Captains

Captain Sensible – Deciding between Salah and Mané

Fantasy Premier League managers who thought the Blank Gameweek 31 captaincy would be a simpler one may be disappointed after reading this latest article.

The depleted nature of this round of fixtures, with just 10 sides in action in the wake of the FA Cup quarter-finals, has gone some way to trimming the candidates for the armband.

But those at the top end of our poll are quite hard to separate, with form, statistical comparison and the famed eye-test all playing a part in a tricky decision, largely centred around Liverpool assets.

As per usual, the Captain Sensible article assesses each of the best options using data from the Fantasy Football Scout members area.

Captain Poll

Despite registering just a goal and an assist in his last seven Premier League outings, Mohamed Salah (£13.4m) is still the captain poll leader for Blank Gameweek 31. At the time of writing, the Egyptian has 47% backing.

That has him enjoying an advantage over colleague Sadio Mané (£9.9m) of 23 percentage points. The Senegalese international currently has the backing of 24% of voters in the poll, despite outscoring Salah over the last seven Gameweeks by an aggregate score of 58 points to 26.

Callum Wilson (£6.4m) is the key differential this week according to the people, with the Bournemouth striker looking at a 5% backing ahead of Newcastle’s visit to the Vitality Stadium. In his return from injury in Gameweek 30, the Englishman found the net and provided an assist for colleague Ryan Fraser (£6.2m).

The Cherries midfielder also features in our poll’s top five with 3.4% of our voters believing he is the best captain option for Blank Gameweek 31. The return of Wilson has made a big impact on Fraser, hence the interest, with him involved in four goals in his last two with the forward, compared to zero in his last eight without him.

Jamie Vardy (£9.0m) completes the top five in the vote with a 4.3% share. The fact that he is in the chasing pack for the best differential option is no surprise, considering the Leicester man’s five goals in as many Premier League outings. Also, Burnley are without a clean sheet at Turf Moor since Gameweek 20.

Even though he was the hero for Chelsea in Gameweek 30, Eden Hazard (£10.9m) has the support of just 2.5% ahead of a trip to Goodison Park. That may have more to do with the fact that he has not scored away from home since Gameweek 17.

Roberto Firmino (£9.2m), Marko Arnautovic (£6.8m) and Gonzalo Higuaín (£9.6m) are the only other options to have more than 1% of the votes in the poll.

Player statistics – Last four Matches

1,155 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Blue Gaffer
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 16 days ago

    Got 10 players playing already taken a 4point hit.

    Sterling to Mane -4?

    1. Pompel
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 16 days ago

      No brainer imho

    2. Forza Papac
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 16 days ago

      Absolutely

    3. Don Kloppeone
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 16 days ago

      Unless you have huge amounts of value tied up in Sterling and you’d want him straight back then you have to do this move!

      Will Mané get more than 4pts over 31/33....? I think we know the likely answer!

  2. Pras (FPL)
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 16 days ago

    New post

  3. _Gunner
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 16 days ago

    FH team:

    Boruc
    VVD Rice Luiz
    Hazard Salah Mane' Fraser
    Vardy Wilson Arnautovic

    subs: Rico Snodgrass Taylor Chambers

    Any suggestions?

  4. Fpl Richie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 16 days ago

    Currently have this for 31...
    Boruc
    TAA Robbo Pereira
    Salah (c) Anderson Almiron
    Higuaín Vardy
    Non-playing: Pogba/Doherty/AWB/Jimenez/Camarasa/Guaita (1.6itb 0ft)

    To make XI...
    A) Fraser and Hazard (0.2 loss)
    B) Hazard and Wilson (0.8 loss)
    C) Other suggestion.

  5. Good Times
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 16 days ago

    Bottomed
    One from crowd who doesn't have a WC or a FH, how do I go about these few weeks:
    Fabianski
    Robertson periera;awb Simpson bennet
    Mane Salah brooks ; pogba puncheon
    Vardy ; aguero jiminez
    A) Aguero to higuain? (aguero has good fixtures right after blank
    B) Pogba to hazard ; double gw for pogba right after (this move may need a hit)
    C) Roll over ft?

  6. Too Many Hits
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 16 days ago

    Choose Two:
    1 - Arnie 2- Barnes 3- Rondon

    A - Fraser (Has Knock) B - Maddison C - F Anderson D - Willian (on Corner's vs Everton)

    Current Team
    Fabianski
    Luiz Robertson Rice
    Salah (C) Mane Hazard Fraser
    Arnie Vardy Wilson

    Boruc Tielemans Schindler 3.8

  7. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 15 days ago

    Am I foolish TC Salah or Mane this weekend?

    1. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 15 days ago

      Not especially. I'm pondering it myself (but don't own Mane tbf).

  8. Wheato182
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 15 days ago

    Which one chaps?

    A) Firmino + 5.9 defender (maybe Luiz)
    B) Higuain + TAA

  9. SamTheMan
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 15 days ago

    I have 11 playing:
    Fab
    Pereira-Robbo-Luiz
    Anderson-Salah-Hayden-Fraser
    Wilson-Vardy-Firmino

    3,5 itb, no free transfers left, OR 34.523

    Thinking on taking -8: Anderson&Firmino to Mane&Higuaine.

    I hate having Anderson and not having Mane. Should I?

  10. Too Many Hits
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 15 days ago

    REPOST:

    Choose Two:
    1 - Arnie
    2- Barnes
    3- Rondon

    A - Fraser
    B - Maddison
    C -Anderson
    D - Willian/Pedro

    Fabianski
    Luiz Robertson Rice
    Salah (C) Mane Hazard Fraser
    Arnie Vardy Wilson

    Boruc Tielemans Schindler 3.8

  11. migas2k7
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 15 days ago

    Two questions:

    1- Barnes, Maddison or fraser?

    2- Captain Salah, Mane or Wilson (i'm chasing)

  12. Benditlike
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 15 days ago

    Its no issue to play just have two playing defenders?
    Guess only one non-playing defender will come on.. maybe a silly question, just want to be sure i havent missed anything that will put one of those playing this week on the bench...

    Will play 2-5-2

  13. Invictus FC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 15 days ago

    Fab
    Rice, Azpi, TAA
    Sarah, Mane (C), Hazard, Almiron
    Vardy, Higuain, Barnes
    Bench: Hamer, Diop, Simpson

    Essentials: 3x Liverpool, Hazard

    Differentials: Almiron, Higuain

    Avoid: Arnautovic (injury prone)

    Been waiting for Almiron & Higuain to break out and hoping this is the week... But to get them, I had to pass on Wilson/Rondon, Brooks

  14. DV8R
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Wilson, Fraser, King start