FPL 2021/22 Double Gameweek 31 Wildcard Guide: Best players for the double gameweek

Nothing is certain, as it stands in the Premier League. As is the case in Fantasy Premier League, the push to secure the best league ranks could vary significantly between now and the end of the season. For some, it will be a case of making the most of what’s left. For others, this could be a great opportunity to gain an upper hand. If a Wildcard chip is still available, there is the opportunity to refresh the team and prepare it properly from scratch to navigate the upcoming weeks. Therefore, in this article, we are presenting you FPL Double Gameweek 31 Wildcard guide to look at a potential wildcard draft with the best players to push through what’s left of the 2021/22 campaign.

We’re now so close to the end of the PL campaign with just a handful of gameweeks left. There are only a couple of teams in the league that has completely secured their desired table position. The PL title is still not settled, and it looks like it could go down to the final wire, with just 1 point separating Manchester City and Liverpool. A little lower down, Arteta’s Gunners are in the top 4 with a three points gap, as well as a game-in-hand over 5th place. They will certainly be appeased with themselves, however, Manchester United and Tottenham are still lurking below, and nothing can be assumed as guaranteed at this point. Elsewhere, it’s a similar case at the bottom, where a collection of clubs are fighting for any points they can get, in order to save their spot in the next Premier League season.

Considering the Wildcard chip in Double Gameweek 31

With just 8 gameweeks left of the season, time is running out to use the FPL chips. With the final international break of the season out of the way now too, it makes sense to activate the Wildcard ahead of GW31 for a fresh start. Over the last few gameweeks, there’ve been a bunch of double game-weeks and blank gameweeks which have affected squad planning.

Certain players from teams like Wolves, West Ham, Leeds, etc, have been quite common because of the quality of their fixtures. Now that other players are looking more appealing, the aim will be to move on these players as quickly as possible. The Wildcard chip can help do just that.

The alternative option would be to Wildcard around the GW35/36 point, in order to set up a Bench Boost squad for the big potential double game-weeks in GW36/37. This all depends on what the current team looks like, and whether it is built well enough to navigate up to that point. A good strategy is to go through each player and categorize them by how important they will be in the long term. If there are more sells than keeps, it may be better for Wildcard.

FPL Double Gameweek 31 Wildcard Team: Goalkeepers

Alisson (6 million)

Liverpool has conceded just 4 league goals since the start of the year (10 games). They’ve kept 17 clean sheets this season and rank 2nd for the best xGC in the league. It’s safe to say they’re a tough team to get past. Having a hand in the Liverpool defense is certainly a priority, and whilst the likes of Robertson and Alexander-Arnold are already popularised, there is still a risk of rotation. Klopp will have UCL and FA Cup football to plan for, in addition to some tough PL games. It is likely some key players will be rested. Alisson has not been rotated yet this season, and the 2 games he has missed have both been because of COVID isolation.

Remi Matthews (3.9 million)

Frees up funds for the rest of the team.

Alternatives

• Nick Pope (5.4 million) – Covers the Burnley defense and plays a lot of DGWs.
• Kasper Schmeichel (4.8 million) – Leicester is far behind in the fixture schedule and will have a bunch of DGWs to play. Schmeichel ranks 4th for the most saves this season too.
• Aaron Ramsdale (5.1 million) – Currently rumored to have an injury, but has been a top keeper this season, with the 3rd most clean sheets amongst keepers (12). Arsenal plays twice in GW33 too.

FPL Double Gameweek 31 Wildcard Team: Defenders

1. Andrew Robertson (7.3 million)

A Liverpool defender is a necessity, but the main man Trent Alexander-Arnold has been flagged as injured. It’s not a big deal though, his wing-back partner, Andrew Robertson can fill in nicely. He has the same number of FPL assists as the Englishman (11 – also a league-leading total) and has been in fine form recently, averaging 8 points per game over the last 5. Owned by just 10% of FPL managers, the absence of Trent could increase Robertson’s effective points tally. The aim will be to switch to Trent once he is fit to play again.

2. Joao Cancelo (6.9 million)

Manchester City has statistically held the best defense in the league this season, with the joint-most clean sheets (17th) and the least xGC total. It’s a widely known fact that Guardiola gains enjoyment from rotating his team every week – to the dismay of FPL managers. However, Cancelo has been weirdly popular in Pep’s team plans and has played the 2nd most minutes out of any of his teammates. Hopefully, this continues, as Cancelo has been one of the most reliable FPL defenders this season.

3. Reece James (6.2 million)

Chelsea‘s fixtures have taken a twist, and they look like a really appealing team now. Although with no double gameweeks, the Blues have two fixtures to be rescheduled (Leeds and Leicester). Reece James returned to the first team back in GW28 from injury, but a reoccurrence injury forced him out again.

Throughout the season, James has had up-and-down moments, with many 0-pointers, but also a bunch of hauls too. He has reached 10+ points on five occasions and looks like a massive threat when fit. A Chelsea defender is quite important anyway, as they have kept the joint 3rd most clean sheets this season (13).

4. Benjamin White (4.5 million)

The Arsenal defense has been quite solid this season. The Gunners rank joint 3rd for clean sheets (13) alongside Chelsea and are 4th for the least xGC as well. Priced at a reasonable 4.5 million, White is a ticket into that defense that won’t cost a fortune unlike other assets from the league’s top defenses.

5. Connor Roberts (4.4 million)

Leicester City is well behind in Burnley are one of the teams blessed with an abundance of double game-weeks. They play twice in GW31, and twice again in GW33. Even then, they’d still be behind on the schedule, as they have a game against Aston Villa to be rescheduled too. Connor Roberts seems to have become Burnley’s first-choice RB now, having started the last 10 matches.

He has contributed to 4 clean sheets in that period and chipped in with an assist on top of that. Burnley will have tons of opportunities to keep clean sheets from now until the end of the season, and owning Roberts can cover that possibility at a price of just 4.4 million.

Alternatives

• Antonio Rudiger (6.1 million) – With James tagged with a possible injury, he may or may not start in GW31. Rudiger is fit and has played the most minutes out of any other Chelsea defender.
• Trent Alexander-Arnold (8.4 million) – There is a slight chance that Trent is fit for GW31 and so he could be transferred in rather than Robertson. However, it is a risky move, and maybe not worth it just yet.
• Kieran Tierney (5.1 million) – In theory, Tierney should bring an attacking threat in addition to clean sheets but that hasn’t really worked, with the Scot managing just 3 assists this campaign. However, he does drive forward a lot and could chip in with a surprise return to make his price worthwhile.
• Leicester Defenders – It’s fair to say Leicester’s defense is difficult to trust, however, their fixtures are definitely more appealing than most teams, and a punt on one of their defenders could pay off.
• Newcastle Defender – Although the Magpies haven’t really got a trustworthy defense, they have a decent DGW in 31against Leicester and Everton, and a Newcastle defender could set up nicely for that.

FPL Double Gameweek 31 Wildcard Team: Midfielders

1. Mohammed Salah (13.3 million)

Easily a must-have option, that’s probably quite established by now!

2. Bukayo Saka (6.7 million)

Arsenal is one of the teams that double in GW33. They are one of the higher priority teams to be looking at, especially considering their form recently. Since January, they have lost only twice, that too to Manchester City and Liverpool. Bukayo Saka has played a key role in Arsenal’s performance this season.

The 20-year-old has an impressive 9 goals and 6 assists this season. Over the last 6 matches, Saka ranks top at Arsenal for shots (21), shots on target (8), and touches in the opposition box (52). He has also created 14 chances, which is bettered by only Odegaard in the Arsenal dressing room – Saka is clearly very influential for this team.

3. Harvey Barnes (6.6 million)

Leicester City is quite behind in the fixture schedule. They’ve played 27 games out of a potential 30, which means three matches will be incorporated into future doubles. One double gameweek has already been confirmed in GW33, leaving two to come to some point later. The Foxes are definitely a team to target, and Harvey Barnes is one of the keys to their attack. In Leicester’s last 6 games, Barnes has scored once and assisted a further three goals. He has team-leading numbers for shots on target (6), big chances (20 and xG (1.86).

4. Dejan Kulusevski (6.3 million)

Kulusevski has hit the ground running for Tottenham, since his January transfer. He has averaged 5.2 points per match since his arrival, scoring twice and contributing a further 5 assists in 7 starts. His winger counterpart Heung-Min Son will appear the better option due to his reputation, however, Kulusevski does trump the winger in some underlying stats.

The Swede has fired 17 shots, with 12 inside the box in comparison to Son’s 13 with 10 inside the box. Kulusevski betters both Kane and Son for touches in the opposition box (39) and ranks joint-top for big chances created (5) alongside Kane. Clearly, he’s very involved in that three-man attack and comes at a much cheaper price than both his teammates.

5. Anthony Gordon (4.5 million)

Gordon can be considered a starter player for Everton, despite such a cheap price. Frank Lampard has previously spoken about how the youngster was one of the few bright sparks on the pitch. Everton is one of the two teams playing twice in GW31, against West Ham and Burnley. Regardless of form, a 4.5 million midfielder that actually starts, and plays twice in GW31, sounds like a great opportunity.

Alternatives

• Kai Havertz (7.9 million)/Mason Mount (7.5 million) – A Chelsea attacker seems very appealing indeed, considering their upcoming fixtures. If there’s a way to get them in, either Havertz or Mount is the best shout. Havertz has been deployed up-front for Chelsea and is currently in fantastic form. Mount has made the most appearances for Tuchel and is the safer option out of the pair.
• James Maddison (6.8 million) – Maddison netted his 8th PL goal of the season in GW30 and has continued to look lively throughout the campaign. Barnes has been slightly more involved in play but there’s not much else separating the two.
• Jadon Sancho (8.9 million) – Sancho has contributed to five goals in the last six matches and has been quite important to United’s attack. They face a DGW in 33, and Sancho could be that cheeky differential.
• Heung Min Son (10.9 million) – The alternative to Kulusevski is the premium option in Son. He might not be in his best form, but historically, we know what he is capable of.
• Kevin De Bruyne (11.7 million) – Manchester City faces just 1 top-6 opponent in the remainder of the season. However, they do have a bunch of other competitions to account for, but its likely Pep will be paying close attention to the league in order to wrap it up before Liverpool sweeps past. KDB is one of City’s stars and his output isn’t in doubt.

FPL Double Gameweek 31 Wildcard Team: Forwards

1. Wout Weghorst (6.4 million)

Burnley has two confirmed double gameweeks coming up, in GW31 and GW33. They’re not usually an enticing team, but these fixtures are too good to pass on.

2. Harry Kane (12.5 million)

Kane has had an unstoppable run in the second half of this season. He has returned in all of his last 5 games as well, totaling 12 goals and 6 assists for the campaign. Kane is the highest point-scoring forward in FPL at the moment, and he ranks top for the most xG and xA in that position.

In the choice between Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane, the latter edges it due to his current form. Tottenham has just two top 6 teams to play now. They have some very good fixtures from GW31 onwards, as well as a soon-to-be-announced DGW at some point too. Having one of their key premiums could be very beneficial.

3. Armando Broja (5.5 million)

Southampton has a double in GW33 against Arsenal and Burnley, in addition to appealing fixtures all-round. Their players will come in handy at some point, and Broja is one of them. The Albanian hasn’t blanked in the last 6 games for Southampton – he’s on a bit of a dry run at the moment. However, the thing with strikers is that it takes just one match to get that confidence back. Broja has been influential for the Saints this season, contributing 6 goals and 2 assists. His 20 shots on target, 9 big chances, and 87 touches in the opposition box this season are all team-leading totals.

Alternatives

• Cristiano Ronaldo (12.2 million) – Ronaldo dropped a hattrick out of nowhere back in GW29 and his short-term fixture list makes him look very appealing. United play Leicester, Everton, and then Norwich as part of the double gameweek in 33.
• Jean-Philippe Mateta (5.2 million) – A budget differential, Mateta has cropped up on the scoresheet a few times recently. He has netted in three of Palace’s last 6 games. With decent fixtures as well, it could be worth taking a closer look at this one.
• Alexandre Lacazette (8.3 million) – Although not hitting the headlines for his hattricks, Lacazette has been quietly adding to his FPL points total for the season. He has had 11 attacking returns in the last 13 games, including most assists. Arsenal have good fixtures and of course, play twice in DGW31, so Lacazette is definitely worth considering.

FPL Double Gameweek 31 Wildcard Team: Full Team and Strategy

Double Gameweek 31 Plan

Mohammed Salah against Watford looks like the best captain choice. However, his starting position is uncertain considering he just played 120 minutes against Senegal during the international break. Kane can take the vice-captain where he plays against Newcastle, just in case Salah is rested. With the current draft, there will be 3 double game-week players which should be way more than enough.

Double Gameweek 33 Plan

As it stands, the draft offers 6 double gameweek players which will likely be around the average. Between GW31 and GW33, there will be two free transfers available for any changes too. Salah, Kane, and Cancelo shouldn’t be benched, as these premium players have the potential to match the DGW players even with an SGW. Liverpool and Chelsea face Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, so it can be tempting to switch players like James, Robertson, and Alisson for double gameweek players. However, it is advised not to overlook these premiums as they are good enough to haul in single gameweeks against all kinds of opposition. All in all, it will depend on the build-up to the gameweek though – keep an eye on injuries, rotation, etc.

So what are you waiting for? Setup your squads and join our very own FPL 2021/22 Fantasy League through this invitation code ehvefg or join from this link and win exciting cash rewards for absolutely free!

Did you find our analysis on the FPL Double Gameweek 31 Wildcard Guide useful? Are you considering anyone from here? Drop your comments in the comment section below!

For more Mobile Gaming news and updates, join our WhatsApp group, Telegram Group, or Discord server. Also, follow us on Google News, Instagram, and Twitter for quick updates.