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CAPTAINCY HYPE 2016/17: FPL Gameweek 8

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 8 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 GW8 is Saturday October 15th 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

GW6

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Swansea vs. Man City) - 13pts

Alternative: Sadio Mane (Liverpool vs. Hull) - 7pts

Wildcard: Troy Deeney (Burnley vs. Watford) - 2pts

GW7

Essential: Alexis Sanchez (Burnley vs. Arsenal) - 3pts

Alternative: Philippe Coutinho (Swansea vs. Liverpool) - 2pts

Wildcard: Marcus Rashford (Man United vs. Stoke) - 2pts

Totals

Essential Total: 9 (1), 5 (2), 2 (3), 1 (4), 9 (5), 13 (6), 3 (7) = 42pts Alternative Total: 2 (1), 2 (2), 11 (3), 1 (4), 12 (5), 7 (6), 2 (7) = 37pts

Wildcard Total: 10 (1), 2 (2), 2 (3), 2 (4), 2 (5), 2 (6), 2 (7) = 22pts

 

CORE CAPTAINCY: THE ESSENTIAL PICK

Player: Sergio Aguero

Position: Forward

Player Price: £13.1 million

Player Selection %: 43.3%

We’ve déjà vu here at Hype Train HQ. It’s another week, and for the first time this season, the essential captaincy pick was set to remain the same. It’s a grave reminder of our choices that for the second time this season our three picks just did not perform, despite some solid shouts. Does Alexis Sanchez deserve the accolade as Essential Captain for a second week on the spin? 3 points away at Burnley would suggest not, and to further this, Arsenal face a team they don’t beat a lot at home in Swansea. Sam’s provided the low down on Swansea’s good form at the Emirates…

Aguero’s no different. For half the games of any season, the Argentine forward is either missing in action, or injured, and disappointed against Spurs in GW7’s 2-0 loss. Ultimately after a series of polls, amidst the international period, and a potential injury, we pitted Aguero and Sanchez head to head in order to decide who would eventually nab our essential spot.

At the 99th hour, the FPL icon Aguero steals the victory. The Argentine forward, as seen above, came through a potential injury scare to play the full 90 minutes for Argentina, in a defeat nonetheless. Aguero headlined our captaincy picks for GW6, and takes the crown again. Everton’s clean sheets have dried up for the meantime, and the thought of Aguero at home is far too irresistible to ignore. We don’t really have to troll into the depths of the deepest ocean to proclaim why Aguero is our top pick – he’s on penalties in the top scoring team, and when fit is averaging 25 goals a season when fit.

Man City’s Fixtures

GW8: Everton (h)

GW9: Southampton (h)

GW10: West Brom (a)

GW11: Middlesbrough (h)

GW12: Crystal Palace (a)

GW13: Burnley (a)

GW14: Chelsea (h)

GW15: Leicester (a)

GW16: Watford (h)

GW17: Arsenal (h)

GW18: Hull (a)

GW19: Liverpool (a)

GW8 in the past has been in Aguero’s favour for the past two seasons, scoring 9 goals. How can you forget the 5 goals at home to Newcastle this time last season?

If you’re still tempted on Sanchez, we’ve provided some notes on both him and Aguero

Notes on Sanchez

Sanchez has completed 90 minutes in 5/7 games this season.

Alexis’s only FPL home return from 3 games came against Chelsea during GW6, notching a goal and an assist.

Sanchez has manage double digit returns on 3 occasions this seasons – during Gameweek’s 3, 5, and 6.

Sanchez has missed his last 3 penalties in the Premier League. On for a 4th?

Notes on Aguero

Aguero has only completed 90 minutes on 3/7 occasions this season.

Aguero has also only scored from 3/7 games this season – but has only played in 5 games.

Aguero’s goals have come against Sunderland, Stoke (2), and Swansea (2).

Each time Aguero has scored, he’s also managed to collect the maximum 3 bonus points.

Man City have played Man United, West Ham, and Spurs, without Aguero scoring… Nullified against the bigger sides?

Aguero’s ownership at the time of writing was 43.3%

CORE CAPTAINCY: THE ALTERNATIVE PICK

Player: Diego Costa

Position: Forward

Player Price: £10.1 million

Player Selection %: 29.6%

The landscape of this captaincy article changed numerous times throughout the course of the international break, with us tussling between Aguero and Sanchez for the essential spot. It’s become custom that our essential pick comes from voters on our Twitter account, whilst one of our Weekly Wildcard differential picks steps forward to fill our third slot. For the alternative pick, the selection is usually down to our personal opinions about who The Hype Team think are stepping up to action for the next Gameweek. On our radar, and avoided so far in our Captaincy Hype articles, is the Premier League’s top goal scorer, Diego Costa.

Costa has a place in Sam and Phil’s personal teams, and has been a constant grain of concern for myself, who hasn’t banked on the Chelsea forward once this term. 6 goals from the opening 7 games is a huge return to form for a player that we (among others) criticised last season for being undisciplined and reckless – and because of that an FPL liability.

This season has been a swing back to the positive, with Costa’s 46 points coming from open play situations. Costa doesn’t take set pieces or penalties, and yet is still profiting due to a vast array of attacking support on a week-to-week basis… In the coming weeks, Costa will need it, with some big games against United, Spurs, and City, on the horizon.

Chelsea’s Fixture List

GW8: Leicester (h)

GW9: Man United (h)

GW10: Southampton (a)

GW11: Everton (h)

GW12: Middlesbrough (a)

GW13: Spurs (h)

GW14: Man City (a)

GW15: West Brom (h)

GW16: Sunderland (a)

GW17: Crystal Palace (a)

GW18: Bournemouth (h)

GW19: Stoke (h)

Heading into GW8, Costa’s inclusion may prove to be a wise move. Leicester have struggled against the ‘bigger’ sides, and have conceded 4 against both Liverpool and Man United away from home. Last season, Chelsea managed just a single point against The Foxes and the 2-1 away defeat proved to be Mourinho’s last in the Chelsea hotseat. As much as it pains us to say, there’s the potential for Chelsea, and especially Costa, to build on their points returns before Man United roll through town – another fixture that might be the making or breaking of Costa.

Costa’s continued consistency, and the prospect of the wilting Champions visiting town, the FPL’s top points scoring forward is a man to bet on yet again.

Notes on Costa

Costa is the Premier League’s top goal scorer with 6 goals.

Costa’s goals have come against West Ham, Watford, Swansea (twice), Liverpool, and Hull. He’s only failed to score on 2 occasions – against Burnley and Arsenal.

Even though Costa didn’t score against Burnley, he provided an assist. Overall, Costa has 2 assists, the second coming against Hull during GW7.

Costa’s only blank of the season came in the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal during GW6.

The Spanish forward has accumulated 4 yellow cards, and is one more away from suspension. Costa will have to hold out until Gameweek 20 without a yellow card to avoid a suspension.

Costa’s ownership heading into Gameweek 8 is 29.5%

A net average of -39,740 took Costa out of their FPL teams after the Arsenal loss during GW6. Costa then managed 12 points against Hull during GW7.

Costa has managed double digit returns on 2 occasions this season – against Swansea (GW4) and Hull (GW7).

CORE CAPTAINCY: THE WILDCARD PICK

Player: Christian Benteke

Position: Forward

Player Price: £7.6 million

Player Selection %: 7%

History isn’t on the side of our Wildcard Captains so far this season. Nathan Redmond still remains our only return, scoring on his Southampton right in front of The Hype Team at St Mary’s on the opening day of the season. Since then our Weekly Wildcard picks have gathered a lot of points, but the player at the summit, the one we are ‘sure’ will bank with a goal, hasn’t come to fruition. That’s what you get relying on the unstable forces that are Premier League clubs trying to find their balance in a season of close, and unpredictable margins.

For GW8, Christian Benteke takes the crown and the seal of approval for the third captaincy pick. Have we just jinxed a pointless week for Benteke, or will the form charts finally prove us wrong and provide with a good spoil of points to add to the tallies. We weren’t alone in our selection process either; we put the question to Twitter and got a fabulous response of voters, so thank you very much for your involvement.

Benteke’s such a mouth-watering prospect for the Gameweek, as are a lot of the Wildcard options, so much so that our team are firmly in the camp that the four differential picks are likely to outscore the heavy hitting essentials. Fixtures are in the favour of Benteke, with West Ham conceding 13 goals in their last 4 Premier League outings. Crystal Palace are not goal shy, having notched 4 in against a staggering Stoke City side. The weight of FPL gravity is telling us that this combination of West Ham’s inability to defend, and Palace’s reliance on Benteke’s power and goal threat in the box is only going to lead to a joyous Belgium forward.

Palace might be having short-term joy, but will Pardew’s pursuit at reaching 40 points be taking a speed bump in the very near future?

Crystal Palace’s Fixture List GW8: West Ham (h) GW9: Leicester (a) GW10: Liverpool (h) GW11: Burnley (a) GW12: Man City (h) GW13: Swansea (a) GW14: Southampton (h) GW15: Hull (a) GW16: Man United (h) GW17: Chelsea (h) GW18: Watford (a) GW19: Arsenal (a)

There is much reason for Benteke to be cheerful after a treble for Belgium against Gibraltar. When Lukaku last performed well at international level he managed a treble against Sunderland in the Premier League. Whilst we believe West Ham won’t be rolled over, the likelihood of Benteke snatching our attention might be momentary.

You’ve seen above. Palace’s season will be defined before the Christmas period, so we say bank on Benteke right now, or don’t do it at all. Bentekkers moment in the sun has arrived.

Notes on Benteke All 3 of Benteke’s goals have been headers inside the 18 yard box.

Each of Benteke’s 3 goals have come away from home so far this season.

Benteke has completed 90 minutes on 4 out of 5 occasions this season. The kicker? There’s been a Benteke on the pitch ever since the forward arrived from Liverpool. Christian was subbed for brother Jonathan in Palace’s 2-1 victory away at Middlesbrough.

Benteke missed the first 2 games of the season, due to still being on Liverpool’s books.

Benteke has picked up 2 bonus points so far, one in each game he’s scored. Benteke missed out on bonus points away at Everton due to receiving a yellow card.

Heading into GW8, Benteke’s ownership was at 7% exactly upon publication.

Want to know more about The Hype Train?

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.

You can follow us on Twitter, Like us on Facebook, or visit our website here at www.thehypetrain.co.uk

All aboard.


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