Fantasy Premier League: Time for bold decisions and ranking changes
If everyone picks the same captain for a particular round, it is very difficult to score a big rise in the standings, but it is also hard to fall noticeably in the standings. All the more so if, apart from the captain, everyone has three or four players in their line-up that are the same as others. But things will be different now, and there could be quite a reshuffle in all the FPL tables.
Who to captain?
The first question marks come with the person of the captain, who of course is our most important player every turn. Erling Haaland (£13.9m) has practically been ruled out of this group, or rather Pep Guardiola has ruled him out. Many players had hoped that the Norwegian would be back in the Premier League after returning from the Club World Cup, but it looks like he will rest for a few more weeks and will not return to action until mid-January at the earliest.
Mohamed Salah (£13.3m), who has been Haaland's biggest competition over the course of this season, is also not a certainty type. His Liverpool side will play at home against Newcastle and, although the Magpies are in quite a crisis, they are, after all, still the team that represented the world's best league in the Champions League this season. It's hard to expect the Egyptian to crank out a double-digit scoring performance here, especially as two of his last three league appearances have come without goals or assists.
Next in line are Ollie Watkins (£8.8m) and Heung-Min Son (£9.9m), but neither of them are a guarantee of points. The English striker has had some very good numbers this season and will now play at home against a weak Burnley, but he is nevertheless not someone who delivers points every turn. The Korean, on the other hand, will face solid Bournemouth, while his Tottenham side have been in a lot of mood swings recently, best evidenced by their 4-2 defeat to Brighton on Thursday night.
One might be tempted to take a much riskier option in the context of our captain this turn. One idea is to entrust the armband to someone from Manchester City, as the English champions play at home against Sheffield United. Of course, Julian Alvarez (£6.9m) or Phil Foden (£7.6m) seem certain to start, but still, this is Guardiola's team. You never know what to expect. For experienced players, seeing any of them on the substitutes' bench will not be a big surprise.
AFCON and Asian Cup around the corner
Uncertainty with the captain, however, is not the only thing FPL players will have to deal with. Another is the personnel line-up of our teams in the next few weeks. This weekend's line-up will be the last for players who will be away at the African Cup of Nations and Asian Cup in January. Among them will be Salah and Son, who are in the vast majority of squads. When will they return? No one knows, it all depends on how well their national teams fare in their tournaments. They could even be out for a few weeks.
Of course, in that case, selling such players is almost a necessity. People will then have to be found to replace them. However, there aren't many of those on the horizon, as Kevin De Bruyne (£10.2m) is still injured and has only played 20 minutes this season, and Bukayo Saka (£9.0m), apart from being in a lot of line-ups, has been disappointing lately and not delivering points, so there is no point in buying him. So alternatives have to be sought elsewhere.
And this will cause further confusion and turmoil in our line-ups, as they will eventually start to differ. Among the midfielders, there are not one or two obvious candidates to replace the departing players. Everyone will opt for a different solution, and I am convinced that not all of them will work out. Then, in turn, there will be many rises and falls in the rankings.
Who to buy?
Cole Palmer (£5.6m) - the spectre of suspension hung over the Englishman, while he is now past his punishment as he was rested due to an excessive number of yellow cards in Chelsea's last game against Crystal Palace. This has caused some players to sell him, but now there is an ideal opportunity to acquire him. Palmer will play against slightly weaker teams in the coming rounds, and will face Luton on Saturday. He's not in danger of suspension and he's not away at any tournaments, so he's a solid reinforcement.
Phil Foden (£7.6m) - of course, I stand by my words that the Englishman may by some miracle end up on the substitutes' bench, but nevertheless he seems the most reliable part of the Cityzens' line-up in the absence of De Bruyne and Haaland. He should be the English champions' offensive leader in the clash with Sheffield United, and needless to say Manchester City should get some shooting in this match. Foden seems a very strong option for this round.
Radim Horák (one of the best Czechs playing FPL)
Phil Foden (£7.6m) - The England representative did a great job in the match against Everton, in which he scored a goal after a shot from outside the penalty area. From my point of view, he is the most suitable alternative among Manchester City players to Julian Alvarez, whom I mentioned in the previous round. Foden, as someone playing behind the striker, is doing a great job and I believe Pep Guardiola will allow him to play in that position again against Sheffield United. For Manchester City, a win against the relegation side is a must, and Foden could be a brave option to captain a number of players.
Jarrod Bowen (£7.9m) - The 20th-round matches will be the last chance for many of their national representatives to prove themselves before they leave for their continental championships. Players such as Salah and Son in particular will be missing. Their successor in the long term for me is Bowen. The Englishman registered a questionable assist on Tomas Soucek's (£4.9m) goal against Arsenal, with which he scored for the third successive game. This round, Bowen will play against Brighton, who will have to cope without Lewis Dunk (£5.0m), and then the Hammers face Sheffield United and Bournemouth.
