The Scout's series of FPL fundamentals continues.
FPL captaincy
The captain is a crucial component of every Fantasy Premier League squad.
Last season’s FPL champion, Ben Crabtree, collected 755 points from his skipper selection. It was almost 30% of his title-winning tally of 2,564 points.
While you have the opportunity to change the captain each and every Gameweek, the initial squad should be built with a regular candidate in mind.
You get what you pay for
The captain needs to be able to score big and score consistently.
This is why players like Harry Kane (£12.5m) and Alexis Sanchez (£12.0m) command such hefty price tags.
Kane netted 29 times to claim the Golden Boot for a second successive season.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward's average of 7.5 points per match (ppm) was more than any player. He recorded a goal or an assist in 18 of 29 starts.
2014/15: 2️⃣1️⃣ goals
— FPL (@OfficialFPL) July 26, 2017
2015/16: 2️⃣5️⃣ goals
2016/17: 2️⃣9️⃣ goals
£12.5m? With Kane, you get what you pay for: https://t.co/J7QMsfZLHV #FPL pic.twitter.com/qkEOYORrqV
Arsenal's Sanchez was the top-scoring player last season and runner-up to Kane for ppm, with 6.9.
The north London pair fit the ideal profile for an FPL captain.
If you ignore them both, you will need to find another player who can match their output and consistency.
Use home advantage
Kane is a player who can deliver points both home and away.
He scored 17 goals at White Hart Lane with three assists. Another 12 goals and four assists came on his travels.
If you choose to omit such an option, you could look to alternate the captaincy according to fixtures.
There are players who clearly thrive on home turf.
In 2016/17, Manchester United’s new arrival Romelu Lukaku (£11.5m) scored 16 of his 25 goals for Everton at Goodison Park, including goals in nine successive home matches.
Chelsea’s Eden Hazard (£10.5m) is another example.
He scored 12 goals at home – more than any FPL midfielder – but scored only four times on the road.
Try to find a pairing of captain candidates who offer successive home matches.
As an example, Lukaku and Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus (£10.5m) can be alternated to provide 38 home matches.
Look to the front
Consistent, in-form attackers with favourable fixtures are the go-to options.
Midfielders can make effective captains but, Sanchez aside, they tend to be less predictable than big-ticket strikers.
Defenders are rarely effective captains. They made up only three of the 22 top-scoring FPL players last season.
Indeed, Ben Crabtree captained a defender only once in his triumphant 2016/17 campaign.
