The final sprint of the 2025/2026 EPL Season is here, and Gameweek 36 is the most pivotal window remaining for FPL managers.
This week features a massive Double Gameweek (DGW-36) for Manchester City and Crystal Palace, providing a rare opportunity for massive point swings.
While title-contenders Arsenal and Liverpool play once, the “doublers” from Manchester City dominate the conversation.
Whether you are looking to cement a mini-league lead or hunting for a late-season differential, choosing the best
player picks GW-36 of the 2025/2026 EPL Season will be the difference between a green arrow and a disappointing finish.
Bart Verbruggen – Brighton (4.5m)
Brighton’s goalkeeper is a standout value play this week. The Seagulls face a relegated Wolves side that has been toothless in attack, scoring only once in their last three games while conceding nine.
Wolves’ tendency to shoot from distance (averaging nearly 20 shots recently) provides a high floor for save points, making Verbruggen one of the Top FPL player picks for game week 36 for those looking for an affordable route into a clean sheet.
Nico O’Reilly – Manchester City (5.2m)
The breakthrough star of the City backline, O’Reilly has become a “must-own” asset. Though listed as a defender, he frequently occupies aggressive attacking spaces, recording five goals and three assists this season.
With City hosting both Brentford and Crystal Palace in DGW-36, O’Reilly offers a dual threat of high clean-sheet probability and elite attacking potential from the left-back position.
Gabriel Magalhães – Arsenal (7.2m)
Arsenal leads the league by five points and remains laser-focused on the title. Gabriel is the highest-scoring defender in the game with 191 points, and his threat on set pieces is a major weapon against a West Ham side that has struggled to defend their box.
With the title potentially coming down to goal difference, expect Arsenal to push for a clean sheet and high-scoring margin in this London derby.
Jan Paul van Hecke – Brighton (4.6m)
If you need a budget-friendly defensive pick, Van Hecke is in sensational form. He recently tallied 16 defensive contributions, an assist, and a clean sheet in a three-game span.
Facing a Wolves team that lacks quality in the final third, Van Hecke offers a very secure route to points without breaking the bank.
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal (9.8m)
Rejuvenated after a brief injury layoff, Saka returned to form with a goal and an assist in GW-35 and a winner in Europe.
While Mikel Arteta is managing his minutes carefully, Saka’s clinical nature makes him a dangerous pick against a West Ham side fighting relegation. Even in limited minutes, he is the primary engine of the Arsenal attack.
Dominik Szoboszlai – Liverpool (7.0m)
For managers looking to exploit Chelsea’s defensive “downward spiral,” Szoboszlai is the man. Chelsea has conceded three goals in four of their last six matches.
Coming off a goal and an assist in his last outing, the Hungarian midfielder is a locked-in starter who provides a reliable source of both creative and defensive points.
Rayan Cherki – Manchester City (6.6m)
With 12 assists this season—second only to Bruno Fernandes—Cherki has become the ultimate playmaker in Pep Guardiola’s system.
He is a primary candidate for the best player picks GW-36 of the 2025/2026 EPL Season due to City’s double fixture.
Almost certain of an attacking return every time he steps on the pitch, Cherki is an elite midfield option for the DGW.
Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United (10.4m)
Manchester United faces a Sunderland side with one of the worst defensive records in the league (10 goals conceded in their last three).
Bruno is in the form of his life, delivering an assist in each of his last three games. Given the vulnerability of the Sunderland backline, the United captain is a high-ceiling asset that many will consider even without a double fixture.
Erling Haaland – Manchester City (14.6m)
If you still have your Triple Captain chip, this is the week to use it. Owned by roughly 63% of managers, Haaland is the obvious choice for DGW-36.
Manchester City has the best projected goal total this week, and the Norwegian striker is back in the goals, scoring in his last two games. With home matches against Brentford and Palace, he is the most explosive asset in the game.
Viktor Gyökeres – Arsenal (8.8m)
Arsenal’s new goal-machine has fully adapted to the Premier League. Fresh off a 16-point haul against Fulham, Gyökeres is currently in world-class form.
As Arsenal’s primary penalty taker, he is perfectly positioned to punish a West Ham defense that has been leaky throughout the second half of the season.
Danny Welbeck – Brighton (6.3m)
Rounding out our picks is Danny Welbeck, who has quietly put together back-to-back returns against Chelsea and Newcastle.
Facing a Wolves side that has conceded nine goals in their last nine games, Welbeck is a savvy, mid-priced forward pick for managers looking for a differential away from the template.
