Those who acted upon our captain picks article for Double Gameweek 20 would have enjoy significant success, especially those who took the plunge and handed differential selection Bruno Fernandes (£9.8m) the armband. Man Utd’s attacking midfielder scored in both DGW20 fixtures involving the Red Devils, leading to a mammoth score of 19 FPL points. Marcus Rashford (£7.1m) was on target once again, netting the winning goal in his side’s 2-1 derby triumph over Man City and accruing 12 points across the gameweek. However, it was looking like being an infuriating double gameweek for the many FPL managers who captained Erling Haaland (£12.2m), but the Norwegian finally managed to score in Man City’s second fixture of the double gameweek, a 4-2 victory against Spurs, meaning he finished with 8 points overall.
Following two straight double gameweeks, we revert back to normal in Gameweek 21 with every Premier League club in action just the once. As always, we’ve marked out three premium options worth captaincy consideration alongside a differential pick ahead of Saturday’s 11:00 deadline.
PREMIUM OPTIONS
Kieran Tripper (£6.0m) vs CRY (a)
Despite being a defender, Kieran Tripper (£6.0m) isn’t just in the ‘must own’ category when it comes to FPL players, he’s also a player who should be looked upon as prime captain material. The numbers ultimately tell the whole story. Trippier is the third highest scoring FPL asset available and has more points than any listed midfielder. Only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane have a higher overall score than him, the latter by just one point.
Across the last seven gameweeks, Trippier has accumulated a whopping 67 points with a lowest score of 7, which puts into perspective how consistent he is. Not only is the England international a key part of the strongest defence in the Premier League, his set piece prowess and attacking license out wide makes him well worthy of the armband. Especially in Gameweek 21 away to a Crystal Palace side who have scored just one league goal at Selhurst Park since the World Cup break.
Marcus Rashford (£7.1m) vs ARS (a)
It’s more of a gamble to select Rashford as your FPL skipper in Gameweek 21 when taking into account of difficulty of Man Utd’s opposition. They travel to league leaders Arsenal in a highly anticipated showdown and when taking into account how good the Gunners have been throughout the season, attacking returns won’t come easy for Rashford.
However, the FPL-listed midfielder is arguably the most in-form attacker in the English top flight right now. Since the Premier League’s resumption, Rashford has found the net in four of Man Utd’s five matches played with an assist thrown in. This period has seen him acquire 39 fantasy points an undeniable haul which cements his captaincy credentials.
Erling Haaland (£12.2m) vs WOL (H)
Although Erling Haaland hasn’t quite been as prolific recently as you would normally expect, he’s still worth his weight in FPL gold. A goal in Man City’s 4-2 win over Spurs this past Thursday kept him ticking over, picking up 8 points in total across Double Gameweek 20. Having said that, his vast ownership may be expecting a more substantial return come Gameweek 21 as the reigning champions host Wolves.
Haaland remains comfortably the highest scoring FPL asset among the player-base with 152 fantasy points to his name. His goal tally currently stands at 22 with three assists thrown into the mix. He already has one goal against Wolves this season at Molineux and he’ll hope to repeat the dosage this time round. Once again, he will surely wind up the most captained player of the gameweek.
DIFFERENTIAL OPTION
Riyad Mahrez (£7.5m) vs WOL (H)
Following a magnificent individual attacking performance in Man City’s win against Spurs, the expectation is thatRiyad Mahrez (£7.5m) has surely done enough to be afforded another start in Gameweek 21 against Wolves. A wonderful direct showing from Mahrez tore the Spurs defence apart in the second half and led to him accruing two goals, an assist and 17 FPL points as Man City turned the match on its head.
But this isn’t just a flash in the pan for Mahrez. He has quietly been picking up attacking returns with three in his last four Premier League fixtures prior to that explosion on Thursday. Since Gameweek 17, the Algerian has gained 39 fantasy points, so he has not only the fixture, but the form. Fernandes did us proud as our differential pick last time out and we are hoping that Mahrez can repeat the feat in Gameweek 21.
