Welcome back for another round of FPL captaincy debate!
Right. Week 1 gave us plenty to digest as we saw plenty of action that we were expecting along with a healthy serving of surprises. It cannot be stressed enough how important nailing the armband is every week and, with Mo Salah being such a highly-owned and captained player, to miss out on his points doubled surely left a sting for those who didn’t captain him, whether they own him or not. We also had our share of captains that delivered a return but did not set the community on fire. Timo Werner and his one assist-return comes to mind. And of course, I am ready to hear the “What were you thinking?” reaction from those who wonder why I backed Trent Alexander-Arnold in the opening round. Hey, I still believe in him.
Honestly, I missed out on Salah’s doubled points and went with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Hitting a captained hat trick to start the season would have been something worth celebrating all week long, but when it comes to Week 1, as nice as it is to nail a captain, one is much more concerned with how the entire squad as a whole looks. As soon as things start to count, the unexpected can and will happen. Just ask owners of the third-highest rostered forward in the game heading into Week 1 felt when Aleksandar Mitrovic was named to the bench. I mean, talk about a rude awakening. The first ball of the season has yet to be kicked and you are already scrambling for emergency transfer plans.
But hey, this is why we love playing this game. Emotions run high, they run low, they run any which way you can go. Hopefully your opening round left you with a smile, but if it didn’t, do not fret...there’s 37 chances to do better. So let’s waste no more time and look at the Week 2 edition of Captain Obvious...
Mo Salah (12.5m)
Rostered% - 36.3% (rising quickly)
Opponent - Chelsea (away)
With no games for either Manchester club to play, it allowed for an added amount of spotlight on Liverpool’s opening weekend and how their star player is getting along, and Salah stole the show. Immediately justifying his fantasy price and captaincy worth, Salah scored a hat trick and put up a whopping twenty points, running away with the round’s best score. How good or bad your rank is after Week 1 seems to come down to one factor - whether you have Salah on your roster or not. For those that have Salah, whether the opening weekend was simply satisfactory or a rousing success came down to one additional factor: whether you captained him or not.
It is a bit early to be throwing in-season stats around but, in case they matter to you at this stage, Salah dominated all attacking stats beyond simply scoring goals. The shot volume was there, which you love to see, as the Egyptian international went for goal nine times. Only one other player in Week 1 took as many as five shots. Salah did not have an assist in the goal-filled win over Leeds, but he did supply a healthy four key passes, just one behind the league leaders. We have reputation. We have red hot form. All that is left is the fixture. Is Chelsea away something to avoid? Well, on paper, it is probably one of the three toughest fixtures the Reds have all season. Here’s why this doesn’t matter to me in the slightest - Chelsea’s defense is finding its footing. I think they improve on their record from last season but get stronger as the season progresses. At the moment, there are bound to be a few growing pains. And speaking of “pains”, as long as Kepa is “a thing”. I’m not going to dismiss a potential captaincy choice.
Jamie Vardy (10m)
Rostered% - 22.3%
Opponent - Burnley (home)
Of course, Vardy came through in Week 1. I had him in my honorable mentions, calling him a sneaky play. Congratulations if you felt like getting into a bit of mischief, then. Yes the race for the Golden Boot is on once again, and the Leicester talisman was up to his old tricks by bagging a brace in Week 1, the only player besides Salah to score more than once. Mind you, he took both goals from the penalty spot though, so looks could be deceiving in the stat department. Was he actually involved as much as his high FPL score would indicate? Well, yes and no. No, in that Vardy did not stuff several attacking categories with this performance, but that was do in large part to West Brom defying their conventional shape and rolling with three center backs, for the purpose of freezing Vardy out. The strategy worked, for much of the match. Leicester have additional talent around besides Vardy though, and the defense of the Baggies eventually cracked anyway.
What was important to take away though was that Vardy’s lack of opportunities in open play did not phase him one bit. He put in his customary strong effort and eventually his efforts paid off. This is simply how Leicester is set up. Most roads lead through Vardy one way or another. So, now playing in a home game, I am ready to anoint him a top option this week as the Foxes host the Clarets. As little to glean from there is regarding Leicester after only one game, there is even less to analyze from Burnley, as this will be their season opener. One significant factor that can be held with weight is the absence of Ben Mee. The ever-present center back will continue to miss time with a thigh injury, likely giving veteran backup Kevin Long a start here. To his credit, Long has been fine in his spot starts, but he is still a downgrade from Mee, all the same. So how has Vardy done in this fixture in the past? It should provide a decent expectation, as he has played this fixture four times in the last four years, and Burnley’s style hasn’t changed much in that time. Well, here’s where potential armband backers may pump the breaks. Four matches at home to the Clarets has yielded a pedestrian total of one goal and one assist.
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (12m)
Rostered% - 46.4% (rising slightly
Opponent - West Ham (home)
Week 1’s most popular armband choice had a pretty ho-hum outcome. It was by no means a disaster, but one hoped for a bit more than a single goal and no bonus from Aubameyang against a Fulham defense we knew was lousy and proved to be. Sure, the extra point for clean sheet and another scoring from midfield feels good (x2), but a pretty cheap yellow card kind of cut into that added benefit of a position switch. It is a difficult task to analyze how effective any clubs or individual’s attacking efforts were when having only a game against Fulham to draw from. Yes, three goals from the Gunners to open the season is a promising start. But how will they fair against tougher defenses and tougher fixtures? Well, the happy news, at least in my view, is that the fixture and defense really doesn’t get tougher this week. Arsenal is now set to play their home opener, so that’s a plus. They are also hosting West Ham, which for me, being a home game, is nearly as attractive a fixture for fantasy purposes is as Fulham away.
While Aubameyang wasn’t nearly as consistent a threat and producing on the level of Salah last week, he was able to match Mo in one important stat - shots on target. Both hit the target three times to lead the league last weekend. Of course, all three of Salah’s went in, but knowing Aubameyang took only three shots and hit the target with all three is encouraging for this Week 2 matchup with the Hammers. The addition of Willian, while perhaps not capable of dishing out three assists every game he plays, clearly has been a good one for Mikel Arteta’s side. Willian loves creating chances and, odds are, he is going to set Aubameyang up for a couple of big ones this weekend.
Bruno Fernandes (10.5m)
Rostered% - 22.1% (on verge of price rise)
Opponent - Crystal Palace (home)
I will mention the other names in the honorable mention area in a moment, but I have to say, picking the right captain on Manchester United every week may take some time to figure out, if it can be figured out at all. If all stay fit, it is hard to ignore the potential of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. Out of the starting gate though, I think it is difficult to argue against Fernandes as the safest, most dependable option of the bunch. The fantasy community must be in agreement in large part because, despite several big Week 1 bandwagons to jump on, Fernandes is a top transfer target in around the league heading into the Week 2 deadline. Unless you are following the Premier League for the first time this season, or had been living under a rock since 2020 began (honestly, not the worst idea in the world), then you are well aware of how Bruno took the PL by storm upon his arrival last January and has shown himself the piece United needed to get the club to step up to the next level. Seems strange saying that about Manchester United, but it is true all the same.
Well, can we expect more of the same from Fernandes this season, and, perhaps more pressing a question, this weekend? Here are the two things to maybe give a manager pause: one, though he’s been one of the top fantasy producers since landing in England, his production did begin to tail off at the end of last season. Two, some people are worried about his dependency on scoring penalties. I think the truth lies somewhere in between. It would be difficult to expect Fernandes to put up the crazy numbers he did when he first arrived for an entire season. But, he is a gifted playmaker all the same, the best attacking option in central midfield for sure. Which means, if he isn’t scoring, he is probably assisting. Palace did open their season with a clean sheet at Selhurst Park but I don’t see that carrying over to Old Trafford.
Other options - Right, so as eluded to in the previous segment, I think both United options, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have the potential for a double digit score here. My issue with them is, how often will they take turns being the goal-getter and being the one that blanks? It could get frustrating until one is clearly in better form than the other. Still, a roll of the dice to consider if you believe United take this game easily and you don’t have Bruno in your squad.
Some of you may be livid in the lack of Manchester City representation in the main section of the column. Well, first let me reassure you that I by no means imply that giving a City player the armband this week is a silly idea. Between the managers and players, we are well aware of what City are capable of, against virtually any opponent. That said, I have never liked Wolves away as a fixture for any captaincy choice in the Nuno Espirito Santo era. Perhaps with even a game or two under our belts, I would at least ignore the setting for a club as goal-happy as City is, but there is something about this being their opener and on the road to Wolves...ehh, I’m not feeling it. Again, I fully acknowledge the potential is there, and I think it is not a stretch to say that if you do want to back a City player, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne are your strongest options.
Finally, it is time to keep a eye pointed toward James Rodriguez. He was very busy for Everton in his debut and looks to be just what the doctor ordered for them. He created several chances and was unlucky to come away without an attacking return. Maybe not ready to trust for a captain’s role, but he should definitely be on your transfer radar, if nothing else.
Hit me up on Twitter @FuzzyWarbles and let me know your thoughts on who you’ve nominated for captain and why. Good luck with your selection this weekend and may your arrows be green.
