FPL Gameweek 34 Free Hit dilemmas: Best forwards

Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers on a Free Hit have a ragtag bunch of forwards to choose from in Double Gameweek 34.

The usual suspects like Erling Haaland (£14.3m), Alexander Isak (£8.0m) and Ollie Watkins (£8.8m) only play once in the upcoming round.

It’d be folly to discount any of them but it’s the strikers with ‘doubles’ that we’re focusing on here.

In this article, we compare the leading forward options from the seven clubs who play twice in Gameweek 34.

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THE OPPONENTS

Ranked between 1st (best) and 20th (worst)

It’s a mixed bag of fixtures for our doubling forwards, with no one really jumping off the page.

Ollie McBurnie (£5.4m), one of the least fancied frontline picks, arguably has the best match-ups.

Manchester United have allowed more shots per match than any other team this season. Burnley are bottom five material for most defensive metrics, from goals conceded to xGC.

Both teams are in the bottom three for headed opportunities allowed – and that’s good news for McBurnie, whose bonce has been responsible for over 40% of his shots in 2023/24.

Jean-Philippe Mateta (£5.0m) also faces two defences who have flattered to deceive for much of this campaign.

Newcastle United have shown some improvement recently, mind. Three clean sheets have arrived in their last six matches, with their xGC numbers getting back to the levels we saw last season. Eliminated from all cups, is the easing of fixture congestion (not to mention easier-on-paper matches) finally allowing Eddie Howe’s troops to flourish once again?

Everton, who Darwin Nunez (£7.7m) faces, are pretty much the opposite to Newcastle. Solid numbers for much of 2023/24 but going off the rails a little in the last two months. An xGC of 3.08 against Chelsea on Monday was their worst of the season. A combined 5.16 xGC was given away to Manchester United and Newcastle United either side of the international break. All those fixtures were away from home, of course, and the Toffees have been more solid on their own soil.

Matheus Cunha (£5.6m) has the toughest individual fixture, against an Arsenal side top for clean sheets, goals conceded and xGC. He did score against the Gunners earlier in the season, at least, as he did against Bournemouth.

Dominic Solanke (£7.2m) has already found the net against both of his Gameweek 34 opponents, too. Villa will be on a high after shutting out Mikel Arteta’s side last weekend but, short of numbers in the engine room, they’ve allowed plenty of chances of late.

Two or more goals have been shipped in five of Villa’s last eight league games.

As for Wolves, they’ve kept just one clean sheet in their last 11 fixtures and are again at the wrong end of the table for many defensive metrics.

Everton’s forwards have arguably the toughest tests. Not the most lethal pair to start with, they also encounter two of the statistically better backlines – even if clean sheets have been in short supply.

THE UNDERLYING NUMBERS