Community

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 Daniel
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    2 hours and 7 minutes till deadline right?

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

      More or less, yes.

  2. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Westham leaked lineup out yet?

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

      Fabianski and 10 other players.

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

    I'm using FH for GW32 like most. If I make a transfer after GW31 deadline for GW32 before activating FH will it carry over to GW33 or do you just lose your FT when you use FH?

    1. The 5% Team
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      lose it

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

        Cheers.

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

    Presently got 9 starting. Worth - 8 for team below doing

    Sterling to Maddison
    Bednarek to Azpilicueta

    Boruc
    Azpilicueta* TAA Van Dijk
    Salah (c) Hazard Maddison Brooks
    Vardy Higuain Wilson

    1. Longlatini
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Go for it

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

      Fancy Azpi over Luiz?

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

        Yes -been getting some assists and bit of differential

  5. olidooley
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Higuaín news?

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

      Fit

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

      Fat

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

    Current team:

    ETHERIDGE (Hamer)
    Trent, Robbo, Periera, Schindler (Wan-B)
    Salah, Anderson, Richarlison, POGBA, SON
    Vardy, RASHFORD, (Jiminez)

    I have 2fts so thinking of defo doing a 4pt hit:
    Eth -> Boruc, Pogba-> Hazard, Son ->Fraser.

    I can't afford Wilson unless I do a 8pt hit and do Rashford -> Wilson (would leave me with 12 players, but could bench Schindler)

    Thoughts???

  7. DA Minnion (Former great)
    • 11 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Which one of Snodgrass or Madison a better choice for first sub if Mane doesn't start?

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

      Maddison

  8. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Bottomed

    Any update on Mane?

    Did he train today?

  9. GinjaWhinja
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Pedro or Brooks?

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

      Brooks

  10. Differential C (Mark)
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    People misunderstanding my post last page haha.
    I have 5 players TODAY.
    And 5 players TOMORROW.

    So 10 players this GW.

    1. Bruno Bruno!!
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      still red arrow today

      1. Differential C (Mark)
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Haha, fair enough.
        Just one guy told.me to use FH to get 11, in guessing he though I only had 5 this GW.

        1. Bruno Bruno!!
          • 8 Years
          5 years, 14 days ago

          no your good to go

    2. Longlatini
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      It wasn’t funny on the last page either

  11. boroie
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Best 3 Liverpool players to have on free hit?

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

      Mane, Salah and a defender for me.

    2. Differential C (Mark)
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Easy.
      Robertson, TAA, Mane.
      Salah for TAA if you've kept him till now.

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

        You would go Mane over Salah, even with the rumours that Mane might be our for tomorrow?

  12. Red Rock
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    I don't own Mane, should I go as planned and do Pogba to Mane and hope he starts?

    Or bring in Hazard instead?

    1. Bruno Bruno!!
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      hazardinho

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

      Hazard... Hazard will be vital over next 3 GWs

  13. Bookmark
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Appreciate any feedback. Struggling with TC Mane/Salah or hold it (but there are CL semi finals close to Gw36, could be rested)

    Team for now

    Fabianski
    VVD Digne Azpili Clyne
    Salah hazard Mane
    Wilson Higuain Arni

    Subs; Boruc Pogba AWB Gunarsson
    -8

    GTG?

  14. Godfrey
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Not sure if I should take a -4 to have someone on the bench who plays in 31 & 33. I have Mane and Higuain and maybe one will miss the game this weekend. I have 11 playing atm, should I take a -4 or hope Mane and Higuain starts.

  15. Niho992
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Would you bring Mane with news he is doubt?

    1. Bruno Bruno!!
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      nout way jose

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

      Do you care for your overall rank? If no, do it.

    3. royals forever
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      No

      I did before and I’m thinking of taking him straight out again

  16. royals forever
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Which MF is worth doing a -8 to replace Mane

    Options

    Maddison
    Sigurdsson
    Pedro
    Shaqiri

    Doing FH next GW

    Any ideas would be welcomed

    1. Superbadhine
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      No

    2. Longlatini
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Shaq

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

      keep if have, don't buy if not

  17. jorgenoj
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Bring in Brooks or Fraser for a hit?

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Fraser if you can afford for sure

      1. Niho992
        • 5 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Is he injured?

        1. Big boy Bowen
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 14 days ago

          Howe says "he should be fine"
          Just a knock and missed one training session I think

  18. The Overthinker
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    What will Everton's def be like?

    1. NilSatisNisiOptimum78
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Coleman Keane Mina Digne

  19. Big boy Bowen
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    Fabianski and Ake
    Or
    Boruc and Luiz

    Thanks

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Own Rice with both

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

    Best defenders for gw 31/33? 7m budget
    Already have Robertson, Awb, Digne, Bednarek and Doherty.
    (double liverpool not possible coz of mane and Salah)

  21. ignis88
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    If you make a transfer, and then activate FH, does your team include that transfer you made next week?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      You wish

      1. Big boy Bowen
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Would make sense seeing as you lose the FT playing FH but unfortunately not

        1. ignis88
          • 6 Years
          5 years, 14 days ago

          Yeah, means you lose an FT.

          Am playing FH 32, guess this adds merit to doing Jimenez -> Wilson for a second hit this week?

    2. Hubert
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      No

  22. Bojaninho
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 14 days ago

    on -4 to have 9 playing (plus Schinderlin doubt he gets a game anyway)

    -4 to bring in one more with a decent game in 33?

    possibly a defender but can't see the hit being paid back, or Maddison in for Schniderlin.

    fab,
    taa,vvd
    hazard,salah,anderson, schniedrlin
    wilson,vardy,rondon

  23. JohnnyMagrinho
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Already took a -4 and have 11.

      Mane - looking likely to play?

      If not would be considering shipping him for another -4.

      1. royals forever
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        I’m in the same boat

    • fkmzcgp
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Jiminez --> Arnautovic/Barnes/Rondon (and lose the 0.6 value)

      OR

      Ward Prowse --> Brooks (already got wilson)

    • Bubz
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      I’m struggling as to whether to keep Rash and Jiminez for 32, or sell one of them to Wilson. Argh.

      1. mad_beer ✅
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        If it's a hit, don't do it. If free, I would.

    • Niho992
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Would you rather bring Firmino instead Jimenez(lose money)

      Or Fraser/Brooks instead Guendozi???

      1. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Firmino

    • mad_beer ✅
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      So should I be routing for CP so I can do Lascelles to anyone for a -4 or just shift him anyway? Only fielding 9 so far.

      1. Hotdogs for Tea
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        Palace - I would like to see them get a double game week

    • Peter Russo
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      So when is the liverpool training session today?

    • boc610
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      No.one is going to know until 115 tomorrow what the mane situation is ..are people willing to accept that on here??

      Are they f **k

    • andymck
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 14 days ago

      Jimenez > Vardy or Wilson for a hit? FH32, WC 34

      1. mad_beer ✅
        • 9 Years
        5 years, 14 days ago

        It could be a Vardy party this week.