A round of applause for those FPL managers who used their triple captain chip on Man Utd’s Marcus Rashford(£7.2m) in Double Gameweek 22. A goal against both Crystal Palace and Leeds with a further assist in the former fixture was enough to see him rack up 20 FPL points, meaning 60 points for those shrewd managers who utilised the chip. Teammate Bruno Fernandes (£9.9m) also scored against the Eagles, although failure to accrue an attacking return in the second match meant he had to settle for 12 fantasy points. Erling Haaland (£12.2m) however, drew a blank as Man City fell to a damaging 1-0 defeat at the hands of Spurs.
Double Gameweek 23 will see another couple of teams benefit from two fixtures, specifically Arsenal and Man City. As a result, these two clubs form the spine of our captain picks article as we highlight three premium selections, alongside a differential option ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 deadline.
PREMIUM OPTIONS
Erling Haaland (£12.2m) vs AVL (H), ARS (a)
Those FPL managers forced to watch on enviously as Marcus Rashford rewarded his triple captainers in Double Gameweek 22 may well activate their own triple captain chip in Double Gameweek 23. For them though, Erling Haaland is the man more than likely to wear the armband. With his goal record this season in the Premier League, that’s no surprise. As it stands, the Norwegian boasts 25 league goals, including four hat-tricks and three assists.
Man City’s first Double Gameweek 23 fixture sees them host Aston Villa at the weekend before travelling to Premier League leaders Arsenal this coming Wednesday. With the most FPL points scored of any player so far this season, many FPL managers will be banking on Haaland bringing home a huge haul in this, his first double gameweek of the season.
Bukayo Saka (£8.3m) vs BRE (H), MCI (H)
Despite not gaining an attacking return in Arsenal’s most recent Premier League game, Bukayo Saka (£8.3m) has proven an indispensable offensive asset for the Gunners since the competition’s resumption back in December. In the six league matches played since, the England international has accumulated three goals, one assist and 35 fantasy points as Arsenal continue to top the Premier League table heading into a crucial Double Gameweek 23 from their perspective.
A tough home London derby against Brentford is followed by Man City’s visit to Emirates Stadium, in which a positive result will see Arsenal take a giant leap towards realising their title ambitions. Saka is likely to play a crucial role in both games, with his direct style of play seeing him likely creating goalscoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. Add the fact that penalties fall under his domain and he makes a strong case for the armband.
Martin Odegaard (£7.0m) vs BRE (H), MCI (H)
A cheaper option than Saka is his Arsenal teammate Martin Odegaard (£7.0m), also an attacking midfielder and also a hugely influential figure for Mikel Arteta’s side going forward. Unlike Saka though, Odegaard has managed two double-figure point returns across Arsenal’s last six matches, accruing 42 points overall, including two goals and four assists, taking his overall tally so far this season to eight goals and six assists.
Odegaard is currently the second-highest FPL point-scorer among midfielders (119) with only Marcus Rashford having managed to pick up more points. In terms of the entire FPL player-base among all positions, Odegaard is in fifth-place behind Haaland, Kieran Trippier, Harry Kane and Rashford. For those FPL managers plumping for an Arsenal playing skipper, it will be a tough choice between Odegaard and Saka.
DIFFERENTIAL OPTION
Jack Grealish (£6.8m) vs AVL (H), ARS (a)
Aside from Haaland, it’s difficult to find another worthwhile captain playing for Man City when taking into account Pep Guardiola’s penchant for rotating his starting line-up. However, Jack Grealish (£6.8m) has started each of City’s past three Premier League fixtures and those searching for a differential selection should take the wideman into consideration, although his attacking returns have been modest.
It represents a big gamble picking Grealish, as he has struggled to gain goals and assists, plus there is no guarantee that he will start. However, the former Aston Villa star will be desperate to make a big impact against his former club, not to mention table toppers Arsenal. With Man City under pressure to find the goals needed to win both games, Grealish as a low-owned differential in Double Gameweek 23 could prove a shrewd move.
