Follow Sky Sports for Fantasy Premier League coverage throughout the season, including tips, expert advice and the latest team news; the big questions are answered ahead of Gameweek 31
Saturday 15 April 2023 10:57, UK
Sky Sports continues its weekly column, bringing you essential tips from the best Fantasy Premier League managers in the world.
FPL experts Holly Shand (@HollyShand) and Gianni Buttice (@GianniButtice) answer the burning questions ahead of Saturday's 11am deadline for Gameweek 31...
Holly Shand: Luke Shaw (£5.1m) is a hold for me if you have options on your bench for this week to cover his injury, with the Manchester United full-back expected to be back soon.
Marcus Rashford (£7.2m) is a more challenging hold, with the prognosis he's out for a few games. He could be a key asset for Double Gameweek 34 if he's fit, but other players have great potential in the period before that.
Given Casemiro (£4.9m) is back for Manchester United, I expect a more attacking performance from Bruno Fernandes (£9.6m) against Nottingham Forest so he's a hold for me.
Gianni Buttice: If you're planning on using a Free Hit in 32 you can probably hold your Man Utd assets in the hope they're back fit for GW33 and their double in GW34.
Without a Free Hit, I would be looking to sell Rashford knowing there are so many good midfield options in the game at the moment and you can always buy him back for his double.
As a Bruno owner, I expect to see him playing in a more advanced role now Christian Eriksen (£6.2m) and Casemiro are back so he is a definite hold.
Holly Shand: Given the injury for Rashford I personally think that he is the priority to sell right now, although as a non-owner of James Maddison (£8.2m) there is some bias in this decision.
I still think Leicester have the opportunity to come good with Dean Smith in charge and so I'd like to see how Maddison performs in the next two, navigating the condensed fixture list of Gameweek 32 before selling him.
Gianni Buttice: Maddison is a much easier sell for me. It will be interesting to see if we get a new manager bounce but I'm not expecting a great deal from Leicester in terms of shot volume and big chance creation.
When Rashford is back fit, he's a player you will be desperate to own, especially because of double GW34.
Holly Shand: There's plenty of solid midfield options right now, but we do need to be mindful of strategy for navigating the upcoming Blank Gameweek 32 in any moves. Jack Grealish (£7.1m) is winning the transfers in and for those planning a Free Hit 32, he should be the go-to pick given his form.
However, without a Free Hit for Gameweek 32, look towards Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli (£6.7m) who is the form asset for the Gunners right now. Any fantasy manager with funds in the bank should also consider Mo Salah (£12.8m) with some great upcoming fixtures for Liverpool.
Gianni Buttice: I sold Maddison last week for a hit to bring in Jack Grealish and I still think that's the play this week if you still own the Leicester man.
Leicester have been so poor of late and the ceiling with Man City attacking players feels so high at the moment. Owning Erling Haaland (£12.2m) alone isn't enough.
Holly Shand: This is an easy one for me. Grealish seems to be nailed on down Manchester City's left flank, being on the bench for just one Premier League fixture since the restart and putting in some great performances.
Riyad Mahrez (£7.3m) has been sharing game-time with Julian Alvarez (£6.0m) on the right and with Phil Foden (£8.0m) on his way back from injury, that's a trend which looks set to continue for the season run-in.
Gianni Buttice: Grealish, comfortably. Cheaper but also because of expected minutes. The left-hand side of the City attack is so much easier to predict.
Sure Grealish might need a rest every now and then but at the moment 90 per cent of the time you expect him to start in the Premier League.
Mahrez however I expect to start around 50 per cent of league matches and that right-hand side is far more difficult to predict with Bernardo Silva (£6.7m), Phil Foden and even Julian Alvarez competing for the spot.
Holly Shand: I strongly advise managers to hold Harry Kane (£11.7m): he's on course for his best-ever season in FPL and he's scored in four consecutive games.
His form is particularly prevalent at home and he is a viable differential captain pick for this week for managers looking to go for a differential option over Haaland.
Try to find a different route back to Haaland if possible, or at least wait until Gameweek 33 where Manchester City's blank is out of the way.
Gianni Buttice: It's far from ideal but if Kane is your only route back to Haaland without a huge amount of surgery, you pull the trigger. Haaland is a must-have at the moment.
Holly Shand: The pros and cons can only be assessed alongside your current FPL squads. For those managers over-exposed on Brighton, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, it would be a struggle to navigate Blank Gameweek 32 without a Free Hit.
However, a double gameweek generally carries more upside for a Free Hit than a blank, meaning Gameweek 34 could be advantageous for those holding the chip.
Gianni Buttice: The reason I am free hitting in 32 is the teams blanking that week are those that I am heavily invested in - I own triple Brighton, Chelsea, Man City and double Man United. These teams are also all due double gameweeks so their players are not ones you want to sell.
Sure a Free Hit in 34 will come with plenty of upside but I think many of us will already own the popular assets that week and if there is a team you want to target in 34 you still have plenty of time to recruit - Liverpool players for example.
