FPL Gameweek 31 Preview: Navigating the Blank Properly

Blank Gameweek 31 is not about chasing upside. It is about structure, discipline and avoiding mistakes that damage the next three weeks.

Sixteen teams play, which means eight fixtures in total. This is not a severe blank. Every manager should realistically be able to field eleven players. If you cannot, that is a planning issue rather than bad luck.

This also marks the end of the dead-end strategy. For most managers with a Wildcard, everything resets in GW32. For those without, this week becomes significantly more complex and requires far more careful decision making.

The key is understanding what actually matters in a week like this.

Captaincy

Captaincy is clearer than most blank gameweeks.

Bruno Fernandes (£10.2m) stands out as the best option away to Bournemouth. The Algorithm has rated him highly all season due to his monopoly on penalties, set pieces and attacking involvement. Now the output is catching up. He is the highest scoring midfielder in the game and one of the most in-form players overall. With no Haaland and no other premium in strong form, Bruno becomes the natural captain.

Not far behind is Harry Wilson (£6.0m) at home to Burnley. He has returned from injury and looks set to start against one of the weakest defences in the league. He scored sixteen points in the reverse fixture and continues to project well in this matchup.

Completing the top three is Anthony Gordon (£6.3m) at home to Sunderland. He is on penalties and arrives in strong form, having scored in both of his last league matches. In a Tyne-Wear derby at home, he carries both floor and upside.

In a week with reduced premium options, captaincy consolidates around high involvement midfielders rather than explosive forwards.

What a Good Team Looks Like

The priority this week is simple. Get eleven players out without compromising your future structure.

A strong team in BGW31 will include:

Bruno Fernandes (£10.2m) as a core piece

Exposure to Fulham assets, particularly defenders and midfielders

Exposure to Newcastle assets, again focusing on defence and midfield

If you were building a Free Hit team for this week, you would likely triple up on both Fulham and Newcastle. That tells you everything about where the best value lies.

This is not about finding hidden gems. It is about concentrating your points in the right teams.

Transfers – Wildcard vs No Wildcard

Your approach this week depends entirely on whether you still hold your Wildcard.

If you are Wildcarding in GW32, the strategy is straightforward. You can treat this as a one-week punt.

The most common move will be selling an Arsenal defender. For many, this is Jurrien Timber (£6.3m), particularly if he has lower team value tied up in him. That slot can be moved to a Fulham defender such as Joachim Andersen (£4.6m) or Kenny Tete (£4.5m), or a Newcastle defender such as Lewis Hall (£5.3m) or Malick Thiaw (£5.1m).

You are not concerned about long-term structure because it resets next week.

If you do not have a Wildcard, the situation is very different.

Arsenal are highly likely to double in GW33, so selling their assets this week is not ideal. Similarly, selling Erling Haaland (£14.5m) is difficult to justify given his potential doubles in GW33 and GW36.

This creates a much tighter transfer window where each move must balance this week’s points with future value. There is no one-size-fits-all answer here, which is exactly where personalised optimisation becomes critical.

Fixture Quality

Not all fixtures in a blank gameweek are equal.

The best fixtures this week belong to Fulham, Newcastle and Spurs. Those are the teams you should be targeting if you are maximising short-term expected value.

For managers on a Wildcard in GW32, nothing beyond this week really matters. You are simply attacking these fixtures as aggressively as possible.

Looking slightly further ahead, Aston Villa actually top the fixture ticker over the next six weeks. Their run includes West Ham, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Fulham, Tottenham and Burnley. However, they do not currently project to have any double gameweeks, which limits their appeal in chip-based strategies.

The key structural point is that teams expected to double in GW33 will blank again in GW34. That makes the Free Hit in GW34 extremely valuable for most managers. Teams likely to double in GW33 include Newcastle, Arsenal, Brighton and Chelsea, with Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Burnley also possible.

Market Behaviour

The market this week is relatively logical.

The most bought players include Malick Thiaw (£5.1m) and Anthony Gordon (£6.3m), both of whom benefit from Newcastle’s strong fixture at home to Sunderland and their expected double in GW33.

Bruno Fernandes (£10.2m) and Harry Wilson (£6.0m) are also heavily bought, which aligns with their projections.

Virgil van Dijk (£6.3m) rounds out the top group, offering both defensive security and attacking threat.

On the selling side, the market is heavily removing Arsenal and Manchester City assets due to the blank. That includes Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo (£8.2m), Declan Rice (£7.3m), Marc Guéhi (£5.1m) and Jurrien Timber.

For Wildcard managers, these sales make sense. For those without a Wildcard, some of these moves may prove short-sighted given the upcoming doubles.

Chip Strategy

The overall chip strategy remains unchanged for most teams.

Wildcard in GW32, Bench Boost in GW33 and Free Hit in GW34 continues to be the optimal structure.

Managers who still have their Triple Captain should be looking towards GW36, where Manchester City are likely to have a strong double.

The key distinction this week is not which chips you play, but whether your current transfers align with that future chip plan.

Final Thoughts

BGW31 is a discipline test.

You do not need to be clever. You need to be correct.

Field eleven players. Prioritise Fulham and Newcastle. Captain a high involvement midfielder. Avoid damaging your GW32 structure.

For Wildcard managers, this is a one-week optimisation exercise. For others, it is a balancing act between short-term points and long-term value.

Don't Guess This Week, Optimise.

If you are serious about maximising this run from BGW31 into the doubles, this is exactly where The Algorithm gives you an edge.

Every team is different this week. Some should attack. Some should hold. Some should protect structure for GW33. The difference between those paths is not opinion, it is calculated expected value based on your exact squad.

Once press conferences conclude, The Algorithm runs your team and delivers fully personalised recommendations for transfers, captaincy, bench order and chip strategy, all aligned with the WC32, BB33, FH34 plan.

This is the point in the season where small edges become rank-defining gains.

Get your personalised BGW31 plan now and make sure you navigate this week correctly.

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