The Scout on the pros and cons of using your Triple Captain chip on Mohamed Salah (£13.8m) against Southampton in Gameweek 28 of Fantasy Premier League.
Liverpool's Egyptian stands on the brink of Fantasy history ahead of the Reds' home encounter with Saints on Saturday afternoon.
Salah has amassed 291 points in 2024/25 Fantasy and needs just 13 points to claim the best Fantasy season of ALL TIME. This would take him to 304 points, eclipsing the current record of 303 points – set by Salah himself in 2017/18.
Coincidentally, Salah produced exactly 13 points in his last meeting with Southampton, scoring twice at St Mary’s in Gameweek 12.
He has blanked just ONCE in his 13 outings at Anfield this season and is the top-scoring player in home matches, earning 109 points thanks to nine goals and six assists.
Southampton’s dire defensive record offers even more encouragement for owners of Liverpool’s attackers in Fantasy – they have conceded at least three goals in seven of their last eight league matches.
While that does point to more success for Salah, Liverpool’s busy schedule also suggests that the Egyptian might have his minutes managed at the weekend if his side have a commanding lead relatively early in the match.
To clarify - there is no indication he won’t start. Salah has been named in the first XI in all 28 of Liverpool’s league matches this season.
Nonetheless, it is worth bearing in mind that Slot’s side also have the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain three days after the Southampton encounter, and then face Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final next Sunday.
Wait for a Double Gameweek?
Deciding on the optimum Gameweek to play your Triple Captain chip should ultimately be determined by how many chips you have remaining.
It’s fair to say, though, that the Triple Captain chip offers far greater upside if used in a Double Gameweek, when a player has two matches to profit from.
For example, using it on Alexander Isak (£9.4m) in Double Gameweek 32 for Newcastle's two home matches against Manchester United and Crystal Palace can be a far more productive strategy.
In addition, there is expected to be at least one more Double Gameweek this season due to postponements caused by the FA Cup semi-finals.
Best single-Gameweek options
If you have ALL your chips remaining, however, and are using the Triple Captain in a single Gameweek, then Salah is by far the most likely to reward you.
The Liverpool star has produced 16 double-figure hauls in 2024/25 Fantasy - twice the total of any other player. By planning around Liverpool’s schedule and avoiding busy periods such as the upcoming one, you are boosting your chances of success.
Triple-Captaining players in matches against promoted clubs is certainly one of the best tactics to consider.
In the case of Cole Palmer (£11.1m) at home to Leicester City this weekend, the Chelsea star’s run of one assist in his last six matches has admittedly dampened any enthusiasm.
But in Gameweek 30, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (£14.7m) could be an appealing option at home to Leicester. In direct contrast to Palmer, the Norwegian is in his most consistent form of the campaign, with a single blank over his last eight starts.
If you prefer to keep the Triple Captain chip until later in the season for a push up the rankings, Haaland faces Southampton in Gameweek 36.
Similarly to the Norwegian, AFC Bournemouth’s Justin Kluivert (£6.1m), Arsenal star Bukayo Saka (£10.2m) and Nottingham Forest's Chris Wood (£7.2m) also meet the current batch of promoted clubs in the final three Gameweeks of 2024/25.