FPL GW29 Free Hit: Position Wise Players to Target | FH Active

Many managers have been planning for weeks for the imminent blank gameweek, taking hits, removing big players from their teams etc, but other players have taken a slightly different approach – the Free Hit. With big teams like Liverpool, City, Arsenal, and other important FPL teams not playing in FPL GW29, this gameweek presents an interesting opportunity to target some lesser-known players, to get an advantage of those who choose not to Free Hit this week. In this post, we’ll be looking at the best options for those of you looking to use your Free Hit in FPL GW29.

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FPL GW29 Free Hit Players to Target

FPL GW29 Free Hit – Goalkeepers

According to Fantasy Football Hub’s Fixture Difficulty tool, Luton and Burnley are the teams most likely to keep a clean sheet in FPL GW29, so surely Kaminski and Trafford are the obvious choices right? It’s unfortunately not as straightforward as that… Luton and Burnley are both in the bottom 3, along with Sheffield United, for Goals against this season, and are also both in the bottom 4 for xGA.

Both keepers are averaging around 3.9 saves/90 (good for bonus points), and Kaminski’s Post Shot xG Minus Goals Allowed (PSxG-GA) is at +1.7 for the season, compared to Trafford’s -4.8, which could either indicate Kaminski is slightly above average at shot stopping and Trafford is below average, or that Kaminski just has had better luck. Furthermore, Luton are currently overperforming their xGA by almost 10 goals (they should have conceded 10 goals more than they have), whereas Burnley are underperforming by approximately 8 goals. Expected stats tend to level out over the course of a season, teams generally don’t massively under or over-perform for extended periods, so one might suggest that Burnley’s (and therefore also Trafford’s) luck will surely turn soon.

In terms of other goalkeepers we could target for FPL GW29, Fulham and Villa have the best defensive records this season out of the 8 teams who are playing this gameweek, unfortunately Fulham are playing Spurs, so a clean sheet is unlikely. Villa on the other hand play away against West Ham, which is a decent fixture, but again, a clean sheet is probably unlikely.

Another proposition could be Flekken from Brentford, but even though they are playing Burnley, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were to concede, seeing as they have given up over 2xG in 4 of their last 5 premier league games. It’s hard to predict who might keep a clean sheet this week, but all things considered, Trafford is probably the best option. Despite Burnley’s defensive record, they do have the best fixture, their underlying numbers suggest that their luck will turn at some point, it’s only for 1 gameweek, and picking a Burnley player here allows us to triple up on Villa and Luton outfield players.

Further Read: FPL GW29 Free Hit Guide – Players to Target and Best Drafts

FPL GW29 Free Hit – Defenders

As mentioned before, it’s hard to predict which team could keep a clean sheet this week, so I’ll be putting a lot of emphasis on attacking statistics as there are some good ‘offensive’ defensive options this blank GW29.

Doughty is Luton’s second most creative player, averaging 0.2xA/90 and 2.45 key passes/90, and at 4.7 million (at the time of writing) remains Luton’s best defensive asset. He has 6 assists so far this season, which is a slight overperformance of his 4.3 xA, but is not significant enough to take him out of consideration. We all know that Luton’s defensive record is not great, but Doughty’s attacking numbers are some of the best in the league for a defender, so he is a must-have for blank GW29.

Pedro Porro is another must-have for FPL GW29. The Spurs fullback 8th highest scoring defender so far this season with 87 points, and the highest-scoring out of the defenders playing this week. His only downside is his price of 5.7 million, but with no Salah and no Haaland, we should be able to find the funds for him on a free hit.

The safest Villa option is probably Cash. Moreno and Digne are often rotated, whereas Cash has tended to retain his place in recent weeks, playing at RB or even as a wing-back / Winger against Spurs. What’s more, he actually has the best attacking numbers of any Villa defender, with 0.2xG/90 and 0.14xA/90. His expected data suggests that he should have scored 2 more goals and assisted a further 2, which is a good sign and perhaps indicates that he is due a goal or assist fairly soon. He is taking 1.5 shots/90, a career-high, and is already having his best season expected output-wise.

As mentioned before, Villa have an excellent defensive record (4th fewest goals conceded in the league this season prior to GW28), and West Ham are fairly mid-table in terms of goal scoring, so a clean sheet isn’t out of the question, but his attacking numbers are what really catches the eye.

Other options to consider:

• Robinson (4.5 million) – 5 assists so far this season, nailed. But unlikely to keep a clean sheet (playing Spurs at Home)
• Kabore (4.0 million) – Back in the Luton team, decent attacking numbers, slightly cheaper than Doughty.
• Reguilon (4.4 million) – 3 assists so far this season. LWB. Decent fixture (Burnley (A)), missed GW28 through injury.

Further Read: FPL GW29 Free Hit Guide – Players to Target and Best Drafts

FPL GW29 Free Hit – Midfielders

There are a plethora of midfield options available for FPL managers on a free hit this GW, with some must haves, as well as some interesting differential picks, let’s take a look!

We’ll get the obvious one out of the way first – Son is essential for any manager on a FH. He has been playing up front in Richarlison’s absence, meaning his already great per 90 stats have skyrocketed – he is a must-have and a strong captaincy choice! If Richarlison is fit, then he can also be considered, but if he is confirmed to be out then the next best Spurs midfield option is Maddison. The Englishmen is central to Tottenham’s chance creation, and with 2 assists in his last 5 appearances, he is also a decent pick for this week.

Villa have been a revelation under Emery this season, and while Watkins gets all the praise, there are a couple of midfielders that should be on our radar going into blank GW28. Douglas Luiz has scored 9 goals and managed 5 assists this season, a career-high tally, and is averaging just under 0.5xGI/90 (although his non-penalty xGI is much lower). He is not the most exciting pick, but he is on penalties, and has been a consistent performer for Villa this season, so should be on our shortlist as a differential, and a cheaper option.

Leon Bailey is the other Villa midfielder I would consider, as he has been a consistent starter for the Villains in recent weeks, and his underlying numbers are excellent (0.3xG/90, 0.49xA/90). He is running a bit hot in terms of goalscoring, having scored 8 goals from an xG of 4.5, but his price of 5.7 million is very enticing.

Bowen equally is overperforming his xG so far this season, but the West Ham winger has proved time and time again that he is an indispensable FPL option. With 14 goals and 3 assists so far this season, and showing no signs of slowing down, Bowen is West Ham’s best asset this GW, and one that all managers on a FH should be considering.

Chong and Barkley are the two Luton midfielders that are on my shortlist. As the graphic shows, Chong has more touches in the opposition area, and more shots in the box, hinting at his more advanced position in the Luton team compared to Barkley. This theory is confirmed when looking at each player’s average shot-taking distance, which is 16.8 yards from goal for Chong and 21.6 yards from goal for Barkley. Barkley is the more likely of the two to get bonus points, but Chong’s advanced position, and far better xG (0.24 v 0.13), tempts me to endorse him over Barkley, despite the Englishman’s creativity…

Further Read: FPL GW29 Free Hit Guide – Players to Target and Best Drafts

FPL GW29 Free Hit – Forwards

Toney has underwhelmed FPL managers who put their faith in him following his return from suspension, so many managers may not be considering him for this blank GW. However, Toney has proved time and time again that he is a clinical and consistent goal scorer at Premier League level, so he must be in our thoughts. His numbers remain excellent, 0.48xG/90 and the most shots/90 in the Brentford squad demonstrates that he could still be a great option for blank GW29.

Morris, similarly, is somewhat of a talisman for his team, and has fairly similar underlying numbers to Toney, with 0.42xG/90. What sets the two players apart however is twofold; their price, Toney is substantially more expensive than Morris, and their real-terms output, with Toney averaging 0.49G/90, pretty much matching his underlying numbers, compared to Morris, who is averaging 0.38G/90. Morris is still a decent pick, however, considering his very affordable price of 5.2 million.

The other obvious choice in attack is Watkins. Villa’s frontman is having an excellent season, 16 goals and 10 assists is no mean feat in the premier league, and with 9 games still to go, you’d fancy him to hit the 20-goal mark at least. 0.83xGI/90 is unbelievable, you’d be a brave manager to go without Watkins in FPL GW29.

Other Options to consider:

• Werner – Another great Spurs option with Richarlison out. Best xGI/90 in the Spurs squad.

• Muniz – Great numbers, great price

Will I be Free Hitting in FPL GW29?

Drumroll please…. I will not be free-hitting. I toyed with the idea pre-GW28 but decided that taking 2, possibly 3 hits, dead-ending, and then wildcarding in GW30/31 is the better option for my team. I’ve dropped off from my peak of 6k overall down to about 30k (mainly due to taking hits), so perhaps deciding to lock in a -4 this week and another -4 next week was not the best idea…

But in my head, I would prefer to set myself up well for the last 7-8 games of the season by wildcarding around GW30, and then playing my free hit in 34, rather than free hitting in FPL GW29 and then wildcarding in GW32/33 in order to target the blank/double in GW34.

This is most definitely a long-term plan, and I’m prepared for a drop in overall over the next few weeks, but am confident that I’ll gain rank in the long term by having a team well set up for the last 7-8 games. All this being said, I envy those of you Free Hitting this week, as there are some great options!

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Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW29

Confirmed & Likely FPL Double/Blank Gameweeks | 23/24 Season
Best FPL GW29 Differential Picks(<10% TSB)
FPL GW29 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats
FPL GW29 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis, and Matchups
FPL Gameweek 29 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell
FPL GW29 Tips – Players to Target, No Free Hit Strategy & More
Top FPL Gameweek 29 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL GW29 Free Hit Guide – Players to Target and Best Drafts
FPL GW29 Free Hit: Position Wise Players to Target | FH Active
2023/24 FPL Chip Strategy Guide – Best Windows and Analysis (Must read)
FPL GW29 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More

Link to all our FPL GW29 blogs including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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