For the ninth successive Gameweek Jamie Vardy (£10.1m) was the most popular captain in Fantasy Premier League, but for the second Gameweek in a row, those 1.4million FPL managers will be looking to their vice-captains instead.
A tight calf ruled the Leicester City forward out of the trip to Newcastle United, after he missed Gameweek 20 because of the birth of a daughter.
Kevin De Bruyne (£10.6m) was the second most-picked captain ahead of Manchester City's match with Everton, but while the Belgian did play, he blanked in the 2-1 victory.
With 87 points in his last 11 appearances, Sadio Mane (£12.3m) completed the top three most-selected captains ahead of Liverpool hosting Sheffield United on Thursday.
GW21's most-captained players
| Player | Captained by ('000s) |
|---|---|
| Vardy | 1,479 |
| De Bruyne | 801 |
| Mane | 797 |
The top 100 FPL managers begin the year in complete agreement with the masses, the same trio were selected in the same order.
Leading GW21 captains by FPL's top 100
| Player | Captained by |
|---|---|
| Vardy | 52 |
| De Bruyne | 18 |
| Mane | 14 |
Two double-digit hauls in four matches persuaded over half a million FPL managers to buy Adama Traore (£5.6m).
Wolverhampton Wanderers started 2020 with an enticing match at Watford, but, despite playing just 32 minutes in Gameweek 20, Traore was not able to deliver as Watford won 2-1.
After three goals in the last two Gameweeks, Anthony Martial (£7.9m) gained 257,000+ new owners for Manchester United's trip to Arsenal, but he was another to blank in the 2-0 defeat.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.4m) remained popular after his season-high 24-point haul in Gameweek 19. More than 246,000 people added the 21-year-old defender to their squads.
GW21's most transferred-in players
| Player | Transferred in by ('000s) |
|---|---|
| Traore | 502 |
| Martial | 257 |
| Alexander-Arnold | 246 |
An ankle injury for John Lundstram (£5.2m) prompted just under 200,000 FPL managers to part company with the Sheffield United star, making him the most-sold player this Gameweek.
Jack Grealish (£6.4m) punished the 169,000+ who sold him by providing a goal and assist at Burnley. The Aston Villa midfielder has now blanked only once in the last four Gameweeks.
It was similar for the 160,000+ managers who lost patience with James Maddison (£7.7m), making him the third most-sold player for Gameweek 21, after no attacking returns in his previous four matches. The Leicester midfielder delivered a goal and a clean sheet in the 3-0 win at Newcastle.
GW21's most transferred-out players
| Player | Transferred out by ('000s) |
|---|---|
| Lundstram | 199 |
| Grealish | 169 |
| Maddison | 160 |
See: Fantasy Premier League stats
Also in this series
Part 2: GW21 bonus points: Robertson earns maximum
Part 3: GW21 Lessons: Hammers can be double differentials
Part 4: GW21 Lessons: Watford revived under Pearson