There is still one FA Cup fifth-round tie to be settled, but Fantasy Premier League managers should be already making plans to deal with postponements.
Currently, there are five matches remaining in Gameweek 31, with at least another five to be rescheduled due to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Tottenham Hotspur’s home meeting with Newcastle United would be the sixth to be postponed should Mauricio Pochettino’s side beat Rochdale in their replay next week.
Gameweek 31 fixtures
| Confirmed | Unconfirmed | Postponed |
|---|---|---|
| BOU v WBA | TOT v NEW | BUR v CHE |
| HUD v CRY | LEI v ARS | |
| STK v EVE | MCI v BHA | |
| LIV v WAT | SWA v SOU | |
| WHU v MUN |
First things first
The first thing managers should do is check how many players in their squads will be active in Gameweek 31.
If they have not made a transfer for Gameweek 28, managers should realise they have four trades available to recruit new additions until Gameweek 31.
But managers should be wary of attempting to field a full XI for Gameweek 31 if it means signing players who could be surplus to requirements afterwards.
The Free Hit
If available, the Free Hit chip is an alternative strategy.
The chip grants unlimited transfers that are applied to one Gameweek only. At the next deadline, the original squad is returned.
With it players from the remaining teams in action in Gameweek 31 can be brought in.
That means managers' transfers up to that point can be used on players with strong form and fixtures over Gameweeks 28-30.
Gameweek 35 better for chip?
But managers might prefer to save the Free Hit chip till Gameweek 35, which clashes with the FA Cup semi-finals.
At least three matches are likely to be postponed over that weekend.
Gameweek 35 fixtures
| Confirmed | Unconfirmed |
|---|---|
| ARS v WHU | BOU v MUN |
| EVE v NEW | BHA v TOT |
| STK v BUR | LEI v SOU |
| WAT v CRY | CHE v HUD |
| WBA v LIV | MCI v SWA |
How to maximise your chips
Managers who have both their Wildcard and Bench Boost chips to play should consider their Free Hit strategy carefully.
The postponed fixtures from Gameweek 31 could be rescheduled for Gameweek 34.
This could give up to 12 teams two matches.
Double Gameweek potential
By using the Wildcard, perhaps in Gameweeks 32 or 33, managers can recruit players who could play twice in Gameweek 34.
Then the Bench Boost can be activated in a bid to field 15 players with two fixtures in that Gameweek.
However, some teams who play twice in Gameweek 34 will also have their matches postponed in Gameweek 35.
If the Free Hit is saved until this point, a manager can build a squad with the Bench Boost in mind without worrying about the postponements that will follow.
These are just some of the options open to FPL managers. They show that the season run-in is the time when the chips can come into their own.
But careful planning and co-ordination of transfers is crucial to gaining the opportunity to exploit them to the full.