Although we’re not quite done with Gameweek 15 yet, it’s time to slowly turn our attention to Gameweek 16. We have a huge double in store. All Championship clubs are set to play twice, as well as 14 League One sides and four League Two sides.
With another double ahead, the question remains: to Max Captain, or not? Within this article, we’ve outlined the chip and it’s pros and cons before the deadline. Additionally, we’ll preview Gameweek 21 and the huge surprise in store for managers.
Keep an eye on our updated fixture ticker [free Members access] for the latest news so you never miss out.
JOIN OUR MINI LEAGUE
We launched a new FFS mini-league starting from Gameweek 5, with c. £500 worth of prizes on offer.
The top manager gets £100, the second receives £75 and third place wins £50.
The next four runners-up will get a free year’s subscription to FFS Premium (worth c.£65 at full price, £39 current discount – if you are already a member we’ll add a free year).
A final two will get a free month of Premium (worth £6.59 at full price).
What is the Max Captain chip?
The Max Captain chip automatically makes the highest-scoring player in your team captain for that Gameweek, once all players in your team have played.
The Max Captain chip can only be activated before the start of the first fixture of the Gameweek.
You can play your Max Captain chip twice over the course of the season.
The first chip can be played up until 31 January 2025, the second from 1 February 2025 onwards.
Select the lightning bolt icon on the ‘My team’ tab, as seen in the image above, to activate it.
HOW EFFECTIVE CAN IT BE?
Similarly to FPL and the Triple Captain chip, we expect that the Max Captain will decide your ranking. The use of the chip cannot be underestimated. Take this team as an example:
In Gameweek 13, this manager opted to play the chip and was rewarded with a 50-point haul from Sheffield United’s Harrison Burrows (M). The number 14 scored a brace (+12), provided four interceptions (+8) and two key passes (+1), scoring 12 and 13 points in each match. If they had decided to captain Burrows, they still would’ve been rewarded with 50 points. However, if they had not captained Burrows, they would’ve missed out on a mega-haul. This is the beauty of the chip. Even if you select the captaincy “wrong”, the game will automatically captain whoever scores highest. Unlike FPL, where the TC chip can come back to haunt you and leave you regretting your decision if your selected player doesn’t haul, this chip is stress free… sort of!
Upside of playing it in Gameweek 16
We’ve got one Max Captain chip until the end of January. This Double Gameweek, with all those Championship and League One sides featuring twice, seems like the perfect time to use it.
Although we’ll look at Captaincy shouts later in the week, various sides have standout fixtures for the Gameweek ahead. Daniel Farke’s Leeds United take on 11th-placed Swansea City (A), before hosting out-of-sorts Luton Town at Elland Road. Equally, promotion rivals Sheffield United travel to manager-less [as it stands] Coventry City on Saturday, before hosting Oxford United, who have struggled on the road.
Additionally, from League One, Wrexham look to be the best shout. The Welsh Dragons have two home ties, facing Exeter City and Lincoln City. Phil Parkinson’s side are unbeaten at SToK Cae Ras this season, winning six of their seven fixtures. While Birmingham City look like a good shout, taking on Exeter City (A) will be very difficult, given their exceptional home form at St James Park.
From League Two, the standout is undoubtedly Walsall. The Sadlers are sat fourth-in-the-table and are unbeaten in five, facing off against AFC Wimbledon (A) before hosting 20th-placed Bromley, who have drawn their previous three matches.
With ideal fixtures and sides in good form, there are great options this week.
Concerns around Gameweek 16
On the other hand, many Championship and League One sides will see their players return from international duty, which could cause rotation amongst the squads. Nevertheless, given that various League One sides were in action in 15, we are confident that the majority of ‘essential’ players will continue to start weekly for their clubs.
In some ways, the most exciting names aren’t doubling. Crewe Alexandra’s Mickey Demetriou (D), Peterborough United’s Kwame Poku (M), MK Dons’ Alex Gilbey (M) and Stockport County’s Louie Barry (F) only feature once; some of the highest-Fantasy scorers this season [from active players]. Even though it may sound dull, picking players that consistently haul is best when using the Max Captain chip to ensure big returns for your highest-scoring player.
Triple Gameweek 21
Ah, here lies the elephant in the room – Triple Gameweek 21. We are thrilled at the prospect, and have never experienced a Gameweek quite like it. We will do plenty of build-up closer to the time [keep your eyes peeled!], but Triple Gameweek 21 will take place between Boxing Day to New Years Day: December 26 2024 – January 1 2025. Three games in one week for 70 of 72 sides – AFC Wimbledon and Gillingham will double during that period.
Without question, there will be rotation over that period, and it wouldn’t surprise us if we see some twists and turns – this is Fantasy EFL after all – but lots of players do play 44/45/46 of 46 matches in their respective seasons. Therefore, you can always guarantee that players like Pascal Struijk (D) of Leeds United, or Mickey Demetriou (D) of Crewe Alexandra will play nearly every minute for their clubs. We also don’t expect their to be a template. With the amount of options available, variation will be a given during the Festive period.
For further updates, Keep an eye on our updated fixture ticker [free Members access] for the latest news so you never miss out. Equally, keep an eye on Fantasy Football Scout for further articles and updates.
Conclusion
While Max Captaincy in Gameweek 16 is tempting, the potential rewards of Triple Gameweek 21 are too significant to ignore. Take Demetriou as an example. The Crewe captain is averaging an impressive 8.4 points with multiple double-digit hauls, and is a near-permanent captain for many. If he can provide another masterclass, we wouldn’t be shocked to be a 70+ point captaincy.
If you’ve already played your Max Captain chip, you can look forward to another one from Gameweek 26. Otherwise, hold out until Gameweek 21. We promise, it’ll be worth it!
