Double Gameweek – Haaland is the likely DGW36 captain, but O’Reilly and Cherki offer compelling alternatives as Man City play twice again.
Double Gameweek 36 is shaping up to be a classic Fantasy Premier League captain test: defend a mini-league lead with the safest option. or swing for a jump with a pick that could outscore the crowd.. With Manchester City among the only two clubs scheduled to play twice. this decision has become the defining calculation for millions of managers—and Erling Haaland is at the center of it.
Haaland starts as the runaway captain favourite for DGW36, where Manchester City face Brentford and Crystal Palace at home.. He is also the most-owned Fantasy player. and that ownership matters in a season where captaincy can decide not just rank. but the pressure inside mini-leagues.. Complicating the choice further is that a sizeable share of his backers are also planning to use the Triple Captain chip on him. betting that two home fixtures can deliver a haul.
The strength of the Haaland argument is real, but it isn’t unchallenged.. In Manchester City’s earlier Double Gameweek 33. his team still produced enough fantasy output to make the “default captain” question more complicated than it looks on paper.. During those contests against Arsenal and Burnley. both Nico O’Reilly and Rayan Cherki matched Haaland’s 13-point totals across the double. showing that City’s scoring threat isn’t confined to one player when the fixtures come around.
Looking beyond doubles and into recent form. an assessment of City’s last four matches paints a more nuanced picture of captaincy risk.. Since they moved back to a lone forward setup. Haaland has been outscored by five of his teammates in Fantasy across that run.. Jeremy Doku leads that internal scoring with 31 points. while Cherki and O’Reilly sit alongside each other on 28 points. each delivering four returns and blanking only once.
The type of returns matters for Fantasy managers.. Cherki’s numbers in that stretch come through a mix of goal and assist contributions. while O’Reilly’s profile adds extra value because he is listed as a defender in Fantasy.. That defender tag becomes important when clean sheets are on the table. and O’Reilly’s output in this period included a combination of a goal. an assist. and two clean sheets—helping him mirror the overall production levels of his teammates.
Even with Haaland’s form fluctuations in the most recent run. the underlying attacking data still keeps him at the heart of City’s chances.. In the same “last four matches” view. Haaland has generated six big chances—defined as moments where a player is expected to score—at least four more than any of his teammates.. Cherki runs the closest in involvement. connected to five big chances through two major chances of his own and three more created. while O’Reilly ranks highly again for a defender. with his contribution spanning big-chance involvement and shots in the box.
Shots in the box offer another window into who is actually getting into scoring positions.. Cherki’s total stands out in particular, with 13 shots in the box, more than double the figure recorded for Doku.. O’Reilly’s shot volume in the same measure is lower than Cherki’s. but his role remains consistent with his fantasy strengths—turning attacking moments into returns rather than relying on one type of event.
When the conversation shifts to home matches this season. O’Reilly’s consistency begins to loom larger for the captain debate.. Over 13 starts at the Etihad Stadium, he has blanked only twice, averaging 7.6 points per start compared with Haaland’s 7.2.. O’Reilly has contributed four goals and four assists at home alongside seven clean sheets. which translates into 15 returns at City’s ground.
Haaland’s home record is still a major asset, especially for a double at the Etihad.. He has scored 14 goals and added three assists in home matches. and he has been involved in 47% of City’s goals there.. Cherki also remains in range in terms of involvement at home. with a 39% goal involvement figure. though the broader pattern of consistency is described as falling behind O’Reilly’s.
For managers weighing captaincy upside against the need for reliable points. the “who gives you more ways to score” question becomes decisive.. One reason O’Reilly is being taken seriously as an alternative captain is that Fantasy scoring doesn’t only reward goals—clean sheets create another route to points.. In the same home-match comparison. O’Reilly’s 2/13 blanks across home starts illustrate a steadier floor than either the forward or Cherki.
So who is the best captain for DGW36?. If a manager’s priority is protecting a mini-league lead. Haaland is presented as the easy solution: he is set to be the most-selected captain for the double. and the underlying numbers point to significant risk in going against him.. That said, the alternatives are not random punts.
O’Reilly and Cherki are described as well-placed for big hauls. with Cherki holding an edge in attacking potential on the evidence of big-chance involvement and shots in the box.. Still. across a season’s worth of fantasy output. O’Reilly’s ability to collect clean-sheet points—four points from a shutout. equivalent to what Haaland earns for a goal—becomes a key differentiator.. If you truly want to oppose the Norwegian. the argument lands on O’Reilly as the more rounded choice: strong all-round production. plus the defensive route to points that City’s home matches have repeatedly offered.
FPL captain Double Gameweek 36 Erling Haaland Nico O’Reilly Rayan Cherki Manchester City doubles Etihad home form Triple Captain chip