FPL Tips: Captain Coutinho and three things to consider

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  • Each week, Sport360 will bring you tips for the English Premier League’s official fantasy football game. Fancy pitting your wits against us? You can join “Sport360 Fans'” league using the code 118790-38575.

    We couldn’t wait for the international break to conclude so we could get on with Gameweek 30 of Fantasy Premier League.

    And now, with just a day’s gap, Gameweek 31 springs up on us! Not that we’re complaining though (bring it on!).

    Fortunately, you don’t have to panic because in this column, we look at three things you should consider for this round and why Philippe Coutinho is the man to captain.

    But first, here’s a look at the tactical geniuses who make up the top five in our fans league this week.

    WHO TO PICK AS CAPTAIN

    Gylfi Sigurdsson [7.8m] was our captain pick in Gameweek 30 but a drab 0-0 draw saw him secure just three points.

    This week, we’re backing Philippe Coutinho [8.3m] for the armband. The Brazilian came to life with a sumptuous goal in the Merseyside derby.

    It could prove to be the moment he needed to regain his confidence and resurrect his scintillating form from before his injury this season.

    The fact that Adam Lallana and more importantly, Sadio Mane, are both out injured means he’ll need to step up and deliver.

    THREE THINGS TO CONSIDER

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back. Thought that’s worth mentioning considering Manchester United’s bluntness in attack.

    Also, just a few more things to keep in mind when you set your team up for this round..

    WHICH GOALKEEPER TO BACK

    Apart from games against Everton and Manchester United, Burnley have a good run in and Tom Heaton [5.1m] is therefore back in contention to be the most popular option.

    For those who still have Ben Foster [4.7m] on their roster, remember that while he’s done reasonably well, West Brom have a bit of patchy run and more importantly, don’t feature in Gameweek 34.

    Hull City’s Eldin Jakupovic [4.1m] meanwhile has struggled for points of late but with only Manchester City and Spurs left to play from the top eight sides this season, that could well change. On the other hand, while Joel Robles [4.7m] of Everton didn’t cover himself in glory against Liverpool, the stats still say that he’s one of the in-form keepers and may be worth considering.

    LEICESTER PLAYERS ON THE RISE

    With four wins in the league on the trot, the champions have finally woken from their stupor. Jamie Vardy [10.0m] is back among the goals, scoring 36 points in his last four outings. Riyad Mahrez [9.0m] has improved as well, bagging 23 points over the same period.

    However, Leicester don’t have great fixtures coming up and their two top talents come at a high price. Instead, it’s worth looking down the list at the likes of Danny Simpson [4.8m] or Christian Fuchs [5.2m] in defence. Even Wilfred Ndidi [4.9m] is an option if you want a midfielder. Apart from his belter on Saturday, he also provided an assist in each of his previous two games.

    TOTTENHAM MIDFIELDERS

    They’re all the craze at the moment. Dele Alli [9.0m] is the most selected midfielder in the game. You can’t argue with that either. In fact, if you don’t have a Spurs midfielder in your team, you’re missing out.

    They have a great run in to look forward to apart from fixtures against Arsenal and United but given that even those encounters will take place at White Hart Lane, you’d have to back them to come out on top.

    They also have a double Gameweek to come and Alli has delivered a massive 33 points in his last four games. Christian Eriksen [8.7m] is no slouch either, scoring 25 over the same period but it’s Heung-Min Son [7.0m] who could be your ticket into their midfield if you’re strapped for cash.

    Despite Victor Janssen starting up front on Saturday, it’s the South Korean who is more likely to deputise for Harry Kane in attack and he reiterated that with a goal off the bench at Burnley.

    Fancy pitting your wits against us? Join the “Sport360 Fans'” league using the code 118790-38575. 

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