It’s now time to settle down to our usual pre-Gameweek members article this Friday evening as the festive schedule starts to pick up pace.

First up, we analyse the main contenders in this week’s Captain Poll, then check out the Opta numbers and Rate My Team rankings before endorsing a differential or two to help advise on your armband conundrum.

The Captain Poll

With five goals in his last two league outings, there’s no surprise to see Alexis Sanchez at the summit of the Gameweek 15 Captain Poll.

Selected by over 45% of the votes cast, the Chilean has risen 0.2 in price since a 23-point haul at West Ham last weekend.

Sanchez has racked up three sets of double-figures in the last five rounds of fixtures, though visitors Stoke City have been resilient on their travels, conceding just twice in their previous four away matches.

Selected by 15% and 13% of voters respectively ahead of Chelsea’s home encounter against West Brom, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa have battled it out for second place all week.

With a goal or assist in 12 of the opening 14 fixtures, Costa has been the most consistent player in Fantasy Premier League.

Surprisingly, he has yet to produce a double-figure haul at Stamford Bridge, whereas Hazard has been far more explosive at home, serving up 10+ points returns on three occasions in front of his own supporters.

Roberto Firmino (3%) and Sadio Mane (2%) are shaping up as major differentials for Liverpool’s home clash with West Ham’s dodgy defence.

After bagging a goal and assist at Bournemouth, Mane has recovered from a knock in time for Sunday’s clash – he’s scored or assisted in five of his six outings at Anfield.

Firmino has blanked in three successive outings for the first time this term, yet is more than capable of producing as an armband pick, providing 15 points at home on two occasions.

Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jermain Defoe hover around the 2% mark as Swansea and Sunderland go head-to-head at the Liberty.

Siggy has produced points in five of the last seven, while Defoe has scored in all but one of the last five Gameweeks and faces a defence that has conceded more home goals (16) than any other side.

United’s Old Trafford clash with Spurs means that, despite their impressive recent form, both Harry Kane and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been overlooked by the vast majority.

Kane has six goals in five since returning from injury, though, and with Zlatan netting seven times in his previous six, both are clearly bang in form.

Christian Benteke is also firing on all cylinders. The Palace frontman has racked up four goals and an assist in the previous four Gameweeks and heads to a Hull backline with a single clean sheet to their name all season.