FPL Captain Picks GW28 (2025/26 Season)

Haaland remains the gold standard for captaincy due to his unparalleled goal threat and penalty duties. Despite a slight dip in his stratospheric form, his underlying numbers and the high volume of chances City create make him a perennial threat. Facing a Leeds side that can be defensively susceptible on the counter provides ample opportunity for him to deliver a significant haul.

Leeds' adventurous full-backs push high, creating central channels that Haaland perfectly times his runs into, especially against a backpedaling defence.

Virgil offers a high floor for points with his strong clean sheet probability against a West Ham side that struggles to create high-quality chances on the road. His consistent presence and occasional attacking contributions from set pieces make him a reliable alternative, particularly for managers seeking defensive returns. His impressive recent form underscores his current reliability.

West Ham typically adopt a deep defensive block away against top teams, which, while frustrating for attackers, often leads to a lower-scoring affair beneficial for clean sheet potential, with Virgil's aerial threat also a factor from set-pieces.

For managers aiming to make significant rank gains, Rayan stands out. His low ownership combined with an excellent home fixture against Sunderland (difficulty 2) provides a potent differential opportunity. With a respectable 5.5 PPG and consistent recent form, he has demonstrated the capacity for attacking returns, and the matchup could see him thrive.

Sunderland's defence can be stretched when pressured, particularly through quick transitions in wide areas, which aligns with Rayan's likely role in linking play and making runs into the box from midfield against a lower-difficulty opponent.