Premium players have disappointed in FPL Gameweek 31 so far &#8211; here&#8217;s the highlights from the weekend&#8217;s action from a fantasy perspective.
Gameweek 31 concludes with Leicester v Newcastle tonight (Monday, April 7).
If you want details of every goalscorer and assister, plus bonus points and more, see our <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fpl-match-centre">Match Centre</a>, which updates live during matches. Below is some key takeaways from the fixtures so far.

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<h2>Salah blank hands Isak captainers the advantage</h2>
There was a two-way split for captaincy among the game&#8217;s top 250,000 managers this weekend but Mohamed Salah was the majority&#8217;s pick.
The Liverpool midfielder was backed by 62.7%, with 31% opting for Alexander Isak instead.
The Reds lost 3-2 at Fulham, with Salah not involved in any of the goals. He had one shot and one big chance, racking up an expected goals (xG) of 0.29.
His two-point return means those who went for Isak have the edge going into tonight&#8217;s match &#8211; if he is fit to start.
<div id="attachment_71961" style="width: 810px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71961" class="size-full wp-image-71961" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GW31-captaincy.jpg" alt="Gameweek 31 captaincy split among the top 250,000 managers" width="800" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GW31-captaincy.jpg 800w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GW31-captaincy-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GW31-captaincy-768x624.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GW31-captaincy-610x496.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" />Gameweek 31 captaincy split among the top 250,000 managers</div>
<h2>Premium picks struggle for points as Palmer drops to bench</h2>
Salah was not the only premium player to struggle this weekend.
The top points scorers were almost entirely made up of low-owned FPL options.
Brennan Johnson (2.4%) topped the table on 18 points after his two goals against Southampton, who were the quickest team to be relegated in Premier League history after their 3-1 loss to Spurs.
Morgan Rogers, who scored nine points, was the only highly owned player in the top 10 highest scorers (18.7%).
And Jean-Philippe Mateta was the most expensive player &#8211; at £7.7m &#8211; to manage an attacking return.
It left the overall FPL average at just 26 points heading into the Newcastle game.
The premium players&#8217; cause was not helped by benchings for Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka, who played 31 and 45 minutes respectively.
Phil Foden returned to Manchester City&#8217;s starting 11 but failed to make an impact against United, missing a big chance and racking up 0.26 xG.
Ollie Watkins was also back in Aston Villa&#8217;s lineup amid him managing an ongoing knee issue. The Englishman saw his minutes managed however, being substituted just after the hour mark, and this is something to consider ahead of Villa&#8217;s Double Gameweek 33.
There were no such concerns for Rogers, who completed another 90 minutes &#8211; but will his rest come against Southampton in Gameweek 32 in between the Villans&#8217; Champions League ties?
<div id="attachment_71962" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71962" class="size-full wp-image-71962" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rogers-GW1-31.jpg" alt="Morgan Rogers' stats" width="798" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rogers-GW1-31.jpg 798w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rogers-GW1-31-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rogers-GW1-31-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Rogers-GW1-31-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px" />Morgan Rogers&#8217; <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></div>
&nbsp;
<h3>Why Palmer was benched</h3>
Enzo Maresca blamed fixture congestion for a surprise lineup against Brentford on Sunday, which saw Palmer and Nicolas Jackson among those dropping to the bench.
Maresca said:
<blockquote>
&#8220;We played Thursday night so not all of them were 100 per cent. The idea was to start in one way and finish in another. The plan nearly worked. Overall the change between the first and second half was not enough to win the game.
“Was the scheduling unfair? I think so, at this stage of the season. We tried to adapt. Thursday night was a demanding game.
</blockquote>
The Blues play in the Europa League on Thursday, raising the potential of further rotation in Gameweek 32.
<div id="attachment_71964" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71964" class="size-full wp-image-71964" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Palmer-GW1-31.jpg" alt="Cole Palmer's stats" width="798" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Palmer-GW1-31.jpg 798w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Palmer-GW1-31-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Palmer-GW1-31-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Palmer-GW1-31-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px" />Cole Palmer&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></div>
<h2>Red cards present Palace with problems ahead of double</h2>
Crystal Palace play twice in both Double Gameweek 32 and 33 &#8211; but they have issues ahead of the weekend.
There were three red cards in their derby against Brighton, two of which were for the Eagles.
Eddie Nketiah and Marc Guehi were dismissed for two bookable offences, meaning they will miss the next match against Manchester City. Jan Paul van Hecke was sent off for the Seagulls.
Nketiah has been taking minutes off Mateta, who was taken off early for the second league game running.
Guehi meanwhile is a key part of Palace&#8217;s defence, which was already short on numbers due to Chris Richards&#8217; injury.
And the problems continued to mount when Maxence Lacroix went off after he suffered a head injury &#8211; a concussion would likely rule him out of the City match.
Owners of Daniel Munoz may not be banking on a clean sheet as a result &#8211; but against Brighton, the Colombian scored his fourth goal of the season to justify his place in FPL teams.
<div id="attachment_71965" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71965" class="wp-image-71965 size-full" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Maxence-Lacroix.jpg" alt="Maxence Lacroix" width="798" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Maxence-Lacroix.jpg 798w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Maxence-Lacroix-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Maxence-Lacroix-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Maxence-Lacroix-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px" />Maxence Lacroix</div>
<h2>Evanilson continues fine form since injury comeback</h2>
Bournemouth forward Evanilson scored both of Bournemouth&#8217;s goals in the Cherries&#8217; 2-2 draw against West Ham.
The Brazilian has four league goals in five appearances since recovering from a foot injury.
He registered the highest xG of the week (1.7), with two big chances and three shots in the box. No player had a better expected points record in Gameweek 31 (10.75), with his score of 13 beaten only by Johnson and tied by Alex Iwobi.
<div id="attachment_71963" style="width: 808px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-71963" class="size-full wp-image-71963" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Evanilson-GW1-31.jpg" alt="Evanilson's stats" width="798" height="650" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Evanilson-GW1-31.jpg 798w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Evanilson-GW1-31-300x244.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Evanilson-GW1-31-768x626.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Evanilson-GW1-31-610x497.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px" />Evanilson&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a></div>
<h2>Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 31: Players</h2>
Here are the gameweek&#8217;s <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a> leaders in full, following the conclusion of the gameweek:
<ul>
<li>Shots &#8211; Matheus Fernandes and Antoine Semenyo &#8211; 5</li>
<li>Shots on target &#8211; Omar Marmoush &#8211; 3</li>
<li>Shots in the box &#8211; Rayan Ait-Nouri &#8211; 4</li>
<li>Big chances &#8211; Jorgen Strand Larsen &#8211; 3</li>
<li>Goals &#8211; Jacob Murphy, Evanilson and Brennan Johnson &#8211; 2</li>
<li>xG &#8211; Evanilson &#8211; 1.7</li>
<li>Non-penalty xG (NpxG) &#8211; Evanilson &#8211; 1.7</li>
<li>Key passes &#8211; Callum Hudson-Odoi &#8211; 6</li>
<li>Big chances created &#8211; Pedro Porro and Reece James &#8211; 2</li>
<li>Assists &#8211; Eberechi Eze &#8211; 2</li>
<li>Expected assists (xA) &#8211; Pablo Sarabia &#8211; 0.74</li>
<li>FPL points &#8211; Brennan Johnson &#8211; 18</li>
<li>Expected points (xPts) &#8211; Jacob Murphy &#8211; 11.6</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="mceTemp">Opta stats leaders for FPL Gameweek 31: Teams</h3>
<ul>
<li>Most shots &#8211; Wolves &#8211; 22 (v Ipswich)</li>
<li>Highest xG &#8211; Newcastle &#8211; 3.35 (v Leicester)</li>
<li>Lowest xG &#8211; Leicester  &#8211; 0.47 (v Newcastle)</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
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FPL Gameweek 31 notes: Salah blanks, Palace red cards and why Palmer was benched

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