Bukayo Saka (£9.1m) and Ollie Watkins (£8.7m) have the form and fixture to offer strong armband alternatives to Erling Haaland (£14.4m) in Blank Gameweek 26 of Fantasy Premier League.
Manchester City’s Haaland is the most-popular player in Fantasy, found in over 75 per cent of squads, and his huge ownership means he will be the go-to captain for millions of managers when he travels to AFC Bournemouth this weekend.
Haaland has amassed 28 points in the last four Gameweeks since his recent return from injury, scoring three goals and supplying an assist.
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Saka and Watkins, meanwhile, are the top-scoring players in Fantasy in the same period, claiming 49 and 40 points respectively.
Arsenal’s Saka has scored six goals in that run – half of his total for the entire season – and also earned 10 bonus points.
Aston Villa forward Watkins has been involved in seven goals, scoring four and assisting a further three.
Both of Haaland’s rivals have home matches in the reduced round of fixtures, with Saka facing Newcastle United and Watkins hosting Nottingham Forest.
Players' form, GW22-25
| Player | Pts | Goal involvements | G | A | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saka | 49 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
| Watkins | 40 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| Haaland | 28 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Haaland’s 24 shots and 21 shots in the box were more than any other player in Fantasy in the last four Gameweeks.
Although he did feature in five matches due to a Double Gameweek 25, the Norwegian only played 14 minutes more than Watkins in this period.
Haaland’s finishing skills have clearly dipped below their usual prolific levels, with the Man City star converting only 12.5 per cent of his shots – by contrast, Saka and Watkins have more than doubled that average.
When it comes to big chance involvement, it is Watkins who has impressed the most – he has been handed seven big chances and also created three.
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Goal conversion | Key passes | Big chances created |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haaland | 24 | 21 | 6 | 12.5% | 6 | 1 |
| Saka | 20 | 13 | 6 | 30.0% | 7 | 1 |
| Watkins | 15 | 12 | 7 | 26.7% | 5 | 3 |
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What about the home/away form?
The home/away numbers are very much on Haaland’s side.
On the road, he has been involved in a big chance every 31.7 minutes – that’s more than twice as quick as his rivals have managed in home matches.
Haaland has had 22 big chances, also creating three in just nine outings. The Man City star also boasts the best conversion rate here, scoring 22.2 per cent of his efforts.
Saka and Watkins’ home numbers are very similar in the assessment for minutes per big chance involvement and goal conversion.
Both have been involved in 15 big chances at home; Saka has had eight and created seven, while Watkins has had 12 and created three.
| Player | Mins/shot in box | Goal conversion | Mins/big chance involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haaland (A) | 22.7 | 22.2% | 31.7 |
| Saka (H) | 37.9 | 13.9% | 63.1 |
| Watkins (H) | 28.6 | 15.4% | 70.6 |
Assessing the opponents’ defences
Analysing each player’s opponents can help identify any weaknesses to target.
Newcastle’s numbers look very encouraging for Saka backers, with the Magpies conceding 12 big chances – the combined total of Bournemouth and Nott’m Forest.
In saying that, the Cherries account for nine of those alone, giving further incentive to Haaland’s owners.
Opponents’ defending, GW22-25
| Team | Goals conc. | Clean sheets | Shots in box conc. | Big chances conc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle | 9 | 0 | 30 | 12 |
| Bournemouth | 7 | 0 | 25 | 9 |
| Nott'm Forest | 6 | 1 | 25 | 3 |
There’s little to separate the numbers of Newcastle and Nott’m Forest, with the pair near-identical for conceding goals and big chances on their travels.
Bournemouth’s superior home data is the only real negative to Haaland’s appeal.
Opponents’ home/away defending in 23/24
| Team | Goals conc. | Clean sheets | Shots in box conc. | Big chances conc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newcastle (A) | 25 | 1 | 132 | 31 |
| Nott'm Forest (A) | 24 | 2 | 99 | 33 |
| Bournemouth (H) | 17 | 3 | 90 | 20 |
So, who is the best captain?
Haaland’s extraordinary big chance statistics on the road have to give him the edge.
Granted, he’s the least in form of the trio, yet his underlying statistics in those encounters show he has still offered a far greater goal threat than his armband rivals.
There’s really not much between Saka and Watkins, with the former having a slight advantage thanks to Newcastle’s defensive frailties both recently and on the road.
View all the latest FPL tips ahead of Gameweek 26 in Fantasy Premier League
