The Scout delves into the data to help determine the best armband alternatives to Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) for the captaincy in Gameweek 20 of Fantasy Premier League.
Liverpool's Egyptian is expected to be the runaway armband favourite for his home encounter with Manchester United.
In just 18 appearances in his first campaign under Arne Slot, Salah has already matched his 30 goal involvements from ALL of last season, scoring 17 and assisting 13.
Can anyone outscore him as captain in Gameweek 20? Let's take a look, for any managers who fancy going against the grain and taking a risk.
Who is the most likely to score?
Assessing the underlying numbers over the last six Gameweeks helps to highlight the in-form options.
Newcastle United's Alexander Isak (£9.2m) has had nine big chances - situations where the player is expected to score - compared with the eight of Salah. The Swede's 14 shots on target are also a league-high total in this spell, underlining his potential for the Magpies' trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer (£11.4m) also impresses ahead of the Blues' trip to Crystal Palace. His 25 shots over the last six Gameweeks are second only to the 27 of Salah, while he has mirrored the Egyptian's 12 shots on target.
Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins (£8.8m) is another to catch the eye, with his six big chances equal to that of Palmer. Watkins, who is at home to Leicester City, has managed 17 shots in the box over that period, identical to Isak's tally.
Top players for goal threat, GW14-19
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Shots on target | Big chances |
| Isak | 21 | 17 | 14 | 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salah | 27 | 27 | 12 | 8 |
| Madueke | 17 | 16 | 7 | 7 |
| Vardy | 17 | 16 | 6 | 7 |
| Palmer | 25 | 12 | 12 | 6 |
| Watkins | 17 | 17 | 8 | 6 |
Who is the most likely to get an assist?
Isak and Palmer's ability to create scoring opportunities is very much in evidence here.
While Salah leads the way, with seven big chances created, Isak and Palmer have each supplied five such opportunities for their team-mates. Indeed, when it comes to creating chances, the Newcastle and Chelsea stars were the top two players in Fantasy over Gameweeks 14-19, producing 19 and 18 respectively.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's (£7.2m) huge potential for assists is also shown in the table below, with his six big chances created placing joint-second.
Top players for creativity, GW14-19
| Player | Chances created | Big chances created |
| Salah | 13 | 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Fernandez | 17 | 6 |
| Alexander-Arnold | 14 | 6 |
| Murphy | 12 | 6 |
| Isak | 19 | 5 |
| Palmer | 18 | 5 |
Who has the worst defence?
Factoring in the teams with the weakest defences can also help to decide what to do with the captaincy.
Of the three big-hitters, it's Isak who has the best fixture. His hosts Spurs have conceded 14 goals and allowed 26 big chances across their last six matches, placing them among the worst three teams for both statistics.
The data also suggests Erling Haaland (£14.8m), Bryan Mbeumo (£7.7m) and Raul Jimenez (£5.5m) can enjoy a successful Gameweek 20.
Manchester City's Haaland faces a West Ham United side at the Etihad Stadium who have allowed 27 big chances, the second-worst on show.
Brentford's Mbeumo has a trip to a Southampton side whose total of 30 big chances conceded over the last six Gameweeks is a league-high, while Jimenez and Fulham entertain an Ipswich Town side who have also allowed their opponents plenty of gilt-edged scoring opportunities.
Captains candidates' opponents' stats, GW14-19
| Club | Goals conceded | Clean sheets | Big chances conceded |
| Southampton | 14 | 1 | 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Ham | 11 | 1 | 27 |
| Spurs | 14 | 1 | 26 |
| Chelsea | 9 | 1 | 21 |
| Ipswich | 9 | 1 | 20 |
So, who are the best alternatives to Salah?
As the goal threat and creativity numbers highlight, both Isak and Palmer have boasted a very similar all-round threat to Salah recently.
Isak certainly has the best match-up of the two, with Spurs' frailties at the back making him the best alternative.
Nonetheless, there are a number of players who could also deliver huge hauls in Gameweek 20, with Watkins, Haaland and Mbeumo also worthy of consideration against defensively weak opponents.
