Earlier this morning, we launched our Gameweek 20 Captain Poll as Fantasy Premier League managers prepare for the 11.30am Boxing Day deadline.
Admittedly, this time of the year is rife with rest and rotation, and sometimes our best-laid plans can be derailed by an unexpected teamsheet or two.
Nonetheless, it’s clear that a number of in-form big-hitters are handed very promising match-ups that could help maintain momentum over the packed festive period.
The top captain pick for Gameweek 19 with 15.7% backing, Harry Kane will go into Boxing Day as one of two standout candidates after his hat-trick at Burnley delivered a season-high 17-point haul.
Bearing in mind that Spurs are without a Gameweek 21 – and therefore don’t play again until January 2 – there seems next to no chance that Mauricio Pochettino will hand his star striker bench-warming duties against a Southampton side with one clean sheet in 14 Gameweeks.
Kane is also within sight of breaking Alan Shearer’s record for Premier League goals in a calendar year, suggesting that the match will be geared around getting the striker his landmark strike.
He’s scored just five times at Wembley compared to ten on the road, though Kane is top-ranked for shots (62), efforts in the box (37) and attempts on target (23) in home matches.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min – who has scored in all but one of Spurs’ last five league outings in their temporary home – is the in-form alternative among Kane’s midfield team-mates.
Liverpool’s home encounter against Swansea ensures that Mohamed Salah will again be the major challenger to Kane.
The third top armband pick (13%) last time out, he’s second only to the Spurs man for shots (41) and efforts on target (20) in home matches and has scored or assisted in six of his eight starts at Anfield.
In terms of points per match (ppm), Philippe Coutinho’s average of 7.3 is just shy of Salah’s 7.6ppm, while Roberto Firmino has earned more transfers in than any forward ahead of Gameweek 20 – he welcomes the Swans on the back of three 10+ points hauls in his last four starts.
The Welsh outfit make their way to Anfield without a clean sheet in six road trips, which illustrates their poor away form – they sit in the bottom four sides for both shots conceded (157) and attempts on target against (49) away from home.
The big issue, however, will be Jurgen Klopp’s teamsheet. The German has calmed his rotation policy of late, though, with matches against Leicester and Burnley to follow in the six days after the Swans meeting; we have to expect our Fantasy options to have their minutes curtailed. It remains to be seen how badly Salah, Coutinho and Firmino will be affected.
Elsewhere, Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata will be expected to start and produce the points at home to Brighton.
With Morata now free from injury and suspension, Hazard’s 14% backers will be optimistic of a return to form after he delivered just one assist in three without the summer signing. Indeed, the Belgian produced 15 points in his previous home start alongside Morata in Gameweek 15.
Over his last four matches, Morata has fired 13 shots inside the box – only Kane and Sergio Aguero (17 and 15) have recorded more.
As witnessed in Chelsea’s last home match, though, Marcos Alonso could also profit against the Seagulls – he delivered 14 points against Southampton at Stamford Bridge in Gameweek 18.
Raheem Sterling is likely to lead the Man City contenders away to a Newcastle defence that’s managed only one clean sheet in the last 15 Gameweeks.
Having climbed to second in the overall standings with a goal and assist in the 4-0 win over Bournemouth, Sterling’s fifth double-figure tally of 2017/18 has earned more new owners than any player in the Gameweek.
Kevin De Bruyne has claimed at least 10 points in two of the last three outings, though David Silva’s displays on the road are also worth considering – indeed, he is the top Man City midfielder for shots (22) and efforts in the box (17) away from home.
Once again, rotation concerns up front diminish the appeal of the City strikers. While Gabriel Jesus may well start in light of Sergio Aguero’s 90 minutes against the Cherries, the Brazilian has struggled form goals of late and has failed to find the net since Gameweek 12.
Man United pair Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba host a Burnley outfit that’s conceded more goal attempts away from home (174) than any other side.
That could promote interest in the Belgian – he was second only to Kane for the FPL armband (14.5%) in Gameweek 19 and has scored in two of the last three.
Pogba, meanwhile, has averaged 6.5 ppm across his four appearances at Old Trafford this season.
Those four fixtures will, in all likelihood, dominate the captaincy thoughts of Fantasy managers for Gameweek 20.
Nonetheless, there are a handful of in-form alternatives for those willing to look elsewhere.
Mesut Ozil has scored in each of Arsenal’s previous two league matches and visits a Crystal Palace side that has yet to register a clean sheet at Selhurst Park.
Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez – with a goal or assist in five of the last six Gameweeks – travels to a Watford defence that’s conceded more home goals (20) than any side.
West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic has been in prolific form since being moved into a central role. The Austrian has scored in three of the last four Gameweeks and visits a Bournemouth backline that’s been breached 14 times in six.
The poll is now live in the middle column on your homepage on desktop, or via the slide-in menu on mobile and tablet under recent comments.
Remember, we are looking for your vote for the player you think will be most effective, regardless of whether you own them or not.
We will be back to check in on progress in the poll later ahead of the Gameweek 20 deadline when we deliver our “Captain Sensible” article offering an analysis of the results and the statistics behind the leading contenders.
