Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) and Bryan Mbeumo (£8.3m) both have the fixtures to rival Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) for the captaincy in Gameweek 37 of Fantasy Premier League ahead of Friday’s 18:00 BST deadline.
Liverpool’s Egyptian is the most-selected player in Fantasy, found in 67 per cent of squads ahead of a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion.
That huge ownership, added to Brighton’s run of only one clean sheet over their last nine home league matches, indicates Salah will again be the top captain pick for the Gameweek.
However, with only two Gameweeks of 2024/25 remaining, the tactic of going against Salah is proving popular with those managers who need to take risks in their bid for mini-league glory.
In contrast to Salah, both Aston Villa's Watkins and Brentford's Mbeumo are at home in Gameweek 37, facing Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham respectively.
In Watkins’ case, his armband prospects will be boosted if Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou continues his recent rotation policy for Spurs ahead of their UEFA Europa League final against Manchester United next Wednesday.
Which teams are the weakest defensively?
Indeed, a quick look at the defensive data shows why Watkins is the most transferred-in player in Fantasy ahead of Friday's deadline.
Spurs and Man Utd have conceded a league-high 10 big chances – situations where the player is expected to score – over their last TWO matches alone.
Fulham's numbers in the table below also lift the appeal of Mbeumo - the Cottagers are also among the six sixes who have conceded more than three big chances per match in their last two contests.
Mbeumo is the joint-second top-scoring player in home matches this season, producing 23 points in his last two outings at the Gtech Community Stadium alone.
Man Utd’s poor defensive data also bring Chelsea’s Cole Palmer (£10.5m) into the conversation if you’re chasing. Despite his struggles in the second half of 2024/25, Palmer’s 123 points in home matches is identical to Mbeumo.
Elsewhere, West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m) has the form to profit from Nottingham Forest's recent defensive issues. The Hammers' talisman has three goals, two assists and 36 points across his last four outings.
Team defensive stats, last two matches
| Club | Goals conc. | Clean sheets | Big chances conc. |
| Man Utd | 6 | 0 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spurs | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Liverpool | 5 | 0 | 9 |
| Arsenal | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Fulham | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Nottingham Forest | 3 | 0 | 7 |
So, who is the best captain for Gameweek 37?
The defensive data lends weight to Watkins' claim for the captaincy, as does Villa's motivation in the race to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.
At a point in the campaign where a host of clubs are affording minutes to fringe players, Villa head coach Unai Emery is very likely to field his strongest XI.
That extra incentive gives Watkins a slight edge over the in-form Mbeumo, with Liverpool's own rotation policy perhaps enough to steer clear of Salah.
