Viktor Gyökeres, Bruno Fernandes & Pedro Porroplaceholder image
Viktor Gyökeres, Bruno Fernandes & Pedro Porro | Getty Images
Our resident Fantasy Premier League expert puts together his free hit team for Gameweek 34.
When the next Fantasy Premier League deadline comes around on Friday 24 April at 18:30 BST, we go from a glut of fixtures to a drought: Thanks to the FA Cup semi-finals, there are just seven games in Gameweek 34, and that means that an awful lot of managers will be using their free hit this week.
While some FPL players will have opted to use their wildcard this weekend to go from doubles to blanks, free hit seems to be the most common plan – of the Top 10,000 players worldwide, 71% have used their second wildcard already. That means a lot of free hits are coming – and as 3 Added Minutes’ resident FPL expert, I’m here to guide you through the ideal free hit team for Gameweek 34.
Which teams and players you should target with your FPL free hit in Gameweek 34
It’s always nice when it’s obvious which teams and players you should be going as you deploy a chip – but this time around, there are very few clear-cut inclusions, and many of the best teams in action have hit a rough patch of form.
For instance, it would have been obvious to start your team off with three Arsenal players earlier in the season, but to what extent do we trust them after just one win in their last six games? Manchester United have some tempting options, too, but were a little lucky to beat Chelsea last weekend and face a tough Brentford side next time out. And relatively few of the highest-scoring players in the game are likely to be involved this week.
So how do you approach a week like this when the decisions are less straightforward than they might otherwise be? The way to get the highest average number of points from your week is probably simple: Aim for players (and teams) with the highest ceilings.
That means, for instance, that I’m still likely to go triple Arsenal, especially with their opponents Newcastle struggling for form themselves. It wouldn’t shock me if the Gunners made a mess of their game at the Emirates, based on the way things are going, but their players still have a high ceiling – particularly their defenders. Assuming they’re fit and available, the likes of David Raya and Gabriel are still clear considerations regardless of recent form.
I’m also definitely going to include Bruno Fernandes, and will likely captain him, because he simply has the highest points ceiling of any individual player involved this week. I won’t be going for Manchester United defenders, because I’ll probably also want Igor Thiago – again, he simply has a high ceiling, and scores frequently enough to make the relative difficulty of the fixture a non-issue.
By the same logic, I like Liverpool and Aston Villa players, and I like Harry Wilson and Morgan Gibbs-White on current form. Gibbs-White may not have had a great season, but when good, proven players hit form, it’s usually sensible to back them. The Sunderland defence is, admittedly, a good reason to pause on Gibbs-White specifically, but he’s a strong consideration nonetheless.
On the topic of form – and the extent to which it matters – I probably won’t select Bryan Mbeumo even if he’s cleared to play after a knock. He’s on a bit of a dry run, and if I want another United attacking asset, Matheus Cunha just makes more sense right now. I also like taking a punt on Viktor Gyökeres. He was benched against Manchester City, yes, but also has six goals in his last seven games for club and country.
One gamble I’m prepared to take, incidentally, is on Tottenham Hotspur. They may not have beaten Brighton last weekend but they looked an awful lot better, they’re up against already-relegated Wolves, and the way they used their full-backs in attack under Roberto De Zerbi makes Pedro Porro, in particular, look like a great bet. I don’t mind taking a punt on a lively Xavi Simons, either.
Of course, you should be more prepared to take risks on players like Simons if you’re struggling in your mini-league and need to make up a gap. Sticking with the ‘template’ team makes a lot of sense when you’re protecting an advantage – finding differentials is a requirement when you’re coming from behind. The bigger the gap between you and your league lead, the larger the risks you need to take. If you’re miles behind, then you may need to bet on Bruno Fernandes having a bad week and a Simons or a Gibbs-White being a player worth handing the captain’s armband to. There’s no point playing the same team as those you’re trying to catch, and this is the best remaining week to find points of difference and try to exploit them.
What the ideal Gameweek 34 free hit team looks like
All of that logic and preamble aside, it’s only fair to tell you where I am ahead of Gameweek 34’s deadline. This team may well change as team news rolls in and thoughts pop into my head, but this starting point sticks with the fundamental principle of aiming as high as possible.
This isn’t intended as a team which is chasing differentials, it’s just the 15-man squad which I think is most likely to go big this weekend. If you’re in a good position, this is where I’d go. If you’re struggling, this is almost closer to the team I would try to avoid.
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Fantasy Premier League
For anyone who can’t see the image above, here’s the team in print: David Raya, Antonín Kinský; Gabriel Magalhães, Pedro Porro, Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Omar Alderete; Mateus Cunha, Morgan Rogers, Bruno Fernandes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Harry Wilson; Igor Thiago, Ollie Watkins, Viktor Gyökeres.
One note – if bought blind, this team is worth £100.4m, meaning it may be just out of reach of some players who have endured economic struggles. Options for those who need to cheapen it up include replacing Gyökeres with Jarrod Bowen, downgrading from Morgan Gibbs-White to, perhaps, Dominik Szoboszlai, and switching from Gabriel to William Saliba.
Hopefully, this will provide some inspiration for your decisions ahead of the deadline – and, for my sake, hopefully it will be sufficient to keep me on pace for another Top 100k finish and a nice win in my more consequential mini-leagues. Good luck everyone…
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