In this blog, we break down the standout performers, analyse the latest transfer trends, and reveal the early must-have picks for the upcoming Gameweeks of the 2025/26 FPL season.
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As shown in the image below, Beto tops the Custom Stats xFPL table for Gameweek 31 with a score of 12.9. The 28-year-old took three shots in the box, two of which were classified as 'big chances' and also attempted two assists.
B. Fernandes and Wilson were joint-top for shots (six each), but the latter took four shots in the box compared to three for the former. However, two of Fernandes’ attempts were classified as ‘big chances’ by Opta, whereas Wilson had none. This resulted in an xFPL score of 12.3 for the Portuguese international, compared to 6.1 for the Welshman.
Rogers was the weekend's most creative player, with four attempted assists. He also took three shots in the box, one of which was cleared off the line. The England international registered an xFPL score of 7.3 and, despite his assist, FPL managers will feel short-changed.
Gordon was a popular transfer target for FPL managers, and he rewarded his backers with a goal. The England international took two shots in the box, one of which was classified as a ‘big chance’, and attempted one assist. He notched an xFPL score of 7.7, with only eight players faring better.
Watkins ranked third among all players for shots (five). The 30-year-old landed two of these attempts on target and attempted one assist, leading to an xFPL score of 9.4.
xFPL is calculated primarily using expected goals (xG) and expected assists (xA), which combine to form expected FPL involvements (xG + xA = xI), along with expected clean sheets (xCS). These values are based on underlying statistics — for example, shot type and location determine the probability of scoring, which contributes to xG. xFPL then combines these metrics, factoring in appearance and bonus points to produce an overall expected FPL point score.
As expected, the transfer market is quiet, with the Gameweek 32 deadline not until April 10th.
As shown in the Transfer Analytics tool below, B.Fernandes is the most transferred-in player ahead of Gameweek 32, with over 70,000 FPL managers adding him to their teams at the time of writing.
Welbeck's 13-point haul against Liverpool has made him Gameweek 32’s most transferred-in forward, with Bowen also proving popular. In defence, Van Hecke and Gabriel are among the top transfer targets.
Chalobah’s injury has seen him transferred out by over 130,000 FPL managers. The centre-back is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks.
Meanwhile, Ekitiké, Mbeumo, João Pedro and Palmer all featured for their respective sides but failed to register any attacking returns for the second week running, leading to mass sales.
Looking at the top 10 forward transfer combinations, Ekitiké → Welbeck (14.6%) is the most popular transfer across all positions, closely followed by João Pedro → Welbeck (12.4%).
Six of the top 10 forward transfer combinations involve bringing in the veteran forward with Haaland, Bowen and Thiago the other popular targets. Calvert-Lewin, Šeško and Kroupi.Jr are the forwards being sold.
The top 10 midfield transfer combinations are a bit more scattered with B.Fernandes, Gordon, Saka, Wilson, Semenyo and Cunha the popular targets. Five of the top 10 midfielder transfer combinations involve selling Mbeumo while Palmer, Enzo, Rogers and Wilson are the other midfielders being sold.
The top 10 defender transfer combinations is dominated by Van Hecke, four of the top 10 defender transfer combinations involve bringing in the Dutch international. Tarkowski, O'Reilly, Virgil, Lacroix, Thiaw and Cash are also popular targets with Chalobah, Mukiele and Andersen on the chopping block.
Welbeck and Bowen are popular transfer targets this week, which is understandable given their respective matchups against Burnley and Wolves.
As the above image from our Player Heatmaps feature shows, Welbeck has scored more FPL points than Bowen over the last six Gameweeks (35 vs 28) despite playing fewer minutes (456 vs 540). Minutes have been managed for the veteran forward, with a 21 min cameo against Arsenal in Gameweek 29.
As the statistics above show, Welbeck is significantly ahead of Bowen when it comes to goal threat. The Brighton forward has attempted more shots (10 vs eight), landed more attempts on target (six vs zero) and has scored more goals (four vs zero).
Bowen's 'Expected Goal' (xG) numbers are particularly low, with 0.56 xG averaging out to under 0.1 xG per game.
However, Bowen is significantly ahead when it comes to creativity. He has racked up four assists compared to zero for Welbeck and has attempted 15 assists compared to his six. He also hit the Defensive Contribution Points (DEFCON) threshold twice over the aforementioned period which illustrates his various routes to points.
Both forwards appear to be strong picks, but there is a significant price difference between the two, with Welbeck £1.4m cheaper than Bowen. Given the savings, Welbeck appears to be the better option.
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