The Premier League is reaching its crescendo with just nine Matchweeks left, and as we enter the run-in, there is plenty for Fantasy Premier League managers to play for, no matter your position in a mini-league or overall rank!
At the start of the season, nine Gameweeks were enough for Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) to rack up 84 points, with Cole Palmer (£10.8m) and Erling Haaland (£14.8m) close behind on 79 and 75 respectively.
In that time, 65 different players returned at least one double-digit haul, including huge differentials such as Curtis Jones (£5.3m) and George Hirst (£5.4m).
Here are FOUR ways to end 2024/25 Fantasy on a high.
Wildcard
At the end of December, every FPL manager received a second Wildcard.
The Wildcard chip allows you to make unlimited transfers in a Gameweek, completely free of charge. This enables you to change your entire squad, setting your team up for the upcoming Gameweeks.
Pick your Gameweek 30 team NOW
This means you can remove all the injury-flagged and suspended players from your team, such as Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.3m), Matheus Cunha (£6.9m) and Anthony Gordon (£7.4m).
Think of it like a Gameweek 1 reset! For inspiration, click on the link below to see an FPL expert's Gameweek 30 Wildcard squad.
Blank and Double Gameweeks
A Double Gameweek contains more than the normal 10 fixtures, with at least one club playing two Premier League fixtures in one Gameweek, and players from that club getting two chances to score Fantasy points.
Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are confirmed as having two fixtures in Double Gameweek 32 (DGW32).
A Blank Gameweek contains fewer than the normal 10 matches, with at least one club having no Premier League fixture, and players from such a club having no chance of scoring Fantasy points.
In Gameweek 34, the FA Cup semi-finals take place on the same weekend, meaning up to FOUR matches could be postponed.
Being prepared will give you a big advantage over the rest of your competition, including in your mini-leagues, and, as outlined in the next section, Blank and Double Gameweeks provide the perfect opportunity to use your chips.
More chips
The run-in means chip season in FPL. The aforementioned Blank and Double Gameweeks mean it's the perfect time to activate old favourites such as the Bench Boost, Triple Captain and Free Hit chips.
The Free Hit chip allows managers to make unlimited free transfers in a Gameweek, with your original squad restored for the following Gameweek. Using the Free Hit chip could be handy in Blank Gameweek 34.
If that chip is ideal for a Blank Gameweek, the Bench Boost chip is perfect for a Double Gameweek. When Bench-Boosting, the points scored by your bench players in the Gameweek are included in your total. This could potentially give you points from EIGHT extra fixtures compared to your mini-league rival.
Using the Triple Captain chip on a player that plays twice in DGW32, such as Alexander Isak (£9.3m) or Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.5m), for example, means their score will be TREBLED!
Furthermore, the introduction of the Assistant Manager chip for 2024/25 has given FPL managers a powerful tool to rise up the ranks and chase down mini-league rivals.
The chip allows you to add a manager to your team to score additional points for THREE consecutive Gameweeks. Managers can pick up points if their team wins or draws, scores a goal or keeps a clean sheet. Significantly, managers who beat or draw to a team five or more places higher in the Premier League table pick up extra points, called table bonus!
Since managers were added to Fantasy in Gameweek 23, Arne Slot (£1.5m) has scored the most points, followed by David Moyes (£0.5m) and Oliver Glasner (£0.8m).
Glasner has scored 49 points across his last three matches, picking up 20-point hauls in table-bonus victories against Fulham and Aston Villa. And that was WITHOUT a Double Gameweek!
That 50-point gap between you and your mini-league rival suddenly doesn’t look so big, does it?
High-impact players
Owning star players whose ownership has dropped can prove to be a shrewd tactic for stealing a march on your mini-league rival or propelling yourself up the overall rankings.
Bukayo Saka (£10.2m) has returned to training after being injured since Gameweek 17. The Arsenal winger is owned by less than 10 per cent of FPL managers and could benefit from a Double Gameweek later on in the season.
At the time of his injury, only two players had scored more Fantasy points. Transferring in Saka early could be very rewarding indeed!
Familiar Fantasy favourites, such as Haaland and Bruno Fernandes (£8.6m), have returned to form in recent weeks to shake up the template and help managers move up the ranks.
The Norwegian has picked up 10 attacking returns in 11 matches, while no player has scored more points than Fernandes over the last four Gameweeks.
Finally, Palmer, who started the season in incredible form, looks set to return to fitness ahead of some enticing fixtures. The Englishman has lost nearly two million owners since Gameweek 21.
Backing Chelsea’s talisman to come good in the upcoming Gameweeks could give you an edge over the competition.
