The best FPL forwards for Double Gameweek 26: Free Hit or free transfers

Eight top-flight teams are due to play twice in Double Gameweek 26 and we’ve produced a position-by-position guide to the pick of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) options in each position, whether you’re using a Free Hit or even just free transfers.

Just over 10% of Fantasy Football Scout users have said they are planning to activate their Free Hit, making it the second-most popular chip option.

Having taken a look at the stand-out goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders on offer, we now switch our attention to the forwards.

All stats taken from this article are from our Premium Members Area.

ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE

Whether you’re playing a Free Hit in Gameweek 26 or 27, Arsenal assets will be near the top of the shopping list for many Fantasy managers this week.

The Gunners have a double in Gameweek 26, a guaranteed fixture in Blank Gameweek 30 (when as many as 14 other teams could blank) and three more Double Gameweeks to squeeze in between now and the end of the season.

That promotes Alexandre Lacazette (£8.3m), a default starter since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s exit, as one of the better forward options on offer.

The Frenchman has produced two goals and four assists in his last seven Premier League outings, and despite regularly dropping deep, which sometimes leaves the Gunners without a proper outlet to hit centrally, he has still racked up eight big chances during that time (see below), a team-leading total.

Arsenal, meanwhile, boosted their top-four credentials with a resolute 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out.

Now, they face another tough match against Wolves, though it’s their Double Gameweek 26 opener against Brentford which carries the most potential from an attacking perspective: Thomas Frank’s side are winless in their last eight league away matches, conceding a whopping 21 goals during that time.

RAUL JIMENEZ

Raul Jimenez (£7.4m) has looked a shadow of his former self in the past few months, but it’s now two goals in three for the penalty-taking Mexican.

Despite that overall dip in form, which has seen him net just five times in 2021/22, he remains Wolverhampton Wanderers’ chief goal threat, posting team-leading totals for goal attempts, shots in the box, efforts on target, big chances, penalty area touches and expected goals (xG).

Furthermore, there is also plenty of assist potential, with his 27 created chances tally only beaten by three other Premier League forwards.

For much of the season, Wolves have struggled to convert those chances, but that has improved of late, after netting seven goals in their last four matches, including two at Tottenham Hotspur last time out.

Bruno Lage’s side now face a Leicester City outfit who have kept only three clean sheets all season and consistently look vulnerable defending crosses into the box, followed by a more testing trip to the Emirates.

Like Arsenal, Wolves have a guaranteed fixture in Gameweek 30 against Leeds United, but also have some decent matches either side, making their players solid long-term investments.

HARRY KANE

FPL bosses will understandably have reservations about investing in Tottenham Hotspur’s assets this week, given that the Lilywhites are on a three-game losing run and face Manchester City in one of their two fixtures.

Harry Kane (£12.2m), however, had produced four goals and an assist in five Premier League appearances prior to his latest trio of blanks.

In fact, no player in any position has ‘underachieved’ more than the Spurs forward since Antonio Conte assumed control (Kane has five attacking returns from an xGI of 8.79 from Gameweek 11 onwards), and you’d think that profligacy wouldn’t last forever given his historic pedigree.

City and a defensively improved Burnley are far from ideal opposition in Double Gameweek 26, but the England captain does have a good record against the latter, racking up nine goals in his last 13 appearances.

For managers who aren’t using a Free Hit in Gameweek 27, Kane is also a savvy buy as he has the advantage of playing a defensively abject Leeds United then – although beware of the possible Gameweek 30 blank.

WOUT WEGHORST

With Sean Dyche suggesting Wout Weghorst (£6.5m) should be fit in Thursday’s pre-match press conference, the towering Burnley frontman is an attractive option for Double Gameweek 26 and beyond.

Notably, the Clarets are the only club with four matches over the next two rounds, meaning back-to-back doubles, and although they have scored just three goals in their last nine outings, they did carry a substantial threat in the first half against Liverpool last time out.

As for Weghorst, he has produced just a solitary assist from his three Premier League appearances to date, but has racked up eight goal attempts, six shots in the box and 0.81 expected goals (xG) during that time, all team-leading totals.

Now, he faces Brighton and Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur, followed by Crystal Palace and Leicester City in Double Gameweek 27. That latter round could be especially fruitful, too, given how vulnerable both opponents have been defending set-pieces this season.

THE OTHER CANDIDATES

All eyes and ears will be on Jurgen Klopp’s pre-match press conference on Friday, after Diogo Jota (£8.5m) picked up an ankle injury in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Inter Milan.

If the Portuguese forward is indeed ruled out for a period, Roberto Firmino (£8.7m) suddenly enters the FPL conversation, having scored his side’s opening goal at the San Siro.

In truth, the 30-year-olds goal threat is a long way behind that of Jota’s, but he does carry assist potential too, and given that the Reds are up against two of the worst defences in the league in Double Gameweek 26, a short-term move could perhaps pay off, especially for those on a Free Hit.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace have a nice fixture to follow their double-header against Burnley, but the forward spot looks prone to rotation with Odsonne Edouard (£6.5m), Jean-Philippe Mateta (£5.2m) and Christian Benteke (6.1m) all options, which is a tad off-putting.

The Eagles have also struggled on the road (one win and an average of 0.9 goals per game) and head to a defensively improved Watford after they entertain Chelsea this weekend.

There are big reservations about Watford’s attackers too, after a goalless start to Roy Hodgson’s regime. The malaise goes back further, even, with just one goal scored in their last six games, though they do have two appealing (ish) fixtures against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to come, which brings Emmanuel Dennis (£6.1m) and Josh King (£5.9m) back onto the radar, albeit only just.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have arguably the least appealing double-header of the eight teams with two fixtures (home to Manchester United, away to Liverpool) but it should be said that the Red Devils looks suspect defensively, with one of only two clean sheets in their last nine league matches coming against the 10-men of Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday.

If Marcelo Bielsa’s side are to capitalise, Rodrigo (£6.2m) could be the one to benefit, although it is hard to get too excited about a forward who has bagged just two goals all season.

Amongst the single Gameweek options on offer, Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.5m) carries the most potential as Man Utd take on a porous Leeds United side, whilst Michail Antonio (£7.7m) and Armando Broja (£5.4m) are cheaper alternatives who face Newcastle United and Everton respectively.

That being said, for those on a Free Hit, it surely makes sense to prioritise those who play twice, with Lacazette, Jimenez, Kane and Weghorst the stand-out options.