In a blank gameweek, here's who to pick - FPL team of the week
- Published
It's a blank FPL gameweek, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Wolves not playing.
You might be looking at your team wondering how you are going to get 11 players out this week but the key is not to panic.
My two main tips are:
1) Keep hold of your Free Hit if possible. We will have double gameweeks in 33 and 36 and a blank in 34 so it will be vital to navigate.
2) Don't be afraid of playing 10 or even nine players - it's sometimes better to take a zero than spend -4 points on a player who you might not really want just to get 11 players out.
City and Palace will likely have at least one double gameweek so you want to try to hold on to as many of those players as you can.
The team of the week is selected based on current FPL prices to fit within a £100m budget, as if you were playing a Free Hit.
Don't miss our FPL special Q&A with expert Holly Shand, live on the BBC Sport website on Friday, 20 March at 15:30 GMT.
How did last week's team do?
Captain Bruno Fernandes (20 points) delivered but triple Arsenal defence did not quite pay off after Jurrien Timber's unfortunate early substitution and Piero Hincapie starting on the bench. A total of 54 points.
BBC Sport FPL team of gameweek 31
Keeper and defence
Winter Olympic heroes and Scooby-Doo impressions
Aaron Ramsdale, Newcastle United, keeper, £4.8m - Sunderland (h)
The reverse fixture of this game, which Sunderland won 1-0, was tight and pretty boring with a combined expected goals (xG) of just 0.53.
And Sunderland have only scored eight times away from home in the league.
So there's a strong likelihood of this being a low-scoring derby.
Joachim Andersen, Fulham, £4.5m - Burnley (h)
There aren't many clean sheets jumping out this week but Fulham at home to struggling Burnley seems as good a chance as any.
And Andersen is a defensive contributions points (defcon) monster, having returned in 17 of 27 starts - the third best tally in the league.
So picking him gives you a high floor - he'll probably get four points at least - and a decent clean sheet opportunity.
Malick Thiaw, Newcastle United, £5m - Sunderland (h)
Thiaw offers scoring opportunities at both ends with 22 defcon points this season and three goals.
His xG of 3.74 is the third highest among defenders and, as mentioned with Ramsdale, Sunderland don't score lots away from home.
Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool, £6.2m - Brighton (a)
Budget is not an option so premium defensive pick Van Dijk comes in.
Over the past five games, Brighton are bottom four for xG with just 5.42. Over the same time Liverpool are top for for expected goals conceded (xGC) with just 5.4.
That's promising for a clean sheet and Van Dijk always has a goal in him - he's achieved nearly half his xG for the season in the past five games, when he has scored twice and had an assist.
James Hill, Bournemouth, £4.2m - Manchester United (h)
Only outscored by Bruno Fernandes and Joao Pedro since gameweek 23, Hill is a near guarantee to earn two defcon points.
And Bournemouth have only conceded once in four games so if they do keep United quiet and he hauls, you'll regret benching him.
Midfield
Bruno Fernandes (captain), Manchester United, £10.2m - Bournemouth (a)
Ten games since returning from injury, five double-digit hauls, 11 returns... Fernandes is a must-have FPL player.
Anthony Gordon, Newcastle United, £7.2m - Sunderland (h)
Gordon is on penalties with Bruno Guimaraes out injured and will be looking to score for the third league game in a row.
It's fair to say Gordon has underperformed this season - his expected goals (xG) is 8.12 yet he has only scored five.
Players tend to outperform their xG - Bryan Mbeumo, for example, has a similar xG (7.85) from almost similar game time but has scored nine times.
Gordon's 13 big chances is bettered by only four midfielders, one being Mbeumo, so he should have returned more points.
And he's at the start of a potentially golden run of form - 18 points in two games - that you want to jump on.
Anton Stach, Leeds United, £4.7m - Brentford (h)
If you are looking for a budget midfielder this week then why not Stach?
He's got 10 attacking returns and has returned defcon points in 10 of 25 starts.
Plus this is the time of year to back relegation-threatened teams as they battle to stay up and can bring out the best in their key assets.
Harry Wilson, Fulham, £6m - Burnley (h)
Wilson's FPL season belies any stats - nine goals from three big chances for example - but picking Fulham's highest-scoring asset against the league's worst defence away from home is a no-brainer!
Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa, £7.5m - West Ham (h)
There have been a lot of two-pointers for Rogers recently so this pick is as much based on hope than belief.
But he is still easily Villa's most threatening player, having been involved in 32% of their goals.
And West Ham, despite massive recent improvement, have the fourth-worst xGC away from home (8.4) in their past five games on the road.
Striker
Subs bench
Bernd Leno, Fulham, keeper, £4.9m - Burnley (h)
Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United, striker, £7.4m - Bournemouth (a)
Jarrod Bowen, West Ham, striker, £7.5m - Aston Villa (a)
Micky van de Ven, Tottenham, defender, £4.4m - Nottingham Forest (h)
Team total cost: £92.1m
