This article is part of our The Armband series.
With the international break behind us, let's take a quick look back at Gameweek 31.
Harry Kane all day, every day. That's almost everything that needs to be said. The Tottenham striker overtook Jamie Vardy for the Premier League lead in goals (21) two weeks ago. If you don't have him on your squad, you likely aren't having a good last few weeks. Kane has five goals in the last three league matches.
Graziano Pelle was also near the top of the charts with a goal and two assists in a comeback against Liverpool. Pelle also scored twice in the prior match.
Elsewhere, Cesc Fabgregas deserves a mention for having doubled his goal tally with a brace against West Ham. However, he's still not a midfielder that's easy to trust.
As for Gameweek 32, there are a few tasty matches, with Arsenal hosting Watford and Manchester United hosting Everton. But the match between Liverpool and Spurs will take precedent in the real world.
So the question is, can you trust Kane at Anfield? Well, there's no reason not to. Kane has been just as good on the road, with six goals in his last five away matches. While Liverpool have played much more defensive at home, the Reds allowed six goals in three home matches, prior to a 3-0 win over Manchester City. That should be reason enough to consider Kane for another armband.
Pelle is in a bit of a different situation going at Leicester City, who have only allowed 15 goals in 15 home matches this season. Pelle is playing well, but it'd be best to look at different options for captain this weekend, most notably the players across the field in Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy.
Man United have a home meeting with Everton, which should provide a few goals. The Toffees have actually played better on the road this season than at home, but the last time they played a relevant team on the road, they drew Chelsea 3-3. United's fantasy options are sparse with Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford being the best choices as of late.
As for Chelsea, they travel to a free-falling Aston Villa squad that can't seem to have anything go their way. In their last three home matches, Villa have allowed 11 goals. Unfortunately, Chelsea is in a similar spot as United, with a lack of fantasy options. The aforementioned Fabregas may be the best one to look at.
Instead, Arsenal's meeting with Watford may be a more favorable one, at least fantasy-wise. The numbers don't point to many goals here (Arsenal have scored 19 in 14 home matches, while Watford have allowed 18 in 14 road matches), but that's not to say Danny Welbeck, Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil are bad options. Welbeck has been great for the Gunners since returning from injury, while Alexis has scored or assisted in three straight.
If you're feeling lucky, a defender like Hector Bellerin could be worthy of consideration in the hopes of a clean sheet and another assist. He has three assists in the last two games.
As for the most favorable matchup of the gameweek, it's a toss-up between West Ham (vs. Crystal Palace) and Norwich (vs. Newcastle). Considering Norwich are short on fantasy options, the honor goes to the Hammers.
Crystal Palace have done nothing positive in league play for a while, having not won since Dec. 19, including nine losses in their last 11 league fixtures. In addition, West Ham have been great at the Boleyn Ground this campaign and have won four straight in all competitions.
Dimitri Payet remains their best option, as he has two goals and four assists in the last five matches. Payet has been a stud this season and could be a popular captain choice this weekend. He proved his worth for the French national team over the break as well, curling in this free kick against Russia on Tuesday:
Michail Antonio is also a decent commodity for West Ham, having scored in three straight matches before failing to find the back of the net at Chelsea last match.
Gameweek 32 Captaincy Rankings:
1. Harry Kane, Tottenham
2. Dimitri Payet, West Ham
3. Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City
4. Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
5. Hector Bellerin, Arsenal
