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The Fantasy Premier League (FPL) deadline for Gameweek 1 is fast approaching and managers should be locking in their teams after making some final changes. While the opening teams are a crucial component of every FPL season, the captaincy is another factor FPL managers should consider.
We have seen some mammoth captaincy hauls in the opening gameweeks of previous seasons. Bruno Fernandes, Mohamed Salah, and Raheem Sterling are among those who have shined in GW 1 of previous seasons.
On that note, let's look at the top five FPL captaincy options for Gameweek 1.
#5 Kevin De Bruyne (MCI) (MID) (£12.0 m) vs WHU (A)
West Ham isn't an easy opponent to face, especially for Manchester City. David Moyes' side has caused considerable grief for the Cityzens, including a 2-2 draw in Gameweek 37 that led to a nail-biting title race last season.
However, with a new season underway, you would expect Manchester City to start strongly like they usually do despite the opposition.
While he is an FPL differential compared to Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne could reward his 15% FPL ownership with a solid captaincy haul in Gameweek 1. He should be the creative hub of this Man City side and can expect his chances to be better finished upon the arrival of Erling Haaland.
The Belgian has also sharpened the goalscoring side of his game and was Manchester City's highest goalscorer in the league. He's also great at picking up bonus points. All in all, Kevin De Bruyne could finish with a sizeable FPL haul, despite the tricky fixture.
#4 Luis Diaz (LIV) (MID) (£8.0 m) vs FUL (A)
Filling Sadio Mane's shoes is no easy feat but Luis Diaz seems up for the task. With Diogo Jota out injured, Diaz is the undisputed first-choice left-winger and looks to be first-choice even otherwise.
After putting in some impressive performances since his January transfer from Porto, Diaz is a cut-price route into the deadly Liverpool attack. He has taken up a more central role, drifting inside from the left wing, allowing Andrew Robertson to overlap.
While Diaz's style of play is different from that of Mane, you would expect him to step up and deliver a similar level of attacking output. He has an xGI/90 (expected goal involvement per 90 minutes) of 0.60 in his brief stint in the Premier League, and it only looks like he can get better.
Liverpool has one of the best opening fixtures of all teams, taking on a defensively underpowered Fulham side.
Fulham manager Marco Silva has lamented the lack of defensive reinforcements and the side's pre-season results don't bode well for the Cottagers' defense. Along with Mo Salah, Luis Diaz will look to rip through the Fulham backline. He's an enticing differential captaincy option.
#3 Son Heung-Min (TOT) (MID) (£12.0 m) vs SOU (H)
After finishing last season with a bang, Son Heung-Min will look to carry that momentum into the new campaign. Despite a price rise to £12.0 m, Son remains an excellent FPL pick coming off a Golden Boot win that saw him finish with only seven FPL points less than Mohamed Salah.
Manager Antonio Conte and director of football Fabio Paratici have made plenty of positive moves in the transfer market, and as a result, Spurs look a really strong side. They will look to start the season on the front foot, and a home fixture against one of the leakiest defenses last season should help them do that.
Son had a solid pre-season, combining well with Harry Kane as usual. If you have him in your fantasy teams, he's an excellent captaincy candidate.
#2 Harry Kane (TOT) (FWD) (£11.5 m) vs SOU (H)
Very similar to Son, Kane also finished last season very strongly, scoring 17 goals and providing 11 FPL assists overall. He had a poor start to his 2021-22 campaign, and he'll aim to avoid that this time around. The Englishman's pre-season form was excellent and he'll look to continue in that vein in the league.
After a full pre-season under Antonio Conte, Kane should well and truly be Spurs' main man up front. He has the potential to get both goals and FPL assists and has a knack for picking up bonus points. Kane is also on penalties and that gives him the edge over Son, in my opinion.
All things considered, Harry Kane is a top captaincy option for those FPL managers who own him.
#1 Mohamed Salah (LIV) (MID) (£13.0 m) vs FUL (A)
This is a bit of a no-brainer. Mohamed Salah has been the go-to captain on opening day for quite a while now. He has scored in the opening fixture of the season five times a row. Against a struggling Fulham defense, you'd expect him to easily make it six.
No one can even come close to Salah's underlying numbers. Despite a tail-off in his form post the AFCON last season, he was still the best FPL option. With an FPL ownership of more than 60%, Salah is likely to be the most-captained player in Gameweek 1.
The Egyptian is a nailed-on starter, he's on penalties, and he's the spearhead of one of the best attacks in the league playing against an unsettled defense, I don't think there's anything left to say. If you've got Salah, captain him.
