FPL Bois Best Captains: Gameweek 2

An action packed first Gameweek of the season saw many hauls and turned out to be another successful one for our picks, with Salah and Haaland returning and keeping managers who had them as their captains very happy! Now we set our eyes on the next set of players who could carry this early momentum into Gameweek 2 with another big haul:

Haaland – Spurs (H):

Erling Haaland gave everyone a reminder of why he’s an elite FPL asset with a well deserved brace against Wolves in the opening weekend of the season! Now he takes on a Spurs side that was ranked 17th for xGC last season and showed defensive vulnerabilities through the middle. Erling has a strong track record against Spurs with 4 goals and an assist in 6 games, including the winner in their last meeting.

As we only have one Gameweek’s data from the current season, let’s glance at Haaland’s stats from last season, he ranked 3rd for goals scored, 2nd for xG, 1st for nPxG, 2nd for shots taken, 2nd for shots on target, and 4th for Penalty Area Touches. Meanwhile the City attack also showed strong signs, ranking 2nd for goals scored, 2nd for xG, and 3rd for Big Chances Created. This will also be the first proper test for Frank’s side in the PL and we shall look forward to seeing how he sets up his defence after the defensive lapses against PSG in the Super Cup.

Managers who backed him in the first Gameweek can continue keeping the armband on Haaland as his clinical instinct in front of goal and being the focal of a creative midfield give his ceiling a high lift, making him an excellent candidate for this week’s captaincy.

Palmer – West Ham (A):

One, two, and three! West Ham were knocked out cold last week by the newly promoted Sunderland side in a dominant display! And speaking of knocking out cold, there’s only one player that comes to mind, Mr. Cold Palmer himself! He takes on this shaky West Ham defence in the second Gameweek and would be eager to get on the score-sheet and get his team their first win to kick start the campaign which could have a lot of promise for the Club World Cup champions.

Despite a lot of complaints from managers, Palmer had a good season last time around scoring 214 points and scoring 15 goals with 10 assists. He ranked 8th for goals scored, 5th for xG, 6th for nPxG, 10th for assists, 2nd for xA, 2nd for Big Chances Created, and 22nd for Penalty Area Touches. The Chelsea attack also began to find their groove and ranked 7th for goals scored, 3rd for xG, and 2nd for Big Chances Created. Now with the new signings they’ve added more fuel to this fire and we can expect a solid showing against a weak defence.

West Ham’s troubles have been carrying since last season where they ranked 16th for xGC and conceded 28 goals against the top 6 of last season. Palmer has a big impact on the Chelsea attack with his creativity coupled with his finishing and to further add spot kick duties. This fixture has all the ingredients for him to have a massive haul, making him a very strong contender for this week’s captaincy.

And now it’s time for the differential pick with maximum upside and highest risk as well…

Saka – Leeds (H):

The starboy of a solid attack against a vulnerable defence at home as a captaincy differential!? YES! Bukayo Saka rounds off the list for this Gameweek as he steps in with an ownership of under 20% which makes him a big differential when it comes to captaincy as a lot of managers would be sticking to the highly owned premiums in their teams. Arteta’s men would also be looking for an emphatic win this week in a bid to get an early boost to their GD as it could be crucial come the business end of the season.

Despite being on the sidelines for a while last season, Saka had a decent campaign which saw him ranked 18th for goals and assists (G+A), 4th for xG + xA per 90, and 1st for xA per 90. The runners up while being defensively solid also looked good in attack as they ranked 3rd for goals scored, 6th for xG, and 5th for Big Chances Created. We’ve seen in the past that Arsenal tend to dominate against the promoted teams and they scored 16 goals in 6 games against them in the last season, which could prove out to be a similar tale again this Gameweek.

Saka has the flair and the quality to dictate the game against a weak defence and can also be clinical in front of goal, doubling up his threat. He may as well still be on penalties which can add another cherry on top as the Leeds defence tries to manage one wave of attack after another. For the managers who have him in their team, you could be looking at a 150%+ effective ownership differential captain against one of the weakest defences in the league, and there won’t be many such chances in the season to have such a captain!

Thank you for reading our article! Who are you handing the armband this Gameweek to drive you to your first set of green arrows of the season?

 

 

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