In the quiet period before Fantasy Premier League (FPL) resumes, five-time top 1k finisher Tom Freeman continues to explore possible ways for Fantasy managers to make up ground in the final seven Gameweeks.
This time, he picks out some differential captains to consider.
GAMEWEEK 32
- Jarrod Bowen v Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)
West Ham United entertain Wolverhampton Wanderers in Gameweek 32, with Jarrod Bowen (£7.6m) a sound differential captain.
Owned by just 9.1% of squads in the top 100k, he’s produced four assists in the last six Gameweeks.
He’s also created 15 chances in that period, the most of any player except Bruno Fernandes (£10.3m):
Bowen has other routes to points, too, such as penalties and defensive contributions (DefCon).
As for Wolves, their performances have slowly improved under Rob Edwards, but they have perhaps been fortunate recently: their expected goals conceded (xGC) over the past six matches is on par with Burnley, yet they have only conceded six goals from 12.3 xGC.
They’ve also allowed the most headed attempts, which should interest set-piece taker Bowen, in what is a massive relegation six-pointer at the bottom of the table.
BLANK GAMEWEEK 34
- Matheus Cunha v Brentford (h)
Matheus Cunha (£8.0m) has had a hand in six goals in 10 matches since the appointment of Michael Carrick.
In that time, he’s racked up 51 points in eight starts and two substitute appearances, the second-most of any Manchester United player:
Playing as a left winger in Carrick’s 4-2-3-1, Cunha was United’s standout performer in Gameweek 31, when his ability to move both inside and out caused all sorts of problems for Alex Jimenez (£4.5m), who was eventually hauled off on 72 minutes.
In Blank Gameweek 34, United host Brentford, who have had issues defending the half-spaces over the last six Gameweeks, as captured below.
It’s always a risky tactic to take on Bruno Fernandes (£10.3m) for captaincy, particularly in his current form, but this specific matchup could play into the hands of Cunha.
GAMEWEEK 35
- Anton Stach v Burnley (h)
For the full-blown maverick, Anton Stach (£4.8m) could be an option at home to Burnley.
The German midfielder has produced a goal, assist or DefCon points in 12 of his last 17 matches, with a very decent 5.1 points per start in that time.
On set plays, Stach ranks third among all players for key passes in 2025/26:
29 of those key passes have notably come from corners and free-kicks, a league-high. He’s 17th for shots in his position, too.
So, as a pretty consistent performer, Gameweek 35 should allow Stach to continue his decent form.
Burnley provide the opposition – Scott Parker’s side have conceded 24 goals since the turn of the year, the most of any club except Tottenham Hotspur.
They are also bottom for set play xGC over the course of the season, a potentially crucial factor.
GAMEWEEK 38
- Mohamed Salah v Brentford (h)
Mohamed Salah’s final appearance for Liverpool is likely to come in Gameweek 38, when Brentford visit Anfield.
The situation could change if Liverpool reach the UEFA Champions League final, but no matter what, Gameweek 38 will be his Anfield farewell.
In what promises to be an emotional send-off, a final day captaincy punt on the ‘Egyptian King’ carries appeal, despite his decline in performance/output this season.
“Hopefully he can make his legacy even more special in the upcoming weeks and months where we still play for something special. But he will always leave this club as a legend because, as I said, the way this club has performed in the last seasons is also for a large part due to what he’s done for it. Scoring goals, having his assists. As I said, as a fan I watched him and that front three with Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino… everybody is still talking about that, and rightly so.
“And then when I started working with him, I don’t know if it was his best season in terms of numbers, but it was an impressive season because he had the most goals and the most assists and I don’t know if that has happened much with him, let alone with any player in the Premier League. He will definitely leave as a legend of this club.” – Arne Slot on Mohamed Salah
At this very early stage, there aren’t too many standout fixtures to target in Gameweek 38.
And while Brentford probably won’t be an easy opponent for Liverpool, handing Salah the captaincy one last time could be a lot of fun.
That said, it might not be a differential tactic by the time we reach Gameweek 38.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
In Gameweek 33, up to eight teams could potentially ‘double’, as per Thursday’s announcement.
The issue is that quite a few of the ‘doubles’ feel a bit underwhelming, particularly with Arsenal and Manchester City facing off against each other.
Instead, we could be in a scenario where Bournemouth have the best couple of fixtures from an attacking perspective, provided Leeds United triumph over West Ham in Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final.
| Team | Potential Double Gameweek 33 opponents | xGC per 90 rank (2026 only) |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | mci + NEW | 4th/16th |
| Newcastle | BOU + ars | 10th/1st |
| Chelsea | MUN + bha | 2nd/3rd |
| Brighton | tot + CHE | 19th/7th |
| Man City | ARS + bur | 1st/20th |
| Burnley | nfo + MCI | 11th/4th |
| Liverpool | eve + CRY | 15th/6th |
| C Palace | WHU + liv | 13th/5th |
| West Ham | cry + EVE | 6th/15th |
| Everton | LIV + whu | 5th/13th |
| Leeds | WOL + bou | 18th/10th |
| Bournemouth | new + LEE | 16th/14th |
Could that open up a punt on a low-owned Bournemouth attacker in Double Gameweek 33?
It’s also important to keep in mind that Manchester City’s home match against Crystal Palace, which was postponed in Gameweek 31 due to the EFL Cup final, still needs to be rearranged.
That could present further opportunities, such as Daniel Munoz (£5.8m) or Ismaila Sarr (£5.8m), potentially even a differential City attacker.
