FPL: Fantasy Premier League tips: The best Gameweek 33 short-term punts for every chip strategy (2024)

What transfers we make for the remainder of the season in Fantasy Premier League will be heavily dependent on our chip strategies.

Double Gameweek 34 is going to be the biggest double of the season with seven teams playing twice. Engaged FPL managers will have no doubt prepared for this but we have to be careful not to neglect the single gameweeks.

In this article, we will look at one-week punts for those wildcarding in Gameweek 35 and also the best options for those who have played their wildcard already.

Wildcarding in Gameweek 35 and have sufficient double-gameweek players

For those FPL managers planning to use their wildcard in Gameweek 35, you should be pretty well set for Gameweek 34 with nine to 10 double-gameweek players already in place.

This allows you to take an upside punt for Gameweek 33 and there are some good options available. In my team, for example, I have nine double-gameweek players and two free transfers, which means I have three free transfers to use until Gameweek 34.

Because I will be wildcarding in Gameweek 35, I am dead-ending my team into Gameweek 34. This gives me an opportunity to take a one-week punt, taking advantage of a high-upside pick.

Looking at the games for Gameweek 33, the fixtures that stand out are Brentford vs Sheffield United, Manchester City vs Luton and Liverpool vs Crystal Palace.

Brentford’s Sergio Reguilon (£4.4m) will be the best defender to own for Gameweek 33. He plays against Sheffield United at home, who have scored the least goals (30) and also have the worst xG (expected goals; 29.57).

Reguilon also has plenty of attacking threat — in only 12 starts this season, he has registered five assists, with two coming in Brentford’s last game against Aston Villa. He won’t get a better fixture this season to get attacking and defensive returns.

His team-mate Ivan Toney (£8.1m) could be a fantastic option (if he is fit), especially for those who still have Ollie Watkins (£8.8m). If I owned the Aston Villa forward, this would be my move, pending Toney’s fitness. Thomas Frank advised that his benching last gameweek was due to a hip issue which is being managed.

Sheffield United are statistically the worst team in the league at both ends of the pitch. They have conceded the most goals (82) with an xGC (expected goals conceded) of 61.18 (second-worst).

Toney will be difficult to acquire for managers on this chip strategy as a lot of them will have a front line containingDarwin Nunez (£7.7m), Dominic Solanke (£7.3m) and/or Erling Haaland (£14.3m). All have good fixtures this week and the former two have doubles in Gameweek 34.

Therefore, if you can get Toney for Watkins, he will be a massive differential.

Meanwhile, the Manchester City line-up is going to be very important this week. They play Luton (H), which is sandwiched between their two legs against Real Madrid in the Champions League. If you are going to opt for one of City’s assets, then it’s probably a good idea to wait until Saturday morning.

The game kicks off at 3pm and we have seen many times before this season that the City team or certain players starting can get leaked before the FPL deadline.

Josko Gvardiol (£4.8m) and Ruben Dias (£5.5m) are the best defensive assets for City. Gvardiol has the attacking threat and is fit as he started against Real Madrid in midweek, where he scored a fantastic long-range effort. Dias, though, is probably the safer bet for expected minutes.

Pep Guardiola’s team are also the favourites (54 per cent chance) to keep a clean sheet in Gameweek 33, according to the bookmakers.

If Guardiola puts out a rotated line-up and we get early team news, then someone like Jeremy Doku (£6.4m), Kevin De Bruyne (£10.3m), or Julian Alvarez (£6.4m) could be the play.

Wildcarding in Gameweek 35 but short on double-gameweek players

If you plan to use your wildcard in Gameweek 35 but are short on double-gameweek players for 34, then your transfers will have to be geared towards the double.

This doesn’t mean you can’t chase the upside too, however. Players from Wolves, Liverpool and Arsenal can be bought this week.

If Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.7m) is passed fit, then this gameweek is a good entry point for him. Wolves play Nottingham Forest away but the Algeria international has pretty much been playing as an attacker so I don’t mind that his fixture isn’t the best. Ait-Nouri then has a double in 34.

Liverpool’s Luis Diaz (£7.6m) also has a great entry point this week playing Crystal Palace at home. Having triple Liverpool for double gameweek 34 is a good idea and Diaz is looking like the most nailed attacker for them after Mohamed Salah (£13.4m). Diaz is only owned by 12 per cent of managers at the time of writing.

The Colombian has started his side’s last 12 games and has eight goals and six assists. Manchester City’s Phil Foden (£8.3m) came off with a knock against Madrid on Tuesday, so if he is ruled out or a doubt, then Foden to Diaz could be a shrewd move.

Alisson (£5.7m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.4m) and Diogo Jota (£7.9m) are all back in training, so realistically you are probably going to want to get rid of the likes of Conor Bradley (£4.3m) and Caoimhin Kelleher (£3.9m).

Jota returning will likely eat into Nunez and Diaz’s minutes, but I don’t think it’s enough to avoid them.

If you’re going for a Liverpool defender this week, then Virgil van Dijk (£6.6m) is your best bet. They are the second favourites to keep a clean sheet (44 per cent chance) in Gameweek 33. The Dutchman has a goal threat and is nailed to start.

I would also make sure you have at least two or ideally three Arsenal players in time for Double Gameweek 34.

Many FPL managers will be tripled up on them already, with the majority having two defenders and Bukayo Saka (£8.9m).

If you don’t have triple Arsenal yet, then you might want to think about Kai Havertz (£7.3m) alongside Saka. The Germany international has five goals and five assists in his last seven games, scoring the most FPL points (69) in that period.

Not wildcarding in Gameweek 35 and Free-Hitting in Gameweek 34

If you are not wildcarding in 35 and using your Free Hit in 34, then you can bring in Chelsea and Spurs players who have a double in both Gameweek 35 and 37, and have a good fixture in Gameweek 33.

Tottenham blank in Gameweek 34 and Chelsea travel to the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal — although that won’t matter if you’re playing the Free Hit chip.

This weekend, Ange Postecoglou’s team play Newcastle United, who are in the bottom eight for goals conceded and xGC, while Chelsea welcome Everton to Stamford Bridge.

James Maddison (£7.9m) and Nicolas Jackson (£6.8m) look like the best differentials as both are first-team regulars and will be handy options if you are bench-boosting in Gameweek 37 due to their prices.

(Top photos: Getty Images)