Picking a Captain to double down on in the Fantasy Premier League is the most important question asked ahead of each of the 38 Gameweek's in the Premier League season. There's a lot of self-help out there for FPL enthusiasts, with our Hype Team providing three major considerations for the armband for each and every Gameweek. We'll be detailing the Essential choice for captain, a popular alternative that's pushing the consensus, and a Wildcard pick to add to the chaos. Captaincy can make of break a Gameweek, and right here we review the carnage of our armband choices. All aboard.

CAPTAINCY PICKS 2018/19: SEASON PERFORMANCE

In each Captaincy Hype article we track our progress throughout the 2018/19 FPL season. Below you can check how our Captaincy selections have performed week to week in the Fantasy Premier League.

Gameweek 1

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 4-0 West Ham) - 8pts

Alternative: Sergio Aguero (Arsenal 0-2 Man City) - 2pts

Wildcard: Alexis Sanchez (Man United 2-1 Leicester) - 5pts

Gameweek 2

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 6-1 Huddersfield) - 20pts

Alternative: Christian Eriksen (Spurs 3-1 Fulham) - 2pts

Wildcard: Raheem Sterling (Man City 6-1 Huddersfield) - 0pts

Gameweek 3

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 1-0 Brighton) - 8pts

Alternative: Callum Wilson (Bournemouth 2-2 Everton) - 8pts

Wildcard: Troy Deeney (Watford 2-1 Crystal Palace) - 2pts

Gameweek 4

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 2-1 Newcastle) - 5pts

Alternative: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 2-0 Bournemouth) - 11pts

Wildcard: Cenk Tosun (Everton 1-1 Huddersfield) - 2pts

Gameweek 5

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 3-0 Fulham) - 7pts

Alternative: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 4-1 Cardiff) - 20pts

Wildcard: Danny Ings ( Southampton 2-2 Brighton) - 7pts

Gameweek 6

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 3-0 Southampton) - 8pts

Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (Man United 1-1 Wolves) - 2pts

Wildcard: Alexandre Lacazette ( Arsenal 2-0 Everton) - 8pts

Gameweek 7

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 2-0 Brighton) - 8pts

Alternative: Romelu Lukaku (West Ham 3-1 Man United) - 2pts

Wildcard: Alexandre Lacazette ( Arsenal 2-0 Watford) - 5pts

Gameweek 8

Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 1-0 Cardiff) - 1pt

Alternative: Alexandre Lacazette (Fulham 1-5 Arsenal) - 12pts

Wildcard: Jamie Vardy ( Leicester 1-2 Everton) - 2pts

Gameweek 9

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 5-0 Burnley) - 6pts

Alternative: Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal 3-1 Leicester) - 2pts

Wildcard: Josh King ( Bournemouth 0-0 Southampton) - 2pts

Gameweek 10

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 4-1 Burnley) - 15pts

Alternative: Alexandre Lacazette (Crystal Palace 2-2 Arsenal) - 2pts

Wildcard: Anthony Martial ( Man United 2-1 Everton) - 9pts

Gameweek 11

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 6-1 Southampton) - 13pts

Alternative: Alvaro Morata (Chelsea 3-1 Crystal Palace) - 13pts

Wildcard: Jamie Vardy (Cardiff 0-1 Leicester) - 2pts

Gameweek 12

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 2-0 Fulham) - 8pts

Alternative: Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal 1-1 Wolves) - 2pts

Wildcard: Alvaro Morata ( Chelsea 0-0 Everton) - 1pt

Gameweek 13

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Watford 0-3 Liverpool) - 8pts

Alternative: Raul Jimenez (Wolves 0-2 Huddersfield) - 2pts

Wildcard: André Schürrle ( Fulham 3-2 Southampton) - 7pts

Gameweek 14

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 3-1 Bournemouth) - 0pts

Alternative: Raheem Sterling (Man City 3-1 Bournemouth) - 9pts

Wildcard: Jamie Vardy ( Leicester 2-0 Watford) - 8pts

Gameweek 15

Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 3-1 Southampton) - 12pts

Alternative: Raheem Sterling (Watford 1-2 Man City) - 0pts

Wildcard: Javier Hernandez ( West Ham 3-1 Cardiff) - 2pts

Gameweek 16

Essential: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield) - 5pts

Alternative: Richarlison (Everton 2-2 Watford) - 7pts

Wildcard: Salomon Rondon ( Newcastle 1-2 Wolves) - 5pts

Gameweek 17

Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 1-0 Burnley) - 5pts

Alternative: Eden Hazard (Brighton 1-2 Chelsea) - 13pts

Wildcard: Javier Hernandez (Fulham 0-2 West Ham) - 5pts

Gameweek 18

Essential: Raheem Sterling (Man City 2-3 Crystal Palace) - 2pts

Alternative: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 0-1 Leicester) - 2pts

Wildcard: Danny Ings (Huddersfield 1-3 Southampton) - 8pts

Gameweek 19

Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 5-0 Bournemouth) - 6pts

Alternative: Marcus Rashford (Man United 3-1 Huddersfield) - 2pts

Wildcard: Danny Ings (Southampton 1-2 West Ham) - 2pts

Gameweek 20

Essential: Harry Kane (Spurs 1-3 Wolves) - 6pts

Alternative: Eden Hazard (Crystal Palace 0-1 Chelsea ) - 3pts

Wildcard: Gerard Deulofeu (Watford 1-1 Newcastle) - 5pts

Gameweek 21

Essential: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 0-0 Southampton) - 3pts

Alternative: Marcus Rashford (Newcastle 0-2 Newcastle ) - 12pts

Wildcard: Marko Arnautovic (West Ham 2-2 Brighton) - 13pts

Gameweek 22

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Brighton 0-1 Liverpool) - 11pts

Alternative: Raheem Sterling (Man City 3-0 Wolves) - 6pts

Wildcard: Troy Deeney (Crystal Palace 1-2 Watford) - 2pts

Gameweek 23

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 4-3 Crystal Palace) - 15pts

Alternative: Marcus Rashford (Man United 2-1 Brighton) - 8pts

Wildcard: Salomon Rondon (Newcastle 3-0 Cardiff) - 5pts

Gameweek 24

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 1-1 Leicester) - 2pts

Alternative: Sergio Aguero (Newcastle 2-1 Man City) - 9pts

Wildcard: Christian Eriksen (Spurs 2-1 Watford) - 2pts

Gameweek 25

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 3-1 Arsenal & Everton 0-2 Man City) - 19pts

Alternative: Mohamed Salah (West Ham 1-1 Liverpool) - 2pts

Wildcard: David Silva (Man City 3-1 Arsenal & Everton 0-2 Man City) - 8pts

Gameweek 26

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 3-0 Bournemouth) - 8pts

Alternative: Heung-Min Son (Spurs 3-1 Leicester) - 6pts

Wildcard: Michy Batshuayi (Crystal Palace 1-1 West Ham) - 1pt

Gameweek 27

Essential: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal 2-0 Southampton) - 1pt

Alternative: Heung-Min Son ( Burnley 2-1 Spurs) - 2pts

Wildcard: Miguel Almiron (Newcastle 2-0 Huddersfield) - 2pts

Gameweek 28

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool 5-0 Watford) - 3pts

Alternative: Alexandre Lacazette ( Arsenal 5-1 Bournemouth) - 5pts

Wildcard: Nathan Redmond (Southampton 2-0 Fulham) - 6pts

Gameweek 29

Essential: Paul Pogba (Man United 3-2 Southampton) - -1pts

Alternative: Raul Jimenez ( Wolves 2-0 Cardiff) - 12pts

Wildcard: Gonzalo Higuain (Fulham 1-2 Chelsea) - 8pts

Gameweek 30

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 3-1 Watford) - 5pts

Alternative: Virgil van Dijk ( Liverpool 4-2 Burnley) - 1pt

Wildcard: Gonzalo Higuain (Chelsea 1-1 Wolves) - 2pts

Gameweek 31

Essential: Mohamed Salah (Fulham 1-2 Liverpool) - 2pts

Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Burnley 1-2 Leicester) - 2pts

Wildcard: Ayoze Perez (Bournemouth 2-2 Newcastle) - 1pt

Gameweek 32

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Fulham 0-2 Man City & Man City 2-0 Cardiff) - 10pts

Alternative: Marcus Rashford (Man Utd 2-1 Watford & Wolves 2-1 Man Utd) - 7pts

Wildcard: Gonzalo Higuain (Cardiff 1-2 Chelsea & Chelsea 3-0 Brighton) - 2pts

Gameweek 33

Essential: Eden Hazard (Chelsea 2-0 West Ham) - 16pts

Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Huddersfield 1-4 Leicester) - 16pts

Wildcard: Salomon Rondon (Newcastle 0-1 Crystal Palace) - 2pts

Gameweek 34

Essential: Heung-Min Son (Spurs 4-0 Huddersfield) - 4pts

Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Leicester 0-1 Newcastle) - 2pts

Wildcard: Romelu Lukaku (Man United 2-1 West Ham) - 2pts

Gameweek 35

Essential: Raul Jimenez (Wolves 0-0 Brighton & Wolves 3-1 Arsenal) - 4pts

Alternative: Sadio Mane (Cardiff 0-2 Liverpool ) - 3pts

Wildcard: Andre Gray (Huddersfield 1-2 Watford & Watford 1-1 Southampton) - 11pts

Gameweek 36

Essential: Sadio Mane (Liverpool 5-0 Huddersfield) - 13pts

Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Leicester 3-0 Arsenal) - 13pts

Wildcard: Ryan Babel (Fulham 1-0 Cardiff) - 9pts

Gameweek 37

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Man City 1-0 Leicester) - 2pts

Alternative: Jamie Vardy (Man City 1-0 Leicester) - 2pts

Wildcard: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton 2-0 Burnley) - 2pts

Gameweek 38

Essential: Sergio Aguero (Brighton 1-4 Man City) - 6pts

Alternative: Sadio Mane (Liverpool 2-0 Wolves) - 15pts

Wildcard: Nathan Redmond (Southampton 1-1 Huddersfield) - 10pts

Season Totals

Essential Total: 8 (1), 20 (2), 8 (3), 5 (4), 7 (5), 8 (6), 8 (7), 1 (8), 6 (9), 15 (10), 13 (11), 8 (12), 8 (13), 9 (14), 12 (15), 5 (16), 5 (17), 2 (18), 6 (19), 6 (20), 3 (21), 11 (22), 15 (23), 2 (24), 19 (25), 8 (26), 1 (27), 3 (28), -1 (29), 5 (30), 2 (31), 10 (32), 16 (33), 4 (34), 4 (35), 13 (36), 2 (37), 6 (38) = 273 points



Alternative Total: 2 (1), 2 (2), 8 (3), 11 (4), 20 (5), 2 (6), 2 (7), 12 (8), 2 (9), 2 (10), 13 (11), 2 (12), 2 (13), 9 (14), 0 (15), 7 (16), 13 (17), 2 (18), 2 (19), 3 (20), 12 (21), 6 (22), 8 (23), 9 (24), 2 (25), 6 (26), 2 (27), 5 (28), 12 (29), 1 (30), 2 (31), 7 (32), 16 (33), 2 (34), 3 (35), 13 (36), 2 (37), 15 (38) = 237 points

Wildcard Total: 5 (1), 0 (2), 2 (3), 2 (4), 7 (5), 8 (6), 5 (7), 2 (8), 2 (9), 9 (10), 2 (11), 1 (12), 7 (13), 8 (14), 2 (15), 5 (16), 5 (17), 8 (18), 2 (19), 5 (20), 13 (21), 2 (22), 5 (23), 2 (24), 8 (25), 1 (26), 2 (27), 6 (28), 8 (29), 2 (30), 1 (31), 2 (32), 2 (33), 2 (34), 11 (35), 9 (36), 2 (37), 10 (38) = 175 points

CAPTAINCY PICKS 2018/19: APPEARANCE AND POINTS TOTALS

Below, we break down the week-to-week performance, and chart our top captaincy picks throughout the season.

Essential Captains

Sergio Aguero (MCI): 12 appearances, 9 returns (11 goals, 8 assists), 101 points

Mohamed Salah (LIV): 12 appearances, 9 returns (10 goals, 2 assists), 96 points

Harry Kane (TOT): 5 appearances, 4 returns (3 goals, 2 assists), 30 points

Eden Hazard (CHE): 2 appearances, 1 return (2 goals), 19 points

Sadio Mane (LIV): 1 appearance, 1 return (2 goals), 13 points

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (ARS): 2 appearances, 1 return (1 assist), 6 points

Heung-Min Son (TOT): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 assist), 4 points

Raul Jimenez (WOL): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 4 points

Raheem Sterling (MCI): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Paul Pogba (MUN): 1 appearance, 0 returns, -1 points

Essential Analysis:

Our essential captains were all popular picks that won a poll over on our Twitter account. What was quite apparent this season that of our 4 weekly selections, Mohamed Salah or Sergio Aguero conquered the polls 24/38 times.

Both of the FPL juggernauts appeared 12 times each, returned in 9 of those, with Aguero shading Salah with 19 attacking returns, compared to Salah's 12.

Our essential picks, believe it or not only blanked 12 times this season, with 6 from Salah and Aguero, and the other 6 from 5 of the other 7 poll victors.

Of those 6 that failed to return, 3 were 1-time only picks. Paul Pogba's Gameweek 29 was the worst of those, with the Frenchman missing a penalty and registering negative points in his only headline appearance.

Raul Jimenez is the next big offender, being given the ultimate captaincy honour during the last Double Gameweek of the season (GW35). Jimenez blanked in back-to-back home games against Brighton (0-0) and Arsenal (3-1 win for Wolves).

Raheem Sterling was chosen during Man City's shock 3-2 home loss to Crystal Palace, a game remembered for a brilliant Andros Townsend volley.

Only Sadio Mane and Heung-Min Son have perfect return rates, though Son is fortunate to be in this list as the South Korean registered an assist against Huddersfield during Gameweek 34 having only played 3 minutes as a substitute.

Alternative Captains

Eden Hazard (CHE): 5 appearances, 3 returns (5 goals, 1 assist), 49 points

Jamie Vardy (LEI): 5 appearances, 2 returns (4 goals, 1 assist), 35 points

Marcus Rashford (MUN): 4 appearances, 3 returns (3 goals, 1 assist), 29 points

Alexandre Lacazette (ARS): 5 appearances, 2 returns (2 goals, 1 assist), 23 points

Sadio Mane (LIV): 2 appearances, 1 return (2 goals), 18 points

Raheem Sterling (MCI): 3 appearances, 2 returns (1 goal, 1 assist), 15 points

Raul Jimenez (WOL): 2 appearances, 1 return (1 goal, 1 assist), 14 points

Alvaro Morata (CHE): 1 appearance, 1 return (2 goals), 13 points

Sergio Aguero (MCI): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 goal), 9 bonus

Callum Wilson (BOU): 1 appearance, 1 return (2 assists), 8 points

Heung-Min Son (TOT): 2 appearances, 1 return (1 goal), 8 points

Richarlison (EVE): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 goal), 7 points

Romelu Lukaku (MUN): 2 appearances, 0 returns, 4 points

Sergio Aguero (MCI): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Christian Eriksen (TOT): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Mohamed Salah (LIV): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Virgil van Dijk (LIV): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 1 point

Alternative Analysis:

Our alternative captaincy picks more than anything is a reflection of our gut instinct call on a week-to-week basis. If we didn't like the winner of the captaincy poll, we'd like to talk about another route to points that might have been missed.

Our alternative picks as a result were more subject to the elements, with 19/38 returns showing that our judgement outside of the essential pick blew hold and cold over the course of the season.

What is notable for us is our reliance to pick representation from 'Top 6' clubs (Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs), with 4 players outside of that bracket across 10 appearances.

Leicester's Jamie Vardy appeared 5 times, returning twice, whilst Raul Jimenez (WOL) was banked on twice with a 50% success rate, whilst Callum Wilson (BOU) scored in his only feature of the season. We also backed Richarlison (EVE) so score against Watford at home this season, with the Brazilian returning our faith with a goal against his former club.

Wildcard Captains

Nathan Redmond (SOU): 2 appearances, 2 returns (1 goal, 1 assist), 16 points

Alexandre Lacazette (ARS): 2 appearances, 1 return (1 goal, 1 assist), 13 points

Marko Arnautovic (WHU): 1 appearance, 1 return (2 goals), 13 points

Jamie Vardy (LEI): 2 appearance, 1 return (1 goal), 12 points

Gonzalo Higuain (CHE): 3 appearances, 1 return (1 goal), 12 points

Salomon Rondon (NEW): 3 appearances, 2 returns (2 assists), 12 points

Andre Gray (WAT): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 goal), 11 points

Danny Ings (SOU): 2 appearances, 1 return (1 goal), 10 points

Anthony Martial (MUN): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 goal), 9 points

Ryan Babel (FUL): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 goal), 9 points

David Silva (MCI): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 assist), 8 points

Danny Ings (SOU): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 goal), 7 points

André Schürrle (FUL): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 goal), 7 points

Javier Hernandez (WHU): 2 appearances, 1 return (1 assist), 7 points

Alexis Sanchez (MUN): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 assist), 5 points

Gerard Deulofeu (WAT): 1 appearance, 1 return (1 assist), 5 points

Miguel Almiron (NEW): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 3 points

Troy Deeney (WAT): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Romelu Lukaku (MUN): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Cenk Tosun (EVE): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Josh King (BOU): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Troy Deeney (WAT): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Christian Eriksen (TOT): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (EVE): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 2 points

Alvaro Morata (CHE): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 1 point

Michy Batshuayi (CRY): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 1 point

Ayoze Perez (NEW): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 1 point

Raheem Sterling (MCI): 1 appearance, 0 returns, 0 points

Differential Analysis:

Our differential picks all featured in our Weekly Wildcards differential article, with @HypeTrainSam picking his favourite captaincy pick of our 10 picks (1 player-per-game).

Left-field picks won't score more than our essential or alternative picks, a trend which is 3 year-old now at The Hype Train, though our differentials did manage returns in 18/38 games this season.

The returns in question though weren't generous though. with a broad spectrum of 28 players gaining less than 10 points 11/18 times they returned for us.

We also picked captains in this bracket just 12 times that played for Top 6 clubs, with 26 representatives from the lower reaches of the Premier League.

Due to 28 players appearing in this season, with 24 picks appearing in a standalone week, no player achieved more than 20 points, with Nathan Redmond (SOU) snatching top spot due to his 10-point haul against Huddersfield in a 1-1 draw during Gameweek 8, adding to the 6 points he gained in a 2-0 home win against Fulham during Gameweek 28.

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All aboard.