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This article provides a preview of what Gameweek 31 has in store for fantasy managers, including top captain selections and strong picks for the weekly FPL Challenge game.
Gameweek 30 saw the long-awaited return of Arsenal's 'Starboy,' Bukayo Saka, who scored from the bench, while Marmoush owners got one over Salah captainers as he finished with nine points in the midweek. We're only a few hours till Gameweek 31 begins. Prepare your fantasy teams as we highlight the best fantasy tips each week.
The FPL Challenge: 7-a-side series continues, where managers can select a team of seven, with different tasks assigned each week. As always, we’ll offer weekly breakdowns of the must-haves to target and help you maximize your point potential.
The Gameweek 31 deadline for the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, April 5, at 6:00 a.m. EDT. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every EPL and UCL slate with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.
Here's the outlook for Matchweek 31 👀 pic.twitter.com/o0NbBa13gB
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 4, 2025
Gameweek 31 FPL Tips
Target Man City and Crystal Palace Assets
Gameweek 31 features two top derbies: the Manchester Derby (Man United vs. Man City) and the M23 Derby (Crystal Palace vs. Brighton). This week, however, we'll be focusing on the Cityzens and the Eagles.
Man City will be looking to exact revenge on their local rivals, Manchester United, when they visit Stretford End this weekend, while Crystal Palace will be hoping to complete a double against Brighton.
Additionally, with double game week 33 fixtures now confirmed, Man City and Crystal Palace are among the four teams slated to play twice, and bringing in these assets helps with forward planning for this period.
Double Gameweek 33 and Blank Gameweek 34 are confirmed ✅#FPL pic.twitter.com/81Z1Ik5q1J
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) April 3, 2025
If you don't have a Palace player in your fantasy team, now is the ideal opportunity to prioritize your transfers for the Eagles, as they play in four games within Gameweeks 32 and 33.
According to goal projections, Man City is projected to produce 1.75 xG (expected goals) and 1.50 xG for Crystal Palace against their respective opponents this week.
💹 PL GW31 matchups
First look at market projections for the upcoming weekend round of PL fixtures, covering:
🔹 projected goals & clean sheet odds
🔹 teams to target
🔹 #FPL assistant manager projections
🔹 WDL odds pic.twitter.com/wFSuiVrci8— Rob T (@robtFPL) April 3, 2025
Recommended FPL assets for attacking returns:
- Man City: Omar Marmoush, Savinho, and Joško Gvardiol.
- Crystal Palace: Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaila Sarr, and Daniel Muñoz.
Gameweek 31 Top Captain Picks
The midweek fixtures present a list of fascinating options for your captaincy choice. Players like Bukayo Saka against Everton, Son Heung-min against Southampton, and Mohamed Salah against Fulham present strong cases. However, our top two captain picks this week are:
Omar Marmoush (£7.5) - Man City
There appears to be a new 'Egyptian King" in town, as Omar Marmoush has stepped up in Erling Haaland's absence, scoring five goals in his previous eight games and is the top forward to have in your fantasy team.
With the Manchester Derby taking place this weekend, Marmoush will be hoping to score against 13th-ranked Manchester United, who have conceded 41 goals this season.
5️⃣ goals in 8️⃣ @premierleague appearances for @OmarMarmoush! 🇪🇬✨ pic.twitter.com/eX8M1Xn0da
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 2, 2025
Alexander Isak (£9.5m) - Newcastle
Newcastle's top goalscorer, Alexander Isak, hit a new milestone for the Geordies, scoring 20 Premier League goals in back-to-back seasons. What an extraordinary feat for the Swedish international!
Isak will fancy his chances against Leicester, a team with only one win in their past fourteen games, as he seeks a Golden Boot title. He is a compelling captaincy option for the final game on Monday.
20 @premierleague goals for the second successive season for Alexander Isak! 👑🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/LDwCU1R4Xr
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) April 2, 2025
FPL Challenge: 7-A-Side Series
The FPL Challenge section for the 2024-25 season is back, and RotoBaller remains your go-to source for valuable insights on selecting the right assets for any challenge.
The 30th challenge in the 7-a-side series, tagged 'Fortified Front' focused on selecting a team of seven players but only limited to midfielders and forwards.
In case you missed it, here is a recap of the 7-a-side FPL Challenge series:
Fantasy Challenge is LIVE for 2024/25 🚨
Build your squad for Gameweek 1 now 👇#FPLChallengeAccepted
— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 24, 2024
The 7-A-Side event is a four-gameweek run that highlights the top performers in each position while picking at least seven players. This series covers four tests focusing on earning points through different players and play styles.
- Gameweek 29: 7-A-Side - Unlimited budget, 7-a-side.
- Gameweek 30: Fortified Front - Only midfielders and strikers allowed.
- Gameweek 31: Park The Bus - Only goalkeepers and defenders allowed.
- Gameweek 32: All-Rounder - Must use the formation 2-2-2.
7-A-Side FPL Challenge: Park The Bus - Players to Target
Week 31 of the FPL Challenge involves selecting a team of seven players with an unlimited budget. However, this week's task only allows for fantasy managers to select midfielders and forwards in a 2-5-0-0 formation.
RotoBaller's top picks for this week's challenge are:
- In goal, a duo of Dean Henderson, and David Raya are our top goalkeeping options to bank on for clean sheets and potential save points.
- In defense, Daniel Muñoz, Djed Spence, Cristian Romero, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Tino Livramento make our perfect backline. Djed Spence makes the spotlight as the captain of the week.
Remember, you are free to select any other top FPL Challenge alternatives not mentioned above. Best of luck to everyone participating in this week's challenge!
Stick around for more 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
