Like most fantasy football account owners, you’re always looking for an edge over your opponents.

And while there are a lot of different factors that can contribute to success in the FPL, today, we’re going to focus on one pick that can make a big difference: your captain.

Sure, you could just go with the obvious choice and select the best player on your squad week after week. But if you really want to win, you need to be smarter than that. Here’s a look at how to choose the right captain for your team, whether it’s for a specific game week or the entire season, but first, let’s look at why the captain is the most important pick.

Why the Captain is the Most Important Pick in Your FPL Squad

The Double Points Bonus

One of the biggest reasons the captain is so important in FPL is because they can earn you double points. This bonus is awarded to the captain whenever they score a goal or make an assist, making a big difference in close games.

The Triple Captain Chip

The captain also benefits from the triple captain chip. This chip allows you to triple the points of your captain for a single game week. This can give you a big advantage over your opponents, especially if you use it during a week when your captain is playing against a weaker team.

As you can see, the captain is a crucial selection in your FPL team. They might help you earn more points and utilize the game’s most valuable chip. Make careful deliberation when selecting a team captain each week. So, how do you choose a captain for your squad?

How to Pick a Captain for Your Team

The Most Consistent Performer

When it comes to captains, consistency is key. You want a player who will put up good numbers week in and week out, regardless of the matchup. So take a look at the stats and see which players have been the most consistent in the season.

The Most Likely to Score Goals

Goals are obviously important in FPL, so you’ll want to make sure you have a player on your team who is likely to score them. Some players are more likely to find the back of the net than others, so consider picking a captain who’s known for their goal-scoring ability.

Consider Players with a Good Matchup

The upcoming match fixtures should guide you in your selection process. If a player has a favourable matchup, they are more likely to score points. So it’s important to look at the fixtures and see which players have a favourable matchup in the upcoming game week.

Players with the Highest Points

Higher points always translate to great performance. If a captain has been consistently scoring high points, they are more likely to continue doing so in the future. So be sure to look at the players with the highest points and select your captain accordingly.

Don’t forget the bonus points. A player who doesn’t score many goals but is always involved in the play and gets a lot of bonus points can be just as good as a player who scores lots of goals.

A Player Who Is Likely to Start

This is probably the most important criteria for choosing a captain. You don’t want to select a player who is likely to be benched or doesn’t play the full 90 minutes.

But how do you know which players will start and which ones will be benched?

Predicted EPL Lineups

A prediction tool is probably the most accurate source of information regarding who is likely to start each week. There are a few different ones available, but we recommend DraftHound.

This website makes predictions based on historic data as well as recent news stories about players’ health or form.

You can get predicted EPL lineups from constantly updated  reliable sources about players characteristics: which players are injured, benched or suspended.

A Player’s Recent Form

Another good indicator of whether a player is likely to start is their recent form.

If a player has been performing well in recent weeks, they are more likely to keep their place in the starting lineup.

On the other hand, if a player has been struggling or is coming back from an injury, they may be more likely to be benched.

Keep an eye on players’ form by looking at their stats over the last few weeks.

The Most Popular Choice

While it’s not always necessary to choose the most popular player, it can be helpful to do so. If many FPL managers are selecting the same player as their captain, then it’s likely that that player is having a great season and will continue to do so.

So who is the most important player on your team this season? The captain, of course! And while all of your other players are important as well, you mustn’t underestimate the importance of picking a good captain. If you want to end up with an unbeatable FPL squad this season, give plenty of thought to who will wear the armband for your team.