With the Gameweek 9 deadline of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) fast approaching, it’s time to have a good think about who to captain.
In Gameweek 8, Erling Haaland (£15.8m) once again rewarded the millions of FPL managers who captained him, with a goal and a share of the bonus points away at Aston Villa.
Those who looked elsewhere were left disappointed, with Joao Pedro (£7.8m) and Bruno Fernandes (£11.7m) missing out altogether, while Cole Palmer (£9.8m) was sent off to return -1 point.
This week, the decision looks a bit more straightforward with Manchester City hosting Brighton. While this match-up doesn’t massively stand out, there is little else to get excited about.
Arsenal and Liverpool face off at Anfield and Chelsea versus Manchester United is a clash between two out-of-form teams. Tottenham Hotspur, Hull City and Aston Villa have more appealing fixtures on paper – but do we trust any of their assets with the armband?
So, the question is: is it worth looking beyond Haaland and Man City’s home fixture for the captaincy in FPL Gameweek 9? That’s what we’re considering in this week’s ‘Captain Sensible’ article.
First, we will assess the on-site captaincy poll, analyse myriad player and team statistics, consult the Rate My Team (RMT) points projections, and settle on a top three for the armband, ahead of Saturday’s 11am GMT deadline.
Captaincy Poll
In a week of significant upcoming elections, Haaland is sitting pretty at the top of the Fantasy Football Scout captaincy poll, boasting nearly 50% of support from site users. The Norwegian has scored in seven consecutive Gameweeks, with two double-digit hauls in that time, and is the top-scoring player in Fantasy.
Palmer sits in second place, well back on just 15% of the vote, ahead of Chelsea’s lunchtime meeting with Man United at Stamford Bridge. The Englishman served his suspension in the EFL Cup on Wednesday and is available to start against the club he supported growing up.
Elsewhere, three other players have managed to garner more than 5% support: Chelsea’s Morgan Rogers (£8.0m), the in-form Marcus Tavernier (£6.4m) and the most-bought player of the Gameweek, Nicolas Jackson (£6.8m). The latter two delivered double-digit hauls last time out.
Player Stats – Last Six Gameweeks
- READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 9 tips: Best players, predicted line-ups, team news + more
- READ MORE: Best Pedro replacements in FPL – and is he a definite ‘sell’?
