FPL Bois Best Captains: Gameweek 1

Weeks and weeks of planning, endless drafts, all the permutations and combinations to get the best squad, and here we are! One final decision to get started with another special season of the game we love the most! Here are our first three players on the shortlist who could help you get off to a flying start this season!

Best FPL Captain for GW1:

Salah – BOU (H):

It has to be him! The undisputed king and the best player of last season, Mo Salah kicks things off as he takes on Bournemouth in the first game of the season, leading a new look Liverpool attack. The king reigned supreme last season with the most FPL points, the most goals, and the most assists, and now he takes on a defence that has been completely overhauled with the player sales of some of their best players from last season.

Let’s brush up on Salah’s stats from last season… He ranked 1st for FPL points, 1st for goals scored, 1st for xG, 3rd for nPxG, 1st for assists, 2nd for xA, 1st for Big Chances Created, 1st for shots taken, 1st for shots on target, and 1st for Penalty Area Touches! Liverpool as a team too carried this dominance as they ranked 1st for goals scored, 1st for xG, and 1st for Big Chances Created. They’ll be looking to carry this dominance into the new season as well as they look stronger with the reinforcements brought during the window.

Some managers may have been put off with his recent performance in the Community Shield, citing he’s playing too wide and away from the action, while some are fearing being priced out of a more balanced squad. All we can say is that write him off at your own peril and do have a backup plan in case you choose to start without him.

Salah will once again excel with his creativity, finishing, and set piece duties and has a high ceiling against Bournemouth who although ranked 8th for xGC are now a worse defence on paper. This has all the ingredients to make him a strong candidate for the armband in the first Gameweek of the season!

Haaland – WOL (A):

One juggernaut brings another, and fittingly the robot. Erling Haaland is next up on the shortlist as he looks to start off with a bang against an average Wolves defence that ranked 15th for xGC and conceded 27 goals against the top 6 of last season. Ever since his arrival he’s taken the league by storm and a season with 22 PL goals felt like a drop off, and now he would be looking to run rampant on defences again and reclaim his golden boot with a strong start to the season.

Let’s take a look at Erling’s stats from last season as well, he ranked 3rd for goals scored, 2nd for xG, 1st for nPxG, 2nd for shots taken, 2nd for shots on target, and 4th for Penalty Area Touches. Meanwhile the City attack also showed strong signs, ranking 2nd for goals scored, 2nd for xG, and 3rd for Big Chances Created. Wolves have had to sell some key players during the window as well and will be in the phase of gelling up the squad which could lead to defensive errors from them and goal threats for Haaland.

His explosiveness and directness in front of goal is what makes him stand out, and with a creative workforce behind him in the midfield, chances are likely to fall for him to bag goals in this game and lead Man City to a dominant win. The managers who are opting for the Haaland route should be comfortably handing him the armband and wait for that trademark Erling Haaland performance to bring them the goods.

 

GW1 Differential Captaincy Choice:

Watkins – NEW (H):

Someone who’s turning out to be the dark horse of the initial Gameweeks: Ollie Watkins. He is the final name on the shortlist for the first Gameweek as he takes on a motivational depleted Newcastle side who have not shown any great form in the pre season and have had to face multiple setbacks in the transfer market. With another solid showing in the previous season, Watkins had 16 goals and 8 assists scoring 186 points, making it his third consecutive season with 15+ goals and 20+ overall goal contributions and 175+ FPL points, proving his worth for his managers.

Let’s brush up on his detailed stats too, Watkins ranked 7th for goals scored, 6th for xG, 5th for nPxG, 10th for assists, 9th for total shots, 9th for shots on target, and 9th for Penalty Area Touches. Villa’s attack in general had a decent showing too, ranking 9th for goals scored, 11th for xG, and 4th for Big Chances Created. With Newcastle not at their best (just one win from 7 pre season games), Unai’s men would be looking to pounce on this opportunity and grab the three crucial points in what could be a big game in context to European spots for the next season.

Watkins’ threat in front of goal and ability to link up with the creative and wide players make him a strong asset with a high ceiling in the first Gameweek and thereby a strong contender for the armband besides the two FPL darlings. This could be a bold move to start off with a big swing in your favor right at the start of the season.

 

Thank you for reading our article! Which player are you handing the keys to get your season off to a racing start?

 

The FPL Bois also chose the best fixtures period for all 20 Premier League teams – this is something all managers will want to know about to plan for a successful FPL season!

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