How are the Scout Network managing Blank Gameweek 33?

Blank Gameweeks are always a balancing act for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers. How many players is enough? How many points hits are too many? Is it the right week for a differential captain pick?

We asked the Scout Network how they are planning to manage Gameweek 33.

FPL Nymfria

Navigating Gameweek 33 depends very much on where you are in your chip strategy. Even though I still have my Wildcard intact, I am tempted to hold one more week owing to the tight turn around and letting the dust settle on the fixtures.

Don’t be scared to bench players you want for the last few Gameweeks, especially if have money invested in them, there seems little point using a transfer and losing money for a player you’ll only want back.

For captaincy, I’m looking to Liverpool who face a Newcastle United side that have conceded five goals in the last three Gameweeks.

FPL Nymfria

El Statto

Speaking as someone who doesn’t have any chips left, it’s just a case of making the best team possible for Gameweek 33 without compromising my squad for Gameweeks 34 and beyond.

Fulham and Southampton players aren’t highly owned so as with most managers I will be deciding on Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City assets. I have Son Hueng-Min (£9.5m) and Harry Kane (£11.8m) and I intend to sell Son and bench Kane for Gameweek 33. Kane is a great captaincy option for Gameweek 34 against Sheffield United and with the vast array of midfield options Son is more easily replaceable.

As for City, I feel their ownership has dropped over recent weeks due to the increased rotation. I moved my City assets on a few weeks ago and only have João Cancelo (£5.9m) left. I’m likely to bench him, too, although if I had two free transfers I might have sold him instead. The important thing to remember is it’s only one Gameweek and that’s why we have a squad and not just 11 players. Consider whether you will want players after Gameweek 33 and, if you do, what their selling/buy back price is likely to be.

El Statto

FF Titans

With four teams blanking in Gameweek 33, there are two pertinent questions to answer for FPL managers – 1) what to do with Spurs assets and 2) is it still worth keeping Manchester City assets from this point onwards?

Overall Spurs still have favourable fixtures to the end of season. There is much value in keeping Harry Kane (£11.8m) and/or Son Heung-Min (£9.5m), who will be both crucial to their charge towards a decent finish. However, if you have a third Spurs asset this is probably the opportunity to change to a player who is playing in Gameweek 33.

Manchester United’s win over the weekend cut their deficit at the top of the Premier League to ten points, leaving Manchester City still needing eleven to win the title with six games to go. Chances are that City will still need to be at their best for at least the next four to five Premier League games, so their assets are definitely still worth holding, despite their blank this week and the chances of rotation. Ilkay Gündogan(£5.8m) and Rúben Dias (£6.2m) remain our top picks.

All said, to save yourself from taking a lot of hits, we feel that a team with one or two players blanking can still work, so avoid knee-jerk reactions to jettison Spurs and City assets.

FF Titans

FPL Family

I’m planning to use my second Wildcard ahead of Gameweek 33. This gives me the opportunity to sell Sergio Reguilón (£5.6m), who was my third Spurs player for Gameweek 32, and hold both Harry Kane, depending on injury news, and Son Heung-Min who both look like great options for Gameweek 34 against Sheffield United.

Rúben Dias is a more difficult decision. By the time Gameweek 33 rolls around Manchester City, having gone out of the FA Cup to Chelsea and played the League Cup Final, will be focused purely on the Premier League and the Champions League. This reduces my worries around rotation. However, depending on the severity of the injury to Kevin De Bryune (£12.0m), Dias and City may not be the best investments for Gameweeks 34 to 38.

With Spurs and City out of the captaincy debate Liverpool look like the obvious picks with Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) and Diogo Jota (£7.0m) leading the charge. However, FA Cup finalists Leicester City, facing Crystal Palace, also offer some nice options, especially Kelechi Iheanacho (£6.1m)

FPL Family

FPL Experiment

It has got to the point where the teams in the top 50k are largely indistinguishable; the template is rife. We see this as an opportunity for a rank jump from Gameweek 33 onwards.

Harry Kane’s injury certainly needs to be monitored and the lack of form of Bruno Fernandes (£11.6m – one goal and one assist in seven Gameweeks) has been identified by Greg as an area for concern, too. 

We’re halfway through the Gameweek, so it’s hard to say for certain what we’ll do, but we are looking at those who are hyper-motivated to finish the season strongly. With that in mind, we think Liverpool’s attacking prospects have huge potential in Gameweek 33, a Leicester attacking double-up is worthy of consideration and Newcastle could offer good differential opportunities. The players we’re considering are Mason Greenwood (£7.0m), Allan Saint-Maximin (£5.1m), Kai Havertz (£8.2m) and Matheus Pereira (£5.4m) who are all owned by fewer than 5% of managers.

FPL Experiment

FPL Froggies

If you play your wildcard now, or use your Free Hit chip in Gameweek 33, then life is easy to manage. However, if you don’t have a chip left it is important to consider your long-term plans.

In Gameweek 34 Spurs play Sheffield United whilst Manchester City play Crystal Palace, so trying to keep your Spurs and City offensive players through Gameweek 33 looks wise, even if you have only ten active players in your team as a result. There seems little advantage in spending transfers for doing a Harry Kane (£11.8m) to Jamie Vardy (£10.1m) or Ilkay Gundogan (£5.8m) to Mason Mount (£7.2m), simply to reverse them in Gameweek 34.

Playing it safe with the captaincy will make Mohamed Salah against Newcastle the most obvious choice, however Kelechi Iheanacho against Crystal Palace or Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.4m) against Newcastle also look like great options.

FPL Froggies

What’s happening in the Scout Network?

On last week’s Scout The Gameweek FPLFamily‘s Sam was joined by Mick from FPL Take The Hit. They discussed Gameweek 31 and looked ahead to Double Gameweek 32. This week Sam will be joined by Pete and Dubs from FPL Side Net. They will review Double Gameweek 32 and look ahead to Blank Gameweek 33.

FPL Nymfria – Nymfria’s Gameweek preview video looked at her considerations and transfers ahead of Gameweek 32, as well as shining the spotlight on the Trending Transfers and some of the player picks to consider.

El Statto – El Statto’s Jumpers for Goalposts site saw its latest articles around wildcarding and differentials published. As the season draws to a close El Statto is already working hard to improve the site ahead of next season.

FF Titans – This week, the team at FF Titans spoke to one of their readers, who is still in the FPL Cup, now at the Last 128 stage.

FPL Experiment Podcast – The FPL Experiment podcast is available every Thursday 

FPLFroggies – Episode 26 of FPL Froggies Podcast is available now.