The Scout highlights the opportunities available for managers who have the Assistant Manager chip active in Gameweek 30 of Fantasy Premier League.
If you are one of the 293,173 Fantasy managers who activated their Assistant Manager chip in Gameweek 28, there is now just one Gameweek remaining to earn more points.
On top of that, more than 105,000 managers activated the chip for Gameweek 29, while a further 130,000+ managers have deployed the chip ahead of Gameweek 30. So who is the best pick in Gameweek 30?
There are two tactics to consider with the Assistant Manager chip.
You can pick a top-five club with a favourable fixture - a tactic which is more reliable but has a low ceiling for points.
Alternatively, you can target managers from clubs who can earn table-bonus points against a team who are ranked at least five places higher in the Premier League table at the start of the Gameweek. This is a riskier approach which has a higher ceiling.
Here you can see the eight clubs (in bold) whose manager can earn table bonus in Gameweek 30.
Gameweek 30 fixtures
Arsenal v Fulham
Wolves v West Ham
Nottingham Forest v Man Utd
AFC Bournemouth v Ipswich
Brighton v Aston Villa
Man City v Leicester
Newcastle v Brentford
Southampton v Crystal Palace
Liverpool v Everton
Chelsea v Spurs
Guardiola the most reliable pick for GW30
Pep Guardiola (£1.5m) has picked up 36 FPL points since being added to the game in Gameweek 23.
Manchester City, who sit fifth in the Premier League, host struggling Leicester City in Gameweek 30.
The Foxes have won just one of their last 15 league matches, conceding 37 goals in that time.
Furthermore, Leicester have failed to score in their last six, meaning a strong chance for Guardiola to pick up the two extra points on offer for a clean sheet.
Frank or Amorim best for table bonus in GW30
As mentioned earlier, eight managers can collect table bonus in Gameweek 30.
Two of those, Thomas Frank (£0.8m) and Ruben Amorim (£0.8m), catch the eye, with Brentford travelling to Newcastle, while Manchester United visit Nottingham Forest. On paper, these fixtures look tricky, but there are signs of encouragement to fall back on for both sides.
The Bees are unbeaten across their last six away games and recorded an impressive 2-1 victory at AFC Bournemouth in Blank Gameweek 29. Opponents Newcastle, meanwhile, have lost two of their last three matches at St James’ Park.
Despite struggling under Amorim since his appointment, Man Utd have shown signs of improvement over recent weeks. A 3-0 win at Leicester was preceded by an encouraging draw against Arsenal. In Fantasy, Amorim has picked up an impressive 35 points across the last four Gameweeks.
Importantly for those who will also have the chop active in Gameweek 31, both Frank and Amorim will definitely be eligible for table bonus in Gameweek 31, no matter what happens in Gameweek 30, coming up against Chelsea and Man City respectively.
Plan for DGW32 with Glasner or Howe?
Activating the Assistant Manager chip in GW30 means FPL managers can take advantage of Double Gameweek 32 (DGW32), when both Crystal Palace and Newcastle United play twice.
Glasner and Howe's fixtures, GW30-32
| GW | Newcastle | Crystal Palace |
| 30 | BRE (H) | SOU (A) |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | LEI (A) | BHA (H) |
| 32 | MUN (H), CRY (H) | MCI (A), NEW (A) |
Eddie Howe (£1.5m) enjoys the easier fixtures, according to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), facing four teams currently in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
However, the Magpies won just two of the reverse fixtures earlier in the season and Howe is not eligible for table bonus in any of the four matches.
In recent weeks, Oliver Glasner (£0.8m) has demonstrated the power of table bonus, picking up a whopping 49 points over his last three matches, including two 20-point hauls.
The Eagles have lost just three of their last 17 league matches and have been buoyed by the return to training of Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m). As it stands, Glasner is eligible to claim table bonus in three of Palace's next four matches.
What's more, FPL managers activating the chip in Gameweek 30 who opt for Glasner can surely expect immediate rewards. The Eagles' next opponents, Southampton, have picked up only nine points this season, winning just once since Gameweek 10.
So, who is the best pick for Gameweek 30?
If you’re looking for a reliable source of points and won’t have the chip active in DGW32, it’s a toss-up between Guardiola and Glasner. The latter is recommended here due to the difference in price.
For Fantasy managers activating the chip now, Glasner has to be the top pick, followed by Howe, in order to exploit DGW32.
However, if you wish to opt for the riskier but higher-upside approach of chasing table bonus, consider Frank for Gameweeks 30 and 31 before moving to Glasner in DGW32.
