The Fantasy Premier League season is coming to an end, so for the final time we will provide you with the best FPL tips and advice on transfers and captaincy ahead of Gameweek 38.
It’s been a brutal campaign for many managers, with the general sentiment around the game being the lowest I have seen it for a while. The increasing reliance on set pieces and reduction in open play goals across the top flight has taken a lot of the fun out of it.
There have also been far fewer star names to bet on this term. Mo Salah, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden have gone off the boil, Bukayo Saka has missed chunks through injury, and Alexander Isak has suffered from a combination of both.
Defensive contributions have been a positive addition to FPL, but it has been overpowered this season due to the aforementioned factors. Although it can feel great when one of your players hits that magic number to add two points to his tally, it’s far less joyful refreshing the webpage waiting for it to happen than when one your guys bangs one in top bins.
Hopefully next season will be more entertaining, but in the meantime, let’s hope 2025/26 goes out with a bang.
Fantasy Premier League Deadline: Sunday, 24th May, 14:30 BST.
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Fantasy Premier League: Six essential FPL tips ahead of GW38
Hold fire on your transfers – wait for late team news and leaks
Every single season, GW38 is without fail one of the most unpredictable gameweeks of the season. Many teams are already on the beach, managers name unexpected lineups and, with the World Cup around the corner, some players tiptoe around the pitch hoping to avoid injury.
This is why you need to wait as late as possible to make your moves, possibly right up until the deadline. This is less than ideal, of course, especially because the FPL is in danger of crashing with so many other people sorting their team at the last minute.
But there is no reason to pull the trigger early when new information could emerge late in the day. There will be leaks on social media informing who will be starting, though it’s crucial you only take trusted sources at face value, and we could learn certain players haven’t travelled with the team.
Make sure you have your planned transfers ready to go and change them accordingly when team news surfaces.
What to do with Arsenal and Man City players
This is related to the previous tip. Many of us own multiple players from Arsenal and Manchester City, neither of whom have anything to play for after the Gunners clinched the Premier League title in midweek. The north Londoners also have a Champions League final to contend with next week.
Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola could make major changes to their lineup, while Arsenal’s regular starters might still be hungover from celebrating. This creates a major headache as both clubs have great fixtures. Arsenal face a Crystal Palace side focused on the Conference League final, while City host Aston Villa following their Europa League triumph.
So, which players should we keep or sell? I think it’s relatively safe to hold onto Erling Haaland (£14.7m) from City and players from Arsenal’s backline, such as Gabriel (£7.3m) and David Raya (£6.2m).
Everyone else depends on what leaks we get closer to the deadline. As a Rayan Cherki (£6.6m) owner, I am already close to selling him after he started the last two games on the bench. Bukayo Saka (£10m) is another tricky one because he the potential to haul points, but it’s far from guaranteed he will play the full 90 minutes even if he does start.
The Arsenal attack in general is hard to predict, but I think Guardiola will want to go out on a high note after announcing his City exit. There should be goals in that game, so City attackers are definitely on the menu.
It all depends on what news we get on Sunday, because many of their players are worth holding unless we learn they are not starting.
To hit or not to hit
That is the question. The final day brings with it a temptation to say: “screw it, the season’s over, I may as well have a gamble and take a hit.”
And, to be honest, I approve. I take that gamble at the end of every season and it has paid off 99 per cent of the time (last season being the exception).
The last day of the season is often hugely entertaining, with plenty of goals going in around the grounds, creating potential for a major rank boost if you play your cards right.
I would suggest that you focus on players with high upside, so midfielders and forwards on teams that either have something to play for or are playing against teams with nothing to play for, and have a high chance of starting.
Do not take a hit for the sake of it; only do it if it clearly improves your starting XI. And limit it to -4, anything over that and it probably won’t pay off, unless you get remarkably lucky.
One last ride on the Salah train?
Mo Salah (£14m) is set to leave Liverpool after a decade of excellence in the Premier League. The Egyptian winger has been an FPL hero to many and the desire to own him one final time will be great.
It’s a move I would have had more confidence about before he took a sly dig at Arne Slot on social media, posting that Liverpool need to return to “heavy metal attacking football”. I am sure he will play against Brentford on Sunday, but the political dynamic with the manager has complicated matters.
Will Salah being in the starting lineup? Will he start on the bench? How many minutes is he likely to get? It’s too much of an unknown to advise him as one of your transfers, especially at his price.
Final day differentials
West Ham United have been poor this season, but they have to go for it against Leeds this weekend. Anything other than a win will ensure their relegation from the Premier League.
Jarrod Bowen (£7.8m) is the obvious pick from the Hammers, but it must be noted that he has not scored in the league since late Chelsea. He has, though, registered eight league assists and scored two goals against Brentford in the FA Cup since then.
His teammate, Taty Castellano (£5.5m) could be a better shout. The Argentine is not the most clinical of strikers, but he does get plenty of chances per game. He scored his fifth goal since arriving in January against Newcastle last weekend, though he rarely plays the full 90.
Their relegation rival, Spurs, will also be highly motivated to ensure their safety with a win over Everton. Richarlison (£6.4m) and Pedro Porro (£5.2m) are the standout options.
Bournemouth also have something to play for; European football has already been secured, but there remains a chance they could qualify for the Champions League. I really like either Eli Junior Kroupi (£4.7m) and Rayan (£5.4m) as picks.
If you really want to throw caution to the wind, then take a punt on Zian Flemming (££5.3m). The Burnley forward has scored 10 goals this season and faces a Wolves side that have only kept four clean sheets this season.
The best captain for GW38
There really is only one clear option for the armband in Fantasy Premier League this week: Erling Haaland. The Norwegian will be as motivated as ever to add to his goals tally and he’s up against Villa, who could be fielding a hungover XI or a bunch of second string players.
Bruno Fernandes (£10.4m) will be the second-most popular pick, but I’m not convinced his ceiling is particularly high this week. Yes, he will be doing everything in his power to break the all-time assist record and he’s on penalties, but Manchester United have nothing left to play for other than that. They are also coming up against a good Brighton team looking to qualify for Europe.
Read – Top FPL tips to help you master Fantasy Premier League
See Also – 69 classic Fantasy Premier League team names to use next season
