We’re having a look at the best captaincy picks ahead of this week’s round of fixtures following the recent International break. So buckle up! Here are the FPL GW4 best captain choices!
A big Norwegian that goes by the name of Erling Haaland took the headlines in GW3 as he bagged his second consecutive hattrick and delighted the 67% of players that own the 24-year-old.
Our surprise pick for GW3 was Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, and the Congo International was on the scoresheet against Southampton, but it was his striking partner Bryan Mbeumo who took the headlines with 2 goals and 3 bonus points.
An 8-point return for Wissa was impressive considering his low price of just 6.1m and an expected points return of 5 heading into the weekend. Let’s get into this week!
FPL GW4 Best Captain Options: The Usual Suspects
1. Erling Haaland (15.2m)
Already surging ahead at the top of the goalscorer charts with 7 goals in 3 games, despite his huge transfer fee, Haaland is as close to a “must-have” as we have come across since FPL was created in 2002.
His back-to-back hattricks in GW2 and 3 against Ipswich and West Ham were a prime example of how lethal he can be when on form.
The international break probably came at the wrong time for the No. 9, as he was in red-hot form, but he comes up against Brentford this week, a team for which he has scored 1 and assisted 1 in his 3 appearances against the Bees.
Thomas Frank’s side have made a promising start to the season, picking up 6 points in their opening 3 matches, but Saturday’s clash at the Etihad presents a totally different challenge.
Haaland was on the scoresheet in the same fixture last year when City came away with a 1-0 victory and you wouldn’t bet on him hitting the net again. At this point, Haaland may just be a set and forget FPL captain once again.
2. Mo Salah (12.7m)
The Liverpool wideman continued his excellent record at Old Trafford last time out with a goal, 2 assists, and 3 bonus points, taking his tally for the first 3 GWs to 41, joint top with Erling Haaland.
As we identified ahead of GW3, the FPL and Egyptian “King” has a ridiculous record against the Red Devils, and it was almost inevitable that he would impact the game in some way.
His 17-point return was a reward for those who stayed loyal to the 32 year-old despite playing one of the Reds biggest rivals.
This week he is up against Nottingham Forest at home, and he has hit the back of the net in his last two appearances against Forest.
This may be a sign of things to come, and if his last performance before the international break is anything to go by, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side could be in for a long afternoon.
3. Cole Palmer (10.6m)
Having got an assist last time out against Crystal Palace, Palmer has a total of 25 points after the opening 3 GWs.
After picking up a knock in the closing minutes last time out, the 22-year-old had to pull out of the England squad and although should be ready to start this weekend, he may not be firing on all cylinders.
For such a hefty price tag, I think it may be time to look elsewhere for captaincy picks over the next couple of weekends.
Another concerning statistic heading into the weekend is that the young Englishman has yet to score against Bournemouth in his short career.
Although his quality from set-pieces cannot be underestimated along with the responsibility he has in this Chelsea squad. He is more often than not involved in any good play from the Blues.
4. Bukayo Saka (10.1m)
Yet to return a blank throughout the opening 3 matchweeks and without hitting the heights of last season yet, Arsenal fans will be quietly content with how Saka is performing so far.
Having assisted in his past 2 matches against Aston Villa and Brighton, the young Englishman seems to be putting more emphasis on creating chances for his teammates at the moment. This creativity will be needed, especially with the ankle injury to midfield general Martin Odegaard.
This week Arsenal face off against North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in what is guaranteed to be a spicy affair. Arsenal came away with a 3-2 victory in this fixture last season with Saka getting on the scoresheet, owners will be hoping for more of the same this weekend.
Coming off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle, Ange Postecoglu will anticipate a reaction from his side, which could spell trouble for Arsenal and Arteta.
In North London derbies, Saka has a record of 3 goals and 2 assists in 9 appearances, which would put me off selecting the winger as my captain for this upcoming gameweek.
FPL GW4 Best Captain Options: The Surprise Pick
Kaoru Mitoma (6.6m)
Brighton are in flying form, having picked up 7 out of a possible 9 points in the first 3 gameweeks of the season.
Fabian Hürzeler has built a side that is defensively solid, allowing the attacking players to express themselves and we have seen numerous examples of that over the first 3 weeks.
Players such as Joao Pedro, Yankuba Minteh, Danny Welbeck, and Kaoru Mitoma are excelling under Hürzeler, and the visit of Premier League new boys Ipswich Town to the Amex this weekend presents another opportunity for the Seagulls to claim another 3 points.
At a bargain price of 6.6 million, Japanese international Kaoru Mitoma has looked very sharp over the first few GWs, and having got off the mark for the season in the opening day win at Goodison Park has huge potential for a high return this weekend.
The electric winger can cause Kieran McKenna’s side numerous headaches on Saturday afternoon and is an ideal left-field captaincy pick ahead of this week’s action.
