FPL Blank GW29 Free Hit: Players and Teams to Target

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 (FH). With big teams like Liverpool, Palace, Villa and Newcastle all blanking in FPL GW29, some believe that now is the perfect time to use the FH chip.

The FH chip also offers managers an interesting opportunity to target some lesser-known FPL assets, to ‘take a punt’ on players knowing that it’s just for one GW! In this post, we’ll be looking at the best options for those of you looking to use your Free Hit in FPL GW29.

Link to all our FPL GW29 blogs including scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, best forwards, and more. Completely free to access as well!

FPL GW29 Free Hit Players to Target

FPL GW29 Free Hit – Goalkeepers

The most obvious GK pick this week is Nottingham Forest’s Sels (5.0m), as the tricky trees face Ipswich away from home in FPL GW29. Nuno’s side are going into this weekend’s fixture off the back of back-to-back clean sheets against Arsenal and Man City, taking their CS total for the season to 12 – level with league leaders Liverpool.

Sels is the highest scoring ‘keeper in FPL (124 points for the season) and has produced 3 clean sheets in his last 5 premier league matches. As mentioned, Forest face Ipswich, a fixture which they won 1-0 earlier this season – keeping a CS and limiting the Tractor Boys to under 0.5xG over the course of the 90′. Sels is the most obvious GK pick, but at 18.1% ownership is he really a ‘spirit of the FH’ pick?…

If you’re searching for a more exciting option, then you may be severely disappointed, as all the GKs that have good fixtures and a high chance of a CS are all non-differential picks. According the Fantasy Football Hub’s points prediction tool, the three highest scoring goalkeepers in FPL GW29 are predicted to be Raya (26.0%), Pickford (18.8%) and Ederson (5.1%), with Sels coming in 5th place.

Raya (5.5m) and Pickford (5.1m) are great picks for FPL GW29, but I would still go for Sels over them both given the choice (and honestly I’d stay well clear of Ederson for the time being). Arsenal are in a bad moment, and while their issue in recent weeks hasn’t necessarily been defensive – they’re shot for confidence, and in a match against a London rival I wouldn’t be surprised if they concede. Everton on the other hand are facing a rejuvenated West Ham side who, with their loss against Newcastle in FPL GW28 aside, are in good form under their new manager (I would still expect them to beat the Hammers though, especially considering the fact that the match is at Goodison).

The decision between these three ‘keepers fundamentally comes down to who out of Ipswich, Chelsea and West Ham is most likely to score, and while Arsenal have the best defense in the league (according to the underlying numbers) they also have the toughest opponent, meaning that I would lean more towards Pickford and Sels. All of that being said, on a FH you’ll likely be including at least one defensive player from all three of these teams – so don’t fret about the GK choice too much…

Other Goalkeeper options to consider:

• Onana (5.0m): Great fixture against Leicester (who haven’t scored a goal since January).

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

FPL GW29 Free Hit – Defenders

Defensively we’re looking to target similar teams: Arsenal, Everton and Forest, along with a couple of ‘wildcard options’. As Liverpool aren’t playing this week we needn’t worry too much about funds, as Salah won’t be taking up almost 14% of our total budget, so Gabriel (6.3m) is the clear favourite for me. He still has the highest xG/90 of any Arsenal defender and remains one of the principal targets from set pieces.

Similarly from Forest the most obvious candidate is, in my opinion Milenkovic (4.8m). While Williams (4.4m) does have a marginally higher xG/90 and a significantly higher xA/90, there is a rotation risk with the Welsh fullback, albeit a minor one. Realistically, any of Williams, Aina (5.3m) and Milenkovic are solid choices on a FH, but due to Milenkovic’s threat from set-pieces on a one week ‘punt’ I’d go for him.

In terms of Everton picks – none of their starting back 4 has a particularly high xGI, so go for any of Mykolenko, O’Brien, Tarkowski or Branthwaite – take your pick!

Onto the more interesting options… While I don’t think Ederson offers great value this GBW29, his teammate Gvardiol (5.9m) is a decent pick due to his attacking potential. According to FFH’s predicted points tool he’s expected the 2nd highest points in FPL GW29, behind only Gabriel! His 0.16xG/90 is bettered only by Munoz and Gabriel in the premier league this season among defenders, and he remains in the top 10 (8th) for total points scored among defenders in FPL.

Most Goals Scored by Defenders in Premier League this season:

• Gvardiol– 5
• Cucurella- 4
• Gabriel- 3
• Munoz- 3
• Milenkovic- 3
• Ait Nouri- 3
• Chalobah- 3
• Guehi- 3

Bournemouth face Brentford in FPL GW29, making Kerkez (5.1m) a viable option for those on a FH. His 0.15xA/90 puts him in the top 10 for xA/90 among defenders. Both Bournemouth and Brentford are in fairly patchy form at the moment, with Brentford winless in their last 2 premier league games and Bournemouth in their last 3 – but the Cherries will be hopeful that a return to the Vitality (last 2 games were away) will give them a boost. With Evanilson back in the side Kerkez will have more of a target to aim at – his underlying attacking numbers had dropped off since Evanlison’s injury.

Other defensive options:

• Ait-Nouri (4.8m): Popular pick, great fixture against Southampton. Lacking a focal point in attack with the talismanic Cunha out so may struggle.
• Porro (5.3m): With many of Spurs’ players now returning from injury, Porro is beginning to look like an attractive FPL option again. He has great underlying numbers and a decent fixture this GW (Fulham A) – worth a punt!
• De Ligt (4.8m): Great fixture (Leicester A), decent form. I’m sceptical about their ability to keep a CS, but if they’re ever likely to keep one – Leicester is certainly their best chance!

Further Read: 2024/25 FPL Chip Strategy Guide – Best Windows and Analysis

FPL GW29 Free Hit – Midfielders

Bruno (8.4m) is a must have on a FH in BGW29. His 0.35xG/90 and 0.27xA/90 are exceptional, especially considering how little help he gets from his teammates at times. He absolutely dragged Manchester United through the Arsenal game and the Everton game in recent weeks, and has been doing so all season. He is their talisman. With a fixture against Leicester in FPL GW29, a side that have conceded 13 goals in their last 5 games, it would be crazy to go without the Portuguese midfield maestro for those on a FH.

MGW (6.5m) has impressed in recent weeks – he’s got the most goal involvements of any midfielder since GW15 (only including players with a fixture in GW29) with 13 – 2 clear of second place Mbeumo. The englishman has 5 goals and 6 assists so far this season – 2nd in the Forest squad for both metrics. He’s a consistent performer, less streaky than the likes of Elanga and CHO, and is the driving creative force in that Forest team.

6 attacking returns in his last 5 games is an exceptional rate of return for a player who costs just 6.5m and is owned by under 7% of FPL managers! Ipswich have conceded 11 goals in their last 5 games, despite 4 of those games coming against bottom half of the table opposition (Villa the only non-bottom half side) – so MGW will definitely fancy his chances at continuing the great run he’s on!

Kluivert (6.2m) is perhaps the best Bournemouth attacker from an FPL perspective, and is already owned by a healthy 32.9% of managers. Do not be put off by his high ownership however! There is a good reason he is owned by so many… 12 goals and 6 assists in the league this season, and a fantastic xGI/90 of 0.71xGI/90 makes him Bournemouth’s most prolific and dangerous attacker.

His 6.3 FPL points per match puts him 5th among midfielders, only behind Salah, Palmer, Saka and Mbeumo. But why this week? Bournemouth face Brentford at home, a side who are 15th in the league in terms of away record, having won 4 drawn 2 and lost 7 on the road this season. They are also comfortably bottom half for all defensive metrics, goals against, xGA etc. meaning that Bournemouth, who will be looking to bounce back from their 3 match winless streak in the league, stand a decent chance of scoring against them.

Further Read: FPL GW29 Tips & Ultimate Guide: Differentials, Captaincy & More

Other Midfield options:

• Foden (9.2m): The only reason we haven’t included him in the main body of this article is due to Pep roulette – if he starts then he’s a fantastic option, but that is not a certainty…
• Semenyo (5.7m): Doubling up on Bournemouth midfielders is a viable option, and Semenyo is the second best pick for the Cherries!
• Mbeumo (8.1m): Always a popular pick, but Bournemouth are likely to make life difficult for the Bees, so Brentford’s star man is less of an obvious pick than he otherwise might be.

FPL GW29 Free Hit – Forwards

Haaland (14.7m) is arguably the first name on the FH GW29 team sheet. I don’t need to run you through his numbers – he’s one of the best strikers to grace the premier league and consistently puts up outrageous stats season on season. While he (and City as a whole) have been somewhat disappointing so far this season, having fallen from the lofty heights of perfection set in recent years, he remains one of the worlds best.

City face Brighton in BGW29, not a great fixture considering Brighton’s recent form, but not a bad one either. City’s poor run cannot continue forever, and with many of the other premium options not playing this week, Haaland looks like a great captaincy choice…

A Forest triple up is inevitable on a FH this week, as Nuno’s side have one of the best fixtures and are fairly inform themselves. If you haven’t gone for a defensive double up + MGW, then you may well have space in your team for a Forest forward – introducing… Chris Wood (7.3m). Between GW19 and GW26, Wood managed to produce 11 goal involvements, despite coming up against some fairly solid defenses during that run.

The New Zealand international has blanked in his last 2 premier league matches, so will be looking to bounce back against Ipswich in FPL GW29. The Nottingham Forest striker is substantially over performing his underlying numbers this season, having scored 18 goals from around 12xG. While this is something to take note of long term, in the short term it just highlights how in-form he is – get him while he’s still running hot! Ipswich have conceded the third most goals in the league and second most expected goals against – they remain a team to target.

Other Forwards to consider:

• Joao Pedro (5.5m): ‘Tough’ fixture against City, but he is one of the most in-form players in the league. 4G+A in his last 3 Prem matches. Very cheap!
• Wissa (6.5m): Wissa’s numbers are extraordinary, but Brentford have a tough fixture against Bournemouth in FPL GW29.

Further Read: Upcoming FPL Double/Blank Gameweeks | 24/25 FPL Season

Will I be Free Hitting in FPL Blank GW29?

Drumroll please… I will not be free hitting in blank gw29. I’ve been saving transfers for the past few weeks in preparation for the blank, and have been set on wildcarding in GW30/31 for at least a month. One of my golden rules in FPL is to pick a strategy and stick to it, as changing your mind at the last minute almost always has negative consequences (in my experience). While other strategies have subsequently come to light which I admittedly find appealing, I’ve been planning my team around the dead-end into GW29 play for weeks, so to suddenly change due to injury or DGW announcements would be foolish.

Furthermore, I believe that taking a hit this week (a -4 / -8 or even a -12) is acceptable, as many managers will take (or have already taken) hits to cover for recent suspensions and injuries. Taking hits this week in order to save the FH/WC chip is fine – in my opinion at least. Whether you should FH or not really comes down to the make-up of your team and your overall strategy. If you don’t have a plan for when to WC/FH/AM/TC yet then take a look at the below AAFPL article which outlines potential chip strategies for the remainder of the season. Thanks for reading and good luck!

2024/25 FPL Chip Strategy Guide – Best Windows and Analysis

Further reads from AllAboutFPL ahead of FPL GW29:

2024/25 Ultimate Chip Strategy Guide- Best Windows to play all Chips & Combinations
FPL GW29 Free Hit Guide – Tips, Players to Target, and Best Drafts
Impact of FA Cup on FPL Blank Gameweek 34 | FPL BGW34
Upcoming FPL Double/Blank Gameweeks | 24/25 FPL Season
FPL GW29 Free Hit- Players to Target Position wise
FPL GW29 Tips & Ultimate Guide: Differentials, Captaincy & More

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

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What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL Gameweek 29 of the 2024/25 FPL Season?

We’ll be covering differential picks, transfer targets, Buy, Hold, Sell analysis, scout picks, gameweek preview, captaincy metrics, FPL GW29 tips, and more. Keep checking allaboutfpl.com for all our blogs. We’ll also be posting regularly about the same on our social media accounts so follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook keep our notification ON.

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