FPL Double Gameweek 22: Captain picks
By Holly Shand
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FPL Gameweek 22 arrives with a Double Gameweek for Manchester United and Leeds United which will shake up the captaincy decision this week, away from the tradition of Erling Haaland. Is now the time to deploy the Triple Captain chip?
Marcus Rashford vs Crystal Palace (H) & Leeds United (H)
Marcus Rashford is the captaincy favourite heading into the double gameweek and rightly so: he’s scored five goals in his last six Premier League games, displaying his best form for Manchester United in some time. He’s also thought to be on penalties after converting from the spot in the FA Cup last month.
The biggest question here is whether to play the Triple Captain chip if you still have it. I believe it is a good opportunity, with two favourable home games. This chip is best played in a small double, with the alternative being Erling Haaland in Double Gameweek 23. The fixtures are more challenging though, facing league leaders Arsenal in one of their games.
Bruno Fernandes vs Crystal Palace (H) & Leeds United (H)
The biggest alternative to Marcus Rashford this week is his team-mate Bruno Fernandes, who has been resurgent in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era at Old Trafford. He’s now delivered attacking returns in five consecutive games, displaying the form which he consistently provided in the 2020/21 season, where he was the highest scoring FPL player in the game.
Fernandes will be a captaincy differential compared to Rashford and so could provide a huge boost in rank if he outscores his team-mate. He has a good track record of delivering in the double, including in January when he scored 19 points across Double Gameweek 20 and significantly beating Rashford’s tally of 12 points.
Erling Haaland vs Tottenham (A)
While the double gameweek assets are always tempting, Erling Haaland should also be considered an option for the trip to Spurs. He’s the most prolific goalscorer that the Premier League has ever seen, hitting 25 goals for the season by January, but over 70% of those have come at the Etihad, including a goal in the reverse fixture.
The schedule has been far less hectic for Manchester City, with a week either side of this fixture. It is important to weigh up a fresh Haaland compared to Rashford and Fernandes who played significantly more minutes across January in all competitions. I’m definitely favouring the double gameweek players on this occasion though.