We have to go back a fortnight to reflect on Gameweek 12 due to the international break. But those who captained Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) will have been very happy with the outcome, the Egyptian having scored twice and racked up 16 FPL points in Liverpool’s 3-0 win against Brentford. Bukayo Saka (£8.6m) gained an assist but had to settle for just 5 fantasy points vs Burnley, while there was 3 points for Bruno Fernandes (£8.3m) due to him failing to pick up an attacking return in Man Utd’s 1-0 win over Luton.
As FPL managers finalise their squads and complete their transfers ahead of Saturday morning’s deadline, we once again take a look at the field and pick out a number of the most enticing captaincy options available for Gameweek 13.
Erling Haaland (£14.0m) – MAN CITY vs Liverpool
Despite missing Norway’s Euro 2024 qualification group stage fixture away at Scotland during the international break with a nagging ankle problem, Man City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Erling Haaland is fit for his side’s crucial Gameweek 13 encounter with Liverpool at Etihad Stadium and as such, his captaincy credentials are given a big boost as he is likely to start such an important fixture.
No player boasts more Premier League goals than Haaland’s 13 so far this season and his overall score of 96 fantasy points after 12 gameweeks is second only to Mohamed Salah. Haaland’s last league appearance saw him record two goals, an assist and 16 FPL points against Chelsea and an ownership of over 80% ensures that captaining Haaland is the best way to benefit from any significant haul of points he accrues in Gameweek 13.
Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) – Man City vs LIVERPOOL
Liverpool’s Gameweek 13 fixture away to Man City would normally be considered a difficult one, but when it comes to Mohamed Salah, a showdown with the Premier League and European champions normally leads to goals and large FPL gains. Over the course of his career, Salah has accumulated 11 goals and five assists against Man City and boasts at least one goal in each of his most recent four fixtures vs Guardiola’s men in all competitions.
Currently the best-performing FPL asset available in all positions, no player can match Salah’s total of 101 points so far this campaign. Not only has he managed seven goals in his last five Premier League games, he is coming off the back of having scored four times for Egypt against Djibouti in the most recent international break. Expect him to once again be heavily captained among the fantasy community.
Kieran Trippier (£7.0m) – NEWCASTLE vs Chelsea
We’ve mentioned in the past that it can prove very risky when placing the armband on a defender, but Kieran Trippier arguably breaks the mould due to his attacking capabilities down the right-hand-side. Despite withdrawing from international duty with injury, Eddie Howe has confirmed that the 50% owned Trippier is fine and has trained with his Newcastle teammates ahead of their Gameweek 13 clash with Chelsea at St. James’ Park.
The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to Trippier’s FPL output. Newcastle’s last four home Premier League fixtures have seen the England international rack up four clean sheets, two assists and 39 fantasy points and as it stands, Trippier is currently the top-scoring FPL asset among defenders with a whopping 69 points to his name. Facing a Chelsea side who have shipped nine goals across their last four league matches, Trippier may be afforded further attacking success in Gameweek 13. With that in mind, he has to be in the captaincy frame.
Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m) – Burnley vs WEST HAM
Our third potential Gameweek 13 captain who has been under the spotlight regarding his current injury status. Jarrod Bowen will undergo a late fitness test ahead of West Ham’s away fixture with rock-bottom Burnley after reports emerged that the attacking winger was suffering with a knee problem. Like Trippier, Bowen had pulled out of England duty but his availability is less certain than that of the Newcastle star.
Despite this, Bowen remains a highly enticing choice when it comes to choosing a captain for Gameweek 13. This is due to his incredible record away from home in the Premier League this season. Across West Ham’s six away league fixtures played so far, the 26-year-old has managed one goal in each match, accruing 50 FPL points overall. Potentially going up against a Burnley side who have lost their last six games in all competitions, conceding 17 goals in the process is something that fantasy bosses cannot ignore.
When taking into account Bowen’s questionable Gameweek 13 status, any Fantasy Premier League manager who does choose to roll the dice and name him their skipper would be wise to select a good vice-captain, which provides cover in the case that Bowen does not feature at Turf Moor. It’s unlikely that Bowen will be named on the bench due to his importance to the Hammers. If he’s fit, expect him to start.
