Matchday 36 is the biggest gameweek of the season in Fantasy Premier League, with 16 matches on show and 12 teams playing twice. This is the best opportunity for all fantasy managers to make massive gains in the rankings, and here are our FPL picks for the week.
GK: Kasper Schmeichel (LEI) – £4.9m
Leicester City play twice at home in double gameweek 36 against Everton and Norwich City, and the Danish goalkeeper has two clean sheets and one penalty save in his last four league appearances at the King Power Stadium.
DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold (LIV) – £8.4m
With Andrew Robertson expected to be rested this weekend after a run of seven starts in a row, Trent Alexander-Arnold might be the Liverpool defender of choice for FPL managers. The Englishman has eight double-figure returns this year and has not blanked in each of his last nine league appearances.
DEF: Marcos Alonso (CHE) – £5.7m
Marcos Alonso has 34 points in his last five league appearances for Chelsea, and the Spanish defender could start both games for the Blues this double-gameweek as the only fit left-back in the squad.
DEF: Joao Cancelo (MCI) – £7.1m
Joao Cancelo has registered a clean sheet or an assist in five of his last six appearances for Manchester City in FPL, and the Portuguese full-back scored 25 points in his previous meetings against the Cityzen’s double gameweek 36 opponents.
MID: Bukayo Saka (ARS) – £6.7m
Bukayo Saka has elevated his status at Arsenal in recent weeks, and the English winger has recorded two goals and two assists in his last three starts for the Gunners, making him one of the standout mid-priced FPL asset for double gameweek 36.
MID: Kevin de Bruyne (MCI) – £11.9m
Kevin de Bruyne has been the number one option for Manchester City in recent months, and has four goals and four assists in his last six appearances in the league.
MID: Phil Foden (MCI) – £7.9m
Doubling up on Manchester City midfielders is an excellent strategy for gameweek 36, and the second-best option for fantasy managers after Kevin de Bruyne is Phil Foden. The Englishman is likely to start at left-wing or striker for City in their two games against Newcastle and Wolves and has recorded a goal and two assists in his last two starts for the team.
MID: Dejan Kulusevski (TOT) – £6.3m
For those who can’t afford Son Heung-Min this week due to budget constraints, Dejan Kulusevski is an excellent backup option considering his form for Tottenham. The Swedish midfielder has three goals and nine assists since gameweek 26, averaging 5.6 points per match in FPL since his January arrival.
MID: Mohamed Salah (LIV) – £13.3m
Mohamed Salah remains the highest points-scorer in Fantasy Premier League this season, and is guaranteed to start in both of Liverpool’s games this weekend after being rested last week against Newcastle United.
FWD: Richarlison (EVE) – £7.5m
Everton strike Richarlison has scored four goals in his last five appearances for the club, and has taken a league-high 23 shots over the last six gameweeks, making him a brilliant forward option ahead of the Toffees’ two fixtures against Leicester City and Watford.
FWD: Eddie Nketiah (ARS) – £5.6m
Eddie Nketiah has cemented his place as Arsenal’s first-choice striker after impressive performances against Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham, and the English striker is one of the best budget strikers in the game at his price of £5.6m.
Captaincy Pick
Mohamed Salah will be the popular captaincy pick for this weekend, but my choice for the armband this week is Kevin de Bruyne. The Belgian is a massive differential with an ownership of just over 10%, and Manchester City have an incredibly favourable double gameweek with matches against Newcastle United and Wolves.
Shivaan Shah