Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers approach the final hurdle of a testing festive schedule with the first Double Gameweek of the season offering a genuine opportunity to challenge the captaincy status quo.
Candidates from Chelsea and Fulham provide a range of Double Gameweek options, while single-fixture heavyweights Erling Haaland (£12.2m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.9m) offer alternative options in the Double Gameweek 19 captaincy conundrum.
As usual, the Captain Sensible article is here to highlight which assets have the best chance of hauling.
First, we will assess the fallout of the captain poll, before then analysing the best options, Rate My Team (RMT) and the Premier Fantasy Tools ratings ahead of Monday’s 16:00 GMT deadline.
THE CAPTAIN POLL
Aleksandar Mitrovic (£7.1m) is the leader of the captain poll in Gameweek 19, with just under 35% of total votes from our users at the time of writing.
The dominance of this weekly ballot by Erling Haaland has become customary but the Norwegian is forced to play second fiddle, backed by around 18% of those polled.
Mohamed Salah occupies third place with a mite over 10% of the vote, followed by Marcus Rashford (£6.9m) and Mason Mount (£7.6m) further back.
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK CANDIDATES
ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC/ANDREAS PEREIRA
Aleksandar Mitrovic (£7.1m) was the most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 18 but the Serbian saw his stoppage-time spot-kick saved against Southampton, disappointing 800,000+ new owners.
Mitrovic’s 34 shots, 31 shots inside the box, and 14 headed goal attempts are all division-leading totals over the last six matches – highlighting the Serbian’s credentials for captaincy this week.
Above: Aleksandar Mitrovic leads the division for shots (34), shots inside the box (31) and headed attempts (14) over the last matches
Furthermore, Mitrovic ranks second-best over that same period for expected goals (xG) and expected goal involvement (xGI), with 5.00 and 5.40 respectively, bested by only Erling Haaland.
An important caveat for Mitrovic is that he is walking the suspension tightrope, and should the Serbian be cautioned against Leicester City he would be suspended for Fulham’s second fixture of Gameweek 19, against Chelsea.
Andreas Pereira (£4.6m) continues to dazzle as the cut-price gem took his attacking return tally to eight for the season following a Gameweek 18 Fantasy assist, after his edge-of-the-box strike cannoned in off James Ward-Prowse (£6.2m).
The Brazilian has produced exemplary creative underlying numbers which keep in step with the division’s leading midfield providers, despite his knock-down price tag.
Pereira’s 18 chances created and 18 successful crosses place him in the top four midfielder’s over the last six matches, with the Manchester United loanee supplying three total assists over that same period.
Furthermore, the Brazilian holds a monopoly on dead-ball duties for the Cottagers, placing in the division’s top four for corners taken (27) and successful free-kicks (four) over the last six.
In the immediate fixture, Fulham travel to face Leicester City, with the Foxes in poor form after suffering back-to-back defeats since the Premier League restart, ramping up the pressure on manager Brendan Rodgers.
Leicester City place in the bottom five for shots inside the box conceded (67) and non-penalty expected goals conceded (NPxGC, 9.15), flagging their three clean sheets over the last six matches as fortunate over-performance.
Fulham host Chelsea in the second fixture of Gameweek 19 with Potter’s side badly out of form, winning just one of their last seven league matches.
The Blues have registered just one clean sheet in their last six matches despite underlying defensive numbers which, on the surface, appear respectable.
Chelsea place in the division’s top nine for shots on target against (27) and big chances conceded (nine) over the period.
However, the Blues rank second-worst for chances conceded in central areas (26), and rank seventh-worst for non-penalty expected goals conceded (NPxGC, 8.3).
KAI HAVERTZ/RAHEEM STERLING/MASON MOUNT
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1 year, 5 months agoMitrovic's fitness worries me more than being on the suspension tightrope.
After the Palace game:
“I really enjoyed it, even though I’m still having trouble with my ankle. I’m not fully fit, if I can say, but I’m getting there.” – Aleksandar Mitrovic
Adds an element of risk and threatens his xMins.