Blank Gameweek 31 of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is finally upon us!
Thanks to the EFL Cup final, four teams are set to be absent from the Premier League schedule this weekend: Arsenal, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It’s still faintly possible that City v Palace stays in Gameweek 31 (being played in early April instead) but we’ll assume, for now, that it won’t.
As a result, many FPL managers with squads stacked with players from that foursome may be eyeing the Free Hit button as a means of navigating the upcoming blank.
Here, we’ll talk through some of the pros and cons of using your Free Hit chip in Blank Gameweek 31, and suggest a few possible team drafts.
How many ‘blankers’ does the average FPL manager own?
LiveFPL gives a Blank Gameweek breakdown of the top 100k FPL managers, which is a pretty good gauge of active Fantasy bosses.
A lot of FPL managers should be able to get a competitive XI out with one or two free transfers.
However, if you also have potential injury doubts like James Tarkowski (£5.7m), Matty Cash (£4.7m) or Nordi Mukiele (£4.5m) in your squad, or carry dead wood like Marc Guiu (£4.1m), you could easily find yourself struggling to get near 11 starters of any type, let alone a team of desirable picks.
Pros of a Free Hit in Blank Gameweek 31
A key advantage of using your Free Hit in Blank Gameweek 31 is that it allows you to easily navigate this first big blank of the 2025/26 season, stress-free. There’s no worrying about how to field an XI and taking hits, just a cherry-picked squad of 15 that you can attack the Gameweek with.
Another benefit is that there is no need to sell Arsenal or Man City players you may have built significant value in and immediately want back the following week. They’ll be there waiting in your Gameweek 32 squad already.
Cons of a Free Hit in Blank Gameweek 31
One of the main ‘cons’ is that there could be a bigger Blank Gameweek (34) on the horizon, due to potential clashes with the FA Cup semi-finals. As a result, more than four teams may blank; we’ll find out for sure before Gameweek 32. Some managers may find their Free Hit could be more useful in that round, depending on how heavily their squad is set to be impacted.
The Free Hit chip could also be used in a Double Gameweek. We’re likely to get at least one in Gameweeks 33 or 36, possibly more, due to the rearrangement of matches. Managers may consider this option if they have already used their Bench Boost and Triple Captain chips, which are typically targeted at doubles.
It’s also worth looking at the fixtures for Blank Gameweek 31 in isolation. Are there really so many must-haves worth using a chip on this week? Aston Villa aren’t in great form, while Newcastle United contest a derby, when form can go out the proverbial window. Leeds United v Brentford and Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest are hard to read, too:
So, deciding whether or not a Blank Gameweek 31 Free Hit is for you is likely dependant on how your team is currently set up for the blank (e.g., number of players blanking versus available to play, ideally with appealing fixtures), how many free transfers you have, and what other chips you still have to play (including a second Wildcard).
Blank Gameweek 31 Free Hit draft ideas
DRAFT 1: THE SCOUT PICKS!
The Scout Picks are a glorified Free Hit, so where better to start than the squad we’ve already put together in our ‘bus team’ article?
We start off by backing the popular Fulham duo of leading scorer Harry Wilson (£6.0m) and defensive contribution (DefCon) stalwart Joachim Andersen (£4.5m), both of whom returned to the starting XI in Gameweek 30.
Continuing to take the fixtures into account, there’s a Newcastle triple-up of Aaron Ramsdale (£4.8m), Malick Thiaw (£5.0m) – up against a Sunderland side that have scored just eight away goals all season – and Anthony Gordon (£7.3m), the Magpies’ designated spot-kick taker and their current best centre-forward option.
Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.3m) also faces a Spurs side on the league’s longest run without a clean sheet (11).
Bruno Fernandes (£10.1m) doesn’t have the greatest fixture by any stretch but he’s nailed for 90 minutes, on penalties and the league’s most creative asset. He will be vitally important if United are to get past a Bournemouth side that haven’t lost in 10 league outings. Indeed, the Portuguese grabbed a goal and assist in the reverse fixture.
Similarly, a trip to the Amex is no straightforward prospect for Liverpool, but Virgil van Dijk (£6.2m) offers extras (DefCon/goal threat) even if the clean sheet doesn’t happen.
Up front is probably where the big questions are this week. Joao Pedro (£7.8m), Igor Thiago (£7.3m) and Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) don’t have the best fixtures on paper but there are fewer game-time question marks (especially with Bowen and Thiago) than there are with Raul Jimenez (£6.2m), who is frequently hooked between 60 to 70 minutes, and Gameweek 30 benchee Hugo Ekitike (£9.2m), who faces a Wednesday night-Saturday lunchtime turnaround.
DRAFT 2: BIG IN MIDFIELD
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