The Scout highlights the opportunities available for managers who have the Assistant Manager chip active in Gameweek 31 of Fantasy Premier League.
If you are one of the 105,465 Fantasy managers who activated their Assistant Manager chip in Gameweek 29, there is now just one Gameweek remaining to earn more points.
On top of that, more than 276,000 managers activated the chip for Gameweek 30. A further 118,000+ managers have activated the chip active ahead of Gameweek 31. So, who is the best pick for Gameweek 31?
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 - a riskier approach which has a greater ceiling.
Here you can see the seven clubs (in bold) whose manager can earn table bonus against a team who are ranked at least five places higher in the Premier League table.
Gameweek 31 fixtures
Everton v Arsenal
Crystal Palace v Brighton
Ipswich v Wolves
West Ham v AFC Bournemouth
Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Chelsea
Fulham v Liverpool
Spurs v Southampton
Man Utd v Man City
Leicester v Newcastle
Howe the most reliable pick?
Eddie Howe (£1.5m) has picked up 37 FPL points since being added to the game, with 27 of those coming over the last four Gameweeks, thanks to three wins.
Newcastle United, who sit sixth in the Premier League, visit Leicester City in Gameweek 31.
The Foxes are in dreadful form, having won just one of their last 16 league matches, conceding 39 goals in that time.
Furthermore, Leicester have failed to score in their last seven contests, boosting the prospects of Howe being able to pick up the two extra points on offer for a clean sheet.
Potter the best for table bonus?
As mentioned earlier in the article, seven managers can collect table bonus in Gameweek 31.
Graham Potter (£0.5m) looks to have the best chance of returning a big haul, with his West Ham side at home to Bournemouth.
The Cherries have won just once across their last seven games, losing five times, including against Ipswich Town in Gameweek 30. Potter delivered on his table-bonus potential in Gameweek 26, producing 19 points when the Hammers won 1-0 at Arsenal.
Elsewhere, David Moyes (£0.5m) is worth a mention against an Arsenal side without injured defender Gabriel (£6.4m).
Prior to Gameweek 30, Moyes was unbeaten since being added to the game and only Arne Slot (£1.5m) has scored more Fantasy points among managers.
For FPL managers seeking a high-upside strategy, opting for one of Potter or Moyes to exploit their table-bonus potential, before switching to Howe or Oliver Glasner (£0.8m) in DGW32, is a viable strategy.
Consider Double Gameweeks 32 and 33
Activating the Assistant Manager chip in Gameweek 31 means FPL managers can take advantage of both DGW32 and Double Gameweek 33 (DGW33).
As shown in the below table, both Crystal Palace and Newcastle United play twice in DGW32, while Crystal Palace also play twice in DGW33.
Glasner and Howe's fixtures, GW31-33
| GW | Newcastle | Crystal Palace |
| 31 | LEI (A) | BHA (H) |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | MUN (H), CRY (H) | MCI (A), NEW (A) |
| 33 | AVL (A) | BOU (H), ARS (A) |
Although the results in Gameweek 30 mean Glasner won't have the opportunity to pick up table bonus against Brighton in Gameweek 31, the Eagles' boss will have two opportunities to do so in DGW32 and one in DGW33, against Arsenal.
As shown in Gameweeks 26 and 27, where Glasner picked up 40 points in total by beating Fulham and Aston Villa, selecting an Assistant Manager with table-bonus potential can be extremely rewarding for Fantasy managers.
Palace have two tricky away matches in DGW32, against Manchester City and Newcastle. However, the Eagles are unbeaten in 10 away matches.
They have suffered just three defeats on the road all season, with their away record the fifth-best in the league despite having played a game fewer than most other teams.
DGW33 looks a little more favourable for Palace, with a home match against Bournemouth before a trip to Arsenal.
For Newcastle, Howe has the kinder Gameweek 31 fixture, but he will not have any table-bonus matches in DGW32 and has only one fixture in DGW33.
So, who is the best pick for Gameweek 31?
If you’re looking for a reliable source of points and won’t have the chip active in DGW32, Howe is the best option.
For managers who activated the chip in Gameweek 30, Glasner has to be the top pick, followed by Howe, in order to exploit DGW32.
Fantasy managers deploying the chip in Gameweek 31 should go for Glasner, who has FIVE matches over the next three Gameweeks.
However, if you wish to opt for the riskier but higher-upside approach of chasing table-bonus points, consider Potter for Gameweek 31 before moving to Glasner in DGW32.