The best FPL forwards for a Double Gameweek 22 Free Hit

We’re taking a position-by-position look at the best Fantasy Premier League (FPL) options for those considering ‘Free Hit’ transfer targets in Double Gameweek 22.

Following Thursday’s announcement that eight top-flight teams are due to play twice in the upcoming Gameweek, over a third of Fantasy Football Scout users have said they are planning to activate their Free Hit chip:

Here we switch focus to forwards, with all stats taken from this article to be found in our Premium Members Area.

• READ MORE: The best FPL goalkeepers for a Double Gameweek 22 Free Hit
• READ MORE: The best FPL defenders for a Double Gameweek 22 Free Hit
• READ MORE: The best FPL midfielders for a Double Gameweek 22 Free Hit 

CRISTIANO RONALDO

Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.5m) hasn’t quite justified his outlay in FPL this season, producing eight goals and three assists across his 16 appearances, averaging 5.1 points per match.

However, as Manchester United’s penalty taker and focal point in attack, he is clearly one of the standout forward options on offer in Double Gameweek 22.

Under Ralf Rangnick, the Portuguese has posted team-leading totals for goal attempts, shots in the box, efforts on target, big chances, penalty area touches and expected goals (xG), though his teams form is a concern, with several disjointed performances and only eight goals in their last seven matches in all competitions.

RONALDO’S GOAL THREAT – LAST SIX MATCHES

Ronaldo missed out on United’s narrow FA Cup third round win over Aston Villa on Monday, although his omission sounded very much precautionary in nature:

“I spoke with Cristiano (Ronaldo) yesterday before training, he told me that he’s had some problems for the last couple of days. Minor problems, but in the end, we decided that it made more sense to not take any risks in a game that could easily last 120 minutes, so we just decided to rest him, not play him at all.” – Ralf Rangnick

HARRY KANE

Under Antonio Conte, Tottenham Hotspur are clearly on an upward trajectory, having won five and drawn three of the Italian’s eight Premier League matches in charge.

During that time, they have scored 14 goals, averaging just under two xG per match.

As a result, Harry Kane (£12.2m) is clearly one of the best forward options on offer in Double Gameweek 22.

Despite a year which has seen him struggle to find his best form, the England international has improved in recent weeks, scoring three goals across his last four Premier League appearances.

KANE’S GOAL THREAT – LAST SIX MATCHES

With attacking partner Son Heung-min (£10.7m) injured, Kane will need to step up in the north London derby, with an appealing trip to injury-ravaged Leicester City to follow.

JOSH KING / EMMANUEL DENNIS

Watford may well have the best fixture pairing in Double Gameweek 22, with Newcastle United and Burnley managing just four clean sheets between them all season.

Because of that, the Hornets’ attack, including Josh King (£5.8m) and Emmanuel Dennis (£6.1m) – who is expected to be fit, will understandably be targets for those on a Free Hit.

Heading into Double Gameweek 22, Dennis is the standout pick, with four goals in his last six matches, though it is worth noting that across the season, King comes out on top for xG and is also on penalties.

Josh King v Emmanuel Dennis goal threat 2021/22, via our new Premium Members Area

Claudio Ranieri’s side have underwhelmed of late, losing their last seven Premier League matches in a row, but you’d expect them to adopt a more attacking approach against weaker opposition, which in turn makes both King and Dennis appealing forward options in Double Gameweek 22.

ROMELU LUKAKU

Romelu Lukaku (£11.5m) has had a mixed start to his second stint at Chelsea, in part due to off-field issues which resulted in him being dropped in Double Gameweek 21.

On the pitch, he has produced five goals and one assist across his 13 Premier League appearances, with three of those attacking returns arriving in his last two games.

However, there is still a feeling that there is more to come from Lukaku, whilst his recent admission that he was “not happy” at Chelsea is somewhat off-putting.

Because of that, a move for the Belgian does feel risky, especially given his side’s fixtures against Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion, who have conceded just 13 and 20 goals respectively in 2021/22 so far.

THE OTHER CANDIDATES

Chris Wood (£6.7m) was forced off with a groin problem at half-time of Saturday’s FA Cup defeat to Huddersfield Town, adding to Burnley’s problems, which assistant manager Ian Woan touched on in his post-match interview:

“He felt his groin and it was touch and go but at the present time we can’t be gambling too much with our centre forwards. Vydra was off with Covid and is struggling himself with a slight hernia and Barnes is not there and is a few weeks away and we have the absence of Cornet as well. We had to be cautious and he (Wood) had to come off and we are limited, young McGlynn was our only option on the bench.”

However, if he does recover in time to face Leicester City, as one of the first names on Sean Dyche’s teamsheet, he instantly becomes an appealing option for Double Gameweek 22.

Despite that, there are reasons to be cautious around that specific tie. Neither Burnley nor the Foxes were able to call upon 13 senior outfielders in their FA Cup ties at the weekend (that being the threshold for a Premier League postponement), with Brendan Rodgers side down to eight. Leicester need to recover five first-teamers without losing any others, then, so it’s a game that’s surely ‘at risk’ status at present.

That suggests Patson Daka‘s (£7.1m) situation is also worth monitoring on the run up to Friday’s deadline.

At the time of writing, the 23-year-old is flagged, but is expected back for Burnley if it goes ahead, with the absences of Jamie Vardy (£10.4m) and Kelechi Iheanacho (£6.9m) creating an opening to spearhead the Foxes attack.

With four players away at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), plus an injury crisis, the squad is stretched, though it’s hard to argue against Daka’s influence when on the pitch this season, having produced two goals and three assists across 286 Premier League minutes.

Elsewhere, Ivan Toney (£6.6m) and Neal Maupay (£6.5m) are alternative options, though their respective fixtures are far from ideal, with games against Liverpool and Chelsea included in their double-headers.

That leaves single Gameweek options, like Michail Antonio (£7.8m), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£7.9m) and Roberto Firmino (£8.7m), all of whom having appealing ties, though if on a Free Hit, it surely makes sense to target those forwards who potentially play twice.