Here’s our latest FPL blanks and doubles article to just update where we are at the moment as we go into GW30. We make some assumptions as to results and postponements and see how that plays out for the upcoming fixtures. Now further updated for an amended schedule and explanations in italics.
FPL blanks and doubles – an update
UPDATED: I’ve updated this article since it was written on Thursday. The reason being is that I had some feedback about Chelsea v Brighton likely to be in GW32. I think this makes sense. Chelsea seem likely to progress in the Europa after a first leg win of 3-0. That makes it difficult to put that fixture outside of GW32 or GW35 due to the fact that Chelsea could be competing in the European games in the later midweeks to the end of the season. Using my FA Cup scenarios meant that Brighton v Cardiff was the likely game to be rearranged elsewhere which seemingly ends the Chelsea double gameweek TC opportunity. The schedule is amended below
In simple terms this article just brings you up to date with the latest blanks and doubles position. Not much has changed though except for a couple of fixture confirmations
I’m trying to write this as a fairly standalone article so apologies for repetition from other previous articles of mine.
The basics explained
Here’s the background to blanks and doubles in 5 sentences
The FA Cup quarter finals and semi finals will be played on the weekends of the premier league gameweeks of GW31 and GW33. The FPL site already shows postponements out of GW31. They will therefore require postponements outside of the current gameweeks. With UEFA rules requiring no clashes with European fixtures the only options as GW32 and GW35 which on historical precedent has been followed. A couple of postponed fixtures have already been allocated to GW32 and GW35.
Where are we now?
Here’s the FA Cup quarter final draw:
Swansea City v Man City
Watford v C Palace
Wolves v Man Utd
Milwall v Brighton
Here are my latest schedules for the blank weeks of GW31 and GW33. Green are the fixtures guaranteed to stay. Orange are the fixtures that will be postponed. Yellow are the fixtures that have been allocated already. There could be more fixtures in GW33 depending on quarter final results.
The fixture confirmations
I’ve mentioned before that the TV companies would likely have some say in where postponed fixtures would go to rather than follow the natural path of blank postponed GW31 fixtures into GW32 and postponed GW33 fixtures into GW35.
The TV companies couldn’t resist moving the GW31 postponed game of Man Utd v Man City into GW35 to add drama to the latter part of the season. They also confirmed that the GW33 Wolves v Man Utd which would have sat in GW35 moves to GW32 instead.
Why the Man City v Cardiff fixture and the Wolves v Arsenal fixtures weren’t also confirmed is a bit of a surprise but we’ll come to that later.
GW31
GW33
Those with guaranteed fixtures in GW31 and GW33 as of now before any quarter final results are
Bournemouth, Burnley, Leicester, Everton, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham and Huddersfield.
How the doubles and blanks would look making some FA Cup quarter final results assumptions
Assumptions
That Man City, Watford, Man Utd and Brighton win their respective quarter finals.
Having made that assumption and with 2 games already confirmed there was only 1 way to allocate the fixtures so they fitted together without creating a triple gameweek.
UPDATE: I had some feedback about Chelsea v Brighton likely to be in GW32. I think this makes sense. Chelsea seem likely to progress in the Europa after a first leg win of 3-0. That makes it difficult to put that fixture outside of GW32 or GW35 due to the fact that Chelsea could be competing in the European games in the later midweeks to the end of the season. Using my FA Cup scenarios meant that Brighton v Cardiff was the likely game to be rearranged elsewhere which seemingly ends the Chelsea double gameweek TC opportunity. The schedule is amended below
UPDATED:
So given those assumptions, however correctable they are, here are how the fixtures would look. Italics are postponed fixtures. Below them show how you would transition from one fixture to another.
If the FA Cup follows this path it could make the GW32 to GW33 transition even more difficult than it was before.
The chip options
Most of you will have decided how you are going to play the chips anyway by now (hopefully) but for completeness here was my earlier options table. By the way I believe Yaniv has now changed his mind about doing the “Yaniv” option
It assumes you have all your chips apart from maybe the triple captain in some options.
If you’ve used your 2nd wildcard then Rob Reid and Costas in their contributors articles which I’ve linked with their names help by talking about their strategies.
A few random thoughts and warnings
So we won’t see any more confirmation of postponements until after the quarters which are in GW31 and in my mind anything could happen as to where they are placed in either GW32 and GW35. However given they have nailed 2 fixtures down they may have given themselves less flexibility as I only had 1 way to allocate the fixtures on my FA Cup results assumptions.
I also saw on Tuesday, I think, a French Ligue 1 match played which is the 2nd time I’ve noticed a French match clashing with European matches. Albeit I noticed the first one was an early kick off. I don’t know why they are allowed to do this or the reason for it but it does leave a possibility, I suppose, that anything random could happen. However the fact that GW32 and GW35 have been picked for the 2 confirmed resites of the postponed games has to give some comfort.
Assuming Brighton win their FA Cup quarter final it will mean Brighton have 3 postponed matches and Chelsea v Brighton can’t be housed in GW32 or GW35. I suspect it would become an early kick off in a European clashing week or on a Monday. I guess it’s possible though that they could put Chelsea v Brighton in 35 or 32 and move the Brighton v Cardiff or the Spurs v Brighton game to another gameweek?
How the quarters pan out will be key to how the postponements and GW33 shape up. Given where we are now there’s little that can be done to change things
FFGeek thoughts
I’m pretty committed to option 2 and are hoping that Chelsea v Brighton gives a Chelsea double gameweek. Outside that gameweek 36 Salah v Huddersfield is the only other possibility.
I always end these by saying I’m no guru on these I just try and think it through logically so any feedback on errors please leave in the comments.
That’s it. Hope it was helpful.
See also the underlying stats for GW29 alone and the form tables
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