FPL Tips – Gameweek 31

Gameweek 31 in FPL is an interesting one, the two top side’s in the league play each other in the EFL Cup final meaning they will blank in the Premier League. Don’t worry we have you covered, here some tips and things you need to think about ahead of Gameweek 31.

With Arsenal and Manchester City missing from Blank Gameweek 31 in Fantasy Premier League, their players won’t return any points, so who’s worth holding onto, and who should you move on?

David Raya is currently leading the race for the Golden Glove with 15 clean sheets, four more than his closest challenger, Gianluigi Donnarumma. A glance at his upcoming fixtures suggests there’s a strong chance he’ll add several more shutouts before the season wraps up.

Between Gameweeks 32 and 37, Arsenal are set to play four matches at home, against AFC Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley, alongside an away trip to West Ham United.

Their progression to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League has also opened the door for a potential Double Gameweek 33 and Blank Gameweek 34. That scenario would depend on the Gunners overcoming Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The centre-back stands out as the most straightforward “hold” among all BGW31 assets, with his variety of ways to deliver points helping him open up a 24-point gap at the top of the defender rankings.

Gabriel is also enjoying his most productive campaign going forward, with three goals and four assists to his name, alongside 14 clean sheets.

Those contributions have seen the Brazilian average 6.9 points per match this season, more than any other regular starter in Fantasy.

A sharp decline in attacking returns suggests it may be time for owners to look elsewhere in midfield.

Declan Rice made a strong start to the campaign, registering four goals and seven assists in the opening 20 Gameweeks. However, he’s since produced just two assists in his last 11 appearances.

While Gabriel and Raya remain must-haves, Jurriën Timber looks a more appealing option than Rice as a third Arsenal pick—especially with several midfielders in stronger form heading into the final stretch.

Classified as a defender in Fantasy, he’s actually been deployed in central midfield over his last four matches, scoring three goals and picking up two clean sheets for a total of 38 points.

Importantly, O'Reilly has registered 13 shots, 11 efforts inside the box and four big chances in that spell, more than any player at Manchester City.

Priced at just £5.1m and owned by fewer than nine per cent of managers, he’s emerging as a potentially massive differential for the run-in if he continues in this advanced role.

While the centre-back does carry some danger in the air from set-pieces, a comparison with O’Reilly highlights why he’s far more likely to deliver big returns.

Marc Guehi has picked up just 11 points across his last four matches, a tally that O'Reilly has surpassed twice in the same period, producing 13 and 17 points against Fulham and Newcastle United in Gameweeks 26 and 27 respectively.

Erling Haaland is currently the most transferred-out player ahead of Friday’s 18:30 GMT deadline, as ongoing fitness concerns continue to impact both his output and attacking threat.

Since Antoine Semenyo arrived at Manchester City in Gameweek 22, Haaland ranks only sixth among forwards for points in Fantasy. He’s managed just two goals and three assists, collecting 34 points across eight matches.

At full fitness, he usually outperforms these numbers comfortably, but right now, he’s clearly operating below his usual level.

Many Fantasy managers may be eyeing the Free Hit chip for Blank Gameweek 31, with the absence of popular picks from Arsenal and Manchester City prompting a rethink in strategy.

Arsenal and Manchester City face off in the EFL Cup Final on Sunday, meaning neither side has a Premier League fixture this weekend. As a result, their scheduled opponents Wolves and Crystal Palace, are also left without a match.

Using your Free Hit chip in BGW31 would be an easy solution, allowing you to pick a whole new team just for this one troublesome Gameweek, without any players from Arsenal, Man City, Wolves or Palace, before your "normal" squad is returned to you for Gameweek 32.

Before locking in any decisions, it’s important to note that Gameweek 34, falling on the same weekend as the FA Cup semi-finals, could end up being the largest and most disruptive Blank Gameweek of the 2025/26 Fantasy season.

Six Premier League sides, Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham United, have progressed to the FA Cup quarter-finals, with those ties set to take place across the weekend of 4 April.

Any top-flight side that wins their quarter-final will be unable to fulfil their scheduled Premier League fixture in BGW34, as they’ll instead be involved in the FA Cup semi-finals, meaning their Gameweek 34 opponents will also be left without a match.

With Man City hosting Liverpool and West Ham taking on Leeds in the quarter-finals, it’s already guaranteed that at least two Premier League teams will progress, forcing a minimum of two BGW34 fixtures to be postponed.

Should Arsenal and Chelsea also come through their ties against Southampton and Port Vale, which looks highly likely, another two matches would be called off, removing four more teams from the Gameweek.

In total, that could leave as many as eight clubs without a fixture in BGW34, double the number blanking in BGW31.