Alexander Isak (£9.6m) and Omar Marmoush (£7.6m) have the form and fixtures to challenge Mohamed Salah (£13.8m) as the best captain for Gameweek 35 of Fantasy Premier League.
Liverpool’s Egyptian looks set to continue as the No 1 armband pick due to his hefty ownership of 71 per cent.
Salah took his tally to 328 points in his record-breaking 2024/25 Fantasy season with a goal in the Reds’ title-winning 5-1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
While there is argument that Liverpool now have less to play for after clinching the league, the same cannot be said for Newcastle United and Manchester City, who are both involved in the chase for UEFA Champions League places.
There is also the fixtures to consider. Whereas Liverpool visit a Chelsea side who are also seeking a top-five finish, Newcastle’s Isak visits Brighton & Hove Albion and Man City’s Marmoush entertains Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Along with Marmoush, Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo (£8.1m) and Everton's Iliman Ndiaye (£5.2m) have favourable home matches which could bring in big armband returns.
Mbeumo is the second top-scoring player in home contests ahead of his encounter with Manchester United, while Ndiaye hosts relegated Ipswich Town.
Who is most likely to get goals and assists?
The underlying statistics also help to highlight each player's recent potential for goals and assists.
In their last six matches, both Salah and Isak have had nine big chances, which are situations where the player is expected to score.
The Liverpool star has also created three such opportunities, which means he has been involved in 12 big chances in his last six matches.
Although he's had just five big chances, Marmoush's creativity more than atones - he has supplied five more of those, tying on 10 big-chance involvements with Isak.
Salah/Isak/Marmoush attacking comparison, last six matches
| Player | Big chances | Big chances created | Big-chance involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salah | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| Isak | 9 | 1 | 10 |
| Marmoush | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Who is facing the worst defence?
Factoring in the form of their upcoming opponents can also help determine your armband choice.
As shown by the defensive data, Isak has the clear advantage over his rivals here.
Brighton have conceded 15 goals in their last six matches, second only to the 16 of Ipswich. They also failed to keep a clean sheet in that spell.
Chelsea and Wolves were far more resilient, with both conceding only four matches and keeping three clean sheets.
Opposition defences, last six matches
| Club | Goals conc. | Clean sheets | Big chances conc. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | 15 | 0 | 16 |
| Wolves | 4 | 3 | 11 |
| Chelsea | 4 | 3 | 9 |
So, who is the best captain for Gameweek 35?
Although the player numbers do slightly lean towards Salah, Isak's prospects look far more appealing when combined with the defensive data.
Newcastle's need for a win against the Seagulls, added to the potential of Arne Slot rotating his side to a certain degree, is enough to give Isak the nod here.