Captain Sensible – Gameweek 17

With just a few hours remaining until this evening’s 6.45pm deadline, it’s time for our pre-Gameweek members’ article as we analyse the armband conundrum for the upcoming round of fixtures.

We get underway by assessing the main players in this week’s Captain Poll, then turn to the Opta numbers and check up on the Rate My Team ratings before considering a couple of differential options in light of the data analysis.

The Captain Poll

After serving up a second double-figure haul in his last four at Wembley, faith in Harry Kane’s captaincy potential is on the rise once again.

With Spurs set to entertain Brighton on Wednesday night, their top scorer – who has been the number one armband pick in Fantasy Premier League in each of the last two Gameweeks – leads the way with over 49% of the votes cast in our Gameweek 17 Captain Poll.

His team-mate Son Heung-min delivered the top score of Gameweek 16, bettering Kane by 16 points to 12 after supplying a goal and two assists in the 5-1 hammering of Stoke.

Subject to more transfers in (76,000) than any midfielder in the Gameweek, the South Korean international has started each of his side’s last seven home matches but is backed by just 1% here.

A home clash with West Brom ensures that Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (16%) is regarded as Kane’s closest contender.

The Egyptian’s opener at home to Everton was the eighth Gameweek in succession that he’s provided a goal or assist. Salah also claimed maximum bonus against the Toffees to return 11 points – his seventh double-figure haul of 2017/18.

After being used from the bench on Sunday, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino seem set to be unleashed from the start against a Baggies defence with a single shut-out on the road all season.

Selected by just 5%, Coutinho is shaping up as an explosive differential – he’s delivered double-digits in four of his eight league starts and netted a Champions League treble against Spartak Moscow last week.

Firmino, meanwhile, has persuaded only 2% backers, yet has produced five goals and two assists in his last four starts across all competitions.

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard claims third spot with 6%, despite an underwhelming display at West Ham on Saturday. The Belgian’s form on the road has been nonetheless impressive, with 39 FPL points over his last four away appearances.

Rested for the weekend derby win over Man United, Sergio Aguero (4%) is regarded as the stand-out Man City option ahead of tomorrow’s trip to struggling Swansea.

The Argentine netted twice in the corresponding fixture in 2016/17 and is favourite to lead the line at the Liberty Stadium, having started three of the previous four Gameweeks.

Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez will also be hoping to echo their output from last season.

Having scored just one goal in the last nine Gameweeks, the Man United frontman earns just 2% of the votes ahead of a visit from Bournemouth. Yet Lukaku netted four times at home to the Cherries while playing for Everton last season.

Meanwhile, Sanchez makes his way to West Ham, where he racked up three goals and an assist in the previous campaign. Unlike Lukaku, he boasts productive form for this one, with a goal or assist in four of the last five Gameweeks.

Four goals in three starts under Mauricio Pellegrino has earned Charlie Austin over 104,000 transfers in since the weekend. Up next, he entertains a Leicester City side with a single clean sheet on their travels.