With the new EFL season kicking off imminently, Fantasy managers face the crucial decision of who to captain in Gameweek 1. Here we assess the best Fantasy EFL Gameweek 1 captaincy candidates.
Birmingham City’s new talisman Alfie May is currently leading the race but faces stiff competition with assets from Luton Town, Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United.
We’ll identify the top Fantasy assets for the opening weekend, considering captain poll results in the process.
Stay tuned for team reveal articles before tomorrow’s 20:00 BST deadline.
And for everything else you might need, check out our Gameweek 1 page and our pre-season tab.
THE CAPTAIN POLL
| % of votes in the Captain poll | |
| Alfie May (Birmingham City) | 16% |
| Carlton Morris (Luton Town) | 10% |
| Sammie Szmodics (Blackburn Rovers) | 9% |
| Ethan Ampadu Georginio Rutter (Leeds United) | 6% |
| Anel Ahmedhodzic (Sheffield United) | 5% |
Alfie May
Claiming 16% of the votes, Alfie May is the runaway leader of our maiden 2024/25 captain poll.
Owned by over 31% of EFL managers, Birmingham City’s marksman is hoping to set the league alight under Chris Davies this season.
May, the 23-goal Sky Bet League One Golden Boot winner for Charlton last season, joined Birmingham City this summer. May started slowly last season but scored five goals in three games after a blank opening three.
All eyes will be on St Andrew’s as Birmingham City entertain Reading in a blockbuster opening-day clash. With the Bluenose faithful roaring them on, the squad looks to deliver a memorable performance.
Faith in May’s teammates is fairly limited. Ryan Allsop (G, 11.8%), Ethan Laird (D, 7.6%) and Siriki Dembélé (M, 4.8%) are the only three other Bluenose stars to have notable ownership. Allsop is the second most-owned Birmingham City player, but Davies’ starting goalkeeper is undecided. Competition with Peacock-Farrell for the number one spot is fierce.
Carlton Morris
Luton Town’s Carlton Morris (10%) leads the chasing pack, backed by one in ten of our users. Confidence is high in Edwards’ attacking options after their solid Premier League campaign.
Morris led Luton’s attack last season, scoring 11 Premier League goals and contributing to 15 returns in 38 appearances. The talisman recorded the club’s highest tally in Fantasy last season with 146 points. Morris also hasn’t dropped the pace and scored two goals across pre-season matches.
Luton Town host fellow promotion candidates Burnley at Kenilworth Road on the opening day. Last season, the Clarets had the upper hand on Luton, picking up four points against them last season. Despite this, Morris did score the opener at Turf Moor in their 1-1 draw.
Despite leading Luton’s attack, Morris’ strike partner Elijah Adebayo has over 8% ownership. Additionally, goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski has been selected by 2.5% of managers for the opening day.
Sammie Szmodics
Interest in Blackburn Rovers key midfielder Sammie Szmodics remains high despite transfer speculation. Just behind Morris, Szmodics has been selected by 9% of Fantasy EFL managers to captain their side. Szmodics, the Championship Golden Boot winner with 27 goals and four assists in 44 games, is the most popular player in the game at 57% ownership. Taking on newly-promoted Derby County at Ewood Park, Rovers will be hoping to secure three points and continue their strong end to the 2023/24 campaign, which included a 0-2 away victory at Leicester City to dampen their promotion celebrations on the final day.
Ethan Ampadu and Georginio Rutter
Daniel Farke’s Leeds United welcome newly promoted Portsmouth to Elland Road, with Ethan Ampadu (38%) and Georginio Rutter (4.4%) the stand-out options. Both have been backed by 6% of voters to take the armband for the opening day, hoping to bounce back from their heart-breaking playoff final loss against Southampton. Ampadu’s unexpectedly high ownership can likely be attributed to his incorrect defensive classification. Many Fantasy managers have recognised his midfield potential and opted to capitalise on this out-of-position gem.
Anel Ahmedhodzic
A differential for Gameweek 1, Anel Ahmedhodzic has been backed by 5% of voters to wear the armband and haul this weekend, as Sheffield United travel to Deepdale, taking on Preston North End. The second highest selected Blades player at 20.5%, just behind Callum O’Hare (21.1%), managers will be hoping Wilder can rediscover their strong defensive form – keeping 19 clean sheets in the 2022/23 season. The 25-year-old defender scored twice last season for the Blades, helping them keep just one clean sheet throughout the campaign in 29 appearances.
Have Your Say
Given the vast pool of over 1,000 players on Fantasy EFL, our “other” captaincy pick proved surprisingly popular, garnering 17% of the votes. Who’s your Fantasy EFL Gameweek 1 captain? Let us know in the comments!
