FPL General has joined our top team of Pro Pundits, Hall of Famers and contributors on a multi-year deal!
The three-time top 500 finisher will be writing about all things Fantasy Premier League (FPL) on a weekly basis as well as bringing his much-loved ‘59th Minute Podcast’ – previously hosted by The Athletic – to Fantasy Football Scout.
Only Premium Members are able to read every single one of his pieces, so sign up today to get full access not just to the editorial content but all of the other benefits, from hundreds of Opta stats to a transfer planner.
With Gameweek 30 in the books, for this week’s piece, I’ve shared my thoughts on some of the hot topics going into Gameweek 31.
RASHFORD REPLACEMENTS
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford (£7.3m) is a major doubt for Gameweek 31 having hobbled off with an injury towards the end of the 2-0 win over Everton. His assist for Anthony Martial (£6.3m) brought his tally of attacking returns to 20 for the campaign (15 goals, five assists). If Erik ten Hag rules him out of the Nottingham Forest (away) fixture, owners will have a decision to make…
Jack Grealish (£7.0m) and Gabriel Martinelli (£6.6m) are the standout replacements in the same price bracket. The Arsenal midfielder has racked up 70 more points than Grealish this season but the Manchester City winger has caught the eye in recent matches with back-to-back 12-pointers.
The Free Hit chip will play a big role in the decision. Those who have already played it can get four fixtures from each player over the next four Gameweeks (Manchester City blank in Gameweek 32 and double in Gameweek 34). Arsenal don’t have any blanks or doubles.
Managers who intend to Free Hit in Gameweek 32 can get an extra fixture by opting for Grealish (Martinelli can be selected on the Free Hit against Southampton at home). If it’s a long-term pick, Manchester City also have another Double Gameweek to come which has yet to be scheduled.
Martinelli is more attractive to the Gameweek 34 Free Hitters as he’s got the extra fixture over Grealish in Blank Gameweek 32 and Grealish can be chosen for the Free Hit in 34.
It’s all very confusing, I know! For me, Martinelli is the better FPL asset but when I’m deploying the Free Hit in Gameweek 32, Grealish is the more attractive pick for the extra fixture (as long as Pep plays ball!). He could be a season-keeper for the later Double Gameweek too if his form continues. If I wasn’t Free Hitting in Gameweek 32, Martinelli would be my play.
There’s an alternative solution if Rashford is out for a while. Rather than trying to decide between Grealish and Martinelli, those of us who benched one of our Brighton midfielders in Gameweek 30 could just play both of them every week, they’re certainly good enough to justify it, even in a fixture like Chelsea away this weekend. Since the restart following the World Cup, Brighton rank third in the league for expected goals (xG, 30.05) behind Manchester City (34.75) and Arsenal (33.35).
It’s easier to carry Rashford on the bench if you’re taking the Free Hit 32 route. The hope would be that if he misses Gameweek 31, he’d be fit by the time Gameweek 33 rolls around (April 25th). Manchester United face Sevilla on Thursday night so we’ll get an idea then about whether he will make the Forest game on Sunday or not.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you’ll have two free transfers the week after the Free Hit. We can’t save a transfer this week, Free Hit in 32 then have two frees for Gameweek 33, it will be just one.
LIVERPOOL FIXTURES
The rest of this article below is completely free to read but requires a Fantasy Football Scout user account for access – you can get yours at no cost here
