CAPTAINCY HYPE 2016/17: FPL Gameweek 30
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 30 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 GW30 is Saturday 1st April at 11:30am.
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
GW19
Essential: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man United vs. Middlesbrough) - 5pts
Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (Hull vs. Everton) - 2pts
Wildcard: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea vs. Stoke) - 3pts
GW20
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City vs. Burnley) - 7pts
Alternative: Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace vs. Swansea) - 1pt
Wildcard: Olivier Giroud (Bournemouth vs. Arsenal) - 15pts
GW21
Essential: Alexis Sanchez (Swansea vs. Arsenal) - 11pts
Alternative: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. West Brom) - 17pts
Wildcard: Andre Gray (Burnley vs. Southampton) - 2pts
GW22
Essential: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal vs. Burnley) - 8pts
Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (Crystal Palace vs. Everton) - 2pts
Wildcard: Junior Stanislas (Bournemouth vs. Watford) - 2pts
GW23
Essential: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man United vs. Hull) - 2pts
Alternative: Dele Alli (Sunderland vs. Spurs) - 3pts
Wildcard: Mesut Ozil (Arsenal vs. Watford) - 2pts
GW24
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs vs. Middlesbrough) - 6pts
Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (Everton vs. Bournemouth) - 21pts
Wildcard: Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace vs. Sunderland) - 0pts
GW25
Essential: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal vs. Hull) - 15pts
Alternative: Diego Costa (Burnley vs. Chelsea) - 2pts
Wildcard: Gabriel Jesus (Bournemouth vs. Man City) - 1pt
GW26
Essential: Romelu Lukaku (Everton vs. Sunderland) - 6pts
Alternative: Sadio Mane (Leicester vs. Liverpool) - 2pts
Wildcard: Troy Deeney (Watford vs. West Ham) - 9pts
GW27
Essential: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Man United vs. Bournemouth) - -1pts
Alternative: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea vs. Burnley) - 5pts
Wildcard: Manolo Gabbiadini (Watford vs. Southampton) - 5pts
GW28
Essential: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Liverpool vs. Burnley) - 2pts
Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (Everton vs. West Brom) - 12pts
Wildcard: Fernando Llorente (Hul vs. Swansea) - 1pt
GW29
Essential: Romelu Lukaku (Everton vs. Hull) - 16pts
Alternative: Diego Costa (Stoke vs. Chelsea) - 1pt
Wildcard: Josh King (Bournemouth vs. Swansea) - 8pts
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), 5 (19), 7 (20), 11 (21), 8 (22), 2 (23), 6 (24), 15 (25), 6 (26), -1 (27), 2 (28), 16 (29) = 180pts
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), 2 (19), 1 (20), 17 (21), 2 (22), 3 (23), 21 (24), 2 (25), 2 (26), 5 (27), 12 (28), 1 (29) = 189pts
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), 3 (19), 15 (20), 2 (21), 2 (22), 2 (23), 0 (24), 1 (25), 9 (26), 5 (27), 1 (28), 8 (29) = 128pts
CAPTAINCY HYPE: THE ESSENTIAL PICK
Player: Diego Costa (Chelsea)
Position: Forward
Player Price: £10.7 million
Player Selection %: 39.5%
The Premier League is back and even though we don’t want to sound like broken records regarding the latest international break, but we will. Once again the FPL has been ravaged with injury complaint, leaving no stone unturned for Fantasy players and their never ending struggles with national teams ruining the collective transfer and captaincy plans of millions.
With Gameweek 30 rapidly approaching, the constant choice of Captaincy is brought back into question, and here’s what we have pinned as the essential picks ahead of the league’s return.
This is where the injuries and speculation begin. Due to Crystal Palace being rollovers this season, and playing Chelsea away, Costa won the GW30 poll convincingly, even though at the time of posting it had just come out that the Spanish forward had potentially injured his ankle during a training session with his national side. Costa’s drama over the next 48 hours has been a back and forth that the Chelsea forward had undergone successful scans on his ankle, mixed with the FPL labelling him as a potential doubt for Palace’s visit.
With an essential spot bagged for this week, we’ve been doing some digging, and quite frankly, we think he’ll be fine.
At this point in time very little keeps Costa down. Sanchez likewise is nearing Terminator status, a tag that has been following Costa ever since he arrived in England, and before. We remember when Costa’s bone was sticking out of his leg in the semi-final of the Champions league whilst playing for Athletico, only to go onto the final. We’ve since had two seasons of Costa walking the injury and suspension tightrope, only to jump every hurdle, and play most minutes for the Blues.
That said, Costa is almost certainly the man to back this weekend. Early game avoidance in Liverpool/Everton has been well established, with Chelsea in a good position to score a bag full of goals regardless. Costa was the standout performer the last time the two sides played, and given his fitness prevails; he’ll be the main contender to make the difference once again.
Chelsea’s Next 5 Fixtures
GW30: Crystal Palace (h)
GW31: Man City (h)
GW32: Bournemouth (a)
GW33: Man United (a)
GW34: Southampton (h)
Notes on Diego Costa
So far this season Costa has managed 17 goals, 7 assists, 155 FPL points, with 22 bonus points.
Costa’s 17 Premier League goals this season is the 3rd highest for forwards. Lukaku (21) and Kane (19) are ahead of the Spaniard.
With 7 assists so far this season, no forward has as many as Chelsea’s Costa.
Last time out against Crystal Palace, Costa scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory for Chelsea at Selhurst Park during Gameweek 17.
Costa has managed 2 goals, 2 assists, and 3 bonus points, from his last 5 matches.
Last season Costa managed 19 FPL returns, but already has 24 attacking returns this term.
CAPTAINCY HYPE: THE ALTERNATIVE PICK
Player: Jamie Vardy (Leicester)
Position: Forward
Player Price: £9.8 million
Player Selection %: 10.6%
Our essential captaincy poll has raised a few alternative voices this week, with Costa, Mane, Lukaku, and Sanchez, potentially being overlooked by a big margin in favour of differential options. Llorente, Sigurdsson, Deeney, and our Gameweek 30 alternative pick Jamie Vardy, have the potential to be standout differential picks this weekend.
A few games can nullify each other’s efforts (LIVvEVE, ARSvMCI), meaning the likes of Vardy have become fantasy danger men, albeit for a few weeks. Leicester in particular have been ruthlessly efficient in the Premier League since cutting the head off of Claudio Ranieri’s league title win, scoring 3 goals in each of Craig Shakespeare’s 3 league games as manager. Vardy has picked up his numbers and now entertains an indifferent Stoke squad that will one week play defiantly at Man City, but then fold the next.
With roughly 1 in 10 overall FPL players owning Vardy the Englishman is the perfect forward choice to entrust with the armband should you feel even slightly uncomfortable with a potentially injury prone Diego Costa, or an Alexis Sanchez who faces Man City. Leicester are scoring, Vardy's on-form, and his club are still in the Champions League, with safety looking like it will be ensured in the next few Gameweek's.
Vardy's Last 3 Games in the FPL
GW26: Liverpool (h) - 13pts (2 goals, 3 bonus points)
GW27: Hull (h) - 5pts (1 assist)
GW28: N/A
GW29: West Ham (a) - 11pts (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 bonus points)
Leicester’s Next 5 Fixtures
GW30: Stoke (h)
GW31: Sunderland (h)
GW32: Everton (a)
GW33: Crystal Palace (a)
GW34: Arsenal (a)
Notes on Jamie Vardy
So far this season Vardy has scored 8 goals, managed 5 assists, and totalled 99 FPL points, with 11 points coming in the form of bonus.
Vardy’s 8 goals, 5 assists, and 11 bonus points, are the highest figures of any player at the club.
No Leicester player has reached 100 FPL points this season, but with 99 points Vardy is the Foxes top player.
Valued at £9.8 million, the English forward is the most expensive Leicester player.
Vardy has picked up FPL returns in 3 consecutive matches for the second time this season. Vardy first managed the feat between Gameweek’s 3-5, and then repeated the feat during Gameweek’s 26-29.
The 8 goals Vardy has scored is the same number of goals as Andre Gray (BUR) and Olivier Giroud (ARS).
Vardy’s 5 assists this season is the same number as Man United forward Wayne Rooney.
CAPTAINCY HYPE: THE WILDCARD PICK
Player: Troy Deeney (Watford)
Position: Forward
Player Price: £6.9 million
Player Selection %: 6.9%
Here’s what THT Chief Writer, @TheHypeTrainSam, has had to say regarding wildcard king Troy Deeney, ahead of Sunderland’s visit for FPL Gameweek 30:
Troy Deeney, influential differential pick, and was last week’s antichrist for Watford supporters. Having scored an own-goal it couldn’t have been a worse week for the Englishman who is usually revered in the weekly differential selections we make on The Hype Train. Our hope is that Deeney can go from zero-to-hero for the Hornets as they can do a real number on Sunderland who are facing the realisation that EFL Championship football is now a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’. Deeney is the penalty kick taker which is good news for FPL managers, and his record isn’t too shabby either, and with Sunderland’s defence as leaky as a flowing river this could be a return lying in wait.
The burly forward is often overlooked for his consistency issues especially in games against other relegation threatened teams, but against Sunderland it is easy pickings. Also, Deeney has a favourable run of fixtures coming his way (aside from a trip to the partially demolished White Hart Lane) so there is real value in keeping him as a budget forward option. Gylfi Sigurdsson is no longer registered as a wildcard and everyone is keen to see Deeney continue his great run of form in 2017 and give the Icelander a run for his money as wildcard player of the season. The fixtures are there, the form is there, and the goal scoring ability is there. Choose differentials, choose Deeney.
Watford’s Next 5 Fixtures
GW30: Sunderland (h)
GW31: West Brom (h)
GW32: Spurs (a)
GW33: Swansea (h)
GW34: Hull (a)
Notes on Troy Deeney
So far this season Watford captain Troy Deeney has managed 9 goals, 3 assists, 108 FPL points, with 16 of those points coming as bonus points.
Deeney’s Gameweek 29 performance away at Crystal Palace was the Englishman’s worst FPL performance on the season so far. Deeney played the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 and scored the only goal of the game, albeit an own goal. Deeney finished on zero points for GW29.
Deeney has scored 5 goals in his last 7 Premier League appearances for Watford. Deeney’s featured on the scoresheet from 6/7 if you include his GW29 own goal.
Last time out against Sunderland, Deeney played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss, and finished GW17 with 2 points.
With 108 FPL points, Deeney finally overtook Etienne Capoue as Watford’s top fantasy performer during GW26.
Deeney’s 9 Premier League goals this season is the same number as Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke.
With 16 bonus points, no Watford player has accumulated more than Deeney.
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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.
