Pro Pundits

The best FPL players to buy ahead of Blank Gameweek 31

Six-time top 5k finisher Utkarsh Dalmia – aka Zophar –  highlights some of the leading Fantasy Premier League candidates for a Free Hit squad.


Fantasy Premier League managers are just picking up the pieces from what was supposed to be a Double Gameweek 29 but we can waste no time brooding, with the season-defining run-in approaching and Blank Gameweek 31 looming large.

I’m not going into chip strategy too much in this piece, with that topic having already been discussed in a recent article.

Instead, I’m focusing on players who I believe are good picks for a Free Hit squad in Gameweek 31 or for you to acquire now.

Most of you will know this by now but the Premier League fixtures going ahead in Gameweek 31 are:

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Bournemouth
Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
Burnley vs Watford
Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham

First off, let’s have a look at the xGOT (expected goals on target) non-penalty data from the last four Gameweeks to see which of these teams are showing form in attack:



In terms of my own team, Ayoze Pérez (£6.2m) is likely to make way for Sarr ahead of Saturday’s deadline.

I’m unsure if I’m going to use the Free Hit chip in Gameweek 31 as I only have four active players right now (Alexander-Arnold, Salah, Doherty and Jimenez) but with the Sarr transfer this week, I can get to seven by subsequently transferring in Jota and Mané for a hit.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.1m) and Harvey Barnes (£6.1m) are the candidates to drop out.

The only players I would likely miss out on would be Pope, Antonio, Wood and another defender, so that’s a decision I’ll be making closer to the date.

Hope you enjoyed reading and good luck with whatever strategy you decide.


An FPL veteran of 10 seasons, Utkarsh Dalmia has been a member of the site right since 2009 and has finished in the top 5k in six of those campaigns, with a best finish of 17th in 2010. A Chelsea fan based in India, he relies heavily on statistics for his FPL decision-making process.

1,044 Comments Post a Comment
  1. how now brown cow
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    What do you expect from a west ham reserve?

  2. FOO FIGHTER
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    And just like that 2 goals needed to win.

    Let's do it boys!

  3. LewanGOALski
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Daniele Rugani from Juventus tested positive for coronavirus... :O

    1. Epic Fail
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Not surprising. I'm surprised it's taken this long for a footballer to get it.

    2. KGFC
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Bye bye PL and Pool’s debut PL title 😆

    1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Assassin booked.
      Watch your wing mirrors forever!

    2. UTD - HATED, ADORED, BUT NE…
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      not bold enough a prediction to be linking

    3. g40steve
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      🙂 still not had an answer after two hours 🙁

    4. Lukakuna
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Hope you have predicted them winning the league so you can link that in a few of weeks

  4. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Rio loving it because Liverpool are going out.

  5. Botman and Robben
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Oh my, LFC are on their way out.

  6. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    All the injuries this season coupled with the bad luck tonight...

    It’s just not meant to be for Liverpool this season.

  7. Now I'm Panicking
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Covid backwards = Divoc. Must be a sign surely.

    1. Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      You are brilliant Jarvish. 😆

  8. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Adrian is a convenient escape goat, but fact is that for all intensive purposes LiVARpool have been soundly outplayed today irregardless

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Escape goat 😆

      1. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Brilliant 😀 😀

      2. Gnu
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Hahaha
        Sounds like my Uncle Stan.

    2. WD27
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      You're either stupid or have no idea about real life football. Dominated 180 mins of football against a negative team to be let down by a terrible keeping

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Its a doggy dog world mate, gotta be ruthless to make it and Liverpool werent which is why Athletic are the better side tonight

        1. Now I'm Panicking
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Woof

          1. Brosstan
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 1 month ago

            *barks*

            1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
              • 6 Years
              4 years, 1 month ago

              Handbag dog

    3. Nimby
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Irregardless! Lol

      1. Birds of Prey
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        irregardless is not a word-- try regardless

    4. Steve McCroskey
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      ban this sick filth

    5. George Sillett
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Pissed or what ?

    6. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      'Intensive purposes'

    7. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      'It's a doggy dog world'

      This is God tier trolling

      1. Epic Fail
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Definitely trolling but it's entertaining trolling.

        1. Now I'm Panicking
          • 9 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          He's like a bowl in a china shop.

          1. Brosstan
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 1 month ago

            😛

          2. BUZZBOMB
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 1 month ago

            An axe in dent waiting to happen. If thats not being too pacific.

            1. Hulk Smash
              • 8 Years
              4 years, 1 month ago

              Bit of a damp squid

    8. Annie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      English your 3rd language?

  9. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Alisson in goal double defence looked good, Adrian in goal no defenders looks better.

  10. Random Name
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Said this before - don't ever diminish the accomplishments of the invincibles and utd treble team. It's the home stretch that counts to achieve something special and this 'Great' Liverpool team is out of every cup competition by march lol

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Invincibles never won the CL......

    2. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      It's a very good Liverpool side but the fact is it's also one of the weakest premier leagues since the competition started, possibly with the exception of the season Leicester won it.

  11. Ógie
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Less chance of Klopp resting his main players now even when they have picked up the PL title.

  12. Kaiser123
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    If pool lose this, I can see Everton doing a number on them.

  13. Don Kloppeone
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    I hate you Adrian.

    Atleti have attacked for maybe 6 mins the whole match.

    FFS

  14. Lukakuna
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Sergio Romero to Liverpool in the summer?

    1. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Past it. Just like Lloris, Reina, Adrian. Go for someone young as backup.

      1. Lukakuna
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        It's a bit strange that keepers have such long careers. I thought reactions start getting slower and slower in your thirties.

    2. Collie01
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Such a waste of a career really for Romero being second fiddle to DDG.

  15. EL tridente
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Rugani from Juventus has been tested positve for Corona. All football will soon be suspended.

    1. fc_skrald
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Yes. we will be lucky if the games go on this weekend

  16. Will Kane
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Reserve keepers are always going to be a problem. It's hard enough to find one reliable keeper let alone two, and you can't keep two top keepers happy anyway. The backup guy is always going to be dodgy.

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Pure bad luck, Liverpool’s season with injuries.

  17. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Think Athleti missed a trick by playing this defensive from the start. With Adrian in goal, had they attacked from the start, they could have wrapped it up within the 90 minutes.

  18. fedolefan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Good annoying set of fixtures coming up to prolong Liverpool's wait for their title. Everton, Palace and City. Make them wait!!

    1. KGFC
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      The biggest of all is now Coronavirus. Won’t be surprised if the league first gets delayed and then called off completely... Pool’s wait shall go onnnnnn

    2. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Thrash Everton.
      Nervy win vs Palace.
      Celebrate vs City.

      1. fedolefan
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        Thrash Everton.
        Nervy win vs Palace.
        Celebrate vs City.
        Wake up.

        1. diesel001
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 1 month ago

          Why is that not realistic? Have you seen Liverpool's record against Everton this season? They play Palace at Anfield, which has been a fortress for Liverpool in the PL. And if they win their two games, they will be celebrating vs City.

          1. fedolefan
            • 9 Years
            4 years, 1 month ago

            Pretty sure thrash Chelsea, thrash Atletico would have been on that list too.

            1. diesel001
              • 7 Years
              4 years, 1 month ago

              Nope. Put a weak team out against Chelsea, which massively reduced their chances of winning.

              Atletico are a class (maybe even more than one class) above Everton and Palace. You aren't thrashing Atletico.

    3. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Could still bottle that too!

  19. jason_ni
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Morata is a lazy sod.. hes only just on and is lumbering about.

    1. Queens of the South Age
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Aye. It's like playing with 10 men most of the time.

  20. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Great news this for us Pool triplers 😎

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      No good if you have double LIV defence like me 😆

    2. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      That's everyone though

      1. SEXY SOLO SAUCE
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        The Salah & Mane version

  21. EmreCan Hustle
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Morata doesn't want to be out there. Showing no intent.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Assisted the winner

    2. jason_ni
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Moving around the pitch like a 50 yo

    3. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Aged really well, this.

  22. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    PL needs a new TV deal so that the big guns can buy all the good players again and dominate in the CL.

  23. Bubz
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    120 minutes plus demoralizing loss for the Pool players... still captain material this GW?

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Never really were.

    2. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      5-day break enough to freshen up.

    3. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Yep. Play like this vs Everton and they will win 4-0+ vs Everton. Keane, Holgate and Pickford won't cope with this.

    4. EmreCan Hustle
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      The league is all that's left. They'll need to vent out frustration somewhere.

      1. Bubz
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 1 month ago

        The league is already won, cant see them playing out of their skin for it

  24. FPL Pillars
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Robbo looks to be struggling

  25. Now I'm Panicking
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    TAA headbutt?

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 1 month ago

      Like Zidane?

  26. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    TAA head butting Morata

  27. GreennRed
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    In fairness them Athletico lads can defend when they want to.

  28. KGFC
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    All done... bye bye Pool 🙂

  29. Now I'm Panicking
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 1 month ago

    Oh dear