Who are the best FPL captain options for Gameweek 23?

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers have plenty of choice for the Gameweek 23 captaincy, and as per usual, the Captain Sensible article is here to highlight which assets have the best chance of hauling.

First, we will assess the fallout of the Gameweek 23 captain poll, before then analysing the best options, Rate My Team (RMT) and the Premier Fantasy Tools ratings ahead of Friday’s 18:30 GMT deadline.

THE CAPTAIN POLL

In one of the closest captain polls of the season so far, Kevin De Bruyne (£12.1m) is the current leader, with just over 17% of total votes from our users at the time of writing.

Just behind in second is Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis (£6.1m), who is backed by 15.79%, ahead of his home tie against relegation-threatened Norwich City.

Despite underwhelming in Double Gameweek 22, Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.5m) occupies third place with just over 10%, followed by Raphinha (£6.5m) and Bruno Fernandes (£11.7m), with 8.34% and 7.58% respectively.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE

Kevin De Bruyne has now started each of Manchester City’s last six Premier League games going back to mid-December, when he returned from Covid.

During that time, he has featured in midfield rather than as a false nine, producing four goals and an assist, earning 47 FPL points.

However, he’s managed just nine shots in the box over that period, with most of his goal attempts arriving from range (see below), but his creative output remains excellent, having created more chances per 90 minutes than any other player in 2021/22.

Above: Kevin De Bruyne’s xG shot map – last six matches

Above: no player has created more chances per 90 minutes than Kevin De Bruyne this season

As for Man City, Pep Guardiola’s side are seeking their 13th consecutive Premier League victory in Gameweek 23, having scored 34 and conceded only seven in their previous 12 matches, ahead of Saturday evening’s trip to Southampton.

A 3-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ last time out halted a four-game unbeaten run for the Saints, who have lost just one of their 10 Premier League home matches this term.    

SOUTHAMPTON AT HOME 2021/22:     

Alternative options at City are Phil Foden (£8.0m) and Raheem Sterling (£10.7m), who are compared along with De Bruyne below. If Ralph Hasenhuttl opts for a back-three/five system, however, we could see City’s wingers stay wider in an attempt to stretch the play, which isn’t exactly where we want them from an FPL perspective. That leaves Joao Cancelo (£7.0m), a defender who looks comfortable in all areas of the pitch, with his 11-point return against Chelsea last weekend a timely reminder of his ability to hit double-digit hauls, especially with many ‘free-hitting’ him out of their XI’s.

Above: Kevin De Bruyne v Phil Foden v Raheem Sterling key attacking stats – last six matches

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD / DIOGO JOTA