Welcome to our FPL captaincy analysis for the upcoming gameweek 20. Before we examine a few of the standout options it is time to see how our picks from last week fared.
1. Harry Kane – 7 points
2. Odion Ighalo – 5 points
3. Romelu Lukaku – 13 points
Differential – Christian Benteke – 8 points
Gamble – Shane Long – 2 points
So if you followed our advice and captained one of the players mentioned then the chances are you got a decent return from your skipper.
Now let’s get down to business and examine this week’s options.
1.Mesut Ozil (NEW)
The German is in scintillating form at the moment and seems to be able to assist anyone. His set up for Gabriel’s opener last week took his tally to 16 assists and he also scored his 3rd goal of the season. These stats are incredible and given we’re only at the halfway point of the season you’d imagine there is a whole number of records waiting to be claimed by the German. In FPL terms Özil is a must have because in this game you simply can’t ignore a player with 49 points in 5 games. This week the Gunners host a struggling Newcastle side. The toon look like they will concede goals so FPL managers will once again be relying on Özil to do the business by giving him the armband. The standout choice this week however you should consider his high ownership.
2. Odion Ighalo (MCI)
The Watford frontman can’t stop scoring at the moment and is the third striker this season to be in with a shout of breaking Van NIstelrooy’s longstanding record after Jamie Vardy & Romelu Lukaku. Ighalo added one to his total against Spurs which leaves him on 14 goals this campaign but the obvious negative about giving the Nigerian the armband is the fixture. Manchester City are a team with an incredible forward line-up and could out score any opponent however without Vincent Kompany in the side Manuel Pellegrini’s side always concede goals so it is likely that the Hornets will find the target and with the form Ighalo is in, you would expect that he will score. A good choice but it is a little risky.
3. Romelu Lukaku (TOT)
The Belgian is starting to fulfill his potential and his brace on Monday took him to 15 goals for the season which is an incredible number for the end of December. Lukaku is being frequently let down by his defenders and this explains why Everton are in 11th place despite being very good offensively. Everton host a Tottenham side who have only lost once since gameweek one so the chances are Everton aren’t going to take the 3 points however if you consider the fact in Everton’s last 2 home games an average of 6 goals have been scored you can expect a high scoring game and given the form of Lukaku, it’s highly likely he will be on the scoresheet once again this Sunday. All of these factors make Lukaku a very good captaincy option for the armband.
Differential – Marko Arnautovic (WBA)
Stoke are in good form and its Arnautovic who is the player at the heart of the Potters attack. In his last 2 games the Austrian has scored 20 points so he is in great form. The Potters travel to face a West Brom side who are severely short on quality which is why I think Stoke will pick up their second straight away win and given his form & set piece responsibility many managers will see the value in giving him the armband. At 12% ownership his points will be worth more to your ranking than some of the other options here.
Gamble – Christian Benteke (WHU)
The Belgian forward is currently Liverpool’s only recognised striker so is guaranteed to start and he is starting to find some form with 2 goals in his last 2 games and given West Ham’s defence isn’t great, Benteke may well score again on Saturday. Given he hasn’t really shown any real consistency since signing from Villa, giving Benteke the armband brings a high level of risk so think carefully because the decision could go either way.
Bonus – Riyad Mahrez (BOU)
The special bonus pick this week is Mahrez. Despite his recent form, you can’t deny that this weekend should be perfect for the Algerian. They take on Bournemouth at home, and surely you’d think that he’d get on the scoresheet against them. If you’re trying to climb the rankings, I’d definitely consider Riyad, as lots of people will be taking into consideration his form, so if he does score well, you’ll certainly climb the rankings.
All that’s left to say now is thanks for reading and happy new year!
Written by Bonus FPL
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