The absence of Erling Haaland (£14.7m) from Man City’s matchday squad against Leeds United left many Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers relying on their vice-captains in Gameweek 28.
Four of the top five ‘VCs’ delivered at least one attacking return. Hugo Ekitike (£9.1m) cashed in his impressive data with a 15-point haul, while Bruno Fernandes (£10.0m) also hauled as the most popular deputy.
So, in Gameweek 29, with Haaland currently yellow flagged, is it time to look elsewhere? That’s what we’re considering in ‘Captain Sensible’, although we aren’t blessed with a plethora of plum home fixtures elsewhere in the upcoming round of midweek fixtures.
Popular Fantasy attackers such as Fernandes, Ekitike and Igor Thiago (£7.2m) are strong options and would provide competition for even a fully fit Haaland ahead of Tuesday’s 6pm GMT deadline – as would his teammate, Antoine Semenyo (£8.2m).
In this piece, we will assess the on-site captaincy poll, analyse myriad player and team statistics, consult the Rate My Team (RMT) points projections, and settle on a top three for the armband.
Captaincy Poll
Despite the bracketed caveat, Ekitike is currently ahead of Haaland atop the Fantasy Football Scout captaincy poll. Just under a quarter of our site users believe the Frenchman is the best option for Gameweek 29, following three attacking returns against West Ham.
The aforementioned Haaland is still ahead of Semenyo in the race for second spot. Those two are on 19.5% and 16.6% of the vote, respectively. Man City host struggling Nottingham Forest, who are without a win in five matches. The City duo sit 1st and 2nd in the FPL points-scoring charts this season.
Elsewhere, Thiago and Fernandes are the only other players to garner more than 5% support. Both penalty takers found the net over the weekend and returned at least one bonus point.
Player Stats – Last Six Gameweeks