If you’re in a rush and need some last-minute Fantasy Premier League (FPL) advice, here’s a quick round-up of what you should know about Gameweek 38.
WHEN’S THE FPL GAMEWEEK 38 DEADLINE?
It’s that unique afternoon of each season when all 20 teams play at the same time. Therefore, FPL transfers and team selections must be done by 14:30 BST on Sunday 25 May.
TRADITIONAL GOAL-FEST
So here we are, the final day of this 2024/25 campaign. Nine months of hauls, blanks, hat-tricks and benched points are about to climax with Gameweek 38’s annual bonanza.
Just as traditional as the pre-deadline mayhem and imminent forfeits for poor mini-league performers is the above-average number of goals that take place. For example, last season ended with 3.7 of them per match.
That’s why FPL managers are eyeing up attackers like Ollie Watkins (£9.2m), Evanilson (£5.9m) and Jarrod Bowen (£7.9m). All are unanimous Scout Squad selections.
Guessing the correct number of goals (and some other last-day events) could win you a Premium Membership…
WILL ISAK PLAY?
Many managers will likely be waiting until as late as possible to make moves, especially if they own Alexander Isak (£9.4m). The 23-goal forward missed Gameweek 37 with a groin problem and caused millions of autosubs to take place.
390,000 got rid of him beforehand, including eight of ‘The Great and the Good’, and he’s the most sold of this week by far. But Newcastle United need to win their home match against Everton and they struggle without him.
Eddie Howe (£1.5m) rarely gives anything away in press conferences, but FPL managers will have been buoyed by a “pain-free” week.
“He is doing okay. He hasn’t trained with us yet but he has made good progress through the week. The next couple of days will be absolutely crucial to his availability on Sunday.
“Yeah, there’s a chance [he could play], it’s difficult to give any more than that, really. Until he trains with us, we won’t fully know how he is going to respond to the training and the demands that the game will place upon him. We’ll only play him if he’s fit to contribute but at the moment, he has an opportunity, potentially.
“I think we’ll leave it till tomorrow but obviously this week he’s been training just individually and building up his load. So, he’s been running and feels okay at the moment but of course running is one thing and kicking a ball and doing all the other things that you need to do is another. So far, what he’s been asked to do, he’s done it pain-free, and he’s done it well, so the next two days will be absolutely crucial.” – Eddie Howe on Alexander Isak
The biggest clue yet: he’s arrived at St James’ Park on Sunday…
😎 🇸🇪 Alexander Isak is HERE! #nufc pic.twitter.com/2F3ozjHFJC
— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) May 25, 2025
SALIBA REPLACEMENTS
After Isak, the most popular sale is injured Arsenal defender William Saliba (£6.4m). Satisfied with his seven attackers, FPL General is wondering whether to use his final transfer on replacing the Frenchman.
Teammate Jurrien Timber (£5.5m) is another to be ruled out of Gameweek 38, so we’ve looked into some appealing replacements. Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez (£5.3m) is tempting, while Nottingham Forest duo Nikola Milenkovic (£5.2m) and Matz Sels (£5.2m) have been shortlisted amongst our best defenders and star goalkeepers for this season.
Alternatively, moving them to low-owned Gunners colleague Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) makes sense.
EXCITING RISKS
Meanwhile, these closing May weeks are often about guessing the right differential punts that can give one more push up the rankings and mini-leagues.
If you’re attempting a final-day ‘Hail Mary’, either in terms of purchases or captaincy, Brighton and Hove Albion’s Brajan Gruda (£5.4m) was hugely impressive in the 3-2 victory over Liverpool.
Both Brentford and the Seagulls have a slight possibility of European qualification. But Vitor Pereira (£0.8m) and trophy-winning Ange Postecoglou (£1.1m) stand in their way, two of eight eligible options for an Assistant Manager table bonus.
Elsewhere, our ‘Rate My Team’ (RMT) tool likes several Bournemouth attackers beyond Evanilson.
BEST FPL GAMEWEEK 38 CAPTAIN
The RMT algorithm also backs Mohamed Salah (£13.6m) as its recommended armband recipient, narrowly ahead of Bukayo Saka (£10.4m) and Evanilson (£5.9m).
Interestingly, neither of our FFS Members Cup finalists – schnuggi or Rossaldinho – currently owns the Egyptian.
TEAM REVEALS
- Tom Freeman’s Gameweek 38 team reveal + Triple Captain thoughts
- FPL General’s Gameweek 38 team reveal + transfer plans
SCOUT PICKS
Our weekly selection – which is essentially a Free Hit in all but name – thinks Bryan Mbeumo (£8.3m) and Jarrod Bowen (£7.9m) will keep delivering attacking returns.
PREDICTED LINE-UPS
We’ve predicted the starting XIs of all 20 Premier League teams. Check out our match previews, too.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck with FPL Gameweek 38!
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