Danny Welbeck Features As Pingreen Reveals His Best Captain and Top Tips For GW38

Pingreen is back with his FPL GW38 tips, including a best captain selection and his top picks, as we approach the final gameweek of the 2024-25 Premier League season.

Hello FPL fans! My name is Pingreen, and I’m back to share my top picks for Gameweek 38 and beyond, right here on SportsCasting. I finished 700th in the world in 2022/23 and ranked 1,330th last season, so make sure you take my advice seriously.

This is it—the grand finale. Are you going to go out with a bang or a whimper? Thank you to everyone who has read and ed these articles this season. It’s been a pleasure!

Pingreen’s FPL Gameweek 38 Tips

Captain Pick – Mohamed Salah – £13.6m – CRY (H)

It feels only right to see out the season by putting the armband on the man who wore it most for my team throughout the campaign—the recently crowned FWA Footballer of the Year, Mohamed Salah.

Let’s go over his numbers one last time:

• 1.06 xGI per 90 – highest in the league
• 28 goals – highest in the league
• 18 assists – highest in the league

The only disappointment for Salah will be if he doesn’t manage to break the Premier League records for assists and total goal contributions in a single season, both of which he’s been close to for weeks.

It’s likely to be one big party at Anfield on Sunday. Liverpool will be lifting the Premier League trophy after the full-time whistle, and their opponents, Crystal Palace, will still be on a high after their FA Cup victory—the first major trophy in the club’s 120-year history. With many players potentially still recovering from celebrations, it could be the perfect setup for the Egyptian King to finally break those records.

Defender – Milos Kerkez – £5.2m – LEI (H)

Speaking of Liverpool, my defender pick is a player heavily linked with a move to the red side of Merseyside next season: Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.

With 7 goal contributions from the full-back position this season, it’s no surprise Arne Slot is eyeing up the young Hungarian to replace the ageing Andy Robertson. He’s had an outstanding season for the Cherries, starting all 37 of their games as they sit in a respectable 11th place.

Their opponents this week have had a season that can be described as anything but respectable. Leicester will be playing in the second tier of English football next season, and by the looks of it, manager Ruud van Nistelrooy will be axed long before then. Leicester’s attacking and defensive numbers are both in the bottom three in the division—making this the perfect fixture for an attacking full-back like Kerkez.

Midfielder – Bukayo Saka – £10.3m – SOU (A)

If I was more confident about Bukayo Saka’s minutes, he might have been my captain pick. But with the Gunners having nothing to play for and Saka only a month removed from a serious injury, there are some doubts he’ll play a full 90. I’m still confident he starts, and that’s enough to make him my midfield pick.

The talented English winger has only started 20 league games due to a thigh injury that saw him miss several months, but his attacking numbers in those games have been impressive. He averages 0.74 xGI per 90—trailing only Salah, Isak, Haaland, and Palmer. He’s also managed to rack up 16 goal contributions, a fantastic return in just 20 starts.

Like Kerkez, the main reason Saka is my pick this week is the woeful opponent. Arsenal take on a Southampton side that sits dead last in the table, having conceded a league-high 84 goals. While Arsenal technically have nothing to play for after their win over Newcastle, they’ll want to make a statement—especially after their biggest rivals picked up their first trophy in 17 years on Wednesday night.

Forward – Danny Welbeck – £5.5m – TOT (A)

Speaking of Arsenal’s rivals winning their first trophy in 17 years, my forward pick this week is Danny Welbeck. No, he doesn’t play for Tottenham—he’s playing against them. And I have a feeling the Spurs players might not be in the best shape by Sunday.

At 34 years old, Danny Welbeck is still having a great season for Brighton. His 0.41 xG per 90 is more than the likes of Chris Wood and Bryan Mbeumo, and he’s contributed 14 goal involvements in just 24 starts. Minutes have sometimes been a concern, but with teammate João Pedro confirmed to miss the final game after a training ground altercation, that shouldn’t be an issue.

As mentioned, Brighton’s opponents, Tottenham Hotspur, ended a 17-year trophy drought on Wednesday night by beating Manchester United in the Europa League final. Considering Spurs have long been the butt of trophyless jokes, you’d imagine they’ve been partying hard—and may not be at their best come Sunday. Even at their best, they’re not too scary for strikers, ranking 17th in the league for xGA per 90 (1.65)—only the three relegated sides have been worse