In the lull before the Premier League resumes, five-time top 1k finisher Tom Freeman looks at possible ways Fantasy managers can make up ground in the final seven Gameweeks.
- READ MORE: What to look out for before the FPL Gameweek 32 deadline
- READ MORE: What each Premier League club has left to play for
1. GO BIG ON THE BRIGHTON DEFENCE…
If you’re on a Gameweek 32 Wildcard/Double Gameweek 33 Bench Boost/Blank Gameweek 34 Free Hit strategy, Brighton and Hove Albion players will naturally be of interest.
Fabian Hurzeler’s troops visit Burnley in Gameweek 32, and could subsequently ‘double’ against Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea after. Some pretty tasty fixtures follow, too, including a home encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers in Gameweek 36 and a trip to goal-shy Leeds United in Gameweek 37.
With two clean sheets and just four goals conceded in their last six matches, Brighton are also top for expected goals conceded (xGC) in that period.
So, rather than invest in Gameweek 32’s most-bought player, Danny Welbeck (£6.2m), who might not even play both matches in Double Gameweek 33 due to the tight turnaround, why not go big on the Albion backline?
Above: A potential Gameweek 32 Wildcard backline, including Verbruggen, van Hecke and Kadioglu
Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) and Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.5m) won’t set you back much and could offer value, particularly the latter, who has banked defensive contribution (DefCon) points in four of his last five matches.
The third slot could potentially be filled by the 0.4%-owned Ferdi Kadioglu (£4.4m), who has made the left-back spot his own at the Amex Stadium this season. He’s racked up 27 Premier League starts in a row, and, in that time, has provided 68 crosses from open play, placing him among the top 10 Fantasy defenders. Notably, upcoming opponents Burnley rank 19th for crosses conceded from their right flank in the last six matches, so if you get lucky, you could reap immediate rewards.
“He’s definitely very important. I think it’s about consistency, about being there all the time, trying to be intense in wanting to win one-v-one duels, facing a lot of running. And he manages this in an impressive way. Now he gets more and more resilient. Not only out of possession, he also has a big impact on our game in possession. He can run a lot. He can fight, he can be very tough and like a small warrior, like a small terrier who’s always there and in personal duels. That’s what we need.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Ferdi Kadioglu
This approach, although admittedly risky, is supported by recent data and could produce decent returns. It is worth noting that Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) is suspended for the next two matches, but Olivier Boscagli (£4.2m) performed very well in his absence recently, so we might not see a drop-off.
2. …OR PUNT ON THE BRIGHTON NO. 10
Jack Hinshelwood (£5.1m) is another low-owned option to Bench Boost if you don’t fancy that defensive triple-up. The youngster has recently been deployed as a No 10 by Fabian Hurzeler, pushing up into some really dangerous positions, even beyond Welbeck at times.
Here’s an example from Saturday’s 2-1 win over Liverpool:
Across his last six matches, Hinshelwood has provided three assists, but he’s been a bit unlucky not to find the net, having racked up 14 shots, which ranks joint-12th among all midfielders. No surprise, then, that he features on the Goals Imminent table this week.
That’s not bad at all for a £5.1m midfielder. Throw in eight key passes in this six-match period, and Hinshelwood could be a really nice option to not only Bench Boost, but also play at Burnley in Gameweek 32.
“For me, the most important is that he comes into these kinds of positions. If you don’t come into these kinds of positions, you can’t score. That means he shows a really good desire of attacking the box, a really good desire of being present in the opponents’ box. Now, for me, it’s just to stay more calm, to understand also that sometimes when you are in the opponents’ box you have more time than you think. I think it is important that he keeps working on this but for me most important is that he is attacking the box and that he always creates a danger.” – Fabian Hurzeler on Jack Hinshelwood
3. FREE HIT IN GAMEWEEK 33
The aforementioned Gameweek 32 Wildcard/Gameweek 33 Bench Boost/Gameweek 34 Free Hit approach will prove popular, and justifiably so.
But there is another route, which has been discussed a fair bit. It involves a Gameweek 33 Free Hit, which subsequently allows the Wildcard/Bench Boost combo to be used later in the season, likely Gameweek 35/36.
It means the Free Hit chip could be used more aggressively in the ‘double’, with 11 players who play twice, knowing you don’t have to keep them for the remainder of the season. Therefore, you could take a few short-term punts, like Harvey Barnes (£6.1m), Florian Wirtz (£8.3m), Rayan Cherki (£6.3m), or perhaps even Mohamed Salah (£14.0m), provided their respective teams actually play twice, of course.
Crucially, you also get to keep your Gameweek 32 team, which is probably set up pretty well, whereas Wildcarders will likely be tripling up on Chelsea and Manchester City, who face off at Stamford Bridge.
If you do choose to pursue this approach, it is crucial to consider Blank Gameweek 34 and ensure you have enough starters. We don’t currently know who blanks and doubles, but we should have clarity on this by the Gameweek 32 deadline.
Here’s how it’s all shaping up for now.
| GW34 Premier League fixture | Status | Match will be postponed if the following occurs: | Bookies’ odds of postponement | Will it definitely be a blank if the match is postponed? |
| Brighton v Chelsea | Possible blank | If Chelsea beat Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals | 91.3% | No |
| Arsenal v Newcastle | Possible blank | If Arsenal beat Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals | 88.1% | Yes |
| Burnley v Man City | Possible blank | If Man City beat Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals | 66.2% | No |
| West Ham v Everton | Possible blank | If West Ham beat Leeds in the FA Cup quarter-finals | 55.8% | No |
| Bournemouth v Leeds | Possible blank | If Leeds beat West Ham in the FA Cup quarter-finals | 44.2% | No |
| Liverpool v C Palace | Possible blank | If Liverpool beat Man City in the FA Cup quarter-finals | 33.8% | Yes |
| Fulham v Aston Villa | On | |||
| Man Utd v Brentford | On | |||
| Sunderland v Nottm Forest | On | |||
| Wolves v Spurs | On | |||
| Maximum number of postponements: 4 | ||||
| Minimum number of postponements: 2 |
4. TRUST VILLA
Aston Villa players have recently been a real source of frustration for many Fantasy managers. Before Gameweek 31, no team had scored fewer goals than Unai Emery’s men in 2026.
However, with John McGinn (£5.3m) and Youri Tielemans (£5.9m) back from injury, Villa have perhaps turned a corner, with successive wins to nil in all competitions.
Villa notably face three of the current bottom five in the next five Gameweeks, as well as Sunderland and Fulham.
| Gameweek | Opponent | xGC (25/26 rank) | xGC (last six matches rank) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Nott’m Forest (a) | 46.10 (15th) | 7.88 (11th) |
| 33 | Sunderland (h) | 45.21 (14th) | 10.24 (15th) |
| 34 | Fulham (a) | 43.42 (10th) | 7.37 (7th) |
| 35 | Tottenham (h) | 46.76 (17th) | 11.64 (18th) |
| 36 | Burnley (a) | 62.10 (20th) | 13.04 (20th) |
The return of McGinn and Tielemans should help Morgan Rogers (£7.5m) the most, who was frequently trying to do too much in their absence, whilst suffering from Villa’s slower tempo. He can now position himself a bit wider, allowing him to cut inside onto his stronger right foot.
Above: Morgan Rogers’ touch heatmap v West Ham United in Gameweek 31
With McGinn back in the starting XI, the tempo has increased, which in turn helps Rogers, as he thrives in transition and isn’t so easily crowded out by packed defences.
Against West Ham United on Sunday, he racked up four shots, including a ‘big chance’, just his second of 2026. He also received five passes in the penalty box, the second-most he’s had in a match throughout the entire season, and provided a second-half Fantasy assist for Ollie Watkins (£8.5m).
Defensively, Matty Cash (£4.7m) is also worth a look. He returned from injury in Gameweek 31 and instantly impressed, with several effective set-piece deliveries.
The lack of a ‘double’ in Gameweek 33 isn’t ideal, but with Villa hoping to secure UEFA Champions League football, the motivation and fixtures could mean Rogers/Cash finish the season on a high note.
5. DON’T OVERLOOK THE RELEGATION BATTLERS
Players from teams battling relegation shouldn’t be written off, and with so much at stake, they could provide value for the final seven Gameweeks.
With Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers nearly relegated, it’s between Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United for the final spot.
Neco Williams (£4.7m) and Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m) delivered 15 and eight points respectively in Gameweek 31, a timely reminder that Fantasy managers can be rewarded for focusing on these teams.
Williams has notably racked up 12 shots over the last six Gameweeks, the second-most of any defender. At the same time, Gibbs-White places ninth among midfielders for expected goal involvement (xGI).
Their contributions helped Forest move three points clear of the relegation zone last time out, with back-to-back home matches immediately after the break, including Burnley in Gameweek 33.
Leeds United have been poor in attack recently, but if they can sharpen up, they face a number of relegation rivals over the run-in. In fact, Daniel Farke’s side face all of the bottom four over the final seven Gameweeks, so someone like Anton Stach (£4.8m) could be a standout budget pick.
Penalty-taker Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m) is another player to consider from the relegation-threatened sides.
