Double Gameweeks (DGW) and Blank Gameweeks (BGW) are among the most important moments of the entire fantasy season. In the 2025/26 campaign, we already have a fairly clear picture of when and why they will occur — and, most importantly, what they mean for strategy, especially in FPL.

This overview is based on confirmed schedules of domestic cups and European competitions and summarizes all expected DGWs and BGWs until the end of the season.

What Is a Double and a Blank Gameweek?

Double Gameweek (DGW)

A team plays two league matches in a single gameweek → players can score points twice.

Blank Gameweek (BGW)

A team does not play any league match in a given gameweek → players score 0 points.

DGWs and BGWs occur exclusively due to fixture clashes between the Premier League, the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup, and European competitions.

Rice as a double gameweek monster?

What Blank Gameweeks Are Expected?

Based on current projections, we should expect three Blank Gameweeks.

Blank Gameweek 31 (BGW31)

Cause: Clash with the EFL (Carabao) Cup Final
Impact: 2 blank fixtures → 4 teams blanking
This is the most straightforward blank of the season, and we already have strong probabilities around the likely scenarios.

Most Likely Scenarios

If Arsenal beat Chelsea in the semi-finals
 → Wolves vs Arsenal will blank
 → ~94% probability
 → This fixture is also the leading candidate to be moved into DGW26

If Manchester City beat Newcastle United
 → Manchester City vs Crystal Palace will blank
 → ~91% probability
 → Most likely rescheduled into DGW36

Less Likely Alternatives

If Chelsea advance → Everton vs Chelsea blanks

If Newcastle advance → Newcastle vs Sunderland blanks

We will know the confirmed BGW31 teams by the GW25 deadline.

Blank Gameweek 34 (BGW34)

Cause: Clash with FA Cup Semi-Finals
This will be a larger blank, with:

3 or 4 blank fixtures

Slight lean toward 4 blanks (46%) vs 3 blanks (43%)

Teams Most Likely to Blank

Based on current cup paths and probabilities:

• Arsenal
• Brighton
• Burnley
• Crystal Palace
• Chelsea
• Liverpool
• Manchester City
• Newcastle United

The exact number — and which of these teams actually blank — will depend entirely on FA Cup results.
🔒 Final confirmation will come before the GW32 deadline.

Blank Gameweek 37 (BGW37 – Low Probability)

There is a small but notable risk of an additional blank in GW37.

Scenario

Liverpool vs Aston Villa could be postponed if:

• one reaches the FA Cup final, and
• the other reaches the Europa League final

If that happens, the fixture would likely be moved into DGW36.
This is a low-probability edge case, but worth keeping in mind when planning late-season transfers.

What Double Gameweeks Can We Expect?

Every blank fixture needs to be rescheduled — meaning Double Gameweeks are inevitable.

Double Gameweek 26 / 27 (DGW26/27)

This will only happen if Arsenal reach the EFL Cup final.
If that occurs, the Premier League is expected to follow a similar rescheduling pattern to last season.

Likely Fixtures

• Arsenal: Brentford (A), Wolves (A)
• Wolves: Nottingham Forest (A), Arsenal (H)

⏳ There’s a chance we won’t know for sure until after GW24, depending on how quickly fixtures are confirmed.

Double Gameweek 33 (DGW33)

DGW33 is currently projected to be the biggest double gameweek of the season.

Why DGW33 Looks Huge

• Most fixtures blanking in BGW34 are expected to be:
  → moved forward into GW33

This makes DGW33:

• the most important planning point of the season,
• and a major opportunity — but also a major rotation risk.

Double Gameweek 36 (DGW36)

DGW36 is expected to be:

• a smaller double,
• but with a non-trivial chance of becoming larger.

Likely Candidates

• Crystal Palace: Everton, Manchester City
• Manchester City: Brentford, Crystal Palace

This is also where:

• BGW34 fixtures may land if not moved to DGW33
• and potentially a GW37 postponement (Liverpool / Villa) could end up