In his latest article, three-time top 200 player Lateriser starts thinking about Blank Gameweek 31, and which Fantasy Premier League (FPL) transfers might need to be made in advance.
So now we have the doubles and blanks ahead of us until early April. It has been confirmed that Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers will play twice in Gameweek 26, but like Manchester City and Crystal Palace they will not take part in Gameweek 31.
One of the popular Wildcard ideas is to activate the chip in Gameweek 32, enabling a Gameweek 33 Bench Boost that also sets your team up for the final period of the season.
If I were to use this strategy I would have to start thinking about the composition of my team because at the moment I have two Arsenal signings, two from Man City and one from Palace.
I also have a number of other non-playing options. This means that if I don’t want to use a chip in Blank Gameweek 31, my upcoming transfers will have to be tailored to not getting players from certain teams.
PLAN AHEAD
Let’s see what the landscape looks like. Managers have (at least) seven free transfers until matchweek 31, although we might want to take two or three with us, after the Wildcard. That could help deal with the final leg of 2025/2026.
Therefore, if you’re in a position like mine, perhaps you should ignore Palace’s incredible home games against Burnley, Wolves and Leeds United at home.
Moreover, midfielders love it Florian Wirtz (£8.3 million), Bryan Mbeumo (£8.5 million) and Morgan Rogers (£7.6 million) take precedence Antoine Semenyo (£7.8m) and Ismail Sarr (£6.3 million).
It all comes down to your team composition and the current list of Gameweek 31 absentees, if you opt for a Free Hit chip at that time.
Because of the value built up in Erling Haaland (£15.0 million) and Marc Guehi (£5.2m), the owners will most likely keep the Man City duo until Wildcarding.
TEAMS TO DO IF YOU’RE DEAD-ENDING FOR GAME WEEK 31
In the meantime, there are some teams that can focus on great matches from now until Gameweek 31.
At the top of my watchlist is Liverpool, a team that is starting to click in attack. Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike (£8.9m) have found a real household name, and I find the midfielder particularly attractive.
Both are among the league’s top four in expected goal involvement (NPxGI) over the last six gameweeks, with Wirtz posting four double-digit goals in seven games. The in-form FPL midfielder also still feels like a difference.
As for Fulham, they were impressive against Manchester United and didn’t sell Harry Wilson (£6.1 million), and their key players from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) are back in West London.
They are about to host Everton and are in third place Scout’s fixture ticker between now and Gameweek 31. If some teams are blank, they will play Burnley at home. That’s why Wilson and Joachim Andersen (£4.6m) are sensible, useful purchases.
Elsewhere, Bournemouth and Aston Villa are a couple of other interesting teams. Cheap defender James Hill (£3.9m) means plenty can happen in other positions despite the Cherries’ defensive weaknesses and Gameweek 31 clash with Man United.
I considered selling Rogers at one point, but his games are looking excellent, especially against West Ham United in Gameweek 31.
This opens a route where Semenyo, Sarr and Daniel Munoz (£5.8m) can still be good short-term signings, if a manager has a lot of transfers, has enough Blank Gameweek 31 players, or plans to chip at the time.
GAME WEEK 28 ARMATURE SWING
We also need to take into account the slight schedule shift that occurs in Gameweek 28.
Liverpool, Fulham and Bournemouth will certainly be the teams to focus on in that period, but Newcastle United and Brentford are also worth a look.
To expect Igor Thiago (£7.1 million), Lewis Hall (£5.3 million) and Kevin Damage (£7.0 million) to become popular. Man United do indeed fall into the bottom half of the table, but as a fan I would say that some games against ‘tougher’ opponents who have more possession may not be a bad thing as it is likely to open up spaces that can be exploited in attack.
Anyway, I hope this article helps you plan ahead, taking into account all the necessary factors before the period of blanks, doubles and chips actually arrives.
Until next time, good luck.
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