FPL captain and vice-captain: who gets double points when your captain does not play?

In Fantasy Premier League (FPL), the captain scores double points. The vice-captain takes over only if the captain plays no minutes in the gameweek. If neither appears, nobody receives the captain multiplier. Pick and save both before the deadline; the vice-captain is a fallback for absence, not a way to replace a disappointing score.

Choose two players deliberately

Treat the vice-captain as a real decision. Start by checking the fixtures and the latest availability information for both players. Then compare the evidence you consider useful, such as recent minutes and the role you expect them to play. Those checks help you make a choice; they do not guarantee an appearance or a particular score.

The player comparison pages show stored player figures side by side. Read which season and matches the figures cover before using them. The injury list is another check, but a player without an injury flag is not a confirmed starter. Make the final decision in the game where your squad is saved.

A simple worked calculation

Illustrative arithmetic, not a player result: if a captain earns six ordinary points, a double multiplier makes that twelve. The extra contribution is six. If the captain is absent and the vice-captain earns four, doubling the vice-captain makes eight. Keep the ordinary score and the multiplied score separate when comparing totals.

Check the saved team, not just the selection screen

1. Confirm that your preferred captain is in the starting lineup you intend to save.
2. Choose the vice-captain and check that it is a different player.
3. Check whether a chip is active. Triple Captain changes the multiplier to three for its gameweek.
4. Save and read the confirmation before the official deadline.
5. If you play several games, repeat the check in each one. A captain selected in official FPL does not set a captain in Gaffer.

What changes on Gaffer?

Classic uses captain doubling and a vice-captain fallback, but Gaffer has independent squads, results and league configurations. Open the rules in your league before copying a plan from another game. A custom format can have a different setup, so this official-FPL explanation is not a substitute for your league rules.