If you ask 10 FPL managers how they’re faring in this stretch of the season, our guess is that you’ll get a negative response from half of them.

The business end of the season is never a good time for most fantasy football managers. Yet, it is the time when a good number of these managers make up for lost points.

Week 31 is upon us and teams have barely had the opportunity to rest their players. Picking a team of players that are guaranteed to start will be stressful.

Luckily, our expert analysts are here to help you out.

Gameweek Analysis

The Premier League have decided to make teams play three gameweeks in a span of 14 days, which means there will be heavy rotation by managers from week 30 to week 32.

FPL managers will suffer as a result, because they are unable to tell with certainty which players will be rested and which ones will play.

The upcoming UEFA competitions – Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League – also necessitate this rotation for Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, West Ham United and Aston Villa. We may be seeing limited minutes for the likes of Erling Haaland, Bukayo Saka, Ollie Watkins, Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Salah, who is only just making a full recovery from his injury.

Here are the fixtures for the upcoming week 31.

Arsenal vs Luton Town is a good game for managers to bank on. However, the Gunners’ upcoming European date will surely mean heavy rotation for that game, especially after the gruelling match they played against Manchester City in week 30.

Newcastle United vs Everton is a game to watch. Eddie Howe’s side have fans and FPL managers at the edge of their seats every time they play. Counting on Martin Dúbravka or any of their defenders for a clean sheet is not advisable, but the Magpies have a slew of options in their attack and midfield that will win good points.

Everton may have won the reverse fixture but things will certainly be different at St. James’ Park in week 31.

Best FPL Players for Week 31

Rodrigo Muniz (£4.6m) – Fulham

Rodrigo Muniz has taken Raul Jimenez’s mantle at Fulham, meaning he is now the Cottagers’ first choice striker.

It is easy to see why. He has scored eight goals in eight games since his Mexican counterpart got injured, thus becoming the league’s hottest striker. His xG (expected goals) this season stands at 5.60, which means he has overperformed, with the potential to do even more.

At a mouthwatering price of just £4.6m, he is a cheap option for managers who are desperate for good assets to better their lot this season. That price also makes him a good differential pick for gameweek 31.

Fulham’s week 31 opponents are Nottingham Forest, but Muniz is a good option to bring in this week because of the Cottagers’ next opponents: Newcastle and West Ham United. Both teams rank high in xGC (expected goals conceded this season) and with Muniz’s form (8.0; second of 110 strikers in FPL), managers are sure of a safety net until week 34 at the very least.

Mohamed Salah (£13.2m) – Liverpool

Mohamed Salah is up and running after a lengthy spell on the sidelines, brought about by his participation in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in January 2024.

The March international break gave him enough time to rest and recover, and he started at the weekend against Brighton and Hove Albion, who are becoming one of his favourite opponents in all competitions (nine goals and seven assists in 15 games against the Seagulls).

Sheffield United are up next before the Reds face Manchester United in what promises to be a very tough reverse fixture. The Blades are conceding a lot and are on their way back to the Championship. This is expected to be a warm up game for Salah ahead of the Man United clash in week 33.

The transfer data speaks for itself as well – the Egyptian is one of the most transferred-in players ahead of week 31. If you still have your triple captain chip, week 31 will be a good time to use it because Salah is our top pick for the week’s captaincy.

There might be some apprehension, seeing that Salah has only one goal contribution in five games against Sheffield United. We advise you to take this risk if you do not already have Salah in your team, because he is on the rise.