All three of our recommended Gameweek 30 premium captain picks were in among the fantasy points last weekend. Man City duo Erling Haaland (£12.2m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£12.1m) recording 12 points and 9 points respectively, the former finding the net twice, whilst De Bruyne bagged a brace of assists as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Southampton 4-1. Elsewhere, Harry Kane (£11.7m) was on the scoresheet once again, picking up 9 FPL points as Spurs overcame Brighton.
With one more normal gameweek to come before FA Cup semi-final weekend, which will see a number of teams draw a blank, it’s more important than ever that FPL managers get their captain choice spot on in Gameweek 31. Therefore, we’re on hand to help, picking out three premium options alongside a differential selection ahead of Saturday’s 11:00deadline.
PREMIUM OPTIONS
Gabriel Martinelli (£6.7m) vs WHU (a)
The form of Gabriel Martinelli (£6.7m) continued in Gameweek 30 as the Brazilian scored one and set up a second in Arsenal’s thrilling 2-2 draw away at Liverpool. His FPL score of 13 points was his sixth double-figure points return of the season and with 175 points across the season, he has overtaken Marcus Rashford as the highest scoring midfielder within the FPL player-base as it stands.
The Gunners make the short journey across London to face West Ham in Gameweek 31, the same opponent they defeated 3-1 at Emirates Stadium in their first match back following the World Cup, Martinelli scoring in that one. With three goals, two assists and 33 FPL points across Arsenal’s last four Premier League games, expect the attacker to be in high demand once again here and the best way to capitalise on owning him would be via the captain’s armband.
Harry Kane (£11.7m) vs BOU (H)
How could we not include Harry Kane when taking into account his relentless Premier League goalscoring prowess. The England international continues to find the net for fun and scored his fifth goal in Spurs’ last four top flight fixtures in Gameweek 30 against Brighton. Over the course of those four games, Kane has racked up 35 fantasy points and his overall score is now a whopping 198 points.
Another home fixture for Spurs in Gameweek 31 sees them host struggling Bournemouth, the sort of fixture which is crying out for Kane to be named skipper from an FPL perspective. Whilst the Cherries are not to be underestimated, Spurs’ star striker will be expected to be among the goals once again here and with a big ownership, captaining Kane is made all the more appealing.
Erling Haaland (£12.2m) vs LEI (H)
A nightmare run of results have seen Leicester slide into the bottom three and they are now in mortal danger of losing their Premier League status. Having appointed Dean Smith until the end of the season, the former Aston Villa and Norwich boss faces a trial by fire in Gameweek 31, taking on Man City and Erling Haaland at the Etihad Stadium.
The Norwegian frontman has already racked up four Premier League hat-tricks on this ground in 2022-23 and is coming off the back of scoring three goals already over the past week, complimenting his brace against Southampton with a goal and assist against Bayern in Man City’s Champions League quarter-final first leg. Whilst the threat of rotation makes him a dangerous candidate in terms of the captaincy, not naming Haaland as your skipper could prove extremely costly should Guardiola start the 22-year-old.
DIFFERENTIAL OPTION
Michael Olise (£5.4m) vs SOU (a)
After a long spell without an attacking return in the Premier League, Michael Olise (£5.4m) stole the show for Crystal Palace in Gameweek 30. The attacking midfield inspired a magnificent comeback from the Eagles, who were 1-0 down away at Leeds before turning things round to win 1-5. Olise gained a hat-trick of assists, running the show in the second half and accumulating 14 FPL points in the process, his highest fantasy score of the season so far.
With a miniscule ownership, Olise is very much a differential captain pick in Gameweek 31, but playing under Roy Hodgson could well see him continue to shine as Crystal Palace visit Southampton. The Saints are desperate for three points and as was the case at Elland Road, this could play into Olise’s hands, who may easily find himself with plenty of space to run into and exploit on the counter-attack.
