Who is the best FPL captain for Gameweek 14?

The Scout compares the leading contenders for the captain's armband in Fantasy Premier League as the Gameweek 14 deadline approaches at 18:00 GMT on Tuesday 3 December.

After claiming his ninth double-figure haul of the campaign against Manchester City on Sunday, Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) looks set to retain his place as the most-selected captain in Gameweek 14 of Fantasy Premier League.

Liverpool's Egyptian has made the best EVER start to a Fantasy season, amassing 133 points thanks to 11 goals and seven assists.

Salah has blanked just twice in his 13 outings under Arne Slot and now visits a Newcastle United side who have managed just one clean sheet in six matches, including a 2-0 loss to West Ham United in their last game at St James' Park.

The Magpies' frailties, combined with Salah's ridiculous consistency and potential for huge hauls, makes the Liverpool star the best captaincy option once again for the midweek round of matches.

Cole Palmer (£11.0m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.4m) also go into Gameweek 14 on the back of a double-figure return.

Chelsea's Palmer visits Southampton having produced a goal, an assist and 14 points against Aston Villa on Sunday. He is only the second player to hit triple digits for the season, totalling exactly 100 points over the first 13 Gameweeks.

Arsenal's Saka, meanwhile, matched his career-high haul of 18 points against West Ham on Saturday, scoring once and supplying three assists. His average of 8.2 points per match (ppm) is second only to the 10.2ppm of Salah ahead of his home encounter with Manchester United.

Who has the worst defence?

By assessing the underlying numbers, managers can pinpoint the clubs with weaker defences and therefore target attackers from opposing sides.

The three promoted clubs are the worst for conceding big chances - situations where a player is expected to score.

That immediately lifts the appeal of Palmer and his team-mate Nicolas Jackson (£8.1m) against Southampton. Indeed, Jackson is the second top-scoring player in away matches in Fantasy this season, amassing 46 points thanks to five goals and three assists. 

Ipswich Town and Leicester City's frailties could be good news for their visitors, with Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.2m) and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen (£7.4m) the likeliest to profit respectively.

Notably, both those players have delivered their season-high hauls in their only meeting with a promoted club this season. 

Mateta scored twice to collect 13 points against Leicester in Gameweek 4, while Bowen's goal and assist against Ipswich in Gameweek 7 earned him 12 points.

Promoted clubs' defensive stats 2024/25

Who has been involved in the most big chances?

By analysing each player’s involvement in big chances when playing at home or away, based on whether they have a home or away fixture in Gameweek 14, it’s clear to see that Salah and Erling Haaland (£15.0m) are the most likely to score.

Salah has had 13 big chances in away matches this season, while Haaland has had 12 such opportunities in home matches ahead of his encounter with Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium.

When we also factor in each player's creativity, Salah has the edge over his rivals. He has created four big chances on his travels, which means he has been involved in a total of 17 big chances. That has helped him play a part in a huge 69 per cent of Liverpool's away goals this season when he has been selected.

Saka's prospects as a potential captain are also very much in evidence here. He has been involved in 14 big chances in Arsenal's home matches, scoring or assisting 64 per cent of their goals at the Emirates Stadium when selected.

Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) is another who boasts a significant goal threat in the analysis. His total of 10 big chances in home matches sits third here, underlining his potential for points against Brentford. 

Captain candidates' big chance (BC) stats 24/25

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