Ten years ago, Fantasy Premier League (FPL) introduced some chips to make the game more interesting and strategic.
All Out Attack isn’t around anymore but both Bench Boost and Triple Captain remain – alongside a Free Hit and two Wildcards – to play a key role in each manager’s attempt to win mini-leagues and achieve a strong global rank.
It’s the Free Hit we’re focusing on here.
Want to play it but not sure how to go about using it? We’ve got you covered.
WHAT IS A FREE HIT?
A Free Hit allows managers to form an FPL squad for one Gameweek only via an unlimited number of free transfers.
Completely changing your squad for a particular round of fixtures comes at no cost, although do be aware that your squad will return to its regular 15 for the Gameweek afterwards.
A Free Hit can’t be cancelled after being confirmed.
You will, however, save any free transfers you’ve accumulated before hitting the Free Hit button.
HOW TO USE THE FREE HIT
OPTION ONE
Via a computer or app, just log in to your FPL account and select the ‘Pick Team’ tab.
Right at the top of the page, under the ‘Free Hit’ icon, there is a ‘Play’ button you can hit to activate the chip (highlighted in red below).
You can then go into the ‘Transfers’ tab to make as many moves as you desire.
OPTION TWO
Alternatively, you can head straight to the ‘Transfers’ tab and select the Free Hit ‘Play’ button as seen below.
You can then make your transfers as normal.
BEST TIMES TO USE IT
Chips can be used in a variety of situations – that’s the beauty of them. Perhaps it’s to attack a Double Gameweek or survive a Blank Gameweek. Maybe your squad has an injury crisis or you have supreme confidence in one player’s upcoming fixture.
With Free Hit, many FPL managers usually follow the logic of using the chip during a Blank or Double Gameweek.
The advantage of a Blank Gameweek is that you can field 11 players at a time when many managers are short by a few. Combining that with some clever differential picks can fire you up the rankings.
It’s unlikely that you’ll make the team worse, whereas a Double Gameweek activation runs the risk of sacrificing highly-owned one-match players to chase a higher quantity of doublers. It can easily backfire, just like it can work brilliantly.
Another occasion would be during a regular Gameweek with either terrible fixtures or a huge number of injuries and bans.
