The most-captained player in Gameweek 37, Erling Haaland (£14.7m), delivered a goal and maximum bonus points to reward the millions of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers who handed him the armband.
Backers of Viktor Gyokeres (£9.1m) were left disappointed with positional rival Kai Havertz (£7.3m) starting and scoring in the Swede’s place against Burnley, but Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) delivered the goods, returning nine and 10 points, respectively.
With the title race wrapped up, Manchester City and Arsenal have little to play for. The Golden Glove is settled, while the Golden Boot is all but won. There is serious doubt regarding team selection and motivation, meaning FPL managers may be well-advised to trust the ever-consistent Haaland and Fernandes.
While the aforementioned duo will dominate the captaincy conversation, is there even a case to look elsewhere? Alternative Man City players, as well as assets from the likes of West Ham, Spurs and Chelsea, 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 Sunday’s 2.30pm BST deadline.
- READ MORE: Check out the FFScout Captaincy Matrix
Captaincy Poll
Perhaps surprisingly, Fernandes currently occupies top spot in the Fantasy Football Scout captaincy poll. The Red Devils’ talisman has picked up just under 40% of votes cast by site users. Fernandes has blanked just once in his last 10 matches and needs one assist in Gameweek 38 to break the all-time Premier League assist record in a season.
Despite the title race being over, Haaland sits second with just over 22% of the vote. The Norwegian has rediscovered his best form towards the end of the season and has scored in each of his last five Premier League starts, notching 40 Fantasy points in that time. Haaland needs 11 points against Aston Villa to reach the 250-point barrier for the second time in his FPL career.
Elsewhere, Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m) and Jack Hinshelwood (£5.2m) are the only other players to garner more than 5% backing in the poll. Nothing less than a win will do against Leeds United for West Ham, while Hinshelwood has scored three goals in his last four matches.
Player Stats – Last Six Gameweeks
