The latest Fantasy Premier League captaincy debate is all about trust, something that has been in short supply recently.
Many of us are fresh from watching the most popular skipper blank in each of the last two Gameweeks, Mohamed Salah (£12.6m) still without a goal since Gameweek 14.
What’s worse, those two matches pitted league leaders Liverpool against so-called ‘lesser opposition’ in West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle.
Such freak results have become commonplace in 2020/21 as a busy fixture period, uncertainty over future matches and lack of fans have all impacted our Fantasy assets across the board. Since 2001, no team has ever occupied the Premier League’s top spot after 16 games with as few points as 33. Such a total would have placed you sixth in the division last season.
How will these factors play into the Gameweek 17 captaincy? Well, there is lots to unpack here.
Liverpool travel to face a stubborn Southampton defence, Bruno Fernandes (£11.2m) is up against an impressive Aston Villa team while the arguably out-of-form Harry Kane (£11.0m) and Son Heung-min (£9.7m) will be treated to Saturday lunch with Leeds’ gut-busting free-scoring Leeds outfit.
As ever, the Captain Sensible article is here to look into these options, comparing their individual form against the defensive capabilities and/or weaknesses of their upcoming opponents.
As this uses extensive data from the Fantasy Football Scout Premium Members Area, only those with a valid subscription can access it in full.
Captain Poll
Salah’s struggles in front of goal over the last two Gameweeks seem very fresh in many people’s minds, as the Egyptian has failed to reach 10% of votes in this week’s captain poll so far.
That puts the Liverpool winger in the fourth-place behind Fernandes (32.5%), Kane (20.0%) and Son (17.0%).
The top-five is closed up by Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.9), with 5.2% of votes going the way of the Everton striker ahead of West Ham’s Friday evening trip to Goodison Park.
Jamie Vardy (4.7%) is the one to slightly miss out on the top-five this week, as Leicester visit Newcastle in Gameweek 17.
Perhaps surprisingly, in-form Marcus Rashford (£9.5m) gathered less than 1.0% of votes this week, despite extending his scoring run against Wolves. The Manchester United man now has five goals in his last six Premier League appearances
KEY MATCHES
Southampton v Liverpool
3 years, 3 months agoWhat to do? 1 FT 0.2 ITB. Will FH18
Martinez,
Robertson, KWP, Mitchell*
Salah, KDB, Fernandes, Grealish
Bamford, DCL*, Adams
Johnstone | Dallas, Taylor**, Bissouma*
A) KDB -> Son (c) and reverse it GW19. GW19 take a -4 to do DCL -> Raphina for 11 DGWers and use TC
B) As per A but also take out Bissouma, Mitchell and Taylor (-12/-16) and bench boost
C) ignore Son/ Spurs this week, and bench boost / TC in 19 with no hits / -4?