CORE CAPTAINCY 2016/17: FPL Gameweek 6
Picking a Captain in the Fantasy Premier League is among the most important 38 decisions any person will make throughout the course of the season. There's a lot of self-help out there for FPL enthusiasts, with our Hype Team providing three major considerations for the armband Gameweek. We'll be detailing the Essential choice for captain, a popular alternative that's pushing the consensus, and a Wildcard pick to add to the chaos. Strap in tightly, it's time to lose your marbles. All aboard.
Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 6 Deadline
For the 2016/17 Premier League season, the FPL deadline will be one hour before the commencement of the week's first game. The Premier League website lists each FPL deadline, you can always ask on social media, and you can also view a real time countdown on our Weekly Hype page.
In a change from last season, the early Saturday kick off time has now been moved back to 12:30am, meaning the weekly FPL deadline will also be moving 15 minutes back.
The transfer deadline for GW6 is Saturday September 24th at 11:30am.
CORE CAPTAINS: SEASON PERFORMANCE
To help track our progress throughout the 2016/17 season, below you can check how our Core Captaincy selections have done by week to week in the Fantasy Premier League.
GW1
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City vs. Sunderland) - 9pts
Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Hull vs. Leicester) - 2pts
Wildcard: Nathan Redmond (Southampton vs. Watford) - 10pts
GW2
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Crystal Palace) - 5pts
Alternative: Roberto Firmino (Burnley vs. Liverpool) - 2pts
Wildcard: Fernando Llorente (Swansea vs. Hull) - 2pts
GW3
Essential: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Hull vs. Man United) - 2pts
Alternative: Eden Hazard (Chelsea vs. Burnley) - 11pts
Wildcard: Romelu Lukaku (Everton vs. Stoke) - 2pts
GW4
Essential: Eden Hazard (Swansea vs. Chelsea) - 1pt
Alternative: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal vs. Southampton) - 1pt
Wildcard: Tom Heaton (Burnley vs. Hull) - 2pts
GW5
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Sunderland) - 9pts
Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (Everton vs. Middlesbrough) - 12pts
Wildcard: Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace vs. Stoke) - 2pts
Totals
Essential Total: 9 (1), 5 (2), 2 (3), 1 (4), 9 (5) = 26pts Alternative Total: 2 (1), 2 (2), 11 (3), 1 (4), 12 (5) = 28pts
Wildcard Total: 10 (1), 2 (2), 2 (3), 2 (4), 2 (5) = 18pts
CORE CAPTAINCY: THE ESSENTIAL PICK
Player: Sergio Aguero (MCI)
Position: Forward
Player Price: £13.0 million
Player Selection %: 34.9%
A short time ago Aguero was lucky not to be sent off for elbowing Winston Reid, but moments such as these are usually forgotten by the FPL cult following the Argentine forward has gained since he stormed the Premier League scene. These moments will be forgotten purely because he didn’t see red in the moment, got away with damaging his FPL point’s returns. What won’t be lost in the memory, and usually never is with Aguero is the infamy that follows as soon as the forward scores, even though Aguero’s not in the top 5 goal scorers in the league. Such as Aguero’s fame is within the FPL community, when posing the question of who the essential Core Captain pick is, Aguero rarely ever (if ever) loses a poll.
Aguero’s inclusion as the essential pick is the first time since GW1 that he’s been involved in the Core Captaincy article. To be varied in our approach, we left Kun out of our GW2 picks, even though a brace against Stoke followed, and perhaps wisely so, left Aguero out for GW3’s 2 point week against West Ham. A timely suspension over the international break occurred, giving many FPL managers time to ponder on how best to cope without Aguero – and in all honesty it’s been fine without him. Costa has been on fire at Chelsea, whilst Antonio and Capoue have been scoring for fun with cheaper price tags. Alexis Sanchez has also jammed his way to points, even when missing a penalty away at Hull.
GW6 Transfer Trend: Firmino & Aguero > Ibrahimovic & Hazard
With Man United and Chelsea currently in the grey after a couple of league lows, there is no better time or place to highlight just how quickly the FPL canvas changes. Two weeks ago Eden Hazard was impervious, a mainstay in FPL squads. Now he’s being drafted out in the thousands, despite performing well against Swansea (just not getting the FPL points to boot), and still being on penalty kicks for the Blues. We praised Hazard eternally, but now it seems he is disposable in the face of a couple questionable fixtures Zlatan is similar, though he managed to luck his way to an assist, even though he shouldn’t have as his cross was chested by Brahimi, changing the course of the ball entirely. Now Zlatan’s £11.9m price will be hit to make way for Aguero, despite having 3 of the next 5 fixtures at Old Trafford.
Let’s look at the next five for each of the three juggernaut teams in question.
Next 5 Fixtures: Man City
GW6: Swansea (a)
GW7: Spurs (a)
GW8: Everton (h)
GW9: Southampton (h)
GW10: West Brom (a)
Next 5 Fixtures: Chelsea
GW6: Arsenal (a)
GW7: Hull (a)
GW8: Leicester (h)
GW9: Man United (h)
GW10: Southampton (a)
Next 5 Fixtures: Man United
GW6: Leicester (h)
GW7: Stoke (h)
GW8: Liverpool (a)
GW9: Chelsea (a)
GW10: Burnley (h)
Confidence in assets and form is key for GW6’s picks. Aguero gets the nod of approval because he is in a team with a firing De Bruyne and Sterling. Man City haven’t even looked close to losing, and it is the smart bet to reinvest money in Aguero in a side that is scoring 3-4-5 goals per game with ease. Man City currently trumps their FPL rivals in form, fixtures, points potential, and consistency.
Notes on Aguero
Aguero has managed 3 goals so far this season, and achieved the maximum 3 bonus points for both GW1 & GW2.
Swansea haven’t kept a clean sheet since GW1, when the Swans beat Burnley 1-0 away from home.
952,929 took Aguero out of their FPL teams for GW4, the Gameweek after elbowing Winston Reid.
Aguero missed the first international break through ‘injury’ but during his suspension managed a hat-trick in the Champions League at home to Borussia M’Gladbach.
Aguero only managed 1 yellow card last season, and none from the opening 3 games this season, yet has served a 3 game ban for violent conduct. In addition, Aguero has never been sent off in the Premier League.
Yes, Aguero is still on penalties.
Man City played Swansea away on the final day of last season. On that day, Aguero managed an assist in a 1-1 draw.
Aguero, De Bruyne, and Sterling, are 3/5 top transferred in players for GW6.
CORE CAPTAINCY: THE ALTERNATIVE PICK
Player: Sadio Mane
Position: Midfielder
Player Price: £9.0 million
Player Selection %: 14.6%
For GW6, we essentially flipped a coin over 2 FPL assets, and which one to place in our Core Captaincy, because both on their day are deadly. Firmino and Mane squared off, with the latter getting the nod due to Firmino’s recent injury, though it’s highly likely we’ll see the Brazilian in the starting line-up against Hull at the weekend.
We’re back to a state of mind where we’d like to throw the hammer at Hull City in our Core Captaincy articles. After a breather in GW5, Hull are at the receiving end of a pick as the club that has been put up for sale since 2014 faces a Liverpool side that purrs at home. After demolishing current Premier League Champions, Leicester, the Anfield side, boosted by an extra 8,000 fans cheering from the elevated main stand, take on a side that has already lost big games against Man United and Arsenal. In truth, we are quite sceptical of our alternative pick this week, one of the 4 Liverpool midfielders in the 20 point bracket – Sadio Mane.
Just like at Southampton, the Liverpool signing from Southampton provides FPL points in big bursts, but an upsurge in his team’s quality this season is already seeing more consistent FPL returns for Mane. 2/4 returns is good considering Liverpool have already faced Spurs, Chelsea, and Arsenal in London (without losing!), as well as facing the Champs and newly promoted Burnley. Is it a coincidence that Liverpool lost when Mane didn’t play? The winger or striker, or false forward depending on your mood, forces defenders back to the edge of their boxes, scared and terrified of giving Mane room to run. We saw first-hand against Barcelona that giving Mane and Clyne green field to run into on the right, even against the best opposition, is a deadly combination. Nacho Monreal has found that out, as has Christian Fuchs of Leicester. Mane also gave the wrath of his abilities to Spurs, and was dreadfully unlucky not to score; having a goal ruled out for the most marginal offside call you’ll see this season.
On their day Liverpool are proving to be unplayable, with Mane at the heart of their attacking endeavour. There is such a variety of talent from Liverpool, and an upcoming fixture list that is extremely pleasing for FPL players. As back up to Aguero, we’re confident that Mane’s potential will be enough to dispose of Hull.
Liverpool’s Fixtures:
GW6: Hull (h)
GW7: Swansea (a)
GW8: Man Unted (h)
GW9: West Brom (h)
GW10: Crystal Palace (a)
GW11: Watford (h)
GW12: Southampton (a)
GW13: Sunderland (h)
GW14: Bournemouth (a)
GW15: West Ham (h)
GW16: Middlesbrough (a)
GW17: Everton (a)
GW18: Stoke (h)
GW19: Man City (h)
Liverpool’s FPL Midfielders:
Coutinho (27pts): 2 goals, 1 assist, 5 bonus points
Lallana (25pts): 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 bonus points
Firmino (24pts): 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 bonus points
Mane (22pts): 2 goals, 1 assist, 2 bonus points
Milner (19pts): 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 bonus points
Wijnaldum (16pts): 0 goals, 2 assists, 0 bonus points
Henderson (15pts): 1 goal, 0 assists, 3 bonus points
FPL Midfielder Points by Team:
Arsenal (158pts): Sanchez (32pts)
Liverpool (152pts): Coutinho (27pts)
Man City (149pts): De Bruyne (39pts)
Spurs (118pts): Son (22pts)
Everton (108pts): Mirallas (24pts)
Chelsea (106pts): Hazard (28pts)
West Ham (105pts): Antonio (38pts)
Hull (96pts): Snodgrass (31pts)
West Brom (95pts): Chadli (23pts)
Crystal Palace (91pts): Puncheon (22pts)
Watford (86pts): Capoue (44pts)
Southampton (86pts): Redmond/Tadic (18pts)
Bournemouth (73pts): King (18pts)
Swansea (70pts): Fer (28pts)
Stoke (69pts): Arnautovic/Bojan (12pts)
Leicester (64pts): Mahrez (19pts)
Burnley (64pts): Defour (18pts)
Man United (60pts): Martial (17pts)
Sunderland (49pts): Rodwell (11pts)
Middlesbrough (48pts): Downing (13pts)
Notes on Mane
Mane missed GW2’s 2-0 away defeat at Burnley, Liverpool’s only defeat of the season.
Mane is ranked 4th in Liverpool’s FPL midfielders list with 22 points, 5 behind Coutinho on 27. Lallana and Firmino have more points than Mane.
Mane is owned by just north of 14% of the FPL.
A net average of 84 people took out Sadio Mane for GW4’s game against Leicester. Mane scored 12 points on that occasion.
Liverpool have conceded just the 1 goal in each of their last 3 fixtures.
Mane has completed the full 90 minutes from 3 of the 4 league games this season. Mane was subbed at Spurs in the 87th minute.
Mane has scored 11 goals in each of his last 2 seasons for Southampton, including 3 goals against Liverpool last term.
Last season, Mane managed 9 assists and 16 bonus points.
CORE CAPTAINCY: THE WILDCARD PICK
Player: Troy Deeney
Position: Forward
Player Price: £6.9 million
Player Selection %: 5.2%
We at The Hype Train absolutely love Troy Deeney. Last season in our inaugural campaign of reporting on the FPL, Troy Deeney became a staple of our Weekly Wildcards articles, appearing 18 times, becoming our highest scorer, and earning the tag as ‘King Deeney’ from our Chief Writer, Sam Austin. We were live at St Mary’s to witness Deeney’s first FPL return of the season, a knockdown to Etienne Capoue against Southampton, with the forward looking in dominant fashion once more. We’ve not really kept track of Deeney this season, mostly because we’re part of the jury that questions Watford’s longevity in the Premier League – it being second season syndrome after all.
Watford probably won’t suffer relegation this season after the Hornets shuffled the pack yet again with a new manager and enough new signings to start an official Watford B and C team. The constant shifting at Watford has kept everybody on their toes, never letting their standards slip, and ultimately it is resulting in a level of consistency that is going to keep Watford afloat for at least another season. The Italian Baldwin (Walter Mazzarri) has managed to keep Deeney and Ighalo in the side, and as ever the pair are at the forefront of the action, but a total reliance that was forged on the pair last season on the pair is over. Victory over Man United, with returns for 5 players (Janmaat, Capoue, Pereyra, Zuniga, and Deeney) is unusual territory for Watford, with most goals being supplied or scored by the Deeney/Ighalo combination.
A diversity of attacking potential isn’t the news FPL players want to hear (we have a lot of that with Liverpool’s midfielders), but Deeney is the sole forward in what is becoming a competent attacking unit. Watford have scored 10, and shipped 9 from their opening 5 games, and with a golden patch of fixtures coming up, Deeney is flying the flag as Wildcard Captain for GW6.
Watford’s next fixtures:
GW6: Burnley (a)
GW7: Bournemouth (h)
GW8: Middlesbrough (a)
GW9: Swansea (a)
GW10: Hull (h)
GW11: Liverpool (a)
GW12: Leicester (h)
GW13: Stoke (h)
GW14: West Brom (a)
GW15: Everton (h)
We’ve been jinxed with our Wildcard Captain picks as of late. Only Nathan Redmond’s home debut goal in GW1 has provided solid returns, with every player blanking, including Christian Benteke for GW5, only managing 2 points as Palace’s forward in a 4-1 victory over Stoke. As big fans of Deeney, we’re arming our favourite FPL secret weapon against a Burnly side that last time at home, beat Liverpool 2-0 despite having virtually no possession. The Premier League changes quickly, however, and with the spotlights on the pair for a Monday evening fixture, there are no guarantees on Burnley’s defensive holding up. The figures actually weigh heavily in Watford’s favour, even though the pair have managed to evade each other in the last 4 seasons due to the yoyo of relegation and promotion between the paid.
If you’re playing your wildcard this week, Deeney is perhaps the better option ahead of Benteke and Defoe, because you’d not really need to rotate Deeney out of your team at all. Benteke clashes with Lukaku and has some tricky fixtures to navigate either side of good ones. Lukaku clashes with Aguero. Sunderland are just terrible. In addition, Deeney’s on penalties, and is cheaper than Defoe/Benteke in the mid-range priced forwards. Deeney, just like last season is the man that’s been overlooked, but is usually the man to find points and proves to be a genuine differential over the course of the season.
Notes on Deeney
The Watford forward has been booked on 3 occasions already this season, and is only 2 bookings away from suspension.
All 3 of Deeney’s bookings have come at home against teams established in the top 6 – Chelsea, Arsenal, and Man United.
Deeney managed 23 bonus points last season, and got off the mark with his first bonus point at home to United.
Deeney’s 2 goals and 1 assist this season means the Englishman has managed FPL returns from 3/5 games. The only games he didn’t perform in were GW2/3 against Chelsea and Arsenal at home.
Watford have scored in every game this season, with a total of 10 goals. 4 have been scored by Capoue.
Deeney has played the full 90 minutes on 4/5 occasions this season, being subbed away at West Ham when Watford wrapped up the game.
In Deeney’s original season he was involved with 22 goals (13 goals, 9 assists). It’s likely that Watford will still rely on him going forward.
Deeney is playing as the lone forward in a 4-5-1 formation, with Capoue and Pereyra as wondering midfielders. Ighalo has been drifting in from the left of midfield.
Deeney appeared 18 times last season in our ‘Weekly Wildcards’ article, where we pick a lowly owned FPL player for each game of the season. Deeney finished with the most appearances and points.
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The Hype Train is an entertainment website founded in 2015 specialising in the Fantasy Premier League (#FPL), providing beautiful graphics and weekly insight for hopeful players attempting to climb ranking tables. We are also occasional media reviewers, with a keen interest to review movies, television, live music, festivals, and any relevant topic in the public eye.
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All aboard.
