Managers in Fantasy Premier League have a heavily reduced schedule to navigate in Blank Gameweek 29 (BGW29), with only FOUR fixtures being played and a host of popular players scoring ZERO points in FPL.
A number of managers will use the Free Hit chip to solve their problems and ensure they have 11 players. Others will be using free transfers and possibly taking points hits to boost the number of players in their squad who have a fixture.
Whichever approach managers are taking, there are a handful of key players who look set to score big at the weekend. Here, The Scout highlights the must-haves for BGW29.
Son Heung-min (Spurs) £9.9m
The Tottenham Hotspur star has quickly emerged as the top target for managers after producing a 17-point haul against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Son has earned over 167,000 new owners for his visit to Fulham and his potential for huge hauls makes him a major contender for the captaincy in BGW29.
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The South Korean has recorded seven double-figure hauls this season, second only to the eight of Mohamed Salah (£13.0m).
Encouragingly for Son’s 27.9 per cent backers, one of those was against Fulham in Gameweek 9, when he produced a goal, an assist and 14 points in a 2-0 win.
Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) £9.0m
The Aston Villa forward is the most-owned player in Fantasy who has a match in BGW29.
Watkins can be found in over 56 per cent of squads for his side’s encounter with West Ham United this weekend.
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He has proven a huge source of points on the road recently, earning a double-figure score in each of Villa’s last three away matches.
Indeed, Watkins is the top-scoring player in away fixtures in 2023/24, amassing 100 points thanks to nine goals and seven assists.
James Maddison (Spurs) £7.9m
The playmaker’s form on the road suggests he is worth the double-up along with Son for Spurs’ encounter with Fulham.
Maddison has a flawless away record in Fantasy this season, producing attacking returns in all eight of his starts.
Maddison's goal at Villa on Sunday
That @papematarsarr15 x @Madders10 connection 💫 pic.twitter.com/PfyTorJyq3
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) March 10, 2024
His all-round style of play is a huge part of the midfielder’s success. Maddison has produced three goals and seven assists in those away fixtures, averaging 7.6 points per start.
He has been involved in a team-high 56 per cent of Spurs’ away goals compared with the 46 per cent of Son.
Ivan Toney (Brentford) £8.1m
The Brentford forward is likely to prove a popular pick alongside Watkins in many frontlines for his visit to Burnley.
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There’s no doubt that Toney has disappointed his Fantasy owners recently, with a run of four straight blanks.
However, he has still boasted a considerable goal threat since his return to action in Gameweek 21.
Toney’s nine big chances and 12 shots on target rank third and fifth respectively among all players during that spell.
Burnley’s frailties in defence further lift Toney’s prospects. The Clarets have conceded at least twice in each of their last seven matches.
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) £7.9m
West Ham welcome Villa in fine attacking form this weekend, scoring nine goals in the last three Gameweeks since the return of playmaker Lucas Paqueta (£6.0m).
Bowen has been the main beneficiary for the Hammers in that period, scoring three goals and supplying an assist to collect 27 points.
His role up front suggests the 27-year-old can profit from his visitors’ problems in defence on Sunday afternoon.
Villa have conceded eight goals in their last three matches, including a 4-0 home loss to Spurs on Sunday.
