This article is part of our The Armband series.
There's not much to say about the recent set of matches except that it may have been the most unexciting double gameweek ever. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic injured, there wasn't a standout captain and that led to a lot of iffy decisions. A couple players pulled through like Christian Benteke and Anthony Martial, but Antonio Valencia and Marcus Rashford didn't even get starts at Burnley, while Boro's only goal scorer, Marten de Roon, didn't start in the 4-0 loss at Bournemouth.
And so, if you stayed away from the double and focused on usual sources of success like Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, or even Joshua King and Christian Eriksen, you ended up better than the rest. With that behind us, it's back to normal with only 10 matches in total.
Gameweek 35 would've been a great time to captain Ibrahimovic, but now we're left with Wayne Rooney and Rashford. Against Swansea, Rooney could be a sneaky play given the other options. It doesn't help that most of the other big clubs have difficult matches with Everton hosting Chelsea and Spurs against Arsenal. Romelu Lukaku is a great play at Goodison Park (16 goals), but he still presents some worry against Chelsea. That said, the Blues don't have a clean sheet since Jan. 22, so if you really like Lukaku, it's not a terrible spot. At the least, he'll be somewhat easier to trust than Hazard or Costa on the road.
Spurs are rolling, but the North London derby is never easy. Harry Kane scored when these teams met earlier in the season, while their trio of midfielders can't be discounted with it being a weekly toss-up between Dele Alli and Eriksen. Unfortunately, this isn't the week for Alexis Sanchez, as Tottenham have given up just eight goals at home this season.
The side that most fantasy bosses will back will undoubtedly be Manchester City at Middlesbrough. Boro had the worst form in the league (before beating Sunderland) and lost at home to Arsenal and Man United in their most recent matches. Sergio Aguero is the logical choice if healthy and he'll probably be the player with the most armbands this weekend, with Kevin de Bruyne and maybe Leroy Sane drawing the rest of the attention.
Liverpool have a decent situation from the outside, but Watford have won their last three at home without giving up a goal. While the Reds scored six in the previous meeting, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino will be the best options, but not easy to trust. It's also a wonder how they'll look after falling at home to Crystal Palace last time out.
As for Saturday matches between clubs lower on the table, Southampton (v. Hull), Stoke (v. West Ham) and Crystal Palace (v. Burnley) stand out. Hull have been great at home, but they have lost their last five on the road, so a trip to St. Mary's Stadium isn't welcome. That of course means that it could be Manolo Gabbiadini's return to form. He assisted at Chelsea last match, but this has all the makings of his fifth goal of the season. Stoke could be set for a couple goals against the Hammers, who have allowed at least two in their last four matches on the road. Xherdan Shaqiri and Marko Arnautovic are the only ones in the mix for the Potters.
Crystal Palace will be the focus of many as Burnley have struggled again in recent weeks, though against top competition. Most interesting is Benteke, who can't seem to figure things out at Selhurst Park (three goals at home, 11 on the road). Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend haven't been as consistent, but they could be worth a shot. For the best differential, you may have to look at Bournemouth with King (11 goals in 2017) and Benik Afobe (three goals, two assists in last seven). Both players have looked great over the last couple months, whereas Sunderland have not.
