Having the best FPL captain in a given gameweek can be the difference between winning and losing your mini-league. The best way to maximize returns is to look for players with strong fixtures who can provide multiple attacking returns.
I'll provide three potential captain choices for the first five gameweeks, with the wildcard being a more risky/differential option. The key ahead of Gameweek 1 is having some of these options in your squad unless you're fine giving Salah the armband every gameweek, which worked last season.
Looking for predicted lineups or FPL rankings? We've got you covered.
Our Gameweek 1 FPL cheat sheet is now live! Unfamiliar? Check this thread.
GAMEWEEK 1
Captain: Mohamed Salah vs. Bournemouth
Salah was the undoubted King of FPL last season, breaking the record with 344 total points. His 29 goals and 18 assists were a Premier League record for goal contributions in a season. Liverpool start their title defense at Anfield by welcoming Bournemouth, a side that will have only one member of their main defensive line from last season. Milos Kerkez will likely start for Liverpool in this game, Illia Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen made big-money moves to PSG and Real Madrid, and Kepa Arrizabalaga was replaced by Djordje Petrovic.
Vice-Captain: Erling Haaland at Wolverhampton
Haaland had a quiet end to the 2024/25 season after an injury slowed him in April before returning for the final month. He still scored 22 goals in 31 games, and for the second season in a row, he started the season quickly. To open the campaign, Haaland scored nine goals, including two hat tricks. In the previous season, he scored seven and assisted once in the opening five games. In the five games Haaland has played against Wolves, he's scored eight goals, including a hat trick and a four-goal haul.
Wildcard pick: Jarrod Bowen at Sunderland
Bowen and West Ham take on the lowest-ranked finishers from last season, the Championship playoff winners, Sunderland. They conceded 44 goals, while Leeds United (30) and Burnley (18) allowed fewer, and therefore will be a target for team's attacking assets. Bowen scored against two of the three Premier League opponents that West Ham played in preseason and finished last season with five goals and three assists in his final six Premier League games.
GAMEWEEK 2
Captain: Haaland vs. Spurs
Haaland will be a viable captaincy option in Gameweek 2, as well. Spurs, despite their victory in the Europa League, had a terrible record defensively in the Premier League. They are under the new leadership of Thomas Frank, but it will take time to change the defensive style that conceded 65 goals last season without any new signings. Spurs also fell to a heavy 4-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in preseason, a similar quality of opposition to that of the Manchester City lineup.
Vice-Captain: Bukayo Saka vs. Leeds United
Arsenal have one of the worst fixture runs in the opening period of the Premier League, but this is a game worth targeting if you have a player like Saka in your GW1 lineup. Saka's season was disrupted by injury in 2024/25, but he closed the campaign healthy and has been mostly fit throughout the summer. In his first 19 games in the league and Europe last season, he scored nine goals and provided 12 assists.
Wildcard pick: Viktor Gyokeres vs. Leeds United
For those brave enough to bring the new singing Gyokeres into your draft, you may also be brave enough to give him the captain's armband in GW2. He scored his first Arsenal goal in a 3-0 victory over Athletic Club in the final preseason game. In 33 league games for Sporting last season, he scored 39 goals, and his six Champions League goals included a hat trick against Manchester City.
GAMEWEEK 3
Captain: Bruno Fernandes vs. Burnley
Choosing a Manchester United player as a captaincy option may feel like a strange pick, but Fernandes is still their talisman. His eight goals and 10 assists meant that he was directly involved in 41 percent of Manchester United's league goals last season. He now has the attacking reinforcements of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to boost this output.
Vice-Captain: Cole Palmer vs. Fulham
Palmer is the most-rostered asset in FPL ahead of GW1 after his brace and assist in the Club World Cup final victory, but his FPL form at the end of last season left a lot to be desired. In his final 16 Premier League games, he didn't score from open play, only scoring once from the penalty spot and providing two assists. He still finished the season with 15 goals and eight assists.
Wildcard pick: Ollie Watkins vs. Crystal Palace
Watkins has scored five goals in five preseason games and comes into the season as one of the most in-form forwards. He scored 18 goals and provided eight assists last season despite only starting 31 games. He had an attacking return in both games against Crystal Palace, and has a goal involvement in four of his five matches at home to Crystal Palace.
GAMEWEEK 4
Captain: Salah at Burnley
Salah returns as the main option for Gameweek 4. By this stage, there will be a bit more information on how Burnley are defending against Premier League opposition. With Man United in Gameweek 3, FPL managers should also have a better reading on how the Liverpool attack will look against Burnley, who are now without goalkeeper James Trafford.
Vice-Captain: Palmer at Brentford
Palmer also makes a return to this list as Chelsea play Brentford, who have gone through a lot of change this summer, losing Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard and most likely Yoane Wissa. Keith Andrews takes over after being the set-piece coach but has no first-team experience. After three gameweeks, it may be evident that playing Brentford is more fruitful for returns than Burnley.
Wildcard pick: Alexander Isak vs. Wolverhampton (if he stays)
Isak's quality is undeniable, but his position is uncertain within the Newcastle squad, as he wants to make a move to Liverpool. This game will be Newcastle's first after the closing of the transfer window, so if he leaves, Anthony Gordon could be a good option.
GAMEWEEK 5
Captain: Salah vs. Everton
Salah has scored seven and provided two assists in his last 10 Merseyside derbies, and Salah is a good captaincy option in any home game, particularly when against a team that has finished in the bottom half for several seasons in a row. Salah's involvement in this list as the best captaincy choice three times in the first five gameweeks makes him a pretty essential part of your FPL Gameweek 1 lineup.
Vice-Captain: Watkins at Sunderland
Watkins returns to this list with a strong fixture against Sunderland. There's a chance the Black Cats will be rolling with all of their new additions by Gameweek 5, so this one isn't set in stone by any means, especially at the Stadium of Light.
Wildcard pick: Chris Wood at Burnley
Wood returns to his former side after the season of his career, something he'll try to replicate. He finished last season with 20 goals, one of only five players to reach that many, and if he hits the ground running, he should be a popular consideration for Gameweek 5.
