Fantasy Premier League: The best differential captain picks for the rest of the month

It’s been a difficult few weeks for those who have backed the captaincy template in the Fantasy Premier League, with four clean sheets in five for Erling Haaland (£15.3m).

The Manchester City striker’s dip in form may not justify a sale just yet, but being differentiated with your captain choice each week, especially given Haaland’s patchy recent form, could give you a welcome boost.

So who are the contenders for various captaincy picks for the coming month and who are the teams to target as far as the captaincy is concerned?

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The importance of cracking the captain’s riddle

Week to week, the captaincy in FPL provides the biggest variance in the game. Get it right and you’ll often rise through the mini league rankings – but a captain failure can ruin your week.

We’re at a stage where we can’t just back Haaland every week, with Manchester City struggling to create chances for their main man.

The fixtures also turn for Manchester City now: they face Brighton, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the next four gameweeks. There are plenty of differences in the captain to consider.

It’s worth noting that, especially as we hit busy European midweeks, it might be wise to use the armband on a player free from the same intense schedule. These come in the midweeks prior to Gameweek 11 and Gameweek 13.

There are some significant clashes at the top of the Premier League table to avoid too, including Chelsea hosting Arsenal in Gameweek 11 and Liverpool’s clash with Manchester City at the start of December.

We’ve also seen certain teams worth targeting, with Ipswich Town conceding the most big chances (45) on goal this season and Leicester City conceding the most shots (182) this campaign.

Picking a captain candidate who has recent form plus a plum home game is a good starting point. Add someone who produces 90-minute performances consistently and someone with penalties and it creates the perfect mix.

Top differential picks for Gameweek 11

In Gameweek 11, the key differential captain alternative is the Spurs’ Dominic Solanke (£7.6m) ahead of the visit of Ipswich, who have conceded 23 big chances in the last four game weeks.

Solanke rewarded his owners’ patience with a 16-point haul in his side’s 4-1 win against Aston Villa last time out, producing two goals and an assist. It was his first goal in four game weeks.

Despite that dip in form, Solanke’s underlying numbers have shown plenty of promise all season, and his 1.27 big chances per 90 minutes puts him in third place Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) and Haaland in the Premier League.

The only downside to backing Solanke in this game is Spurs’ midweek schedule, with a grueling trip to Galatasaray in the Europa League tonight (kick-off 5.45pm GMT; 12.45pm ET). Keep an eye on his minutes in that game.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest are flying high in the Premier League table with their talisman Chris Wood (£6.5m) a healthy contender ahead of their home game against his old club Newcastle United at the weekend.

Wood has been so consistent this campaign, scoring eight goals from 11 big chances, including five goals in his last four games. He has a clean sheet in just one home game this season.

I would also consider the Wolves striker Matheus Cunha (£6.6m) ahead of the visit of others, Southampton are struggling in what could be a classic six-pointer at the bottom of the Premier League table.

Cunha has five goals involved from the first 10 game weeks of the season with 29 shots on target this season. He is also creative, ranking third of all players for big chances created with eight.

Cunha is believed to be first-choice on penalties for Wolves, having been the preferred option when fit last season. In the 2023–24 season, he produced 19 goal involvements in 29 starts.

Top differential picks for Gameweek 12

at Newcastle United Alexander Isak (£8.3m) is a worthy contender in Gameweek 12 when West Ham visit St James’ Park. European players have the advantage of coming after the international break, with reduced air miles compared to those traveling further across the globe.

The Newcastle forward has been in fine scoring form since returning from injury in Gameweek 8, with two goals this term. He sits top for shots on target (8) this spell and second for big chances (5).

He also has penalties in his locker, which is an important route to points. Isak enjoys playing against West Ham, with excitement at home and away against them last season. They have conceded eight goals in their last three games.

We’ll have to keep an eye out Raul Jimenez (£5.8m) inclusion in Mexico’s squad for the international break before considering him for the armband in Gameweek 12. At the time of writing, he is expected to be involved and it could result in a late return to the UK for the 33-year-old.

A clash against his former employers Wolves could be a significant one. He is in form at Craven Cottage, with three goals in four home starts this campaign.

Bournemouth budget midfielder Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m) could also be considered for the visit of Brighton, with his home form particularly prevalent in 2024-25, with three goals involved in five.

Top differential picks for Gameweek 13

Forest frontman Wood comes back under consideration in Gameweek 13 as Ipswich become the latest visitors to the City Ground, with the home side expected to dominate this fixture.

Wood has now become the recognized penalty taker in Nuno Espirito Santo’s side and regularly plays 90 minutes. During Gameweek 11, Ipswich have conceded 13 goals in five away trips.

Bryan Mbeumo (£7.8m) should also be considered a key candidate ahead of Brentford’s home game against Leicester City in Gameweek 13, a team that concedes a lot of shots.

Brentford have been in good form at home this season with four wins and a draw. They are also top for goals this time (15) as well as big chances (25). Mbeumo has been involved in almost half of them and scored a league-leading seven home goals this season.

Although Wood will be the obvious differential captain choice, Mbeumo cannot be overlooked in any game for Brentford this season, especially as his excellent form continues.

Manchester United’s home game against Everton in Gameweek 13 will be Ruben Amorim’s first league game at Old Trafford, so expect fireworks at this crucial time for the club.

Captain Bruno Fernandes (£8.2m) will look to make an impact under his new manager after scoring from the penalty spot in Gameweek 10 against Chelsea. He also scored in this game last season.

(Top photos: Antoine Semenyo and Bruno Fernandes; Getty Images)