It was ‘double joy’ for the millions of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers who backed Erling Haaland (£14.5m) with the armband in Double Gameweek 33. The Norwegian scored in both matches as Manchester City went top of the league.
This weekend, though, managers will have to look elsewhere with the armband. Pep Guardiola’s side is one of six clubs without a fixture in Blank Gameweek 34.
The ever-consistent Bruno Fernandes (£10.3m) is the standout pick at first glance but is there a case to look beyond him? Players from the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, West Ham United, and, whisper it, even Tottenham Hotspur could provide enticing alternatives.
That’s what we’re considering in ‘Captain Sensible’ this week.
In this piece, we will assess the on-site captaincy poll, analyse myriad player and team statistics, consult the Rate My Team (RMT) points projections, and settle on a top three for the armband, ahead of Friday’s 6.30pm BST deadline.
- READ MORE: Check out the FFScout Captaincy Matrix
Captaincy Poll
Unsurprisingly, Fernandes has a strong lead in the Fantasy Football Scout captaincy poll, although he doesn’t enjoy majority support. The Manchester United talisman has picked up around 43% of votes cast by site users ahead of Brentford’s visit.
In something of a throwback, Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) sits second and currently boasts just under 20% of the vote. While it’s been anything but a vintage season for the Egyptian, he has scored in each of his last three Premier League starts and returned maximum bonus points in the Merseyside derby.
Elsewhere, Ollie Watkins (£8.7m) and Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m) are the only other players to garner more than 10% of backing. Both returned well in Gameweek 33, despite the lack of a ‘double. The latter scored a hat-trick against Burnley, while Watkins notched his first double-digit haul since Gameweek 18.
Player Stats – Last Six Gameweeks
