It’s been three weeks since we last had Premier League action, with the international break and then a crucial FA Cup weekend that has set lay of the land for the rest of the season in Fantasy Premier League.
We will have a Blank Gameweek 34 caused by the FA Cup semi-finals, with those postponed fixtures falling the previous midweek to create a Double Gameweek 33 for six teams.
This will be the biggest double gameweek of the season, with another probable double for Manchester City and Crystal Palace scheduled to arrive later on, with these two teams having had their Gameweek 31 fixture postponed for the Carabao Cup final last month.
For those managers with a Wildcard available, activating it in Gameweek 32 will be a popular strategy to prepare for a crucial period, but who are the players you should consider?
Double Gameweek 33 fixtures
| Team | Opponent 1 | Opponent 2 |
|---|---|---|
|
Spurs (A) |
Chelsea (H) |
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Man. United (H) |
Brighton (A) |
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Newcastle (A) |
Leeds (H) |
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Wolves (H) |
Bournemouth (A) |
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Arsenal (H) |
Burnley (A) |
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|
Nott. Forest (A) |
Man. City (H) |
A quick chip strategy refresh
A big double gameweek immediately followed by a big blank gameweek involving the same teams in Gameweek 33 and Gameweek 34, means this is a key time for chip strategy.
The team-changing Wildcard and Free Hit chips are especially powerful for navigating this period for managers still holding them.
Traditionally, we tend to play the Bench Boost chip close to the Wildcard to fully optimise it, targeting a double gameweek for this.
We also see the Triple Captain useful for these double gameweeks, with a potential late-season double for Manchester City on the radar for those still holding this chip.
If you have all four chips remaining, then the obvious strategy is Wildcard in Gameweek 32 to set up for a Bench Boost in the Double Gameweek 33, then Free Hit to navigate the Blank Gameweek 34.
This isn’t the only strategy though, with those managers well set up for Gameweek 32 and Gameweek 34 looking to Free Hit for Double Gameweek 33 instead.
The option then is to Wildcard in Gameweek 35, setting up for a Bench Boost for Manchester City and Crystal Palace’s likely double in Gameweek 36.
What is the threshold for activating your Wildcard in Gameweek 32?
With two key strategies on offer, the question becomes: what is the threshold for playing the Wildcard in Gameweek 32?
Immediately, it’s clear that if you have all four chips remaining, that a Gameweek 32 Wildcard is the key play, with just seven gameweeks remaining to use the chips, including two doubles and one blank.
If you have some free transfers banked, it also gives you flexibility to bring back players from Arsenal and Crystal Palace, who you’d likely back against on Wildcard.
The Wildcard this week helps to optimise for the Bench Boost in Gameweek 33, with the potential to have 15 starters, including a bench of players who have two fixtures.
Going earlier on the Wildcard also allows more time for it to pay off, against those managers using it later in the campaign.
It can also help to fix any issues with your squad, including for managers who sold Erling Haaland (£14.4m) for his blank in Gameweek 31.
My key concern with Wildcard this week is that you could ultimately Wildcard to a squad that looks weaker overall for this immediate set of games.
The double-gameweek teams are Manchester City, Bournemouth, Chelsea, Brighton, Leeds United and Burnley.
However, City travel to Chelsea, Bournemouth take on Arsenal at the Emirates, while Leeds visit Old Trafford to take on a Manchester United side who have won all five home games under Michael Carrick.
The players who are essential and the 50-50 calls
One of the key dilemmas for those managers playing the wildcard in Gameweek 32 is which assets with just a single gameweek 33 fixture are worth keeping hold of.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (£10.3m) looks to be a key hold, as the big favourite for captaincy this weekend with that fixture at home to Leeds United.
He has produced a double-digit haul in five consecutive home games under Michael Carrick, racking up two goals and six assists in this time.
He is the top-scoring midfielder in the game and plenty of managers will have significant value tied up in him, with Fernandes rising in price by £1.3 million across the season.
The same can be said for the top-performing defender in the game, Arsenal’s Gabriel (£7.2m), who has also seen a significant increase in price from his initial £6.0million valuation.
Arsenal kept their 15th clean sheet of the campaign last time out against Everton, with Gabriel averaging 7.75 points per game over the last four gameweeks.
He was on the scoresheet in the reverse of their Gameweek 32 fixture, a 3-2 win against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, one of seven goal involvements for the Brazilian this season.
While triple-ups on Manchester City players and a double-up on the Chelsea attack seem obvious, there are some closer 50-50 calls for managers on wildcard.
Brighton’s Danny Welbeck (£6.2m) and Leeds United’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.6m) are, in effect, competing for the third forward spot alongside staples Haaland and Chelsea’s Joao Pedro (£7.8m).
Welbeck has four goals from his last four starts, taking him to 12 goals for the campaign, his best-ever tally, plus he has the more attractive entry point with a trip to Burnley this weekend.
Danny Welbeck is a fine budget striker option — but he isn’t the only one (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
However, Calvert-Lewin has the edge over the longer term, with Wolves and Bournemouth for Leeds United in their double. His two penalty conversions in the FA Cup last weekend — one in normal time and one in the shootout — provide a confidence boost.
There’s also a dilemma as to which Brighton midfielder to own, with Pascal Gross (£5.5m), Jack Hinshelwood (£5.1m) and Yankuba Minteh (£5.5m) all on the cards.
Gross could be on penalties, or second behind Welbeck, while Hinshelwood has been playing advanced in recent gameweeks. Personally, I’d go for the consistency of Gross right now.
Who should be on your Gameweek 32 bench?
Leeds United’s Karl Darlow (£3.9m) is the obvious back-up goalkeeper for those setting up for a Bench Boost, coming in at a budget-friendly price tag too.
He’s been an ever-present since Gameweek 22, keeping clean sheets in consecutive games against Brentford and Crystal Palace. This upturn in defensive form makes a double-up with a Leeds United defender entirely plausible too, ahead of those games against Wolves and Bournemouth.
Pascal Struijk (£4.3m) narrowly edges out Jaka Bijol (£3.9m), who could be worth a punt if funds are an issue. He’s started their last two league games, hitting the defensive contribution bonus, but is a doubt for Leeds’ game against Manchester United.
These players would be benched in Gameweek 32, with the same being said for popular budget picks from Bournemouth ahead of their visit to Arsenal this weekend.
Marcus Tavernier (£5.4m) is the ideal eighth attacker, with five goals and four assists this season. He sits top for shots in the last four gameweeks on 15.
Budget could force managers to pick cheap defender James Hill (£4.2m) over fellow defensive contribution magnet Marcos Senesi (£5.1m) for the final spot on Bench Boost.