Your captain’s points count double. For most managers, it’s the biggest decision of the week, and the easiest to overthink.
Why it matters
A captain who scores 15 adds 15 extra points. A captain who blanks adds 2. Over a season the armband is worth more than almost any transfer, so a steady, sensible pick every week beats a clever gamble that comes off once.
A captain checklist
- He’ll play 90 minutes. Check team news. A captain on the bench or subbed at 60 caps your week.
- He takes penalties (or free-kicks and corners). Set pieces add chances most players don’t get.
- The fixture is kind. At home to a side that concedes a lot is ideal.
- He gets chances, not just goals. Expected goals and assists show who keeps getting into good positions, even in a quiet spell.
- Two matches beat one. In a double gameweek, a doubler is usually the best choice.
Midfielders and forwards are the usual picks, because goals and assists score most. A defender is rarely worth it unless he’s an attacking one with a great fixture.
Your vice-captain
If your captain doesn’t play at all, your vice-captain’s points are doubled instead. Pick someone who plays in a different match, ideally later in the week, so you’re covered if your captain is a surprise absence.
Following the crowd
When most managers captain the same player, his points barely move your rank: everyone gets them. Picking someone else is a bet that he’ll outscore the popular choice.
- Protecting a lead? Match the popular captain. You can’t lose ground if he hauls.
- Chasing? A different captain is one of the few ways to gain a lot in one week, but only on someone with a real chance.
- Most weeks, just pick the player you think will score most. Going against the crowd for its own sake loses more often than it wins.
Common mistakes
- Captaining last week’s top scorer without checking his next fixture.
- Switching to a player you don’t own with a −4 hit just for the armband.
- Forgetting to check team news before the deadline.
On Pitchline: Captains ranks this week’s captain options by expected points, and Live shows your captain’s points as they come in. Ownership shows the popular captain options.