The Hard Tackle presents the best captaincy picks heading into the Blank Gameweek 29 of FPL, with only four matches coming our way.
The shortest round of fixtures of the 2023/24 Premier League season is upon us, with the FA Cup quarter-finals coinciding with it. The Blank Gameweek 29 of the FPL is here, with only four matches coming up this week in the English top flight.
The big hitters from Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal have the said ‘Blank’ Gameweek, with Liverpool and City participating in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Other popular picks like Cole Palmer and Dominic Solanke are also unavailable in FPL this weekend.
The latest round of fixtures gets underway with the match between Burnley and Brentford at Turf Moor, with Luton Town vs Nottingham Forest and Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur also coming our way on Saturday.
Sunday will feature only one game, with West Ham United hosting Aston Villa at the London Stadium in the most eye-catching fixture of Gameweek 29. So, with our options limited in this truncated matchday, the captaincy pick can be an incredible differentiator. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle lists the four best options to hand the armband this weekend.
Son Heung-min (£9.9m)
Our list begins with a player who roared back to form this past week. He is the guiding light in Tottenham’s bid to finish in the top four of the Premier League and return to the UEFA Champions League next season. We are talking about Son Heung-min.
The Tottenham captain was exceptional before he travelled to Qatar for the AFC Asian Cup, scoring goals for fun and racking up points in FPL. But after returning from Qatar, Son was somewhat slow off the blocks, managing only one assist in his first two appearances.
But the South Korean international has been excellent in his last two outings, scoring twice and providing two assists in as many games. Such an incredible output has helped him amass 24 points in only a couple of games. With Tottenham facing a porous Fulham backline, Son is the likeliest candidate to deliver the goods in the final third for the North London club.
Ivan Toney (£8.1m)
Ollie Watkins being as remarkable as he has been thus far in the 2023/24 season has been one of the reasons managers have snubbed our next pick since his return from a long betting ban. We are talking about Ivan Toney, whose links with Arsenal and Chelsea are growing like wildfire.
The 27-year-old has found the back of the net four times since returning to action, although he has hit a bit of a slump, having failed to score in his last four outings. But Brentford’s next game is against one of the worst teams in the Premier League this season.
So, Toney might fancy his chances of returning to action. In all fairness, his last four outings have been against Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham United, and Manchester City, with only the failure against West Ham being worth noting. Expect the Arsenal and Chelsea target to be in his element when Brentford and Burnley lock horns at Turf Moor.
Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m)
Our third pick would have made it clear that we are choosing one option per game in the latest feature. But instead of the undeniable Ollie Watkins, we have gone ahead with a player from West Ham United. The player in question is Jarrod Bowen.
The English international has been the leading light for West Ham United this season, amassing 14 goals and three assists in the Premier League. But recent outings have been intriguing, with Bowen contributing to a strike whenever the Hammers win and drawing a blank in a draw or a loss.
The 27-year-old racked up 25 points in FPL in West Ham’s last two wins but could not score a goal or provide an assist when Burnley held the Hammers to a 2-2 draw last weekend. While beating Aston Villa will be a tall order for West Ham, they can spring a surprise at the London Stadium with a few contributions from Bowen.
Carlton Morris (£5.2m)
Our list ends with a striker and one who will be hurting after drawing a blank in the Double Gameweek 28. We are talking about Carlton Morris, who could not score a goal or provide an assist, even though Luton Town found the back of the net four times in two games.
The English striker is the most productive player for Luton Town in the 2023/24 FPL, with the next-best player having nearly 30 points fewer than him. But Morris somehow managed only four points in his two outings in DGW 28.
Those two blanks came on the back of a run of four goals and two assists in his previous six appearances in the Premier League, which fetched 46 points. Facing Nottingham Forest at home gives Morris the opportunity to find that form again to help Luton Town return to winning ways after squandering a three-goal lead against Bournemouth on Wednesday.