This article is part of our The Armband series.
When everything seems too easy in fantasy Premier League, that's when it becomes too difficult. Nothing will ever go as planned in FPL and that's something you have to live with. My flawless strategy (at the time) of using Sergio Aguero whenever he started and Gabriel Jesus when Aguero didn't, fell apart after one weekend. While Man City scored three times at West Brom, Jesus wasn't involved in any of those goals. Instead, Leroy Sane and Fernandino ended up being the only real benefactors. I at least listed Sane as a top captain, but not above fellow midfielder Kevin De Bruyne.
And that's kind of how things go in the Premier League. You're either lucky or not. Selecting a captain is all about finding players who have the best chance of being lucky. Jesus, De Bruyne and Alexis Sanchez were in that spot last week, but it wasn't meant to be.
Gameweek 11 features some heavyweight matchups with Man City against Arsenal and Chelsea versus Manchester United, but the best place to look for a captain will undoubtedly be Spurs. Harry Kane returned Wednesday in the Champions League, so he should be back for the match against Crystal Palace, right? Either way, Christian Eriksen may be just as valuable, despite not finding the score sheet in the last two matches. Eriksen has only four chances created and three crosses in the last two league matches, but I'm not fading him yet. Palace are still the worst side in the league and I'm comfortable betting that Tottenham will score at least three goals at Wembley.
I'm staying away from Chelsea and Man Utd players altogether for the armband because there's no one to trust from a match that could end in a scoreless draw. And while Arsenal have played better in recent matches, I'm still plenty comfortable backing Man City players per usual. The Gunners still haven't played well against top competition and that could easily be the case again, especially with City scoring 20 goals in their last four home matches. Aguero only played 76 minutes Wednesday, so one would think he should be ready for this match. The same can't be said for Sane after he made it 90 minutes, though he's been the most consistent player for City since September.
Elsewhere, other names up for captain are limited. Liverpool can be considered away to West Ham, mainly because the Irons have allowed three goals in two of their last three home matches. Production for the Reds has been spotty, especially on the road (eight goals scored, 15 allowed), but they should be good for at least two in this one. Mohamed Salah continues to be the easiest to trust with five goals and three assists this season. But with Philippe Coutinho dealing with a groin injury, Roberto Firmino may be the only other player to consider for captain. After a hot start, Firmino has slowed down a bit, but he scored last match and is in a good spot to do so again. The problem is that he still hasn't played a full 90 minutes this season, which will always limit his full potential. Chicharito could be looked at only because Liverpool have allowed 15 goals on the road this season. I'm not going to be the one to tell you to captain a Hammer, though.
Richarlison was a popular play last week, but he disappointed like only Watford players can do. Even on the road, some will still be keen to grab him against an Everton side that still looks lost.
The next-best captain option may be between Tammy Abraham and Manolo Gabbiadini, and that's exactly how dire this gameweek is. Gabbiadini has scored in just two matches this season, but is home against Burnley. Abraham is a similar stretch, though he has been more consistent with four goals and an assist. The problem is that Brighton have played defensively on the road, allowing six goals in their five matches.
My favorite of the deep plays may be Xherdan Shaqiri, who is always on the ball. He hasn't gotten a shot off in the last two matches, but both of those came away. In his last three at home, Shaqiri has six shots, nine chances created and 29 crosses. That's reason enough to grab him against Leicester as a deep captain play.
