Brighton FPL Gameweek 31: Mitoma great asset for Wildcard Chip
Almost 659,000 FPL managers activated their Wildcard chip for Gameweek 30 and with many more expected to so in the near-future, Brighton players are sure to come under consideration.
The Wildcard chip allows a complete overhaul of a squad for free. It is particularly useful to have towards the end of the season, when there is always an intense period of Double and Blank Gameweeks.
Brighton kicked off their final two months of the campaign by registering more shots than Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
The Albion though could just not find a way through. Villa in contrast were clinical as they secured a 3-0 victory, ending Brighton’s eight game unbeaten run in all competitions.
A quick turnaround means Fabian Hurzeler and his players have an instant opportunity to bounce back. Via the small matter of a trip to Crystal Palace.
From an FPL perspective, here are a couple of interesting Brighton players to consider with both Gameweek 31 in mind and potential use of the Wildcard chip.
Kaoru Mitoma (£6.5 million)
Mitoma holds massive appeal both for the numbers he has put up so far this season and some upcoming fixtures.
The Japanese international leads the Albion when it comes to FPL points (120), shots on target (23), big chances (16) and chances created (16). He has also played more minutes than any other Brighton midfielder.
On Wednesday night, Mitoma had a couple of shots on target and was fouled in the box, although no penalty was given.
Furthermore, he almost assisted Simon Adingra (£5.1 million) on two occasions. The first being an early shot which whistled wide. The other a goal which VAR ruled out for handball.
Looking beyond the Palace game, Mitoma and Brighton face relegation threatened Leiecester City next weekend.
The Albion also take part in Blank Gameweek 34, hosting West Ham United at the Amex. A constant threat, Mitoma offers a lot of differential potential.
Lewis Dunk (£4.2 million)
Club captain Dunk followed up his return from a rib injury in the FA Cup exit to Nottingham Forest with his first start since Gameweek 24 against Villa.
An injury to Adam Webster (£4.3 million) handed Dunk a spot in the XI. Webster may not play again this season, meaning Dunk is back in the side for the long term.
A popular strategy will see FPL managers use a Bench Boost chip in Double Gameweek 32, where all members of the 15-man squad can contribute points
That is the weekend the Albion host Leicester. A team that has not scored in seven matches. Low-priced, budget-friendly defensive assets are pivotal to Bench Boost activations and Dunk is so cheap. Especially when you consider he ended last season at £5.2 million.
Dunk offers great clean sheet potential when Brighton face Leicester. And he is a proven threat at the other end.
The 2023-24 campaign brought three goals, with Dunk ending as the third-best defender for headed chances (21) and joint-third for shots inside the box (27). He is a bargain.
Captaincy
As for the weekly armband question, usual frontrunner Mohamed Salah (£13.8 million) was quiet in both the Carabao Cup final and Wednesday night’s 1-0 Merseyside Derby win over Everton.
His trip to Fulham suddenly looks quite tough, handing FPL managers an opportunity to gain ground on rivals by captaining someone else instead.
Alexander Isak (£9.5 million) stands out against Leicester, although his midweek withdrawal was because of a slight groin issue.
Beyond that, perhaps Omar Marmoush (£7.5 million) for Manchester City against Manchester United is the answer. Marmoush had nine shots in Gameweek 30 – the most by any player in a single 2024-25 match.
Yes, even Julio Enciso when Brighton drew 0-0 with Brentford on December 27th.
You can pick up expert advice throughout the 2024-25 Fantasy Premier League season with Fantasy Football Scout
