[sbu_large_image] Opinion
3 March 2018 1564 comments
Mark Mark
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Distracted by the tendrils of a cold and with two toddlers to care for this morning, I make no apology for the curtailed Pre-amble, or indeed the typos that creep in.

In a week where we asked ourselves whether the season had become “dull”, I felt compelled to write more on the decision that, according to accepted thinking, is already made for us.

I should captain Mohamed Salah.

No thought is required. The numbers back it up, the logic is clear and to even entertain the idea of an alternative is an unnecessary and foolhardy risk.

But harking back to that Hot Topic, I do wonder if Salah is contributing to the malaise.

The captaincy is probably the most important decision we make. More than any single transfer, it should have the ability to make or break our Gameweek.

But Salah has not only killed the need to make a choice, he’s also reduced its impact.

I can see myself handing the Egyptian the armband for his evening clash with Newcastle, but I can’t envisage fist pumping the air in jubilation when he scores.

Instead, there might be a wry smile of relief, but how wide can it be?

My captain would have ensured that I’ve kept pace and not given up ground.

But I want my decision to be more than that, I want it to have real consequence should it prove “correct”.

Salah’s talent deserves to make him a difference maker, but he’s become anything but in Fantasy Football.

This all harks back to the floor and ceiling theory.

While this can be applied to Salah and Harry Kane, it can be extended further to our perception of our Gameweek as a whole.

Captaining Salah feels like we guarantee a high floor. Our minimum score is raised, and we protect our rank, ensuring that any drop should be minor.

By turning to an alternative, even when it is Kane with six goals in six Gameweeks, we’re risking that.

Instead, we are perhaps attempting to achieve a higher ceiling. Taking the chance that our captain can outscore Salah and help lift our Gameweek above the norm.

As Jonty pointed out in this week’s ScoutCast, the scale of that ceiling can depend on our degree of risk.

Is Kane really enough? To find a real differential do we not need to look to Sadio Mane or Eden Hazard?

There’s logic here, though that scenario really relies on both Salah and Kane failing as the majority captains, and that seems very unlikely.

That pair are extraordinary players. I suspect that the duel between them for the Golden Boot is very real, with both hell-bent on scoring as many goals as possible from here on in.

They almost deserve better than to have a million plus Fantasy managers hoping they fail. But that’s the scenario that has developed.

Captaining Salah offers me a modest prize and the inclination to cheer every Kane miss.

The reverse is not much better and ensures that I’ll spend my evening willing Salah to fail. But at least the jackpot just might be bigger.

Either way, I can’t help but wish I could just celebrate both.

Mark Mark created the beast. He's now looking to tame it.

  1. Releasebreaks
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Best replacement fo vertonghen?

    A - Davies

    B - Sanches

    1. SBM
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Vertonghen is back, isn't he? Why replace him?

      1. rrcmc
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        that's not entirely accurate!

  2. Rash
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Including this week I've taken 11 hits this season which is extremely low for me but where does it stack against you guys?

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      8 hits in total!

    2. TallestJohn
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Taken 6, probably above average for me at this point of the season

    3. Weasel Boy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      5 here.
      Still not the greatest rank at mo.

    4. Optic1
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      7 hits - 14k OR.

      All chips and WC to play.

  3. FFSbet.com
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Play Mee(EVE) or Shaqiri(sou) ?

    1. Totalfootball
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Shaq

  4. Totalfootball
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Play albrighton or wilson

    1. kysersosa
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      If no other Leicester players Albrighton

  5. SirStevieG
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Play 1

    A) Alonso (mci)
    B) Wilson (lei)
    C) Walcott (burnley)

  6. Yogi_mike
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Bttmd

    G2G? 0.8 1ft
    Want to get rid of Alonso or Otamendi.. Bring in Beavis or save FT for gw31 player?

    Pope
    Alonso Chiwell Otamendi Robertson
    Salah Hazard KDB Can Lingard
    Kane

    Elliot Murray Fernández Quaner

  7. Ruinenlust
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    How does Sterling -> Mahrez sound

    1. MikeDuff
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      That’s what I did

    2. Give The Todd Some Love
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      I'm not sold on Mahrez, reckon he's still sulking a bit

    3. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      What’s the Mahrez attraction?

      1. Ruinenlust
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        Home game vs Bournemouth

    4. SBM
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Sounds great, wish I could have afforded it but got Ramsey instead

  8. Big Col
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Play

    A) Sterling
    B) Otamendi

    1. Champione
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      A

  9. Champione
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Play
    A) Wilson
    B) Milivojevic

    1. Big Col
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      A

    2. MikeDuff
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      A

    3. Champione
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Cheers guys. Wilson it is!

    4. JONALDINHO
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      A

      1. Champione
        • 10 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        thanks

  10. Miguel Sanchez
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    A) sterling
    B) eriksen
    C) mahrez

    1. Champione
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      C

    2. JONALDINHO
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      C

    3. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Branch a.

    4. Duffy Dunk
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      B

  11. Totalfootball
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Bavies or aurier ?

    1. Champione
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Bavies

    2. JONALDINHO
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Aurier if only for next two. Banned for CL so should play both PL games

  12. JONALDINHO
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    First to three wins!

    A)Save FT
    B)Sterling to Mane
    C)Sterling and Depoitre to Firmino and McArthur(-4)
    D)Wilson and Alonso to Firmino and Schindler(-4)
    E)Jones and Son to Schindler and Mane(-4)

    1. Champione
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      B

    2. Duffy Dunk
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      E

    3. SBM
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      E

  13. nobwak
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Who to bench?
    A) Mawson (WHU)
    B) Albrighton (BOU)
    C) Otamendi (CHE)

    1. Champione
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      B

  14. The Wizard of Ozil
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Morning guys, is the consensus that Sterling is out?

    1. rrcmc
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      no one on here seems to know; i'm close to punting him out

    2. FDMS All Starz
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Not sure is the consensus

  15. Iceball
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Pope
    Alonso Otamendi Vertongen
    Salah(V) Sterling Shaqiri Richarlison
    Kane(C) Firmino Wilson
    Elliot Kenny Bauer RLC
    A) Save
    B) Vert to VVD
    C) Sterling to xxx

  16. Rupert The Horse
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Morning.
    So who’s got time for a quiz? 🙂

  17. LǝgleSs e|even
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Any news on sterling

    1. Old Schoolᴼˢ “disa…
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      1.38 to the dollar... dropped a bit this week

  18. JWilson3
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    55 points behind my ML rival who will captain Salah, time to roll the dice and go for Kane?

    1. Yogi_mike
      • 9 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      This

  19. joersherman
    • 9 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Guys - who to bench?

    A) Walcott (bur)
    B) Wilson (lei)
    C) Lingard (cry)

    1. Gregor
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Willow.

  20. corderz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Transfer suggestion for my team this week?

    Pope | Elliot
    Davies | Dawson | Gomez | Fernandez | Holgate
    Hazard | Salah | Sterling | Lingard | Allen
    Kane | Vardy | J.Ayew

    1FT 2.5m ITB

  21. Wolfman180
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Play Duffy, Francis or Chilwell?

  22. Gerci
    • 10 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Elliot - Ryan
    Otamendi - Alonso - Gomez - Bauer - Kenny
    Salah - Shaqiri - Pogba - Sterling - Groß
    Agüero - Kane - Wilson

    Otamendi + Pogba/Sterling -> Robertson + Mahrez?

  23. Gregor
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 16 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Any games in any doubt today?

    1. Rupert The Horse
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Hunger.

  24. Big Ping
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    I have it on good aurhority that my ml rival who is 40 back, did Sterling to Mahrez this week. Would it be sensible for me to match that move?

    1. Richd
      • 13 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Just play your own game seriously.

      I’d rather have Sterling.

    2. Gregor
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 16 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Depends how much you've got invested in Sterling and if he's in your wildcard plans, if it's not much and he's not then yes, absolutely.

    3. Big Ping
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Cheers guys. Im gona hold.

  25. Richd
    • 13 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Need a jones replacement I think.

    Only one active bench member in Tom Carroll.

    I have Jones , Alonso, VVD, Kabalese and Long.

    1. Davido989
      • 15 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Davies.

  26. Scout
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Gtg?
    DDG
    Otemendi alonso lowton tarkwoski
    Salah Sterling eriksen Shaqiri
    Kane firmino

    Any suggestions?

  27. adam28193
    • 12 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    sterling > mahrez or RLC > JWP??

  28. Davido989
    • 15 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    What move(s) would you do here?

    Pickford
    Daniels Fernandez VVD Alonso
    Salah Sterling KDB Shaqiri
    Kane Firmino

    4m Dunk DCL RLC*

    1FT. 1.5m ITB.

    A) Dunk to Davies
    B) RLC to Milivojevic
    C) Sterling to Eriksen
    D) Something else

    Currently on A.

    1. Gentle_Turks
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      I´m keeping Sterling - Stoke next. Davies ownership is now touching 25% and climbing so prob should get him in, and anyway nice fixtures upcoming.

      1. Gentle_Turks
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        8 years, 2 months ago

        So A.

    2. Junior ⚽
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      A then C

  29. Gentle_Turks
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Any late injury news??

    1. Straitpizza187
      • 14 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Looks like Ogbonna might be out.

        1. Gentle_Turks
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 8 Years
          8 years, 2 months ago

          Cheers.

  30. Sz21
    • 14 Years
    8 years, 2 months ago

    Son, Arnie, Sterling.

    Who will score the most points from these in their next 3 games we think?

    1. XabiAlonso
      • 10 Years
      8 years, 2 months ago

      Arnie for me