CAPTAINCY HYPE 2018/19: FPL Gameweek 29
Picking a Captain to double down on in the Fantasy Premier League is the most important question asked ahead of each of the 38 Gameweek's in the Premier League season. There's a lot of self-help out there for FPL enthusiasts, with our Hype Team providing three major considerations for the armband for each and every 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. Captaincy can make of break a Gameweek so strap in tightly, it's time to lose your marbles. All aboard.
Fantasy Premier League: Gameweek 29 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
CAPTAINCY HYPE: THE ESSENTIAL PICK
Our Essential picks for captain are selected each and every week on our main Twitter account, @RealHypeTrain, with four highly selected FPL options battling it out for alpha status amongst fellow FPL players.
Gameweek 29: Essential Captain
Player: Paul Pogba (MUN)
Position: Midfielder
GW29 Fixture: Southampton (H)
Player Price: £8.9 million
Player Selection %: 45.6%
Mohamed Salah. Sergio Aguero. Eden Hazard. Harry Kane. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The 5 names that have won our essential captaincy polls this season, have now been joined by a new face to complete the bakers half-dozen.
An opening of fixture pileup, away games and potential rotation issues, and in Mohamed Salah's case a dip in Fantasy form, the door for Paul Pogba has opened to become thee pick for a week. With 45.6% ownership and a home tie against Southampton, the French World Cup winner beat Sergio Aguero to a minority poll victory, with Aubameyang and Salah far away in the distance.
It's been well documented that Jose Mourinho's departure from Man United has led to a huge spike in form for Pogba. 8 goals and 7 assists (15 attacking returns) from 11 games are massive numbers for FPL players to consider. If the Frenchman was £11.0 million, there is no doubt that he'd have won by 80% in our poll this week, so we're glad to see that for now, Pogba - with a brace of blanks upcoming - should hopefully have something to leave us with in case the million start drafting Pogba out given his circumstances.
Pogba's appeal has greatly increased due to news that Marcus Rashford is fully fit ahead of the home against The Saints - a welcome addition given the connection that both have formed since OGS's arrival.
The appeal is mainly due to the fact that most of your mates and mini-league rivals will probably gamble on Pogba with the armband. Form is on his side, a winnable fixture is on the cards, there's set-piece potential and a lack of competition that might not rise to the occasion this weekend. Plus, the million of Man United fans will help cushion the blow in case Pogba's not at the races this weekend.
CAPTAINCY HYPE: THE ALTERNATIVE PICK
Our Alternative selection for captain typically commands a smaller FPL ownership percentage, but can be reserved for The Hype Train's own gut instincts on who could be captaincy inspiration.
Gameweek 29: Alternative Captain
Player: Raul Jimenez (WOL)
Position: Forward
GW29 Fixture: Cardiff (H)
Player Price: £6.9 million +
Player Selection %: 35.9%
Midweek Premier League games occasionally throw up results out of the blue, with Wolves one such example during Gameweek 28. Below par in a trip to Huddersfield, the travelling Wanderers were second best in a 1-0 defeat, with Fantasy players watching the likes of Patricio and Doherty see their clean sheets evaporated in added time courtesy of Steve Mounie.
Facing another favourable fixture this weekend, Wolves are stepping in to familiar territory with a home tie against a sinking Cardiff side visiting Molineux on Saturday afternoon. Raul Jimenez gets the nod in our alternative captaincy position with few few concrete options coming to the forefront.
In a game Jimenez was expected to be a big performer, a blank and 2 points against Huddersfield was Raul's second blank in 3 games (also blanking against Newcastle in a 1-1 draw during Gameweek 26). The Mexican international has 4 goals in his last 5 games and last provided an assist during a 4-3 home win against Leicester (GW24).
At the very least, Raul will find himself as the number one option for the Vice Captaincy role behind Pogba and Aguero the likelier contenders for top billing this week given their pedigree and opposition, but the Mexican international might be relied upon given potential rotation.
The real tragedy and irony about Gameweek 29 is that many FPL players will be biding farewell to the combination of Jimenez and Pogba. With upcoming Blank Gameweek's in 31 & 33, preparations will be made for Raul and Pogba to potentially be moved on. The risk of a Double Gameweek sandwiched in between two voids is a tough predicament, but at least we have one last week where they can go out on a high.
CAPTAINCY HYPE: THE WILDCARD PICK
Our Wildcard selection is one of the ten differential picks that is featured in our Weekly Wildcards article. This captaincy selection has a very small percentage of owners in the FPL, and is our left field option.
Gameweek 29: Wildcard Captain
Player: Gonzalo Higuain (CHE)
Position: Forward
GW29 Fixture: Fulham (a)
Player Price: £9.5 million
Player Selection %: 3.2%
Right now, the talk of the town is ‘Paul Pogba this’ and ‘Paul Pogba that’, or ‘Why has Salah been an absolute disappointment?’ and ‘I told you so, Hazard was the better player!’’ The other half of social media is people trying to compare Paul Pogba to Ronaldinho and Steven Gerrard, and most fantasy managers would spend about an hour a day tweeting about their own team and wondering why they aren’t risking the rank in the overall table.
Most fantasy managers will be looking at the Man United fixture when they host Southampton, and Wolves vs. Cardiff. There are two noticeable derbies in North London and Merseyside, and Brenan Rodgers takes charge of his game as Foxes manager. Hidden beneath a million different conversations is Chelsea’s trip to a Fulham that have just recently announced the departure of Claudio Ranieri as manager, and the appointment of Scott Parker on an interim basis.
Fulham have thrown in the towel and are rolling the dice, but it is evidently clear that they are on track for a straight return to the Championship. Meanwhile, Chelsea have been on a track to redeem themselves after losing 6-0 to Man City a few weeks ago. They drew with City but fell short at the final hurdle in a penalty shoot-out after Kepa refused to leave his post and cost them the trophy. The Blues then beat Spurs to end the Lilywhites title hopes.
Take your mind a few weeks ago when Chelsea dominated Huddersfield, and Higuain scored a brace. Chelsea are highly predictable against teams in the bottom half of the table. Fulham have already thrown in the towel and whilst the talking points of the league are away from Craven Cottage it makes this fixture the perfect differential to bank on. Fulham are downright struggling, and having a resurgent Chelsea pay them a visit can only make matters worse.
These are the games where Chelsea fans start making their Eden Hazard > Mo Salah claims, and this can only benefit Higuain who has only one fantasy return since signing on loan. This is a sure-fire fixture for the Argentine to secure his second return, and we aren’t going to ignore this match on the fantasy calendar.
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, live sport, and professional wrestling.
As well as providing FPL articles on our website, we are a founding Contributor to the new Fantasy Football Hub, where you can find more unique articles, including weekly Power Rankings, from The Hype Team. You can support us and read exclusive members only content for just £2 per-month by clicking here.
The Hype Train were nominated and shortlisted for the 'Best Football Blog 2016' by the Football Bloggers Association at their annual Football Blogging Awards (The FBA's), with the final presentation held at Old Trafford in Manchester.
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All aboard.
