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The Complete Guide to FPL Blank Gameweek 31 tips and advice

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Scout Guide to Blank Gameweek 31. A reduced fixture list this week and no early kick-off means a later than usual FPL deadline of 2pm. Plenty of time to make those last minute transfers and switch the armband back and forth a few more times.

The business end of the season starts here. The first major Blank Gameweek will be immediately followed by the first major Double Gameweek. In preparing for this period FPL managers have opted for a variety of strategies to maximise points returns, the most popular of which involve using the Free Hit chip either this Gameweek or next.

At the time of writing only 38% of the 8,000+ managers who have taken part in our poll will be fielding a full 11 players. 70% of managers polled will be taking at least one hit this week. Amongst the top 10,000 managers, 22% have used their Free Hit chip already and 31% have used their second Wildcard. Before making any transfers, we estimate these elite managers have on average seven players starting this week.

What does all this mean? In a word – opportunity.

With most managers unlikely to field a full complement of players, it means those who do should be at an advantage. Especially if you haven’t had to take a hit, either because you are playing the Free Hit chip or through careful planning.

However, if you are part of the estimated 70% who will be taking a hit, it’s a good week to do it. As the FPL General observes in his opinion piece:

The way the Blanks are falling this season (in 31 and 33) makes it easier to take a -4 to get a player who plays in both Gameweeks, especially for those who plan to use the Free Hit chip in Double Gameweek 32 and the second Wildcard in Gameweek 34.

Legomané remarks in his hot topic that this should reduce the 4 point cost of a hit to zero if you are getting rid of a player without a fixture in either Gameweek.

When weighing up transfers this week, it’s worth noting that the FA Cup tie between Watford and Crystal Palace kicks-off at 12:15pm today – this means that we should know the result of the match before the 2pm deadline.

Why does the FA Cup matter to us FPL managers? Well, as Holly Shand explains in FPL Question Time:

We should have a good idea whether Watford v Fulham or Newcastle v Crystal Palace will go ahead in Blank Gameweek 33 around the Blank Gameweek 31 deadline.

If Newcastle get to play in Blank Gameweek 33 as well as 31, this increases the appeal of their options, meaning a hit for one of their players this weekend carries less risk.

So which players are worth bringing in?

To an extent this will depend on how you are using your chips. Of the three main strategies outlined last month, one includes deploying the Free Hit chip this week. For those on that path Legomané started an FH31 RMT thread and, for members only, David prepared four excellent articles looking in-depth at the best goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards to buy.

However, as Neale mentioned when outlining the three main strategies, you can achieve success by going down a completely different route:

Last season, Yusuf Shiekh Wildcarded in Gameweek 25, Bench Boosted in Gameweek 37 and used his Triple Captain chip in Gameweek 38 – and finished first in the world.

This week, for FPL managers who have strayed from the main path, we’ve had two fascinating contributions from the community: Deulofail champions using the Free Hit chip in Gameweek 38, while Chris Kish has some thoughts for those who have already played their Wildcard and Free Hit chips.

Our Scout Picks which, like a Free Hit chip, feature the best players for the coming Gameweek – include two Liverpool attackers. Salah and Mané both make the cut. The pair also headline David’s Captain Sensible article this week. An enticing fixture away to Fulham is leading many to consider using the Triple Captain chip.

It should be mentioned that Mané did not feature in any of the 54 photos released by Liverpool of their Friday afternoon training session. However nothing about a potential injury was mentioned in their press conference, and Liverpool don’t play until tomorrow. In fact, as Neale reports in his Team News Round-up, Klopp was singing Mané’s praises.

The reason the pendulum has swung from two Liverpool defenders to two Liverpool attackers is Mané’s outstanding form. Is this simply recency bias? As J0E asked on Tuesday’s Scoutcast, certainly Mané is in outstanding form – two goals against Burnley was followed up in midweek with a brace against Bayern Munich.

Bournemouth also provide two attacking players for this week’s Scout Picks in the shape of Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser. With home fixtures in both Gameweeks 31 and 33, Bournemouth players offer appealing value – a hot topic discusses their potential, there was debate on the Scoutcast including a look at budget goalkeeper Artur Boruc, and an article highlighting Callum Wilson’s flat-track bully tag.

Players from Chelsea, Leicester and West Ham are also fancied this week ahead of favourable fixtures. With many managers needing to transfer in players for Gameweek 31, this could mean selling players who have increased markedly in value. For those who purchased Pogba and Jiménez when they were considerably cheaper this poses a tricky dilemma.

Adam Hopcroft pointed out last December that:

It can put you in a position of weakness when you have a lot of value tied up in a player.

However there’s an added dimension to this way of thinking because many will want to buy players such as Pogba and Jiménez for either their Free Hit chip next Gameweek or Wildcards later on. A riveting debate took place on the Scoutcast about whether it was right to keep or sell such players.

Elsewhere on site, G-Whizz provided his regular DS stats, fixtures and clean sheet odds, Greyhead reviewed The Great and The GoodMark is now into the top 1,000 overall – and Rotation’s Alter Ego supplied his handy summary of all the team news.

Away from FPL, Johannes (formerly known as Niemi) has kindly contributed two articles on Eliteserien, looking at price changes and providing a team guide. And Geoff asked if anyone will be playing Allsvenskan Fantasy this season? The Fantasy game for the top division in Sweden. Fantasy addicts will not go hungry this summer!

To view all our discussions please visit our Hot Topics page, and if you’ve got some analysis, scout reports or features brewing, be sure to visit our community section to submit your article.

If you’re a member and are yet to get to grips with the custom statistics tables, you can view this movie for an explanation of how they work. Also, remember to tag them so that people can find the tables with ease.

COMMUNITY TOURNAMENTS

The second round of the Fantasy Football Scout Cup saw another former winner depart with Wild Rover losing out to Lal Toofan on overall rank following a drawn match. David brought us all the latest from the competition including the draw for the next round – 128 managers are through to round three. The final is scheduled for Gameweek 37.

In TorresMagic’s Last Man Standing competition the safety score in Gameweek 30 was 46, this saw 64 managers eliminated. 237 teams are through to Gameweek 31, when the threshold for elimination moves up to 25%, a minimum of 60 managers will depart. The final will take place in Gameweek 37.

Still in the Last Man Standing competition, still top spot in both our main FFS League and our FFS Members League, Adam Levy increased his lead at the summit to 31 points.

I mentioned last week that the current record points total for an FPL winner is 2,668 set by Jon Reeson (aka Westfield Irons) way back in the 2009/10 season. Jon was the first ever member of FFS to win FPL, and it’s worth appreciating that he achieved his mammoth points score at a time when multiple chips weren’t around – he only had one Wildcard to use that season. The second Wildcard – at first just available in January – wasn’t introduced until the following year.

Over the remaining eight Gameweeks of the season Adam needs 599 points to beat Jon’s longstanding mark. He still has his Wildcard, Free Hit, and Bench Boost chips available.

Mark extended his lead over Chris Atkinson (aka RMT’s Professor) to 67 points in the FFS Mods & Cons as he moved up to 829th position overall. Mark has had four previous top 1,000 finishes and last week became the number one manager in our Live Hall of Fame, overtaking Sean Tobin.

Jack Baxendale is the new leader in RedLightning’s Top 10k Any Season mini-league. He captained Raheem Sterling on his way to 98 points in Gameweek 30, and has shot up to 58th overall. Jack is in his fifth FPL season, his best previous finish being 5,720 in 2016/17. He has not yet used any of his chips, apart from his First Wildcard which he played in Gameweek 20 –  he has had nine successive green arrows since then.

Elior Carsenti has regained the lead from JOZ V in RedLightning’s January to May League He has had seven green arrows in eight Gameweeks since he played his Second Wildcard in Gameweek 23. He has risen from 49,997 to 3,691 since Gameweek 22. He has not yet used his other three chips.

Karen Goh is the new leader in RedLightning’s The Last Ten Gameweeks mini-league. This is Karen’s third season and by far her best, she is currently in 21,583 overall. Karen played her Second Wildcard in Gameweek 29 and then captained Sterling in Gameweek 30 for a score of 102.

Jay Placey’s mini-league, The Home Stretch, also began scoring in Gameweek 30. Out of the 306 teams in it the top four all scored 100 points or more.

If you are running a community tournament and would like the latest scores included in future Community Round-Ups, please email us a summary of the current leaders and a link to your league, spreadsheet or head-to-head competition at geoff@fantasyfootballscout.co.uk

Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester City vs Huddersfield Town – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain – May 6, 2018 The Premier League trophy is displayed before the match Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.

TopMarx Fan of Fantasy Football and Monty Python. "Archimedes out to Socrates, Socrates back to Archimedes, Archimedes out to Heraclitus, he beats Hegel. Heraclitus a little flick, here he comes on the far post, Socrates is there, Socrates heads it in! Socrates has scored! The Greeks are going mad, the Greeks are going mad! Socrates scores, got a beautiful cross from Archimedes. The Germans are disputing it. Hegel is arguing that the reality is merely an a priori adjunct of non-naturalistic ethics, Kant via the categorical imperative is holding that ontologically it exists only in the imagination, and Marx is claiming it was offside. Follow them on Twitter

1,990 Comments Post a Comment
  1. FPL FREAK
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Should I play Ogbonna or ake...??

    Already playing Diop

    So double up West ham def or play Bournemouth def...?
    Who is having much chances of getting Cs..??

    1. Prison Mike
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      I rate WHU defence more against HUD but Ake offers more goal threat imo.

  2. Prison Mike
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Have 10 players but already on a -4...

    Any of these worth another hit (-8)?

    A) Camarasa -> Fraser

    B) Jiminez -> Arnautovic

    1. MGD
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Nah hold

    2. SHOOTER MCGINN
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      I would do A. Not B at all

      1. Prison Mike
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Cheers

    3. whosBenj
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Definitely A for me

  3. BEEZUS
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    For 31 and 33:

    Fraser or Maddison?

    1. MGD
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      I went F

    2. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Fraser better fixtures both at home

    3. Free Hat
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      With Wilson back and 2 home games... Fraser

  4. McGowan
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    A) Azpil, Maddison, F.Anderson and Firmino
    OR
    B) Ogbonna, Mane, Fraser and Higuain

    In need of help!

  5. YEAH PITCH!
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Got Fraser and King.

    Aguero > Wilson or Vardy.

    1. SHOOTER MCGINN
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      V

  6. corderz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    A) Hazard
    B) Salah

    1) Fraser
    2) Maddison

  7. Top Lad Dakes.
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Gtg? On a -8

    Fabianski (Boruc)
    Robertson Pereira
    Salah(c) Mane(vc) Fraser Anderson
    Vardy Wilson Higuain

    🙂

    1. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Nice

    2. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Higuan no Hazard?

  8. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Mane TC Salah TVC at present is it too risky to proceed??

    🙁

    1. Milk, 1 Šuker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Proceed sir. I'm on the same except Haz is my TVC

      1. g40steve
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Scweaky bum time!

  9. Mo Mané Mo Problems
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    I like to think there are people franticallly making transfers right now.

  10. fr3d
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    I need some advice now that there isn’t much time left. Only 29 days till GoT is back on our screens. Should I rewatch all 7 seasons so that all details are fresh in mind or is it enough to just watch recaps on YouTube?

    1. MGD
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Just saw s7 again. Do that

      1. fr3d
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Thanks!

    2. the Penman
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Watch it all. I’m doing that. It’s proving highly useful.

      1. fr3d
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        I might do that, but no time to lose!

    3. Schmeichel Jr.
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      I am watching seasons 6 and 7 again as I think season 6 is great and 7 gets a bit silly.

    4. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Not seen it. Started it 2 days ago and watched 4 eps so far. 2/3 a day is a commitment but I'll manage it hoprfully

    5. Lucackadoodledoo
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Rewatch battle of the bastards along with season 7 🙂

    6. I Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      The last couple seasons were garbage.

  11. Milk, 1 Šuker
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Vardy or Mane for TC?

    1. whosBenj
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Mane if you're feeling lucky.

      1. Milk, 1 Šuker
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Always grateful for a bit of luck if it comes my way...

  12. Rash
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Any leaked lineups?

    1. Holmes
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Palace and Watford

  13. Newsman70
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Team
    Gk Fabianski Hamer
    D Luis Digne Duffy Doherty Schar
    M Salah (C) Mane Pogba Son Hayden
    F Rashford Wilson Firmino

    Son and Schar to Rice and Fraser for free?

  14. Holmes
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    PAL XI: Guaita, Wan Biss, Kelly, Tomkins, Schlupp, Milivojevic, Kouyate, Meyer, McArthur, Townsend, Batshuayi

    WAT XI: Gomes, Kiko, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas, Hughes, Doucare, Capoue, Pereryra, Deu, Deeney

    1. kalmoffit
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Where's Zaha?

      1. Holmes
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        suspension I guess?

  15. WVA
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    No hits taken so far loads of mitb, G2G?

    Boruc
    TAA Pereira Keane
    Salah Hazard Westwood
    Vardy Wilson Rondon
    Ryan Pogba Son Kola Jonny

  16. FPL Tikka
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    How safe a pick is Emerson?

    1. GreennRed
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Seems to be safe but I'd pick a more nailed on defender.

    2. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Looks to be first choice in the PL now

  17. KJT123
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    30+mph winds and 50+mph gusts in Bournemouth today. Low scoring game, maybe even called off.

    1. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Football game called off for 50mph winds? 😆 Be serious please

    2. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Lol nice try

      1. Volley127
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Isn’t the rugby later?

  18. SPorting
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Worth a -4 to do Jimenez -> Wilson?

    1. whosBenj
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Yes

    2. La Roja
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Nah

  19. dunas_dog
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Sarri’s comments on Higuain bit vague. If you knew Arnie starting would you make switch to him for -4?

    1. whosBenj
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      No

  20. Lukakwho
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Why’s all goinf Luiz over Rüdiger?

    1. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      More nailed

    2. panda07
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Probably a greater attacking threat

    3. panda07
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Plus he didn't play in the Europa League so should play tomorrow

    4. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Set pieces

  21. FleckyT
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    People with FH and BB, what single game week are you planning using TC?

    1. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Liv vs Hud or a city game idk

      1. FleckyT
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        I’m thinking the same. Hudds might be relegated by then

    2. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Whenever. It's overrated. Hazard vs Hudd scored 4pts less same week as Aguero hat trick DGW

    3. jomikijiq
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      strongly considering Salah this BGW

      Salah 36, Sterling/Aguero 37, Kane 38 other options

      1. FleckyT
        • 6 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        I’d do salah now if he was scoring. I’d do it on mane but worried after not being seen in training

    4. I Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      This week.

  22. The Yorkshire Pirlo
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Which def to go for?

    A) Azpi
    B) Luiz
    C) Ake
    D) Rice

  23. Boss Hogg
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Higuain to Vardy for a hit?

    Yes or no?

    1. Demel
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      No. I am not even convinced Vardy is the better option.

  24. BigBillyBass
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    How’s the free hit team looking guys? Any changes before the deadline?

    Fab (Lössl)
    TAA Luiz Rice
    Salah Mané Haz Fraser
    Vardy Higuaín Wilson

    Bench: Brooks Diop Stankovic

    1. trikster102
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Looks pretty good to me. Very similar to mine but I have F Anderson > Mane and Firmino > Higuain.

      1. BigBillyBass
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Yeah I’ve just read the Mané rumours now. Think I may have to do some tinkering!

    2. UpTheCherries
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      This is almost identical to mine.
      I got robbo instead of TAA and azpi > luiz and Hayden > brooks

  25. panda07
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Is there a breakfast club today?

  26. Demel
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Palace win they will likely have a DGW in 32. Palace lose they will likely just have a single gameweek in 32.

    Correct?

    1. Kiwivillan
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Yes same for Watford and winner 33 fixture moved to 32 DGW is theory

  27. Viper
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Does Higuain fall into the don't buy/don't sell category with his slight doubt?

    I was going to go Vardy but Higuain is much more of a differential for me. Play safe with Vardy or just hold Aguero?

    1. TLF
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Do you have 11 already ? If so maybe just hold. Regardless i think Higuain is a bit of a risk this week and without a bench, probably not worth taking IMO.

  28. pjomara
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Thought my mini league rival was likely to forget to do transfers, forgot deadline was 2pm.

    Is it my imagine or up to a few seasons ago wasn't the deadline 11:30am for Saturdays even if the earliest game was 3pm?

    1. G-Whizz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      No.

      It's always been an hour before the first kick off...

  29. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Are West Ham likely to play in gw33?

    1. Mr_Barbs
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Yep, chelsea

    2. Lionel Ronaldo
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      "Likely"? They are guaranteed to play in GW33.

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        I dont have a clue whats going on with potential fixture changes

        1. Lionel Ronaldo
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 14 days ago

          West Ham's game in GW33 is not affected by any external competition, fixture change or not.

          1. Bubz
            • 10 Years
            5 years, 14 days ago

            Okay cheers

    3. jomikijiq
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      100%

    4. TheNovocastrian
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Check out Ben Crellin on twitter. He keeps and excellent .xls table of potential and confirmed changes

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Will do

    5. Ted Striker
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      I am strongly considering taking a -8 to swap Jimenez for either Arnie or Chicarito, but I’m still trying to summon the balls to go through with it.

  30. Mr_Barbs
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Gtg? Got 10 players out. FH next week

    Fabianski
    TAA, Robertson, (Schar)
    Salah(C), Hazard, Fraser, Hayden, Lanzini
    Vardy, Wilson(vc)

    Button, Jimenez, Doherty, AWB