Captaincy options & Booster strategies for Gameweek 6: Midweek Carabao Cup fixtures difficult to predict

DREAM TEAM managers have the luxury of a late deadline for Gameweek 6.

The three Saturday 3pm kick-offs are the first eligible fixtures which means gaffers have until 2pm the same day to decide upon their strategy.

PLAY SCORE PREDICTOR AHEAD OF THIS WEEKEND'S ACTION - PLAYSTATION 5 UP FOR GRABS!

CAPTAINCY OPTIONS

Here's the thing, as long as Erling Haaland (£8.2m) is fit he will continue to be the obvious choice for captaincy.

Those who strapped the armband to the Norwegian poacher in Gameweek 5 saw his 20 points doubled to 40 for another massive return.

It's a measure of the treble-winner's pedigree that he was able to claim such a haul despite missing FIVE big chances against West Ham and failing to convert any of his six shots against Red Star Belgrade.

However, it's worth noting that Julian Alvarez (£4.3m) outscored his team-mate by nine points in Gameweek 5 and so any gaffer brave enough to have captained the World Cup winner would have been rewarded with +18-point swing over those who played it safe with Haaland.

Manchester City host Nottingham Forest this Saturday before a trip to St James' Park for a Carabao Cup showdown with Newcastle on Wednesday night.

Once again, both Haaland and Alvarez look well placed to build upon their sizeable points tallies but which one will come out on top in Gameweek 6?

It wouldn't be all that surprising if one or both of the in-form forwards were rested against the Magpies, to some extent at least.

This leaves the door open for the possibility of alternative captaincy options if Dream Team bosses felt confident they could predict which players will start two games in Gameweek 6.

For example, will Eberechi Eze (£3.6m) start against Fulham on Saturday and against Manchester United on Tuesday?

Crystal Palace don't have European commitments to juggle and so they may as well give it a go in the domestic cups.

If that's how Roy Hodgson sees it then the Eagles' No10 is certainly a viable captaincy candidate.

Eze has amassed 50 points at this stage, only two midfielders have more, and he's the player who has collected the most bonus points - 17 of them in six outings.

Equally, Bruno Fernandes (£6.1m) would be a superb option if his participation in midweek was known.

Manchester United are on a bad run but they travel to Turf Moor on Saturday to face a Burnley side with just one point from a possible 12 in the league.

The Portuguese playmaker leads the way in terms of big chances created among midfielders and he ranks highly for tackles too.

Pedro Neto (£3m) could be considered an outside-the-box option as he's due to face Luton and Ipswich this coming Gameweek.

The Wolves winger has provided four assists and earned 13 bonus points, a tally only bettered by James Maddison (£4.3m) and the aforementioned Eze.

However, it should be noted that the 23-year-old didn't feature at all in his side's previous Carabao Cup fixture so his minutes aren't assured by any means.

Since it's probably best to prioritise the weekend's Premier League games, Kieran Trippier (£5.2m) may well be a worthy captain.

Newcastle's reliable right-back racked up 17 points last Gameweek thanks to back-to-back clean sheets and with Sheffield United up next he could make it three in a row.

The Blades have looked vulnerable at set-pieces so Trippier he also fancy his chances of notching his first assist of the campaign.

BOOSTER STRATEGIES

The midweek fixtures are certainly a spanner in the works as it's difficult to predict the starting line-ups with rotation expected from the majority of clubs.

It therefore may be wise to hold off on activating a Booster.

Remember, each Booster can only be played once per season and while it's shrewd to deploy them on double Gameweeks, the uncertainty around the Carabao Cup line-ups introduces an unnecessary level of risk.

Good luck to any gaffers boldly playing a Booster this coming Gameweek - there are certainly favourable match-ups which could yield healthy returns if the fixtures can be deciphered.