Gameweek 1 is already here and the search for the best GW1 captain is on. There are so many good captaincy options in GW1, we have the likes of Haaland, Salah, Kane, Son and Gabby Jesus.
The problem however, is that we can only pick one. In this article we’d be going over those FPL assets mentioned above, we’d look at their stats and their fixtures and we’d then decide which one of them we should captain in gameweek one.
Five of the best GW1 captains
5. Erling Haaland
No doubt the Man City man is one that FPL managers would be looking to captain in gameweek 1. He’s a very good finisher and he has shown that he doesn’t need so many chances to get a goal.
He plays one of the toughest teams out of the remaining four players on our list and that’s one of the reasons why we have him in fifth place- Man City play West Ham in gameweek 1.
Haaland also has only played two games for Man City and from those two games it’s quite evident that he’d need time to gel with his new teammates.
He’s a wait and see for now and it’d much better to consider some of the other FPL assets that we have on this list as they’re much better captain picks.
Haaland is lethal and he doesn’t need that many chances to get a goal. The time he was in the Bundesliga, the Norwegian man managed to get himself 62 goals from an xG of 49.52.
You won’t put it past him to get a couple of goals against West Ham as he plays for one of the best attacking side in the league. So yeah, Haaland is a good GW1 captain pick, but there are better options.
4. Gabby Jesus
One of the most in form players going into gameweek 1, is Gabby Jesus. The Arsenal forward was superb in Arsenal’s preseason games, he scored 7 goals and assisted 1 and he’s one really good GW1 captain.
He faces Crystal Palace in gameweek 1 and it is a good time to captain him. He’s in red hot form and he’s a guaranteed starter, plus his ownership is ridiculous. He really is one good GW1 captain pick.
Arsenal look like they are scoring for fun and it’s almost hard to ignore Gabby Jesus. Jesus looks like a completely different player and he’s also enjoying his new role at Arsenal.
Arsenal are a team who create loads of chances and it looks like they’ve got a man who can put those chances in the back of the net.
Jesus is just ahead of Haaland simply because he has an easier fixture and has played enough games in preseason to make a case for himself.
So yeah captaining Jesus in GW1 isn’t the worst of ideas.
Can’t seem to find the right player to pair up with Gabby Jesus, feel free to check out: FPL tips: The best forward picks for your FPL team Kane, Haaland, Jesus, Nunez
3. Harry Kane
Harry Kane is third on this list and he’s one really good player, PL proven, nice fixtures and great underlying stats. He’s only just third because he’s a forward and wouldn’t get as much points as his teammate Heung Min Son if he gets a goal.
Spurs come up against Southampton, a team that Harry Kane personally loves playing against-he has scored a whooping 11 goals against the saints in the Premier League.
One thing that people say is, “Kane doesn’t always start the season well” well, he, just like Gabby Jesus, had a really nice preseason, scoring 5 goals and assisting 1.
He really is a good captain pick and he could possibly even be a differential, considering that most FPL managers would be captaining Mo Salah in gameweek one.
2. Heung Min Son
Son is only just ahead of Harry Kane on this list of GW1 captains, because of the extra point he gets for scoring a goal and the extra point he gets for keeping a clean sheet.
Some might say that Heung Min Son is not on penalties and so he isn’t the best pick. Well, yes that’s true because you could easily go for a Mo Salah who is on pens and that’s why most times FPL managers tend to favor Salah over Son.
However, his lack of penalties isn’t so much of an issue. In fact, Heung Min Son had the most non penalty goals last season, he also scored a whooping 23 goals and got himself the golden boot.
Son just like Kane, has had an impressive preseason scoring 2 goals and assisting 4. He also comes against Southampton in gameweek 1, a team that isn’t that great defensively.
Son is without a doubt one of the best captaincy options for gameweek one.
1. Mo Salah
Mo Salah is the definition of FPL royalty. He is a player who you can always captain regardless of his fixtures- he’s the definition of fixture proof.
Mo Salah has always scored in the opening game of every season and this time he faces newly promoted Fulham, who conceded 5 goals in their preseason game against Benfica.
Salah also reminded us of his quality in the community shield game against Man City. He scored a penalty and got an assist against the champions and in FPL terms, that’s a 13 pointer.
When it comes to captain picks, it doesn’t get better than Mo Salah. He is the player to captain in gameweek 1.
Salah VS Kane gameweek 1 captain
One of the biggest questions regarding this gameweek’s captaincy, would be whether to go for Salah or Harry Kane. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of captaining of the two, in gameweek 1.
Pros of captaining Salah over Kane in gameweek 1
- Salah is a midfielder and he’d get an extra point for clean sheets and for scoring a goal.
- Salah plays newly promoted Fulham in gameweek one and you’d expect Liverpool to win Fulham comfortably.
- Salah’s record in opening games of the season, is one you can’t overlook – the Liverpool man has scored in every opening fixture since he joined the Premier League
cons of captaining Salah over Kane in GW1
- Salah is away from home while Kane plays Southampton at home
- Kane has had decent amount of preseason games and could be a lot sharper than Salah
ALLABOUTFPL captain metrics poll:
Well, in a poll done by allaboutFPL, 67.69% of FPL managers would be captaining Mo Salah in GW1, while 14.81% of FPL managers would be going for Harry Kane.
It’s currently between Mo Salah and Harry Kane. Well, those numbers could easily change as voting is still on. Also do make sure to check ALLABOUTFPL captain metrics post, it is really helpful.
Who is our GW1 captain
Here at raensports, Mo Salah would be our gameweek one captain. He’s the safest and obvious pick. His record at the start of every season is also really impressive.
You’d expect Liverpool to put a couple past Fulham in gameweek one and Mo Salah would definitely play a major role in that. It’s a no brainer.
Feel free to checkout: GW1 draft tips: some of the best FPL drafts for gameweek 1
Redeyedrae, is an FPL content writer with years of experience in playing and writing about FPL. He has written for major FPL blogs like ALLABOUTFPL, Fantasytipsters, FF Titans, and nevermanagealone. With his deep knowledge of the game, he has become a trusted source for FPL fans worldwide. His content is well-researched and always up-to-date. He’s passionate about helping FPL managers gain an edge in their leagues by sharing insights and analysis about everything fantasy football on raensports.
