The consistency of Harry Kane (£11.7m) makes him the standout captain pick in Blank Gameweek 28 of Fantasy Premier League.
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The Tottenham Hotspur forward is yet to blank in back-to-back matches this season and sits second in the overall player standings on 176 points.
Kane visits Southampton on the back of a 13-point haul against Nottingham Forest, his fifth double-figure score of the campaign.
Away from home, his 47 shots and 32 shots in the box both put him among the top two players in Fantasy this term.
Arsenal pair Gabriel Martinelli (£6.6m) and Bukayo Saka (£8.5m) are the strongest alternatives for their home encounter with Crystal Palace.
Attacking threat in last four Gameweeks
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Chances created |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martinelli | 14 | 13 | 6 | 5 |
| Kane | 12 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Saka | 15 | 9 | 1 | 8 |
Martinelli has been the Gunners’ top performer in Fantasy recently, scoring five goals and returning a team-leading 42 points over their five matches in the last four Gameweeks.
Crucially, his output has been boosted by a change of tactics from manager Mikel Arteta following their home loss to Manchester City in Gameweek 23.
Arteta has started January signing Leandro Trossard (£6.6m) up front, giving the versatile Belgian the freedom to roam onto Martinelli’s left flank.
This has allowed Martinelli to occupy more central areas, and he is thriving due to his improved quality of scoring opportunities.
Martinelli has been provided with six big chances in the last four Gameweeks, converting five of them. By contrast, Saka has had just one big chance in the same period, and failed to score from it.
While that gives Martinelli the edge over Saka as the best Arsenal player to captain, Kane’s importance to Spurs is vital in how managers should consider their captaincy call.
Goal involvement in last four Gameweeks
| Player | Goals | Assists | Goal involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kane | 2 | 1 | 57% |
| Martinelli | 5 | 0 | 38% |
| Saka | 2 | 1 | 20% |
Kane has produced two goals and an assist over the last four Gameweeks, so Martinelli comes out on top with his five goals.
Yet Kane has scored or assisted 57 per cent of his side’s goals in that period, whereas Martinelli has been involved in only 38 per cent of Arsenal’s.
When comparing the statistics of players from different sides, Fantasy managers must remember that it is a player’s contribution relative to that of his own team-mates that determines the bonus points.
22/23 goal involvement and bonus
| Player | Goal involvement | Bonus points |
|---|---|---|
| Kane | 53% | 30 |
| Saka | 34% | 13 |
| Martinelli | 30% | 13 |
Kane is far and away Spurs’ key attacking player and has been involved in 53 per cent of their goals across the season, when selected.
As a result, he has collected 30 bonus points this campaign, more than any other player in Fantasy.
By contrast, Saka and Martinelli have managed a combined 26 bonus points, playing a part in 34 and 30 per cent of Arsenal’s goals respectively.
While all three are more than capable of huge hauls in Blank Gameweek 28, Kane is far more likely to collect extra bonus if his side score.
That makes him the most reliable captain pick of the trio, with in-form Martinelli the best Arsenal option.
Also in this series
Part 2: Who to captain in Haaland's absence?
Remember, the Gameweek 28 deadline is at 18:30 GMT on Friday 17 March