a mere 2% are backing Dele Alli for the Wembley clash. Only Eden Hazard (12 to nine) scored more times in front of their own fans among FPL midfielders in 2016/17.
With 28% of the votes, Romelu Lukaku is regarded as Kane’s only real rival as Man United welcome Leicester City to Old Trafford.
Now up to a massive 57% ownership in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), the Belgian bagged a brace on his home debut and followed that up with a strike away to Swansea City last Saturday.
Jose Mourinho’s side have scored four times in both fixtures so far and face a Foxes defence that have shipped at least two goals in five of their seven away matches under Craig Shakespeare.
This also brings Paul Pogba (3%) and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (2%) into consideration, with both outscoring Lukaku over United’s opening pair of matches.
Ranked joint-top of the FPL standings on the back of a goal and two assists, Pogba has been acquired by a massive 398,000+ managers since last weekend.
Meanwhile, the Armenian has racked up four assists and served up double figures in both appearances.
Man City roll up to Bournemouth on the back of a fine away record – they scored more goals on their travels (43) than any side last season.
Yet their slow start to the current campaign means that Sergio Aguero (3%), Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne (both 2%) are largely ignored.
Off the mark at Brighton in Gameweek 1, Aguero netted twice on five separate occasions away from home last term and scored more goals on the road (15) than any other forward.
Hauled off at the break on Monday as City regrouped following Kyle Walker’s dismissal, Jesus netted in all but one of his four away appearances last season.
Meanwhile, De Bruyne’s total of seven efforts on goal is ranked top for Pep Guardiola’s men – though all but one has been fired from range.
Elsewhere, a handful of in-form differentials could emerge as very canny picks.
West Ham’s Javier Hernandez bagged a brace away to Southampton and now pays visit to Newcastle United’s patched-up rearguard.
Chelsea’s two-goal Marcos Alonso entertains an Everton side that he scored against in a 5-0 win at the Bridge last year.
And Liverpool’s Sadio Mane scored in both clashes with visitors Arsenal in 2016/17 and has found the net in each of the opening two Gameweeks.
