Despite starting just once in Double Gameweek 36, Erling Haaland (£14.7m) delivered his first double-digit haul since Gameweek 25 to reward the five million Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers who handed him the armband.
With the FA Cup final on Saturday and a tricky-looking Gameweek 37 fixture for Manchester City at Bournemouth, Haaland will struggle to get anywhere near that level of backing this week.
Instead, Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) will challenge him for superiority with home fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Burnley, respectively.
While the aforementioned trio will dominate the conversation, is there even a case to look elsewhere? Alternative Arsenal players, as well as assets from the likes of Brentford, Everton and Newcastle United, could provide differential alternatives in a wide-open week.
In ‘Captain Sensible’, 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
In what is a much closer poll than usual, Fernandes currently occupies top spot, although he doesn’t enjoy majority support. The Red Devils’ talisman has picked up around 32% of votes cast by site users. Fernandes hasn’t blanked at Old Trafford since Gameweek 12 and needs just two assists to break the all-time Premier League assist record in a season.
Arsenal attacking duo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) sit second and third in the poll. Both players have started each of the last two Gameweeks and notched double-digit hauls in the Gunners’ last match at the Emirates. More than 100,000 FPL managers have transferred each player ahead of Friday’s deadline.
Elsewhere, Haaland, Gabriel (£7.3m) and Igor Thiago (£7.3m) are the only other players to garner more than 5% backing in the poll. Gabriel became the first defender to breach the 200-point barrier this season thanks to an 11-point haul at West Ham, while Thiago scored in his last home match.
Player Stats – Last Six Gameweeks
