FPL Captain Picks for Gameweek 33 | FPL Companion

GW33 Captain Picks: Six Teams Double and the Season Hinges on This Week

Gameweek 33 is the biggest double gameweek of the 2025/26 season. Six teams play twice. Six teams blank the following gameweek. Your captain choice this week has twice the impact of a normal week.

Chelsea, Man City, Leeds, Bournemouth, Brighton and Burnley all confirmed double fixtures in GW33. Those same six teams blank in GW34. The FA Cup results confirmed this on Sunday.

Here is who to armband.

Top Captain Picks for GW33

Erling Haaland | Man City | Double Gameweek

The obvious pick. Haaland plays Arsenal at home and Burnley away in GW33. Arsenal at home is a formidable fixture on paper but City put three past Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday without their main striker firing. The Burnley fixture is as kind as it gets in the Premier League.

He has 199 total points this season. Twenty-two goals. Seven assists. The numbers are not normal. At 58 percent ownership he is not a differentials pick but he is the benchmark every captain decision is measured against.

The counter-argument is form. Haaland has blanked in recent gameweeks and his underlying numbers have dipped slightly. That happens to every striker over a long season. The double gameweek multiplies his ceiling back to 30-plus points on a good day. That is the armband logic.

Use the FPL Companion player comparison tool (/compare) to check Haaland against alternatives before locking in your decision.

Semenyo | Man City | Double Gameweek

The most underappreciated asset in the game. Semenyo has 176 points at £8.2m with 56 percent ownership. He plays in a Manchester City side that has found form at exactly the right time.

His underlying numbers are extraordinary. He has outscored his expected goals and expected assists combined this season. That suggests his scoring rate is sustainable rather than a purple patch. At £8.2m he is £6.2m cheaper than Haaland, which frees up budget for a second double gameweek City asset elsewhere.

The fixtures mirror Haaland exactly. Arsenal at home, Burnley away. Semenyo is the captain alternative for managers who want to differentiate from the Haaland crowd while still loading up on City exposure.

João Pedro | Chelsea | Double Gameweek

Chelsea double against Manchester United at home and Brighton away. João Pedro has been Chelsea's most consistent performer with 166 points at £7.7m and 50 percent ownership.

He plays number 10 in a side that creates chances consistently. The Brighton fixture especially is one to target. Brighton have been poor away from home this season. João Pedro at £7.7m is a genuine armband option alongside Haaland for managers who want Chelsea exposure.

Best Differential Picks for GW33

Palmer | Chelsea | Double Gameweek

Palmer has not hit last season's heights but he is still a £10.5m asset with penalty and set-piece responsibility in a side playing twice. At 18 percent ownership he is a genuine captain differential for GW33.

The case for Palmer over João Pedro is price. If you captain a Chelsea asset and already own João Pedro, moving the armband to Palmer saves £3m that can go toward doubling up elsewhere. The double gameweek means both are viable starts regardless.

Van Hecke — Brighton — Double Gameweek

The best differential pick in the entire game for GW33. Brighton play Tottenham away and Chelsea at home. Van Hecke has 125 points at £4.5m with just 9.5 percent ownership. His form reading 6.0 over the last four gameweeks.

At £4.5m he is essentially a free hit. If Brighton keep a clean sheet in either fixture he has returned. If Chelsea or Tottenham fail to convert their chances he is a lock for double-digit returns. The ownership gap between him and the Haaland captain crowd is where mini-league gains are made.

The DGW33 and BGW34 Picture

Six teams double in GW33 and blank in GW34. Those teams are Bournemouth, Brighton, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds and Manchester City.

That means managers need to plan two gameweeks at once. Loading up on DGW33 assets gives you maximum points this week but leaves you short in GW34 unless you have bench cover. Selling Salah or Bruno Guimarães before GW34 to bring in Arsenal or Liverpool assets is a conversation many managers are having right now.

If you wildcarded in GW32 you are in a strong position. If you did not, the GW33 captain decision is even more critical because every point counts twice.

Use the FPL Companion fixture planner (/fixtures) to map your squad across GW33 and GW34 before the Saturday deadline.

GW33 Deadline

Saturday 18 April 2026, 11:00 BST.

One matchweek. Two fixtures for six teams. The armband decision this week is the biggest of the season.