This international break may be a popular point for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Wildcard activations but, if you’re finding it hard to resist certain individual fixtures, there could be logic in using a Gameweek 12 Free Hit. In which case, we’re here to help.
While you can never be sure of FPL’s upcoming chaos, our Premium Members Area can help by via the Rate My Team (RMT) tool.
Here, we use its points projections to build this week’s ideal Free Hit squad. One that fits within a £100.0m budget, with no more than three players per club.
WHAT IS A FREE HIT?
Each FPL team is provided with numerous chips to use throughout the season. The Free Hit can be activated once, at the manager’s choice, allowing them to form a squad for one Gameweek only.
- READ MORE: How do you use the Free Hit chip?
Afterwards, the squad will return to its regular line-up of players for the following Gameweek.
BEST GAMEWEEK 12 FREE HIT
Using RMT’s numbers and the brilliant PlanFPL website, the addition of four very cheap substitutes gives the below squad a value of £100.0m.
The starting line-up has four players in common with our Gameweek 12 Scout Picks bus team.
Furthermore, Mohamed Salah (£12.9m) is recommended as this week’s captain, taking the projected Free Hit score to 64.90 points.
GK: Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.5m)
A highly appealing match-up sees table-topping Liverpool travel to last-placed Southampton. The defence with the most clean sheets and fewest goals conceded, versus the lowest-scoring attack. Alisson Becker (£5.4m) could be back from injury but Arne Slot will likely stick with his very able deputy Kelleher.
DEF: Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.1m)
The recent fortunes of both clubs mean that Arsenal being at home to Nottingham Forest isn’t quite the banker it used to look like. Owning double Gunners defenders has been a letdown but it’s still worth owning one, especially the Brazilian centre-back with great goal threat. Gabriel is the joint-best defender for big chances (four), netting twice.
DEF: Lucas Digne (£4.7m)
Aston Villa’s momentum has naturally slowed down, gaining just one win in six league matches, but they’re at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday. Established for years as an attacking full-back, Digne has surprisingly started all 11 games despite Ian Maatsen‘s (£4.7m) presence. Three assists are registered, while being joint-best at the back for big chances created (eight).
DEF: Joachim Andersen (£4.3m)
Palace failed to score past Fulham in Gameweek 11, allowing Andersen to grab a clean sheet against his former club. These West Londoners have allowed the second-fewest big chances (17) of all teams, making their Danish centre-back a bargain for this hosting of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
MID: Mohamed Salah (£12.9m)
Back to Liverpool, where the trip to Southampton inevitably sees Salah handed RMT’s armband. Already over 100 points, he’s far in front as the game’s top scorer and has seven double-digit hauls from 11.
His latest one seems to have settled the debate between owning him and Erling Haaland (£15.2m), having outdone him on six consecutive Gameweeks by a combined score of 58 to 19. However, with Real Madrid and Manchester City on the horizon, there’s a slight chance that Salah’s minutes will get managed.
MID: Cole Palmer (£10.9m)
Another premium midfielder playing away to a promoted team, Palmer is a good alternative captain regardless of his two recent blanks.
Withdrawal from the England squad means he has a yellow flag by his name but hopefully a clear update can be provided by Enzo Maresca ahead of this early kick-off.
MID: Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m)
After months of underachieving some promising underlying stats, Fernandes is finally on the scoresheet for 2024/25. Combined with two assists, 17 points made him the best Gameweek 11 individual.
Now it’s a meeting with Ipswich Town – the defence that’s conceded the most big chances (47) and expected goals (24.64). With various routes to points, there’s intrigue to see how he’ll be used by new boss Ruben Amorim.
MID: Anthony Gordon (£7.2m)
Meanwhile, Gordon begins a Newcastle United double-up for their Monday night hosting of West Ham United. We saw last season how productive he is at home, as nobody recorded more returns than his 22.
This time, he’s produced less but is the second-biggest expected goal involvement (xGI) underachiever (-2.77). Although, as the Magpies have recently re-found their groove, he’s been located on the right rather than left.
FOR: Alexander Isak (£8.5m)
Team-mate Isak has scored in his last four club matches, in all competitions. It’s reminding millions of FPL managers why they wanted him at the very start, making him the most-owned player for Gameweeks 1 and 2. He’s on penalties, too.
FOR: Ollie Watkins (£9.0m)
Recent times have been different for Watkins, last season’s number-one forward for points and attacking returns. Yet he’s goalless in three matches. This good Palace fixture means he’s predicted to get 5.55 points, a number less than Haaland’s 6.62 but at a much cheaper, team-friendly price.
FOR: Darwin Nunez (£7.1m)
Finally, a third Liverpool name. In ahead of Nicolas Jackson (£7.9m) for budgetary reasons, the Uruguayan scored in Gameweek 11.
Even though Diogo Jota (£7.2m) is injured, we still don’t know if he’ll start because the Luis Diaz (£7.7m) and Cody Gakpo (£7.1m) combination did so well in their 4-0 Champions League thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen.
