CAPTAINCY HYPE 2017/18: FPL Gameweek 33
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 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: 2017/18 SEASON PERFORMANCE
In each Captaincy Hype article we track our progress throughout the 2017/18 FPL season. Below you can check how our Captaincy selections have performed by week to week in the Fantasy Premier League.
GW1
Essential: Romelu Lukaku (Man United 4-0 West Ham) - 13pts
Alternative: Roberto Firmino (Watford 3-3 Liverpool) - 12pts
Wildcard: Josh King (West Brom 1-0 Bournemouth) - 2pts
GW2
Essential: Romelu Lukaku (Swansea 0-4 Man Utnited) - 6pts
Alternative: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 1-0 Crystal Palace) - 1pt
Wildcard: Steve Mounie (Huddersfield 1-0 Newcastle) - 1pt
GW3
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 1-1 Burnley) - 2pts
Alternative: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Man United 2-0 Leicester) - 5pts
Wildcard: Alvaro Morata (Chelsea 2-0 Everton) - 12pts
GW4
Essential: Romelu Lukaku (Stoke 2-2 Man United) - 6pts
Alternative: Alvaro Morata (Leicester 1-2 Chelsea) - 6pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal 3-0 Bournemouth) - 1pt
GW5
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 0-0 Swansea) - 2pts
Alternative: Gabriel Jesus (Watford 0-6 Man City) - 6pts
Wildcard: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal) - 1pt
GW6
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 5-0 Crystal Palace) - 11pts
Alternative: Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal 2-0 West Brom) - 13pts
Wildcard: Benjamin Mendy (Man City 5-0 Crystal Palace) - 0pts
GW7
Essential: Romelu Lukaku (Man United 4-0 Crystal Palace) - 6pts
Alternative: Dele Alli (Huddersfield 0-4 Spurs) - 2pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal 2-0 Brighton) - 6pts
GW8
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 1-0 Bournemouth) - 2pts
Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Leicester 1-1 West Brom) - 2pts
Wildcard: Raheem Sterling (Man City 7-2 Stoke) - 15pts
GW9
Essential: Gabriel Jesus (Man City 3-0 Burnley) - 1pt
Alternative: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 4-2 Watford) - 5pts
Wildcard: Tammy Abraham (Swansea 1-2 Leicester) - 2pts
GW10
Essential: Sergio Aguero (West Brom 2-3 Man City) - 0pts
Alternative: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 3-0 Huddersfield) - 4pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal 2-1 Swansea) - 2pts
GW11
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Spurs 1-0 Crystal Palace) - 2pts
Alternative: Mohamed Salah (West Ham 1-4 Liverpool) - 15pts
Wildcard: Riyad Mahrez (Stoke 2-2 Leicester) - 7pts
GW12
Essential: Romelu Lukaku (Man United 4-1 Newcastle) - 6pts
Alternative: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 3-0 Southampton) - 16pts
Wildcard: Glenn Murray (Brighton 2-2 Stoke) - 1pt
GW13
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 1-1 West Brom) - 8pts
Alternative: Gabriel Jesus (Huddersfield 1-2 Man City) - 4pts
Wildcard: Callum Wilson (Swansea 0-0 Bournemouth) - 2pts
GW14
Essential: Alvaro Morata (Chelsea 1-0 Swansea) - 1pt
Alternative: Mohamed Salah (Stoke 0-3 Liverpool) - 13pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal 5-0 Huddersfield) - 8pts
GW15
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Brighton 1-5 Liverpool) - 5pts
Alternative: Alvaro Morata (Chelsea 3-1 Newcastle) - 8pts
Wildcard: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester 1-0 Burnley) - 6pts
GW16
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 5-1 Stoke) - 12pts
Alternative: Eden Hazard (West Ham 1-0 Chelsea) - 2pts
Wildcard: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool 1-1 Everton) - 1pt
GW17
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 2-0 Brighton) - 2pts
Alternative: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 0-0 West Brom) - 3pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (West Ham 0-0 Arsenal) - 3pts
GW18
Essential: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 1-0 Southampton) - 6pts
Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Leicester 0-3 Crystal Palace) - 2pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle) - 3pts
GW19
Essential: Raheem Sterling (Man City 4-0 Bournemouth) - 13pts
Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Arsenal 3-3 Liverpool) - 10pts
Wildcard: Charlie Austin (Southampton 1-1 Huddersfield) - 6pts
GW20
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 5-0 Swansea) - 9pts
Alternative: Sergio Aguero (Newcastle 0-1 Man City) - 2pts
Wildcard: Charlie Austin (Crystal Palace 2-3 Arsenal) - 2pts
GW21
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 2-1 Swansea) - 14pts
Alternative: Alvaro Morata (Chelsea 5-0 Stoke) - 2pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (West Brom 1-1 Arsenal) - 5pts
GW22
Essential: Harry Kane (Swansea 0-2 Spurs & Spurs 1-1 West Ham) - 3pts
Alternative: Alvaro Morata (Man City 3-1 Watford) - 6pts
Wildcard: Sadio Mane (Burnley 1-2 Liverpool) - 8pts
GW23
Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 4-0 Everton) - 13pts
Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (Man United 3-0 Stoke) - 5pts
Wildcard: Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace 1-0 Burnley) - 3pts
GW24
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Swansea 1-0 Liverpool) - 2pts
Alternative: Raheem Sterling (Man City 3-1 Newcastle) - 5pts
Wildcard: Cenk Tosun (Everton 1-1 West Brom) - 2pts
GW25
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 3-0 West Brom) - 6pts
Alternative: Roberto Firmino (Huddersfield 0-3 Liverpool) - 8pts
Wildcard: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 0-3 Bournemouth) - 2pts
GW26
Essential: Sergio Aguero (Burnley 1-1 Man City) - 2pts
Alternative: Anthony Martial (Man United 2-0 Huddersfield) - 1pt
Wildcard: Christian Benteke (Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle) - 5pts
GW27
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Southampton 0-2 Liverpool) - 13pts
Alternative: Harry Kane (Spurs 1-0 Arsenal) - 6pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (Newcastle 1-0 Man United) - 2pts
GW28
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 4-1 West Ham) - 10pts
Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Leicester 1-1 Stoke) - 2pts
Wildcard: Sadio Mane (Liverpool 4-1 West Ham) - 7pts
GW29
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle) - 8pts
Alternative: Harry Kane (Spurs 2-0 Huddersfield) - 5pts
Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (Crystal Palace 2-3 Man United) - 5pts
GW30
Essential: Harry Kane (Bournemouth 1-4 Spurs) - 1pt
Alternative: Riyad Mahrez (West Brom 1-4 Leicester) - 11pts
Wildcard: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal 3-0 Watford) - 9pts
GW31
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 5-0 Watford) - 29pts
Alternative: Steve Mounie (Huddersfield 0-2 Crystal Palace) - 2pts
Wildcard: Cenk Tosun (Stoke 1-2 Everton) - 13pts
GW32
Essential: Mohamed Salah (Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool) - 7pts
Alternative: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal 3-0 Stoke) - 13pts
Wildcard: Ashley Barnes (West Brom 1-2 Burnley) - 6pts
Totals
Essential Total: 13 (1), 6 (2), 2 (3), 6 (4), 2 (5), 11 (6), 6 (7), 2 (8), 1 (9), 0 (10), 2 (11), 6 (12), 8 (13), 1 (14), 5 (15), 12 (16), 2 (17), 6 (18), 13 (19), 9 (20), 14 (21), 1, 2 (22), 13 (23), 2 (24), 6 (25), 2 (26), 13 (27), 10 (28), 8 (29), 1 (30), 29 (31), 7 (32) = 221 points
Alternative Total: 12 (1), 1 (2), 5 (3), 6 (4), 6 (5), 13 (6), 2 (7), 2 (8), 5 (9), 4 (10), 15 (11), 16 (12), 4 (13), 13 (14), 8 (15), 2 (16), 3 (17), 2 (18), 10 (19), 2 (20), 2 (21), 6 (22), 5 (23), 5 (24), 8 (25), 1 (26), 6 (27), 2 (28), 5 (29), 11 (30), 2 (31), 13 (32) = 197 points
Wildcard Total: 2 (1), 1 (2), 12 (3), 1 (4), 1 (5), 0 (6), 6 (7), 15 (8), 2 (9), 2 (10), 6 (11), 1 (12), 2 (13), 8 (14), 6 (15), 1 (16), 3 (17), 3 (18), 8 (19), 2 (20), 5 (21), 8 (22), 3 (23), 2 (24), 2 (25), 5 (26), 2 (27), 7 (28), 5 (29), 9 (30), 13 (31), 6 (32) = 145 points
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 33: Essential
Player: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ARS)
Position: Forward
Player Price: £10.8 million +
Player Selection %: 13.3%
Gameweek 33 is the last of 6 Gameweek's left for FPL players to cement their positions in the league tables this season, and just months after his Premier League debut one player has caught the eye just in time for the end of season run, and believe it or not the hottest property in FPL right now is an Arsenal player.
Our list of contenders for FPL Gameweek 33 captain featured Kane, Salah, Vardy, and eventual winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon international won our poll without a majority victory but was hardly pressed by his opposition this week.
Auba scored a brace against Stoke in a 3-0, and could have had a hat-trick had he not given away the chance to score a hat-trick from the spot to Alexandre Lacazette. In truth the Arsenal victory over Stoke never looked like it was going to get off the ground, especially after a damp and flat first-half proved to be a dead affair, but fortunately Auba took the only few chances he had and put Stoke one step closer to Championship football next season.
Arsenal, who are fresh off a 4-1 home win against CKSA Moscow in the Europa League quarter-finals, will be going into a Gameweek 33 clash with Southampton at home in some good form, and with Auba not available for European nights, the Forward will be fresh to push another club nearer to the drop.
The only potential downside is the fitness of Lacazette, with the Frenchman declared fit to start the Southampton game. We don't think this will put Auba's place at risk, but rather could limit his Fantasy potential. Lacazette is the main penalty taker, which could in theory limit Auba's points potential.
With a good run of fixtures, and a Double Gameweek 37 to contend with, many FPL players think that Auba is fixture proof, even with Double Gameweek 34 just around the corner. We'd still prefer the likes of Lukaku and Kane, as they are homely comforts and play for teams higher in the table, but Aubameyang has been rewriting expectations as of late with Arsenal's attack and may be a welcome difference maker for the remainder of the season.
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 33: Alternative
Player: Harry Kane (TOT)
Position: Forward
Player Price: £12.7 million
Player Selection %: 26.3%
It's like Harry Kane was never gone, and in truth he wasn't. Spurs's top goal-scorer this season limped off with an ankle injury against Bournemouth during Gameweek 30's 4-1 victory at Bournemouth, Spurs did not feature in Gameweek 31, and then Kane would return to the field as a substitute for Gameweek 32's 3-1 victory at Chelsea.
The only Premier League game Kane has missed this season was the 1-0 defeat to Man United during Gameweek 10.
Leading into Gameweek 33, the 24 goal Forward is trailing Mohamed Salah in the race for the golden boot by 5 goals, and there is no better time for Kane to smell blood in the water than this week. Salah is a doubt for Liverpool's away trip to Everton having come off with a groin strain in Liverpool's 3-0 victory over Man City in the Champions League quarter-final leg at Anfield.
Kane has been training all week and has the perfect chance to come back into the first team with a bang, and an away visit to Stoke that in previous fixtures has yielded some good returns. Spurs are firing right now and Kane can really stamp his authority over the Golden Boot race with a big performance at Stoke, and he'll need it if he is to catch Salah.
The only doubt we have is that Erik Lamela has been in good form, as has Eriksen, Alli, and Son, who have scored 7 goals without Kane on the pitch in the last 2 fixtures, so Pochettino might keep things the same against Stoke and not ruin the rhythm of the attack. Then again we're talking about Harry Kane, so hopefully if he is fit, he plays.
It is certainly a gamble, with baited breath to be had at 2pm on Saturday when the teams are announced, but is is one that may come good if you have faith in going a different route this week.
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 33: Wildcard
Player: Eden Hazard (CHE)
Position: Midfielder
Player Price: £10.6 million
Player Selection %: 6.9%
What has happened to Eden Hazard this season? Last year the Belgian was one of the most selected players in the FPL. We have a theory at The Hype Train that the FA’s new mantra of officiating has gone against set-piece takers like Hazard, penalties for example are becoming rarer and rarer as the FA would rather not go under scrutiny from managers over if a penalty was rightly awarded or not.
The other part of the theory behind Hazard’s dip in form has been down to Chelsea’s mindset this season. Conte’s team, just as they did when Mourinho won the league, have taken their gas off the pedal. This consistency of doing well only to then wobble the next season transcends managers, but what this makes Chelsea is a massive wildcard team this year as you don’t know if they are going to turn up on the pitch, making them excellent differential picks. Eden Hazard personifies this the best, and you could argue that the Belgian is overdue a big week in the FPL.
Eden Hazard Key Stats:
Hazard has eleven goals and five assists so far this season. Last season when Chelsea won the league he scored sixteen goals and provided nine assists.
Hazard has returned in only eleven games this season from twenty-three starts, additionally the Belgian has not provided an attacking return if he has started on the bench.
Of Hazard’s eleven returns, six of them have been double-digits, and none of them have been in back-to-back matches.
Hazard’s last fantasy return occurred during GW28 when he provided an assist against Manchester United.
Chelsea have only won two of their last seven games, the two victories at home came against relegation threatened West Brom in GW27 and Crystal Palace during GW30 (W2, D0, L5).
West Ham have also won two of their last seven games, both at home to Watford in GW27, and Southampton during GW32, and bizarrely the Hammers have collected more points in this period than their London rivals (W2, D1, L4).
West Ham have lost their last three away games, but they have scored in each of them.
The reverse result of this fixture ended with a 1-0 West Ham victory, with a lone Marko Arnautovic goal proving to be the difference during GW16.
Whilst most of the FPL community look to Willian and his cheaper price tag, the discussion about Hazard has stopped. What makes Hazard such an inspired differential selection this week is that a player of his quality has been forgotten, and with a home game for the Blues to bounce back from the defeat to Spurs, we haven’t forgotten about the Belgian.
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.
