Who are the best FPL Challenge GW34 picks? Players who collect the maximum bonus points will earn 10 points rather than the usual three this week. We use Opta data to find the top players to target in the Premier League.
Gameweek 34 of FPL Challenge, MVP, brings the Bonus Points System (BPS) into focus.
The Premier League website has a handy explanation for how this system works:
“The BPS uses a range of statistics supplied by Opta that capture players’ actions on the pitch to produce a performance score for every player.
“The three players with the highest BPS scores in a match receive bonus points: three points for the highest-scoring player, two for the second-highest and one for the third-highest.”
You can find a full breakdown of how the BPS is calculated here.
The key difference in this week’s FPL Challenge is that 10 points will be awarded to the player with the highest BPS score in each match rather than the usual three points.
So, which players have earned the most bonus points this season as a result of their BPS scores?
What quickly becomes evident is that there is a self-reinforcing pattern: excluding outliers such as Hugo Ekitiké and Bruno Guimarães, players who are effective at accumulating FPL points are likewise effective at earning bonus points.
For this reason, the best advice is not to overthink the BPS, and instead simply focus on targeting the players who you believe will naturally earn the most points in FPL this week. If you’re successful, the bonus points likely follow.
The six teams that played twice in Gameweek 33 do not have a fixture this week, and that means we only have seven fixtures to pick from.
We will be lining up in a 1-1-2-2 formation in order to target players further up the pitch.
Goalkeeper
Emiliano Martínez: Aston Villa vs Fulham (A)
He didn’t do the business for us last week, but we’re sticking with Emiliano Martínez, whose Villa side are edging closer to confirming their qualification for the UEFA Champions League next season.
Villa face a Fulham team who appear bereft of ideas in the final third if Harry Wilson isn’t able to create some magic with his wondrous left foot.
The Cottagers have failed to score in four of their last five matches in the Premier League, only netting at home to Burnley during this time.
Martínez ranks third among goalkeepers for bonus points this season, with 10. He has achieved the maximum three points once this term – away to Newcastle in GW23.
Defenders
Gabriel Magalhães: Arsenal vs Newcastle United (H)
It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from Arsenal this week, after they finally relinquished their spot at the top of the Premier League table as a result of their defeat against Manchester City and City’s subsequent victory against Burnley in midweek.
Sometimes it is easier to chase than be chased, and it may well be that Arsenal click firmly back into top gear now that they finally have a team in front of them.
One player who we can expect to come to the fore in these moments is Gabriel Magalhães, who never strays too far from being the centre of attention – whether good or bad.
He faces a Newcastle team who are perhaps at their lowest ebb under Eddie Howe, with a run of seven defeats from their last 10 league matches.
Gabriel ranks fourth among all players for bonus points this season, with 25 – the next highest-ranked defender is Matheus Nunes, who is down in 18th place.
Gabriel has earned the maximum bonus points on six occasions this season, doing so back-to-back in Gameweeks 28 and 29.
Midfielders
Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United vs Brentford (H)
There are no surprises about our first midfield pick and choice of captain this week.
Bruno Fernandes is a column regular – and for good reason. Since Michael Carrick’s first game in charge back in Gameweek 22, Fernandes has earned the most points of any player in FPL (93).
Indeed, the Portuguese has scored or assisted in each of his last six games in the Premier League, while his assist for the match-winning goal last time out against Chelsea was his 18th of the season in the competition – now just three short of a new single-season record.
Fernandes has earned maximum bonus points in three of his last six appearances, while Erling Haaland (37) is the only player to earn more bonus points overall than the Man Utd captain (36).
Mohamed Salah: Liverpool vs Crystal Palace (H)
Next up is Mohamed Salah, who will line up for a Liverpool side whose sole focus now is making sure they are in the Champions League next season – even though Salah won’t be part of that team.
It’s a different story for their opponents, Crystal Palace, who are likely to restrict the minutes of key players in this match due to facing Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League semi-final in midweek.
Liverpool only have three home games remaining this season, and that means just three more opportunities for Salah to close out in style at Anfield.
Salah hasn’t had the greatest of seasons and has only picked up 10 bonus points in total as a result, but he did pick up maximum bonus points after scoring in his final Merseyside Derby appearance last week.
He has a history of performing highly in this regard: Salah earned 55 bonus points last season, the most by a player in a single season since FPL started in 2002-03.
Forwards
Jarrod Bowen: West Ham United vs Everton (H)
Our first forward is West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen, who has been in excellent form of late as he seeks to keep the Hammers in the top flight.
Indeed, since Gameweek 23, Bowen ranks seventh among all players for FPL points (66) and second among forwards, behind João Pedro (74).
He has done so despite only scoring two goals during this spell, with the majority of his points coming from the eight assists (including fantasy assists) that he has accrued during this period.
He has also reached the threshold for defensive contribution points three times in his last seven games, which makes up 75% of all instances of a forward doing so this season.
Bowen has earned 23 bonus points this season, which is the most of any forward who has a Premier League fixture this week.
Igor Thiago: Brentford vs Manchester United (A)
Right behind Bowen for bonus points among forwards is Igor Thiago, with 22.
A run of five consecutive draws has seen Brentford overtaken by Brighton and Bournemouth in the hunt for Europe, but with a game in hand on both, they have the opportunity to move back into sixth with a win against Man Utd at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Their squad has been stretched incredibly thin of late – they made no substitutions against Fulham last time out – but a nine-day gap between games should see them return with requisite energy to give Man Utd a serious challenge.
Thiago has been a revelation this season, scoring 21 goals in total, and he hasn’t been reliant on home games to do so, scoring nine times away from home this term.
He has achieved maximum bonus points six times in 2025-26, including in the reverse fixture against Man Utd in Gameweek 6.
GW34 Honourable Mentions
Neco Williams ranks third among defenders for bonus points (15), achieving maximum points on two occasions this season. He also has three goal involvements across his last three league outings.
Declan Rice would be a shrewd pick for those who have lost faith in Arsenal’s defence. Fernandes (36) is the only midfielder to earn more bonus points than Rice this season (23).
Ollie Watkins is making a late push to be named as Harry Kane’s back-up in England’s World Cup squad. Three goals and one assist across his last three league appearances have helped him pick up maximum bonus points in two of his last three games.
Opta Analyst’s Team Reveal: Gameweek 34 FPL Challenge Picks
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FPL Challenge GW34 Picks: Ten Points for Players Who Earn Maximum Bonus Points Opta Analyst.
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