Fantasy football scout tips gameweek 31: Sadio Mane, Josh King, Jack Butland, Leighton Baines and more

With only four Premier League matches taking place, we enter what could be a make-or-break weekend in this fantasy season.

Plenty of experienced managers have spent the last month planning for gameweek 31’s truncated fixture list but do not fear if you did not have the foresight to do the same.

This year's new ‘Free Hit’ chip is your saviour.

We explained how it works in detail at the start of the season, but essentially, this chip allows you to pick a completely new set of players for one week only at no extra cost.

The only downside of using it now is that it will not be available to you in gameweek 35, which will also be a ‘blank’ gameweek.

In any case, whether you are planning to use your ‘Free Hit’ now or not, all managers are working with the same shallow talent pool.

Here, you’ll find six players who could help you climb the rankings this week.

First things first, if you do not have either the essential Mohamed Salah or Roberto Firmino in your squad, make them your priority.

The Liverpool pair are highly owned (61.5 and 45.3 per cent respectively) and unless you are feeling lucky, Salah is really the only captaincy option in town for this round of fixtures.

Once you have those two on board, the identity of your third and final Liverpool player is likely to have a significant bearing on your team’s performance.

Although a defensive option like Virgil van Dijk or Andrew Robertson, if you can, you should try and complete the set of Jürgen Klopp’s forwards by bringing in Sadio Mané.

Mané seems to be emerging out the other side of a difficult season so far and has spent the last few weeks peppering the opposition’s goal with shots. The visit of Watford to Anfield could prove fruitful.

Many managers will be tempted to take points hits in order to field more players this week and, if you are one of those prepared to take a risk, it may be wise to do so between the sticks.

Save points allow goalkeepers to score more than defenders for the same all-round defensive performance and in matches without much action, ‘keepers often receive bonus points too.

Stoke City’s meeting with Everton seems likeliest to end goalless of all our four fixtures, and while there is a case to be made for Jordan Pickford, we see his England international team-mate Jack Butland as the best option.

The Potters have tightened up under Paul Lambert and Everton’s scoring woes on the road are well-known, with just 10 goals away from home this season.

While Everton’s attack is not too appealing, their defence may be a route to points.

Old fantasy favourites Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman have recently returned and earned themselves a clean sheet against Brighton and Hove Albion last week.

There is precious little to pick between the pair, but a deciding factor may be that Baines could take up penalty duties following Wayne Rooney’s miss from the spot against Brighton and Hove Albion last time out.

The last few weeks, spotting potential fantasy football points has been a matter of looking for West Bromwich Albion’s and picking any player from their opponents.

Bournemouth are an inconsistent side at the best of times but they will be expected to take all three points against the Premier League’s basement club at home.

Callum Wilson should lead the line but we particularly like the look of Junior Stanislas, who has emerged as a cheap and cheerful midfield option recently with two goals in his last four.

Bournemouth can also boast the hero of last season’s blank gameweek. The question is, can lightning strike twice with Josh King?

Another hat-trick, like the one he scored this time last year, would certainly be welcome and given West Bromwich’s form, he has every chance of a repeat performance.

Classified as a midfielder then, King is now seen as a forward and priced at a mid-range £7.0m, though Harry Kane’s injury should mean that many have funds spare to invest in any player they like up top.

Retaining his place after bringing seven points home last week, Christopher Schindler and his Huddersfield Town team-mates have another favourable home fixture to come this weekend.

Crystal Palace are likely to put David Wagner’s defence under more scrutiny than a 10-man Swansea City side did last Saturday, but Roy Hodgson’s side are still among the top flight’s lowest-scoring teams when away from home.

If Schindler is slightly out of your price range, his partner in the centre of defence Mathias ‘Zanka’ Jorgensen and adventurous right back Florent Hadergjonaj comes in slightly cheaper.