The Hard Tackle lists the best options to hand the captain’s armband heading into Gameweek 37 of the 2023/24 FPL.
The 2023/24 Premier League season will culminate in ten days, with only two rounds of fixtures remaining. FPL managers are running out of time to complete the pre-season objectives, and Gameweek 37 will provide them the opportunity to zoom through the rankings.
The penultimate round of fixtures is the final Double Gameweek (DGW) of the 2023/24 season, with most big-hitters taking the field twice. And we might see the strategies mix up considerably, as managers can use the Triple Captain and Bench Boost chips to maximise their returns. A Free Hit might also come in handy.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle United offer multiple candidates to don the captain’s armband. In addition, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have a few options despite their dreadful run of form. With that in mind, The Hard Tackle lists the six best options to hand the captain’s armband heading into the FPL DGW 37.
Erling Haaland (£14.2m)
Like last week, the most obvious candidate to take up the captain’s armband is Erling Haaland. And he proved his naysayers wrong with aplomb in Gameweek 36 with a four-goal show against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The world had not seen that side of Erling Haaland for months. But his four strikes brought the Manchester City striker a whopping 21 points and made him the favourite to win the Premier League Golden Boot for a second successive season after creating a four-goal gap over Cole Palmer.
So, it is hardly surprising that Haaland is the primary candidate to be your FPL captain, even though the reigning champions face Tottenham Hotspur in one of their two games. While the North London giants have a brilliant record at home against Manchester City, Pep Guardiola’s men seldom drop points in the run-in. So, the Norwegian goal machine should be your go-to man for the armband.
Cole Palmer (£6.2m)
After mentioning the runaway leader in the Premier League Golden Boot race, how can we not talk about the likeliest runner-up? We are talking about Cole Palmer, who has been an exceptional signing for Chelsea.
The youngster has made a mockery of the sceptics who questioned the transfer fee Chelsea coughed up to sign him from Manchester City last summer. To think PSV Eindhoven and West Ham United came close to securing his services, and we might not have seen such a special campaign from a gifted footballer.
The Englishman has been brilliant in recent weeks, although he has not produced sky-high output since returning from a short injury layoff. Nevertheless, Palmer has 90 points in his last nine outings in FPL, amassing 11 goals and four assists. With Chelsea facing Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion, the 22-year-old should fancy his prospects.
Alexander Isak (£8.4m)
We continue our list with another in-form player who has stormed into the Premier League Golden Boot race in recent weeks. He is also one of the candidates to win the Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. We are talking about Alexander Isak.
The Swede has endured an injury-riddled campaign but has been nothing short of brilliant whenever he has taken the field this season. In addition, Isak has been arguably one of the top three performers in the Premier League since April.
The 24-year-old has 73 points in his last nine outings in FPL, only drawing a blank in two games while racking up ten goals and two assists. Isak’s home record, in particular, is excellent, and he can produce a big haul against Brighton & Hove Albion before facing a vulnerable Manchester United defence.
Phil Foden (£8.4m)
Usually, our next pick will be high in the pecking order, considering his exploits thus far this season. However, with Pep Guardiola rotating him a lot in recent weeks, he comes fourth on our list. The man in question is Phil Foden.
The English international has already won the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year Award. In addition, he is arguably the favourite to win the Premier League’s respective honour and the Young Player of the Year crown.
While the 23-year-old has not featured in many games in recent weeks, he has produced a haul in five of his last seven outings, amassing 72 points during this run thanks to eight goals and one assist. And Foden should rack up the points if he starts both games for Manchester City in FPL DGW 37.
Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m)
Our list will end with two surprising picks, considering either their output or their team’s form. The first of this pair is Bruno Fernandes, who has been the only positive for Manchester United in recent weeks.
The Manchester United captain has led by example, producing a haul in eight of his last nine FPL outings, even though the Red Devils have only won two of those games. However, Bruno Fernandes has done his bit, amassing eight goals and three assists.
The Portuguese international’s absence was visible earlier this week as Crystal Palace thumped Manchester United 4-0 at Selhurst Park. And while the Red Devils face Arsenal in one of their two games, Fernandes has the quality to get something out of the match while producing a sizeable haul against Newcastle United.
Nicolas Jackson (£7.0m)
Our list ends with a player who has been the butt of jokes for much of the 2023/24 season. However, the numbers tell a tale in his favour, as he has garnered 13 goals and six assists despite his wastefulness. We are talking about Nicolas Jackson.
The Senegalese international has not set the stage alight this term, especially for the majority of the campaign thus far. However, his performances in recent weeks have provided a cause for optimism heading into the 2024/25 campaign.
Jackson has 40 points in his last five outings, amassing four goals and three assists. While those are not necessarily world-beating figures, Chelsea’s upcoming games against Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion should keep him in contention to produce big hauls in FPL DGW 37.
