This article is part of our The Armband series.
Boxing Day is here, which means setting your captain isn't getting easier. At some point, your favourite player is going to rest and then come off the bench, resulting in the dreaded one point. For some clubs, this is a stretch of seven matches in 20 days to end 2017, and for all it'll be three matches in eight days. All of the big names outside of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard showed up last week, meaning this gameweek will be the opposite.
Liverpool are at home against Swansea, but there's no telling what the attacking line will look like. For Man City, there's always a chance Gabriel Jesus makes the lineup over Sergio Aguero or someone like Bernardo Silva finds his way into the starting XI. There's instances like this all over the league, which doesn't make picking a captain much fun. The main players I'll look at are the ones that rarely get rested and hope that remains the case for these matches.
One player not to worry about is Harry Kane, who never seems to miss a match. Coming off a hat trick, Kane will be feeling plenty good about himself. He's at home against a Southampton side that has three points from their last six matches. Kane continues to dominate in front of Tottenham's attack even if he doesn't score every match. He has 13 shots on goal in the last four matches and more are likely in this spot. Christian Eriksen has done a little more in his last five matches (two goals, two assists), but he still doesn't warrant captain attention.
Chelsea are at home against Brighton and Hazard may be the only one to consider, though Alvaro Morata would be a great differential as long as he starts after sitting the last few. For Hazard, he has three shots on goal in the last five matches, which has left some fantasy bosses fuming.
Lukaku has started every league match this season, yet it wouldn't be crazy to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic get the call. Ibrahimovic started in the midweek cup match and could take over for Lukaku, who had just one shot in Saturday's 2-2 draw against Leicester.
For the last relevant match on Boxing Day, Liverpool are another side that could mix up their lineup. The only top player that hasn't been rested in the last month is Mohamed Salah, who last came off the bench in late November and still scored a brace. Sadio Mane is most likely to make the starting XI having sat at Bournemouth a week ago. He hasn't scored or assisted in his last three, but the almost guarantee that he's set to start may be enough to use him above others. If all of the big names start, it's a toss up between Philippe Coutinho and Salah, with Mane and Roberto Firmino close behind. Swansea have lost their last six away matches and allowed five goals in the last two.
De Bruyne hasn't missed a match for Man City this season, though it's a wonder if that will change soon. After two goals and an assist last time out, Aguero should be set to start again unless Pep Guardiola wants to further infuriate him. Outside of those two, Raheem Sterling can't be stopped and has three goals and two assists in his last three starts. Newcastle haven't won their last four at home, so this is yet another good spot for City.
The same can't be said for Arsenal because Crystal Palace are suddenly not in the relegation zone and have taken points from their last eight matches. The good thing is that they allow goals, so Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette can still be considered. Ozil has surprisingly been more effective in recent matches, but it's hard to go against Alexis, who averages three chances created per match.
Outside of the big names, there's little reason to take a risk on someone else who may not start. Jamie Vardy (at Watford) and Wayne Rooney (at West Brom) should be the best of the bunch. Vardy faces a struggling back line, though he doesn't nearly get enough chances in front of net to trust with the armband. Rooney was sick last match, but he also didn't have to play 90 minutes, so ideally should be rested. He's been on fire for the Toffees and could be a decent gamble if healthy.
