GW34 Blank Gameweek Survival Guide: Watkins, Free Hit Timing & Shock Liverpool News

Welcome back, FPL managers! Gameweek 33 is done and dusted, and now the focus shifts to Gameweek 34 - a blank gameweek with just seven fixtures and a deadline of Friday 24th April at 5:30pm. That means transfers, chip strategy, and smart picks need to be locked in fast. Here's everything you need to know.

Before we get into transfers, here's a roundup of the key injury and managerial news that could impact your decisions this week.

Big news from Anfield - Mamardashvili is set to miss two to four weeks, meaning Liverpool's backup keeper is likely to start in Gameweek 34 against Crystal Palace. At just £3.9m, that could be a sneaky budget option worth monitoring if you're scraping the barrel on goalkeeper value.

Confirmed: Branthwaite is out for the remainder of the season for Everton. Michael Keane (£4.5m) could see a significant minutes boost as Everton face West Ham in Gameweek 34. Not a must-have, but useful knowledge if you're working with a limited budget.

Chelsea have sacked their manager and a caretaker has taken charge. A permanent appointment is expected in the summer. Crucially, Chelsea have no fixture in Gameweek 34 - so avoid their players entirely regardless of your situation.

There's a possible injury concern around Bogle of Bournemouth coming out of the 2-2 draw with Leeds. Monitor his fitness closely ahead of Friday's deadline.

Verdict: Essential. If you don't have Watkins, get him in now.

Watkins put in an absolute monster Gameweek 33 performance - two goals, one assist, and three bonus points for a massive 16-point haul. That form has triggered nearly 400,000 transfers in this week alone, and it's easy to see why.

With Watkins in blistering form and a very favourable fixture run, he's the standout captain pick and a must-own asset heading into the blank. At 13.6% ownership, he's still a differential with massive upside.

Verdict: Excellent long-term hold - but be aware of the GW34 blank.

O'Reilly played the full 180 minutes across Man City's Gameweek 33 double, collecting an assist, a clean sheet, and two bonus points for 13 FPL points. Over the course of the season, the numbers are outstanding for a defender at this price point.

One of the best value defenders in the entire game this season. If you're playing your Free Hit this week, O'Reilly is an absolute must. If you're not, hold him patiently for the gameweeks ahead.

Verdict: Ideal for Free Hit or a quality long-term hold.

Cherki delivered again in the Man City double - a goal, a clean sheet, and three bonus points for 13 FPL points. His creative numbers this season are genuinely elite for his price bracket.

Eleven assists this season is the kind of creative output that makes Cherki a genuine gem. Same caveat as O'Reilly though - if you're playing your regular squad in GW34, he won't contribute this week.

If you're looking to gain ground in your mini-leagues, these three names offer serious upside with very low ownership in Gameweek 34.

West Ham host Everton in Gameweek 34 - a fixture difficulty of 3 vs 2 - and Mavropanos is a massive differential at just 2% ownership.

Three goals and five clean sheets from a £4.4m defender with expected points of 13.5 this week? This is an elite differential. If you're Free Hitting or have the budget flexibility, Mavropanos deserves serious consideration.

Crystal Palace travel to Liverpool in Gameweek 34 - a tough fixture on paper, but Mitchell's season numbers are genuinely impressive for a budget defender.

Twelve clean sheets this season is the standout stat here. The Liverpool fixture is tricky but Palace have been solid defensively, and Mitchell adds attacking returns too. A decent differential option at a very accessible price point.

Xavi is surging into form at exactly the right time, and Spurs have a very favourable fixture this week.

With form building, a fixture difficulty of just 2 away at Wolves, and ownership still sitting at 2.5%, Xavi is the kind of player that wins mini-leagues. If you want to be bold this blank gameweek, he's your man.

With just seven fixtures in Gameweek 34, captaincy decisions are more important than ever. Watkins is the clear standout - in brilliant form, facing a favourable fixture, and with a GW35 double on the horizon to keep him relevant beyond this week too.

Gameweek 34 is a blank with only seven fixtures active. If you haven't used your Free Hit chip, this is one of the most popular times to deploy it. Here's why it makes sense:

If you're struggling for squad coverage this week and find yourself fielding several blanking players, the Free Hit is your get-out-of-jail card. Use it wisely.

Here's a quick look at the standout performers from Gameweek 33 to help put this week's analysis in context: