Although a small Double Gameweek 7 saw Burnley and Luton Town play twice, Gameweek 25 kicks off 2023/24’s chaotic course of blanks and doubles.
For some Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, using a Free Hit chip right now is the plan.
Around 7% of the voters in our on-site poll say they are activating it this week.
Our recent articles have given advice on how to navigate the rough seas ahead, as well as discuss which Manchester City and Liverpool players should be prioritised. We’ve also looked at which teams have the most and best fixtures between Double Gameweek 25 and Blank Gameweek 29.
However, while some FPL managers are debating whether to Triple Captain Erling Haaland (£14.4m) this week, let’s consider the imminent usage of a different chip: the Free Hit.
WHICH TEAMS TO TARGET?
The beauty of FPL is that there is no perfect chip strategy, as such decisions are team dependent. Those low on Man City, Liverpool, Brentford and Luton Town players have the dilemma of wanting to buy in but knowing that two of these teams have Blank Gameweek 26 immediately afterwards.
If you’re seriously considering the Free Hit route before Saturday’s deadline, there are pros and cons to doing so.
PROS OF FREE HIT IN GAMEWEEK 25
Firstly, activation allows such low-doubling squads to stop worrying about it, instead freeing up precious transfers to prepare for the big blank of Gameweek 29. Managers can concentrate on collecting Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and West Ham United assets, rather than moving Liverpool and Luton players in and out. Dead-end into Blank Gameweek 29 and Wildcard shortly after.
A Free Hit gives the advantage of reacting to possible Liverpool line-up leaks, as they’re the early kick-off. If reports are correct that Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.6m) won’t even make the EFL Cup final, he can become Andrew Robertson (£6.4m) or Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m). Further upfield it’s the same, where we could find out about a Diogo Jota (£8.3m) or Darwin Nunez (£7.6m) benching.
Maybe Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) is declared fit, handing you the rare privilege of having the Egyptian King as a differential.
Furthermore, it enables the selection of riskier one-week Man City punts who’d normally be too unreliable for starts. Nathan Ake (£5.0m) could start both now that Josko Gvardiol (£4.8m) is hurt for a few weeks. Similarly, Jack Grealish‘s (£7.2m) departure after 20 minutes may temporarily boost Jeremy Doku‘s (£6.5m) game time.
CONS OF FREE HIT IN GAMEWEEK 25
As former champ Simon March warns, overcommitting on Double Gameweek players might not be worth the risk. By neglecting the attractive fixtures of highly-owned one-gamers, your team could still find a way to fall in rankings. Bukayo Saka (£9.0m) travels to Burnley, Richarlison (£7.2m) is at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ollie Watkins (£8.7m) visits Fulham and Anthony Gordon (£6.1m) hosts Bournemouth.
In fact, Brentford and Luton’s fixtures look tough. The Bees face Man City and Liverpool, whilst the Hatters go against in-form Manchester United before their trip to Anfield. Then again, Jurgen Klopp’s side will have one eye on the cup final that’s days later.
Simply put, if you already possess several Man City, Liverpool and Brentford attackers – at least four – a Free Hit would feel like a waste, as it can be better used elsewhere. Perhaps one of the Gameweek 26 or 29 blanks, possibly later on.
As mentioned before, lots of FPL managers will be using their Triple Captain chip on Haaland at the same time. Free Hitters cannot.
GAMEWEEK 25 FREE HIT: TEAM DRAFTS
Using the PlanFPL website, the drafts below go in a few different directions.
ALL-OUT ATTACK
