Fantasy Premier League: Blank Gameweek 32 Staff Roundtable

Welcome to Blank Gameweek 32, RotoBallers! Like the previous campaign, we are continuing our soccer coverage to include the great game of the Fantasy Premier League. So even if you are a seasoned veteran or a rookie navigating your first 38 gameweeks, we will set you straight. We're here to provide advice to help you snag those weekend-making green arrows and avoid the doom and gloom of a red arrow.

The F.A. Cup Semifinals take place this weekend, and it will cause Brighton, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United to miss their Premier League fixtures in Gameweek 32. As a result, several critical FPL assets will be without a game and, therefore, not garner any points for our squads. But have no fear, the Rotoballer team is here to soothe all your Blank Gameweek 32 headaches.

The Blank Gameweek 32 deadline is 12:30 pm Eastern on Friday, April 21. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the team gets you all set for every English Premier League and UEFA Champions League slate from a DFS and betting perspective.

And of course, #FPL can translate into #DFS, all of which we have plenty of at @RotoBaller https://t.co/U9pKeHkJYv pic.twitter.com/z2ubf1KeKj

— Jamie Steed (@Baseball_Jimbo) February 4, 2023

RotoBaller FPL Staff Roundtable - Blank Gameweek 32

The Staff Roundtable is an attempt to get you inside the mind of our FPL staff. Our top soccer writers will answer questions each gameweek to give you an idea of how they view the games. So without further ado, let's kick off Blank Gameweek 32!

Four teams will have a blank fixture in GW32. So how are you dealing with some key FPL absences?

• Euan Leith: Brighton, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United have a blank fixture this week. Nine of my 15 FPL players are from those four squads, so I'll be hitting my Free Hit chip.
• Jamie Steed: I’ve been trying to ensure I don’t roster too many players from the four teams this week so I’m not filled with empty holes in my team. I’m set to have two, but I will make amends because I have multiple players with double gameweeks coming up.

The Free Hit chip will be popular this game week. What teams would you try to load up on if you activated it?

• Euan Leith: Arsenal has a home match versus Southampton, and Liverpool welcomes Nottingham Forest to Anfield. Six players from those two squads feel essential. Aston Villa is also in excellent form, and grabbing Ollie Watkins with one (or two) defenders is a perfect way to differentiate the makeup of a Free Hit squad.
• Jamie Steed: Arsenal will look to bounce back, and anything other than three points this week will surely end their title bid. They should be a well-backed team. Liverpool’s demolition of Leeds will also make them a popular option, and it’s hard not to back them facing Nottingham Forest at home. Crystal Palace’s resurgence also makes them enjoyable at home to Everton.

Marcus Rashford could be back a lot earlier than many anticipated. So if you sold him, are you bringing him back straight away?

• Euan Leith: I didn't sell him, but I am holding onto him. If I sold him, however, I think I would be okay to wait to see him back on the field before rushing him into my FPL squad. Man United has a crucial second leg versus Sevilla this week before the F.A. Cup semifinal. Rashford could help his team get through those two fixtures and then rest in the Premier League. Still, I would wait to see him on the field before bringing him back.
• Jamie Steed: No, as Manchester United’s next three EPL fixtures aren’t ideal, I’d probably be looking at gameweek 35 before feeling confident about rolling him out there every week.

There are seven gameweeks left. So which teams are packing their swimsuits and heading to the beach for an early summer holiday?

• Euan Leith: The term "beach team" is usually reserved for those clubs with little to play for as the season winds down. However, there are not a lot of teams that fit the bill this year. Eight teams at the top are still competing for European places, and another eight teams are still fighting to stay in the Premier League next season. My leading candidates for this designation would be Brentford, Fulham, and Crystal Palace.
• Jamie Steed: The fact the bottom of the table is so congested doesn’t leave many options. Sides like Brentford and Fulham, both of whom are safe from relegation but too far adrift from European qualification, are candidates. But we don’t see it as often as before and not until the season's final weekend (when one team always takes a whomping), so I wouldn’t be overly worried about that.

Erling Haaland is 88 points behind Mohamed Salah for the most in a season in FPL history. Can he break the all-time record?

• Euan Leith: City is in a heated race for the Premier League crown but is also deep in other competitions. The blue side of Manchester has enough depth to rotate Erling Haaland versus not-so-tough opponents. If he played every minute of the final eight league games, I think he would break it. However, I'm not banking on that, so I'll predict the Norwegian falls just short.
• Jamie Steed: Can he? Yes. Will he? No. He’ll need to average 11 points a game to do that, and if we consider that he’s tallied 44 points from his last five starts in which he’s scored six and with two assists, he’s going to have to go some to break the record.

Who's keeping a clean sheet in Blank Gameweek 32?

• Euan Leith: There are three outstanding options this gameweek: Liverpool's Alisson, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale, and Crystal Palace's Sam Johnstone. The man between the sticks for Palace is half a million cheaper than either Alisson or Ramsdale, and I want most of my money invested in my forwards and midfielders. With a home tilt against Everton (four goals in five away games), I'm backing Johnstone to stonewall the Toffees.
• Jamie Steed: Liverpool is my favorite pick, given Forest has just five goals in 15 away games this season. Arsenal will be keen to keep a clean sheet, having not done so in their last four games, while Palace at home to Everton is of interest for one too.

Which defensive player is providing an attacking return?

• Euan Leith: The obvious and popular pick is Trent Alexander-Arnold\. Since moving to this new inverted midfielder role, we've seen the attacking flair of old from Liverpool's wingback. Nottingham Forest's first season has been fun, but they seem to be fading towards the end of the season. Liverpool's scored 13 goals in their previous four games at Anfield and put six past Leeds on Monday. Trent will be heavily involved when Liverpool cuts down Forest.
• Jamie Steed: It feels like it’s taken all season for him to produce, but Trent-Alexander Arnold has three assists in his last two games and will fancy adding to that in a game Liverpool should win comfortably. Kieran Trippier has the ‘revenge game’ narrative going for him if you believe in that sort of thing. And Arsenal’s Ben White has a goal involvement in three of his last four games, so he also will fancy adding to that.

📊 Trent in the last two games:

• 3 assists
• 9 chances created
• 6 key passes
• 18 recoveries
• 165 passes completed

Incredible 🤯 @TrentAA pic.twitter.com/z4546b6AOE

— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) April 17, 2023

Who's a midfielder or forward rostered on less than 10 percent of teams that will grab us those FPL points?

• Euan Leith: Cody Gakpo is on 4.6 percent of FPL teams right now but has a 50 percent chance of being in my Free Hit squad. Mo Salah and TAA are locked as my first two Liverpool picks, but I'm waffling on the third and final selection. Gakpo looked great on Monday against Leeds with a goal and an assist. He seems to be favored among Klopp's best XI while Liverpool tries to clinch a last-second European slot.
• Jamie Steed: I mentioned him last week, and he paid us back handsomely, so I’ll go with Eberechi Eze again. His rostership has more than doubled to 5.6% now, but as I said before, he excelled under Roy Hodgson in the 2020/21 season and has scored three goals in the two games since the former England manager returned.

If you could bring in any player you don't have on your team for this gameweek, who would it be and why?

• Euan Leith: I literally can! I wish I could play a 2-4-4 this week, as there are several forwards and midfielders I would love to have in the squad. But, alas, that's not how the game is played. Son Heung-min is my biggest puzzle now as he screams differential, but the matchup with Newcastle is not easy.
• Jamie Steed: To navigate this week with future weeks in mind, I likely will be swapping out a defender, so I won’t be able to bring in Eze myself. Nor could I bring Mo Salah or Cody Gakpo, who I fancy getting involved in the scoring again this weekend.

Who's getting the Captain's armband?

• Euan Leith: Liverpool's fixture against Forest is too enticing to pass up. However, there's a legitimate debate between Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold. I'll probably party like it's 2022 and Captain Mo, but TAA could be swapped in at the last moment.
• Jamie Steed: I’m leaning into Bukayo Saka to have a bounceback game after his penalty miss last weekend. He’s not had a goal involvement in his previous three games (two starts), and that’s the first time this season, so Saka coming good on Friday seems to make sense.

Finally, what's your bold prediction for this weekend's slate of games?

• Euan Leith: Ollie Watkins continues his excellent away form with another attacking return against Brentford. Meanwhile, Newcastle and Spurs battle to a 1-1 bore draw and keep the door open for Brighton, Liverpool, and Aston Villa to have hopes of Champions League football next season.
• Jamie Steed: Nothing stands out this week, but Wolves being the only away winner is plausible. I also feel that one game between two teams in the bottom half finishes 3-2 entirely unexpectedly. Maybe the Bournemouth v West Ham game.

Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on Twitter @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!