With our intent firmly on Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, Premier League football continues elsewhere this weekend, with Fantasy Premier League ready to go for Gameweek 31.
Our last league outing ended in memorable fashion, with two crucial late goals sealing a 2-0 success over Everton at Emirates Stadium last Saturday – our final league contest until April 11.
SALIBA SHINES WITH MAGIC MAX
Another win and clean sheet ensured plenty of healthy Fantasy Gameweek 30 returns for our Gunners. Chief among them was William Saliba (£6.1m), whose 11-point haul took him past the 100 barrier for the season, rewarding the 13% of managers to have included him in their backline. Wilo now has double-digit tallies in each of his last two league appearances, having earned 10 points with his goal against Chelsea in GW28.
The defence came up trumps in FPL once again, as Gabriel (£7.2m) secured yet another haul, this time bagging nine points. Big Gabi’s 173 points for the campaign are even more remarkable when considering he missed six Gameweeks before the turn of the year through injury, and the season total so far puts him top of the pile for the league’s defenders – in second with 149 points is Jurrien Timber (£6.3m).
David Raya (£6.0m) added another seven points, while a pivotal goal from the bench for Viktor Gyokeres (£8.8m) earned him likewise – and inducted our striker as our eighth FPL centurion with 101 points.
Two players earned six points for their exploits on Saturday at Emirates Stadium, and one was history-maker Max Dowman (£4.2m). Max’s run and goal to seal the victory in N5 scooped him the accolade of the Premier League’s youngest-ever goalscorer, and he is owned by 0.6% of bosses as a crafty differential. Riccardo Calafiori (£5.6m) also rewarded his owners with a solid six-pointer.
BLANK GAMEWEEK 31
This Sunday sees us out of Premier League action as we compete for silverware under the arch, and a by-product of the final this weekend is a headache for the millions of Fantasy bosses who will endure a Blank Gameweek (BGW).
All managers can bank up to five free transfers at a time to use when necessary – a huge jump from the maximum of two in seasons prior – but if, like many, you hold a total of six players or more from Arsenal, Man City, Palace and Wolves, your squad will be incomplete. FPL bosses could struggle to field a starting XI, as they will be reluctant to sell high-performing assets who have been key cogs in their side, plus the value that comes with them.
However, there are three viable options for those in this situation. The Free Hit chip is still intact for many managers, allowing you to temporarily dispense with your assets from GW31’s four missing clubs and ensure a nice, healthy team ready for action before reverting to type in GW32. However, later Gameweeks – GW34 especially – could be at risk of posing larger BGWs before the season’s end, when the Free Hit could be more valuable.
Taking a hit, you could ‘buy’ additional transfers at a cost of four points from your seasonal tally per switch. While this method will supplement your squad, it would also be a losing roll of the dice if your new players scored fewer than the penalty fare during the Gameweek.
While heading into a Gameweek without at least 11 active players is a proverbial shark-infested water, it may not be as disastrous an option as it appears. A particular consideration is that if you have a full quota of in-form Arsenal and Man City players, your squad would preserve its value without having to sell players and then buy them back for a massively hiked fee.
THE MEN FOR THE JOB
If you need players to temporarily replace your Arsenal and Man City assets on a Free Hit in this Gameweek, we’ll explore a few potential options to bridge the gap.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR) algorithm, Fulham have the most appealing fixture in GW31, hosting Burnley at Craven Cottage. The Cottagers’ form star is Hale End graduate Alex Iwobi (£6.4m), who has been exemplary of late with an average of seven points per Gameweek across his last five, and earned 94 points overall this term.
If you’re not specifically seeking out a differential, 143-point star Harry Wilson (£6.0m) is owned by 23.6% compared to Iwobi’s 3%, while in defence, centurion Joachim Andersen remains available for a reasonable 4.5%. However, be mindful of some tricky upcoming tests for Fulham in the imminent Gameweeks if not playing a Free Hit.
Newcastle United contest an unpredictable Tyne-Wear derby with Sunderland on Sunday, and the visitors’ form has slowed down in recent weeks. The Magpies won at Chelsea in GW30 courtesy of a solitary goal from Anthony Gordon (£7.3m), registered as a midfielder but often deployed as a striker, who boasts 18 points in his last two games. Malick Thiaw (£5.0m) has been hugely effective at both ends of the pitch and may be affordable on a Free Hit due to the unavailability of premium Arsenal and City stars.
Finally, Aston Villa will look to revive their Champions League hopes by facing survival-hunting West Ham United at Villa Park. This one is difficult to call given recent form, but it could be a game for the attackers with both sides desperate for league points. Morgan Rogers and Jarrod Bowen – registered as a midfielder and forward respectively – are game-time guarantees from each camp priced at £7.5m.
Be sure not to miss the Gameweek 31 deadline – a day earlier than usual this Friday night, March 20, at 6:30pm UK time!
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