Six teams blank in Gameweek 34 after double gameweek 33, leaving Fantasy Premier League managers scrambling. The affected clubs are Bournemouth, Brighton, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds, and Manchester City – but there are still plenty of stars to target. We asked experts Holly Shand and the FPL podcast team for their top picks.
Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)
Holly: Fernandes is the standout captain choice, with goal involvements in seven straight games. He has five double-digit hauls at Old Trafford since Michael Carrick took over and leads the league in key passes (109), chasing the record for most assists in a season.
Statman Dave: Fernandes has amassed 93 points since Carrick's arrival – 11 more than any other player. He's my obvious captain, especially against Brentford, having scored four goals and an assist in eight meetings with the Bees.
Gabriel (Arsenal)
Holly: Arsenal boast a league-leading 15 clean sheets, and Gabriel is the highest-scoring defender in FPL. He has eight goal involvements this season, including a goal in the reverse fixture against Newcastle in Gameweek 6. He's averaged six points per game over the last four weeks.
Statman Dave: If you're using a free hit, Gabriel, David Raya, and William Saliba could form a brilliant defensive trio. They're currently in my free hit team.
Igor Thiago (Brentford)
Holly: Igor Thiago is the most-owned forward with a fixture this week. He has scored three goals in the last four gameweeks, taking his season tally to 21 – just two behind Erling Haaland. Two of those goals came in the reverse fixture against Manchester United, a 3-1 win for Brentford.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Holly: With no fixture for Haaland, you can redirect funds to premium midfielders like Salah. He has scored in consecutive games and remains on penalties. This is a crucial period for Liverpool as they chase Champions League football, while Salah's time at the club winds down.
Statman Dave: Salah could be a differential due to his ownership. The problem is that many inactive managers still have him, but his form is hard to ignore.
Listen to the full FPL podcast episode for more tips.