Blank Gameweek 29 + FA Cup Quarter Finals

Gameweek 29 presents one of the biggest blank gameweeks that I have seen in my FPL playing career. The postponed fixtures are caused by the FA Cup Quarter Finals and therefore only 4 fixtures have the go ahead this weekend. The gameweek does, however, add 2 FA Cup Quarter Finals to the mix - alongside the Premier League games. Due to the decreased amount of fixtures, this in turn creates a smaller pool of players to select, but I still feel like there are a few great picks!

Premier League

Let’s focus on the Premier League fixtures first, and I would focus on following teams and players:

Brentford

Brentford have a stand out fixture against Burnley this weekend. While I might not predict a clean sheet - I do believe they have one of the higher chances of defensive returns this gameweek. I would prioritise Reguilon, just make sure he’s fit for the weekend after picking up an injury last week, as he has great attacking threat. Toney is the stand out pick as the main talisman for Brentford, but I think a double up with Wissa could be profitable as he has better form at the moment.

Spurs

Spurs have a great lineup against Fulham this week and I back them to do well. Son is the obvious choice, for good reason, playing out of position as the sole striker. I like Maddison, as well, and back him to get some returns this weekend. The other attackers like Kulusevski, Johnson and Werner are also fine selections but I would prioritise Son and Maddison. Defensively, Pedro Porro is back from injury and presents a great attacking (defender) option this week. Selecting between Udogie and Porro might be tough though, as I believe the former might be more attacking from open play.

I would try and maximise the Spurs selections as they are in form at the moment.

Aston Villa

Coming off a 4-0 loss to Spurs on the weekend, I expect Villa to bounce back against West Ham. I think both teams score though, so I would focus on their attacking department. Watkins is the obvious pick, so the players around him will be where gains are made. I think Bailey and Douglas Luiz are the two to look at, with Bailey offering better attacking numbers, but Luiz offering penalties and nailed game time. I would lean slightly more towards Bailey - due to the potential upsides.

FA Cup

The two fixtures that have been added to the gameweek are: Manchester City vs. Newcastle, and Manchester United vs. Liverpool. The two teams that I would favor here would be Man City and Liverpool.

Newcastle can’t buy a clean sheet at the moment and therefore I expected them to concede quite a few at the Etihad. They have also just lost Gordon to a potential injury and therefore Man City defenders might also be worth the investment. The obvious picks would be Haaland and Foden, if De Bruyne gets good minutes he could be golden, and then it comes down to who you expect to start between Ake, Gvardiol, Walker, Dias or Akanji.

In terms of Liverpool, if you expect Salah to get his first start after his injury then he’s a great pick. Darwin or Luiz Diaz should get a few chances, and I always like the Liverpool full backs for their defensive and attacking work. Liverpool's defense hasn’t been water-tight though, so a punt on a Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Holjund or Garnacho could still be worth it!