With Gameweek 31 out of the way, there is a big three-week break until the next FPL deadline on Friday 10 April.

Not only does this give Fantasy managers plenty of time to think ahead, but there will be lots of crucial new information coming in.

After all, international football is about to get underway, six top-flight teams have an FA Cup quarter-final, and five will play the first leg of their next European ties. This all takes place before Gameweek 32.

So, here are some tips that could help you finish the FPL season strongly and climb up the rankings.

Aim for teams with something to fight for

As the season ends, some clubs will linger in mid-table, whereas others continue to fight for the Premier League title, European qualification, or to avoid relegation.

We’ve recently been stung by unexpected benchings for Mohamed Salah (£14.0m), Hugo Ekitike (£9.3m), Malick Thiaw (£5.1m) and Dango Ouattara (£6.0m), which weren’t ideal.

But, as we approach the final stretch, real-life head coaches with something to play for are normally less likely to rotate their key players. We’re talking the likes of Bruno Fernandes (£10.3m), Jarrod Bowen (£7.5m), Virgil van Dijk (£6.3m), Declan Rice (£7.3m) and Cole Palmer (£10.6m).

Wait for the confirmation of Blank and Double Gameweeks

Many managers intend to use their second Wildcard in this gap. It allows unlimited free transfers until the next deadline. In fact, some have already hit the activation button.

But perhaps it’s best to wait until after these upcoming FA Cup matches. That’s when we should find out for sure about the remaining Blank and Double Gameweeks, as we will know which teams need matches rescheduling.

Those with Triple Captain and/or Bench Boost chips to play - where all 15 of your players earn points, rather than just 11 - can then target people who play two times in one Gameweek.

Committing to a Wildcard now could backfire, should post-cup announcements suddenly make a Gameweek 33 Bench Boost, for example, look unappealing.

Grab one or two low-owned differentials

Meanwhile, an effective approach is to combine owning the safety of widely selected ‘template’ picks with one or two exciting players your mini-league rivals probably don’t have. If these differentials do well, you’ll shoot up the rankings.

For example, there’s Brentford duo Kevin Schade (£6.9m) and Mikkel Damsgaard (£5.6m), plus other midfielders like Ismaïla Sarr (£6.3m) and Matheus Cunha (£8.0m).

Brighton forward Danny Welbeck (£6.2m) netted twice past Liverpool and is chasing a World Cup seat on the plane with England.

When back from a calf injury, West Ham United’s Crysencio Summerville (£5.6m) could be useful. Before his knock, he scored five goals in eight matches.

Full-back Neco Williams (£4.7m) assisted twice and kept a clean sheet in Nottingham Forest’s 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. No defender has accumulated more attempts (35) or shots on target (15) this season.

His team-mate Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.4m) bagged the other goal. That’s three in four for him.

Have a plan for Gameweek 34

Gameweek 34 clashes with FA Cup Semi-Final weekend. This might mean that some teams will blank in Gameweek 34. Gameweek 33 will likely be the new placement of several fixtures originally scheduled for FA Cup semi-final weekend, which would mean some teams play twice this week.

But players who play twice in Double Gameweek 33 will immediately follow that by not playing at all in Blank Gameweek 34.

Disorganised managers may then struggle to field a full starting XI. So, either save the Free Hit chip for it, where you select a squad for one Gameweek only, or collect many free transfers in preparation.

Penalty taker and DefCon regulars are reliable

Elliot Anderson (£5.5m) is a defensive contributions (DefCon) magnet.

Introduced to FPL at the start of 2025/26, DefCon is an extra way of scoring points that rewards players for collecting clearances, blocks, interceptions, ball recoveries and tackles. It adds another level to the game, looking beyond the basics of goals and assists.

Others to regularly gain these extra two points are Marcos Senesi (£5.1m), Joachim Andersen (£4.6m), and James Tarkowski (£5.7m). James Garner (£5.2m) is another of those; the cheap Everton midfielder is also taking lots of corners (88) and set-piece shots (24).

In general, owning players who have multiple routes to points is highly recommended. And penalty takers feel playable in even the toughest fixtures: individuals like Fernandes, Igor Thiago (£7.3m), Erling Haaland (£14.5m), Iliman Ndiaye (£6.2m) and Anthony Gordon (£7.4m).