Last updated on December 28th, 2020
Written by @IamtheMarkus. Follow him on twitter for regular FPL insights!
The dust has certainly settled on quite a potentially high scoring week for the masses. I’m combining two in one here as it’s two gameweeks in quick succession and I plan on being quite inebriated for the majority of the time.
In terms of our own selection of Kane last week, I was blinded by the historic fixture appeal and whilst I was fortunate to own both Salah and Bruno, I didn’t fancy the 12.30 and thought Leeds would potentially tighten up. Oh, how wrong was I as my 2nd and 3rd choice captains scored 16/17 points each. Salah racking up those points in 30minutes or so.
We are likely to see a bit of rotation with some of the quick turnarounds for some teams, with many highlighting that Vardy may get a break against Palace but as always take these rumours and ITKs with a pinch of salt. I’ve even seen a few triple captains being thrown about this week. It could easily work out better than using on the doubles, but I do prefer the opportunity a double fixture can afford.
TLDR
My © will be Salah against WBA & Kane (vs Fulham)/Salah(vs Newcastle)
Vice – KdB (vs Newcastle) & Salah/Kane (opposite to above)
I’m 99% set on © Salah for both games, depending on how Fulham/Spurs look over the coming days but unless Kane shows some more attacking intent then it seems unlikely to sway me.
Trying to keep it simple over the busy period, stick it on a premium and enjoy the festivities.
Salah – TSB ~ 43% – WBA/NEW
A haul in the last game required about 30 minutes. A haul and a rest. Quite a handy combination and probably makes him the stand out option this week. Big Sam has form for turning sides out that are a bit more solid at the back but that takes time and training. With coronavirus impacting training it should take WBA a few weeks to get some of the basics right and even then, maybe they don’t have the players at the right level. Simple choice for GW15 here anyway.
For GW16, he is still a very viable candidate against Newcastle. Newcastle I don’t think are back up to their full strength post covid outbreak. Having lost in the cup, faced City a few days before and then Liverpool could well be pretty demoralized by the time this game comes around. Liverpool will have had one of the longest breaks of all the teams playing. Whether you believe any of the rumors of ‘unhappiness’ about captaincy or a future move to Real Madrid the truth is that when on the pitch Salah only really knows how to play one way. That is to score as many goals as possible (occasionally assisting) in order to get the win.
Kane – TSB ~ 42% – WOL/FUL
An absolute no show against Leicester was pretty galling for my choices.
I don’t have the faith to captain him against Wolves b/c I think I’m very happy with my Salah option for GW15. I do however have a strong consideration against Fulham though. I do like his record in London fixtures, Spurs have a bit more experience with playing every three/four days than Fulham but Fulham have improved over the past month or so.
Son could be the better option against Fulham but it really depends on how both teams set out their stalls and fitness.
KDB – TSB ~ 27% – NEW / EVE
A full week of rest may have been just what was required for Kevin, he looked tired and a bit frustrated at some of his teammates in the last weeks. A fixture against Newcastle who had a pretty demoralizing loss midweek with more or less a full eleven gives an option to have a decent return here. City have not been the swashbuckling side of old and until that point, it may be easier to hold this City asset rather than captain him. Should tick over nicely in these two games. The game against Everton may have less appeal to some but with a few injuries and uncertainty about the keeper, this again should be a winnable game for Man City.
Ones to Watch
Vardy MUN/CPL
It’s entirely possible that he doesn’t get rested against Palace, but he’s been in decent form over recent so he might not need that long on the pitch anyway (why did I transfer him out :D)
Man United are a bit of a roller coaster watch these days, some days they are at it and others they are woeful. Defensively I’m not sure any of us would say they are sound at the back so I expect
Chelsea ARS/AVL
Picking a Chelsea asset shouldn’t be this hard, especially with these two games, however with Werner just not firing and Tammy/Giroud swapping every time they fail to score in a game it’s a bit tricky. Unfortunately, the go-to attacking fullbacks have both picked up knocks for these two fixtures as well but with an upcoming double as well. I’m expecting at least one of the squad to rack up some decent points over the next four days.
I didn’t consider Bruno for these two weeks as a captain shout, mostly because I think Leicester have really shown themselves to be quite strong against the so-called big teams this year, then the following fixture against Wolves does have appeal, however, I prefer the fixtures and rest Salah/Kane have so will be torn between those.
Feel free to tweet any queries you may have ahead of the off if I’ve not mentioned someone you are considering but note that my replies may be a bit drunken. Trust your gut and enjoy any time you get with your loved ones over the coming days!
