CAPTAINCY HYPE 2016/17: FPL Gameweek 19
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 19 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.
The transfer deadline for GW19 is Friday 30th December at 19:00pm.
CAPTAINCY HYPE: 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
GW8
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City vs. Everton) - -1pt
Alternative: Diego Costa (Chelsea vs. Leicester) - 9pts
Wildcard: Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace vs. West Ham) - -1pt
GW9
Essential: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough) - 3pts
Alternative: Theo Walcott (Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough) - 3pts
Wildcard: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea vs. Watford) - 2pts
GW10
Essential: Alexis Sanchez (Sunderland vs. Arsenal) - 13pts
Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (Everton vs. West Ham) - 12pts
Wildcard: Troy Deeney (Watford vs. Hull) - 2pts
GW11
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City vs. Middlesbrough) - 6pts
Alternative: Charlie Austin (Hull City vs. Southampton) - 7pts
Wildcard: Wilfried Bony (West Ham vs. Stoke City) - 2pts
GW12
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Crystal Palace vs. Man City) - 2pts
Alternative: Jermain Defoe (Sunderland vs. Hull City) - 11pts
Wildcard: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. West Ham) - 13pts
GW13
Essential: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool vs. Sunderland) - 1pt
Alternative: Diego Costa (Chelsea vs. Spurs) - 5pts
Wildcard: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea vs. Crystal Palace) - 10pts
GW14
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Swansea) - 13pts
Alternative: Alexis Sanchez (West Ham vs. Arsenal) - 23pts
Wildcard: Victor Anichebe (Sunderland vs. Leicester) - 2pts
GW15
Essential: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal vs. Stoke) - 5pts
Alternative: Diego Costa (Chelsea vs. West Brom) - 8pts
Wildcard: Divock Origi (Liverpool vs. West Ham) - 9pts
GW16
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Hull) - 2pts
Alternative: Diego Costa (Sunderland vs. Chelsea) - 2pts
Wildcard: Marcos Alonso (Sunderland vs. Chelsea) - 7pts
GW17
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Burnley) - 2pts
Alternative: Diego Costa (Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea) - 6pts
Wildcard: Marcos Alonso (Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea) - 6pts
GW18
Essential: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man United vs. Sunderland) - 15pts
Alternative: Sadio Mane (Liverpool vs. Stoke) - 2pts
Wildcard: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea vs. Bournemouth) - 6pts
Totals
Essential Total: 9 (1), 5 (2), 2 (3), 1 (4), 9 (5), 13 (6), 3 (7), -1 (8), 3 (9), 13 (10), 6 (11), 2 (12), 1 (13), 13 (14), 5 (15), 2 (16), 2 (17), 15 (18) = 103pts
Alternative Total: 2 (1), 2 (2), 11 (3), 1 (4), 12 (5), 7 (6), 2 (7), 9 (8), 3 (9), 12 (10), 7 (11), 11 (12), 5 (13), 23 (14), 8 (15), 2 (16), 6 (17), 2 (18) = 121pts
Wildcard Total: 10 (1), 2 (2), 2 (3), 2 (4), 2 (5), 2 (6), 2 (7), -1 (8), 2 (9), 2 (10), 2 (11), 13 (12), 10 (13), 2 (14), 9 (15), 7 (16), 6 (17), 6 (18) = 80pts
CORE CAPTAINCY: THE ESSENTIAL PICK
Player: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Position: Forward
Player Price: £11.6 million
Player Selection %: 42.7%
There’s nothing like the top captaincy pick for one week being among the top 2-3 players for an individual Gameweek. Zlatan Ibrahimovic filled that role during Gameweek 18’s 3-1 home victory over Sunderland, managing a goal, 2 assists, and all 3 bonus points. It’s now been three double digit returns on the spin for the Swede, who has been beginning to pick up some major form in the season. With Costa as the only player to have scored more goals, it’s a genuine credit to Zlatan that he’s been able to adapt to yet another foreign league and still be prolific. Obviously, we’re only 18 games into the season, but without the forward, there are genuine question marks over where Mourinho’s side would be without Zlatan. His form has been enough to hold off some very credible opposition heading into Gameweek 19. Take a look at who Zlatan beat below.
FPL Captain Essentials: The Successes (9)
GW1: Sergio Aguero (Man City vs. Sunderland) – 9pts
GW2: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Crystal Palace) - 5pts
GW5: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Sunderland) - 9pts
GW6: Sergio Aguero (Swansea vs. Man City) - 13pts
GW10: Alexis Sanchez (Sunderland vs. Arsenal) - 13pts
GW11: Sergio Aguero (Man City vs. Middlesbrough) - 6pts
GW14: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Swansea) - 13pts
GW15: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal vs. Stoke) - 5pts
GW18: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man United vs. Sunderland) - 15pts
FPL Captain Essentials: The Failures (9)
GW3: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Hull vs. Man United) – 2pts
GW4: Eden Hazard (Swansea vs. Chelsea) – 1pt
GW7: Alexis Sanchez (Burnley vs. Arsenal) – 3pts
GW8: Sergio Aguero (Man City vs. Everton) – -1pt
GW9: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough) – 3pts
GW12: Sergio Aguero (Crystal Palace vs. Man City) – 2pts
GW13: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool vs. Sunderland) – 1pt
GW16: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Hull) – 2pts
GW17: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Burnley) – 2pts
This will be the second Gameweek in a row in which Zlatan takes the role of the Essential pick, and this season has been a hard fought battle for consistency. With 9 successes and 9 failures, the popular pick has struggled to find its form throughout the season.
Gameweek 19 might not be the walk in the park that many believe. We’re not only entering the season of rotation, but Man United’s opponents, Middlesbrough, have exceptional steel away from home. Like West Brom, the northern side digs in deep defensively, frustrate key players, and limit goal scoring opportunities. They did so against Arsenal, and perhaps should have won the game, whilst in their latest outing against Burnley, were only undone due to one lapse in concentration from Victor Valdes as Andre Gray’s shot followed through Valdes, squirming into the net. Given that Boro
Man United’s Next 5 Fixtures
GW19: Middlesbrough (h)
GW20: West Ham (a)
GW21: Liverpool (h)
GW22: Stoke (a)
GW23: Hull (h)
Notes on Ibrahimovic
Zlatan has scored 12 goals and managed 4 assists this season, with 110 points so far this season, with 21 of those points being bonus points.
Ibra has scored his 12 goals in 9 games this season.
Zlatan went 6 games without scoring; a barren run stretching between Gameweek’s 4-10. He played 90 minutes of every game during that time.
Zlatan has yet to be substituted this season and has only missed 90 minutes of football, which was Gameweek 12’s home draw with Arsenal.
Zlatan has 44 more points than the next top points scoring player for United in the FPL, which is Paul Pogba on 66pts.
Ibra’s highest value this season was during Gameweek 5’s 3-1 loss to Watford, with a price tag of £11.9 million.
Zlatan’s the 4th best player in the FPL this season, with only Hazard (113), Costa (115), and Sanchez (130) ahead of the Swede.
Zlatan was the 5th player to reach 100 FPL points this season, and has surpassed Mane (104pts) in the overall player rankings.
Only Diego Costa (13) has scored more goals than Zlatan (12).
Zlatan is the 3rd most expensive player in the FPL, with Sanchez and Aguero priced higher.
CORE CAPTAINCY: THE ALTERNATIVE PICK
Player: Romelu Lukaku
Position: Forward
Player Price: £9.4 million
Player Selection %: 26.6%
We’re now some time removed from the era of Roberto Martinez at Everton, but yet under Ronald Koeman the feeling is still the same. There’s an overwhelming sense of underachievement at Everton, and it all boils down to the inconsistency of its squad. Turning hot and cold like rotating taps, one week Everton are hapless against a relegation threatened squad, and then beat Arsenal comfortably at home. Everton aren’t expecting the world, or a title winning season, but time and again they put themselves in a confident position, only to fall on their own sword. Romelu Lukaku is merely a product of Everton’s inconsistency, one week looking a world beater, then the next getting virtually no service and no opportunities to showcase his potential.
In the case of Lukaku, he shines best against struggling opposition, when the big Belgian can dominate the ball and opposing defenders. Look at who Lukaku’s scored against this season.
Lukaku’s 2016/17 Premier League Goals
GW4: Sunderland (away) – 3 goals
GW5: Middlesbrough (home) – 1 goal, 1 assist
GW7: Crystal Palace (home) – 1 goal
GW8: Man City (away) – 1 goal
GW10: West Ham (home) – 1 goal, 1 assist
GW15: Watford (away) – 2 goals
GW18: Leicester (away) – 1 goal
Everton’s Next 5 Fixtures
GW19: Hull (a)
GW20: Southampton (h)
GW21: Man City (h)
GW22: Crystal Palace (a)
GW23: Stoke (a)
Lukaku’s got the gift of the goal against ‘smaller’ opposition, and will favour a trip to the Premier League’s bottom side gratefully. It’s a game which could see Lukaku’s stock rise greatly in the coming weeks, with another favourable run of fixtures on the horizon. Hull will almost certainly struggle to contain Lukaku, but there is a word of warning, and no its not due to rotation, who else do Everton have? They’re unlikely to play Deulofeu in that position again this season, even though Koeman favours the Spanish playmaker in that position. No, it’s down to Hull favouring three central defenders. Lukaku could be plugged by Curtis Davies and the cover of Michael Dawson and company. But that is a stretch of the imagination to assume anything other than a good fantasy performance from the Big Belgian.
Zlatan’s the popular pick for the weekend, but Lukaku gets our seal of approval to kick on and join Club 100 in the FPL.
Notes on Lukaku
In total Lukaku has 10 goals, 3 assists, 17 bonus points, and 97 points in the FPL this season.
Lukaku’s scored his 10 goals and 2 of his 3 assists in 7 games this season.
The only occasion in which Lukaku has not scored, but managed an FPL return was during Gameweek 9’s 2-1 away defeat to Burnley. On that occasion Lukaku assisted Yannick Bolasie to equalise for the Toffees.
Lukaku’s only goal against top half opposition came against Man City during Gameweek 8’s 1-1 draw.
Big Rom is ranked 8th in the overall FPL player rankings, with only two Forwards ahead of the Belgian – Ibrahimovic and Costa.
A goal or assist should push Lukaku into 100 points this season, providing he doesn’t pick up a red card or miss a penalty).
Only 8 players are selected more than Lukaki in the FPL, including Capoue, McAuley, De Gea, and Walker. At 26.6%, the next Forward in the ownership list is Defoe with 24.2%
CORE CAPTAINCY: THE WILDCARD PICK
Player: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
Position: Defender
Player Price: £6.4 million
Player Selection %: 9.5%
Marcos Alonso is the Christmas gift that just keeps on giving. In our Weekly Wildcards article each week we usually have an abundance of attacking talent to rely on, but due to consistency issues, which is obvious in players lowly selected in the game, we’re unable to bank faith with an Andy Carroll or an Andre Gray in the premium role of captain. Whereas our Essential and Alternative picks have an element of consistency, and bigger points returns, Chelsea defender Alonso has been the answer to our Captaincy problems in recent weeks. The full-back has quite literally been in unstoppable form in the league, picking up points in the same vain as a Jamie Vardy from last season, and by that we mean averaging 6 points or more for most Gameweek’s.
Chelsea’s run of 12 consecutive victories in the Premier League is showing no sign of halting, and has coincided with Alonso managing a massive 10 assists, 2 assists, and 1 goal in that time. For an FPL team doubtful over a Sanchez or Hazard captaincy should honestly consider Alonso in the role. In the Chelsea squad Alonso is more often than not the most forward player in the team, rushes into the box at every occasion, stays up for corners, and has the cover of Kante and Matic to have an attacking role. Think of what Jams Milner’s capable of in the FPL if a defender, then realise that Alonso fills many of these boxes.
Below you can see just how consistent the former Bolton and Sunderland player has been for Chelsea since arriving from Italy.
Alonso’s FPL Returns
GW6 – Arsenal, away: 1 point (only played 36 minutes)
GW7 – Hull, away: 6 points (clean sheet)
GW8 – Leicester, home: 6 points (clean sheet)
GW9 – Man United, home: 8 points (clean sheet, assist, yellow card)
GW10 – Southampton, away: 6 points (clean sheet)
GW11 – Everton, home: 13 points (goal, clean sheet, bonus point)
GW12 – Middlesbrough, away: 6 points (clean sheet)
GW13 – Spurs, home: 2 points (blank!)
GW14 – Man City, away: 6 points (assist, bonus point)
GW15 – West Brom, home: 6 points (clean sheet)
GW16 – Sunderland, away: 7 points (clean sheet, bonus point)
GW17 – Crystal Palace, away: 6 points (clean sheet)
GW18 – Bournemouth, home: 6 points (clean sheet)
Chelsea’s Next 5 Fixtures
GW18: Bournemouth (h)
GW19: Stoke City (h)
GW20: Spurs (a)
GW21: Leicester (a)
GW22: Hull City (h)
Here’s what Hype Train Chief Writer, @TheHypeTrainSam, has had to say in his Weekly Wildcards differential article regarding Alonso heading into Gameweek 19:
Another week, another glorious review of the wildcard maestro Marcos Alonso. Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta have kept Alonso as a wildcard miraculously, so until he overtakes one of them the left-wing back will continue to represent the differentials on a weekly basis. Having kept an easy clean sheet against Bournemouth up next is a Stoke squad who faltered and fell apart at Liverpool on Tuesday evening, heading to Stamford Bridge is hardly good news in this busy festive period for the Potters. Alonso has just been exceptional, and in the twelve consecutive games the Spaniard has started he has only not gotten points just the once against Spurs in Gameweek thirteen. On eight separate occasions he has got six points, and has picked up only the three bonus points which is understandable when Chelsea's midfielders and forwards are dominating. At this stage it looks like it will be harder for Alonso to drop points than it is to gain them, he is set in stone as the most consistent FPL player at the moment and has recently been featured as our differential captain and succeeded. We are expecting nothing other than success for Alonso heading into this Gameweek.
Notes on Alonso
Overall, Alonso has 79 points this season, with 10 clean sheets, 1 goal, and 2 assists.
Despite 10 clean sheets, and a goal against Everton, Alonso has only picked up just 3 bonus points for Chelsea this season.
Alonso has the same number of FPL points (79pts) as Heung-Min Son at Spurs and Etienne Capoue at Watford..
The Bolton legend was signed after Gameweek 3 of the season, and didn’t feature against Swansea or Liverpool in week’s 4 or 5. His first appearance, lasting 36 minutes, was against Arsenal for GW6. Alonso’s since played 90 minutes in the last 12 Premier games.
From the 12 games he’s started this season, Alonso has 11 FPL returns, including 19 clean sheets, 1 goal, and 2 assists.
Alonso is averaging 6.1 points per game, the 7th best average in the Premier League.
Alonso’s price in the FPL has been rising by an average of 0.1 million for the past 5 Gameweek’s. During the close of GW9 Alonso was priced at £5.9 million.
Only Azpilicueta, Cahill, and Walker, have more FPL points than Alonso, having all played an additional 5 games. This means that 3 of the top 4 defenders all play for Chelsea.
When playing for Chelsea, Alonso has conceded just 2 goals. Those goals in question were against Spurs and Man City, 2 fixtures Chelsea ultimately won.
From the top 5 defenders in the FPL this season, Alonso is owned by the fewest.
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All aboard.
