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It's time for FPL managers to go back to the drawing board and put together a team that can earn maximum points in the 2021-22 season. It will be a tricky affair as always but there is nothing like stealing a march and gaining a yard on rivals at the start of the season.
FPL 2021-22 starts this week
Being the start of the first gameweek, FPL managers would be well-advised to check the status of new signings before including them in the team. Several high-profile signings like Romelu Lukaku and Raphael Varane are yet to be officially announced.
For the uninitiated, a player chosen as the captain of an FPL side for a gameweek will see his points double. If the captain does not feature in the gameweek, then the Vice-captain's tally will be doubled.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five best captain choices for Gameweek 1.
#5 Jamie Vardy (LEI) (FWD) - £10.5 million vs WOL (H)
Jamie Vardy could be an inspired pick this gameweek. The English striker is a sure-shot starter in this weekend's game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Foxes will kick off their league campaign at the King Power Stadium.
Vardy will be happy to welcome the fans back to their home ground. He didn't have the best of seasons last time out but still managed to score 15 goals and provide nine assists in the league.
He is also Leicester City's designated penalty taker. Wolverhampton Wanderers are an attacking side and Vardy will find plenty of opportunities to run at and in behind their defenders.
#4 Danny Ings (AVFC) (FWD) - £8.0 million vs WAT (A)
This is for those players who don't have Premier League superstars on their FPL team. Ings is a proven prolific goalscorer. He is expected to lead the line for Dean Smith's men against Watford on Saturday.
Aston Villa will be without Jack Grealish for the first time in years but they will fancy their chances against newly-promoted Watford. Ings is one of the best strikers in the Premier League.
Although he arrived just a little more than a week ago at Aston Villa, he scored their opening goal in their latest pre-season friendly against Salernitana. He will cost much less than the high-profile Premier League strikers but could prove to be just as effective. Ings could be an unconventional captaincy pick in FPL gameweek 1.
#3 Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV) (DEF) - £7.5 million vs NOR (A)
Norwich City will host Liverpool on Saturday. A fully-functioning Liverpool, with Van Dijk and Konate at the heart of their defense, are going to be a different beast altogether. They've also found plenty of joy against the Canaries in the past.
Trent Alexander-Arnold could be a great captaincy pick. Norwich will find it hard to score goals against Liverpool. Therefore, there is every chance that Trent will keep a cleansheet. He is also an excellent passer of the ball. The young right-back's swinging crosses from the right side is one of Klopp's chief weapons.
He scored two goals and provided nine assists in the Premier League last term. He can get plenty of bonus points as well thanks to his high passing, crossing and corner-taking rates.
#2 Mohamed Salah (LIV) (MID) - £12.5 million vs NOR (A)
Mohamed Salah is a point-machine as far as FPL managers are concerned. The Liverpool forward has delivered at a prolific rate on a consistent basis since returning to the Premier League in the 2017-18 season.
Salah had 27 attacking returns, 22 goals and five assists, last season and is expected to kick on in the same vein. He is also Liverpool's designated penalty taker, in addition to being their main goalscoring outlet.
He scored a hat-trick in the opening week of the 2020-21 season against Leeds United. They have relatively weak opposition in Norwich City as opposed to their top 6 rivals and Salah might just have a field day on Saturday.
#1 Bruno Fernandes (MUN) (MID) - £12.0 million vs LEE (H)
Bruno Fernandes is a top asset in the FPL. He is the player who scored the most number of points in the FPL 2020-21 season. The Portuguese international scored 18 goals and provided 11 assists in the Premier League last season.
He scores plenty of goals from midfield and is also Manchester United's creator-in-chief. The Red Devils are up against Leeds United on Saturday. In the corresponding fixture last season, Manchester United beat Marcelo Bielsa's side 6-2.
Leeds United have improved defensively since that thumping but their away form has been rather woeful. Bruno Fernandes will be happy to welcome fans back to Old Trafford and he is expected to have a great game against Marcelo Bielsa's side.
