Captains

Captain Sensible – Aubameyang can challenge Salah and Hazard

It looks like a three-way battle for the Gameweek 22 captaincy this weekend.

Fantasy Premier League managers are having to think big as we head into the first round of action for some time.

With the wealth of premium options all in decent form at the start of 2019, choosing the right captain could prove harder than ever.

We’re here to analyse the debate from all angles by looking at individual data, team attacking statistics and opposition defences.

Captain Poll

Mohamed Salah (£13.3m) is set to win the Gameweek 22 captain poll as, at the time of writing, he has 40% backing from the voters. The Egyptian faces Brighton on Saturday afternoon having scored 12 points in three of his last four Premier League outings. Salah’s ownership continues to rise again, now just over 42% after his excellent recent form, which is probably the reason why he has done so well in our poll. The Liverpool man seems to be returning to the ‘auto-captain’ status he ended the 2017/18 campaign in.

Some way behind Salah in second place is Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard (£11.1m). It appears that 23% of our voters are confident the Belgian will deliver in Gameweek 22 after two consecutive blanks to round off the hectic festive fixtures. If we are to believe that Hazard tends to punish those who sell him after blanks, maybe he is indeed set for some attacking returns at home to Newcastle on Saturday. The Magpies have registered just one clean sheet in their last five away matches.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.4m) looks set to claim the bronze medal with his 11% backing ahead of Arsenal’s trip to West Ham. The Hammers still have just one clean sheet at home while Aubameyang has attacking returns in all but one away match against sides outside the top six this season.

Sergio Aguero (£11.2m) is the best of the rest with just 6% backing, the voters suitably afraid both of the Wolves defence and the form that Manchester City have shown in Premier League matches. As we discussed in our recent League Cup notes, a 9-0 win over League Cup opposition could mean little when the top flight action is resumed. Raheem Sterling (£11.3m) has just a third of Aguero’s support, with 2% of the vote, with Leroy Sané (£9.5m) even further behind on 1.25%.

Sandwiched amongst those options are Harry Kane (£12.6m) whose 2.49% share is reflective of a match against Manchester United, while Felipe Anderson (£7.4m) remains the most popular West Ham man. The Brazilian has garnered 1.9% of the vote at the time of writing.

Richarlison (£6.9m) is the only other player over 1% while Marko Arnautovic (£6.9m) and Son Heung-min (£8.8m) were close at the time of writing. The West Ham man on 0.95% and Spurs’ South Korean international with 0.83%.

 

Become a Member and access our data

Memberships for the 2018/19 campaign are now available for the price of just £10.

Join now to get the following:

  • Plot your transfer strategies using the fully interactive Season Ticker.
  • Get projections for every Premier League player provided by the Rate My Team statistical model.
  • Use Rate My Team throughout the season to guide your selections and transfers.
  • Get access to over 130+ exclusive members articles over the season.
  • Analyse our OPTA-powered statistic tables specifically tailored for Fantasy Football Managers.
  • Use our exclusive tool to build custom stats tables from over 100 OPTA player and team stats.
  • View heatmaps and expected goals data for every player.
  • Use our powerful comparison tool to analyse players head-to-head.

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A FANTASY FOOTBALL SCOUT MEMBER

1,560 Comments Post a Comment
  1. meechamspowders
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    would you WC this?

    fabianski, hamer
    balb, Robertson, laporte, Doherty, digne
    hazard, richarlison, martial, pogba, son
    kane, jimenez, kamara

    if not, pogba > sane and WC next week? no salah makes me nervous.

    1. Johan Queef
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      No.

      Hold Pogba and maybe sort Balbuena.

    2. 007 [RoboKlopp]
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      No

  2. JoeSoap
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    A. Hamer>Guaita
    B. Hojb>Westwood
    C. Jiminez>Arni
    D. G2G

    Have 2fts & 1m

    FAB
    Robertson, Alonso, Digne, AWB
    Pogba, Salah, Richarl, Anderson
    Kane, Rashford
    Hamer, Jiminez, Doherty, Hojb

    1. ElChapo
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      C, and start him over AWB.

      1. JoeSoap
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks. Will wait on Arni news first.

  3. NVP
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    2FT, any changes?

    Gkp: Guaita / Fabianski

    Def: Robertson, Dunk, Alexander-Arnold (Bamba, Bednarek)

    Mid: Salah, Pogba, Son, Brooks, Herrera

    Fwd: Aubameyang, Kane (Kamara)

    1. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Herrera to Camarasa

  4. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    currently just Inside the top 20K, is a top 5k possible at this stage of the season?

    1. *Reformed-Character*
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      I’ve seen some ridiculous quesion here - but this has to be the worst ......

      1. FER FUSCH AKE
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        would have been far much easier to just scroll past. lol.

    2. Nascimento
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Yeah, that’s definitely recoverable. I was barely even inside the top 5k before last week and clawed it back to the point where I’m just inside top 2k

      Don’t give up

      1. FER FUSCH AKE
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        cheers mate. What was your strategy, more or less hits?

    3. el polako
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Subtle brag.

    4. CostaCoffee
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      I was at 200k at this stage couple years ago and finished 3k

      1. PompeyUpNorth!
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        same here

  5. FER FUSCH AKE
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    It will be more painful if I captain Hazard and he blanks than if I fail to (c) and he hauls. Never again trusting him with the armband.

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

      I hear you - I'm torn between Salah and Hazard.....

      1. PompeyUpNorth!
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        I've decided Hazard if it helps? Saw Newcastle at Liverpool recently and they weren't good defensively.. Brighton are tough defensively, so I'm going Haz

  6. FPL_WILDCARD
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Have 1ft and 1.9itb. Not sure what to do but feel like I need Liverpool attack...

    Pickford
    Alonso, AWB, Lovren*
    Hazard(c), Sane, Son, Snodgrass, Martial
    Kane, Jimenez

    Hamer, Kolasinac, Success, Jonny

    Any advice much appreciated...

    1. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Save ft and use the 2 fts next week to bring in salah.

  7. Johan Queef
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Already got Salah back in this week and have 1 more FT.

    A) Do I save the FT in case surgery is needed next week?

    B) Or do I listen to Barnes' stats and bring him in for Ings?

    1. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      B.
      go big or go home. Now is the time to start gaining on your rivals by being a bit more bold with your picks.

    2. Four Hit Wonder
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Don't listen to Barnes people. These have been on every 5.5-7.0 prodigy bandwagon so far.

    3. ElChapo
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      chances are you'll be wanting Ings back in in 2 weeks when he has Palace (H), Burnley (A), Cardiff (H) - if you have a decent starting 11 this week, hold...

      1. Johan Queef
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Starting 11 isn't terrible so maybe you're right!

  8. Subzero (-4)
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Is taa Doherty and digne enough in defence on a wild card with bednarek and Kiko? Feels light but would allow this team

    Guaita
    Taa Doherty digna
    Salah hazard sane pogba Richarlison
    Auba rashford

    Button kiko bednarek Quaner.

    Any feedback would be great.

    Other alternative is

    Ethridge
    Robbo taa digne
    Salah hazard Richarlison pogba Anderson
    Aguero rashford

    Button Doherty bednerak kamara

    1. Eze Really?
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      8
      7 7 6
      8 8 8 8 6
      8 8
      3 4 3 1
      Total 93 pretty good
      7
      8 7 6
      8 8 6 8 6
      8 8
      3 7 3 2
      Total 93 pretty good

      1. Subzero (-4)
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        Your doing to have to forgive my stupidity if this obvious but is this meant to be a predicted score??? Sorry I'm lost 🙂

  9. Aubazette
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    1. Martial, Kamara, Kolasinac, Fabiański -> Bernardo Silva, Rashford, Bednarek, Button ( later I will switch Stekelenburg to Ryan, and Diangana to Puncheon) (-8 next week)

    2. Fabianski to Button, and Sane for Martial, later Diangana to Puncheon (-4 this week)

    What to do?

    1. Eze Really?
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Ryan could be back in 2 weeks; just after Button faces Pool United and Fulham Yuk
      It might give you the few bob you need though. Find another way.

  10. Gamer18
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Going into Week 1 of Last Man Standing who should I pick? Comment below

  11. Eze Really?
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Estimated points?
    A Son
    B Sane
    C Guita
    D Fab
    E Anderson
    G Preyra

  12. sacana12
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    FT 0.1 ITB

    Ederson
    Robertson - Trippier - AWB
    Sane - Salah - Pereyra - Richarlison
    Jimenez - Kane - Rashford

    Button-Holebas-Bennet-Billing

    Options on the table:
    A) Bamba or Camarasa --> Holebas or Billing (Save 1 FT)
    B) Trippier & Billing --> TAA & Camarasa (play 352)
    C) Robertson & Trippier --> TAA & Alonso

    Is B g2g?

    1. 007 [RoboKlopp]
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      D. Save

  13. Old Gregg
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Was planning on bringing Arnie in for Ings and playing 3-4-3.

    What to do now?

    a) go ahead
    b) Barnes
    c) Jimenez
    d) hold Ings

    1. 007 [RoboKlopp]
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      C

      1. Old Gregg
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 2 months ago

        thanks

  14. Pieterke30
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    On a WC, would you get

    A. Robertson
    B. VVD

    ... to complete Pool double up with TAA.
    Robbo more likely to assist, and VVD more likely to score?

    1. Feed tha Sheep
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Robertson

  15. Feed tha Sheep
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    2Fts and 0ITB what to do?
    Fab
    Robertson WB Digne Doherty
    Salah Sane Pogba Son
    Kane Rashford

    Steele Ings* Bednarak Masuaku

    Will need to start Doherty or Bed over ings?

  16. akhilrajau
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    A.Kiko femina(def)
    B.Doherty(def)
    C. Gunnarsson (mid)

    Who to include in starting 11 and sub in order

  17. Tatty Bojangles
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Who scores more?

    a) Sterling (WOL), Anderson (ars)
    b) Salah (BHA), Camarasa (HUD)

    Basically 2FT to bring (b) in for (a) and will most likely captain Salah.

  18. sminkypinky
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Good to save my transfer?
    Fab
    AWB Robbo Digne
    Haz Mo Fraser Pogba
    Auba (c) Rash Wilson

    Hamer Doherty Targett Hojbjerg

  19. Colgz
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    A:Aguero
    or
    B:Aubameyang people?

    Many thanks

  20. shalji
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Best 6.0M midfielder suggestion please.

    Besides Richarlison.

    Thank you in advance

  21. rodog
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Deulofeu and Digne
    OR
    Richarlison and 4.4 defender

    1. rodog
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 2 months ago

      Thoughts lads?

  22. Concrete
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 2 months ago

    Brighton’s defensive stats are decent.

    Ignore this with it being Liverpool for Salah capt or take note?