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            <p>Fantasy Football Hub's resident Fantasy Premier League (FPL) captaincy expert <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisTanFPL">Chris Tan</a> takes a close look at the key fixtures and best FPL captain options for Gameweek 18.</p>
<p>Amid the festive schedule, we have incorporated the usual fixtures analysis article into this piece, focusing only on the matches that impact on captaincy.</p>
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<h2><strong>Best FPL captain for Gameweek 18: The candidates</strong></h2>
<p>We nailed the captaincy in Gameweek 17 with <strong>Mohamed Salah</strong> hauling away once again and we need to start including <strong>Alexander Isak</strong> in these conversations too, as he emerges as another part of the template.</p>
<p>This week feels like an easy Salah decision given how poor Leicester have looked recently - but is he due a rest and are there any other options?</p>
<p>These are the main candidates this week:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Cole Palmer</strong> v Fulham (H)</li>
<li><strong>Mohamed Salah</strong> v Leicester (H)</li>
<li><strong>Jarrod Bowen </strong>v Southampton (A)</li>
<li><strong>Alexander Isak </strong>v Aston Villa (H)</li>
<li><strong>Bruno Fernandes</strong> v Wolves (A)</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_69578" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69578" class="size-full wp-image-69578" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/GW18-captain.jpg" alt="Gameweek 18 captaincy candidates" width="798" height="650" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-69578" class="wp-caption-text">Gameweek 18 captaincy candidates</p>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">Best FPL captain for Gameweek 18: The fixtures</h2>
<div id="attachment_69559" style="width: 373px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69559" class="size-full wp-image-69559" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/FPL-Gameweek-18-Best-Captain-fixtures.png" alt="" width="363" height="553" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-69559" class="wp-caption-text">FPL Gameweek 18 fixtures</p>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">Best FPL captain for Gameweek 18: Poll</h2>
<p>This is as one-sided as you'll ever see, with Salah storming it among my followers:</p>
<div id="attachment_69566" style="width: 612px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69566" class="size-full wp-image-69566" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/FPL-Gameweek-18-Best-Captain-X-poll-results.png" alt="" width="602" height="407" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-69566" class="wp-caption-text">FPL Gameweek 18 captain poll results</p>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">Best FPL captain for Gameweek 18: Players' records</h2>
<p>Here are some notable records for our captaincy candidates:</p>
<p><strong>Salah</strong> - Blanked the home game the last time Leicester were in the league but picked up a hat-trick of assists away.</p>
<p><strong>Isak </strong>- Braced in the only time he's played against Villa at home.</p>
<p><strong>Fernandes</strong> - Recorded an assist in his last two away games against Wolves.</p>
<p><strong>Palmer </strong>- Scored in the home match last season.</p>
<p><strong>Bowen</strong> - Doesn't have the best record against Southampton and blanked the last two matches against them.</p>
<div id="attachment_69562" style="width: 805px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-69562" class="size-full wp-image-69562" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/FPL-Gameweek-18-Best-Captain-record-against.png" alt="" width="795" height="525" /></p>
<p id="caption-attachment-69562" class="wp-caption-text">Captaincy candidates' records against their opposition</p>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">Best FPL captain for Gameweek 18: Members' stats breakdown</h2>
<p>The stats are filtered 'per start' for the individual players and 'per appearance' for the team stats over the last six gameweeks.</p>
<p>See the latest stats on the Hub's <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta">Opta page</a>.</p>
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Best FPL captain for Gameweek 18 and key fixtures analysis

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