Your captain is the most important player in your fantasy football team. In most fantasy football games, the captain earns double points, making the captaincy decision one of the biggest factors in your overall score each gameweek.

Selecting the right captain can be the difference between an average finish and climbing your mini-league or winning a fantasy football contest. For this reason, experienced managers spend considerable time analysing fixtures, form and team news before making their decision.

How the Captain Works

Most fantasy football games allow you to nominate one player as your captain before the deadline. Whatever points that player scores during the gameweek are doubled and added to your team’s total.

Some games also allow you to select a vice-captain, who automatically becomes captain if your original captain does not play any minutes.

Choosing the Right Captain

Several factors should be considered before selecting your captain, including:

• Current form.
• The difficulty of the upcoming fixture.
• Home or away advantage.
• Likelihood of starting the match.
• Injuries and team news.
• Recent attacking returns such as goals and assists.

Captaining a player from a team expected to score several goals often increases the chances of a high fantasy return.

Captain Strategy

Your captaincy strategy may vary depending on the type of fantasy contest you are playing. In head-to-head and smaller contests, many managers prefer a reliable, consistent captain who is likely to deliver steady points.

In larger tournaments with thousands of entrants, selecting a less popular captain with a high ceiling can provide a significant advantage if they produce an outstanding performance.

Why the Captain Matters

Because captain points are doubled, getting the decision right can have a major impact on your overall ranking. Over the course of a season, consistently choosing the right captain is one of the biggest differences between successful fantasy football managers and the rest of the field.