Metrics

How many top 10k FPL managers played their Free Hit chip for Blank Gameweek 18

Just under two-thirds of Fantasy Premier League managers ranked inside the top 10,000 played the Free Hit chip for Blank Gameweek 18.

Before Tuesday’s deadline, just 15.6% of them had pulled the trigger on a one-week-only squad.

However, as the evening’s first games kicked off, it was confirmed by LiveFPL.net that the usage of that chip after 18 Gameweeks had risen to 78.5%.

That means just under 63% of the top 10k saw Blank Gameweek 18 as the optimal time to play the Free Hit.

It is now by far the most utilised of the three non-Wildcard chips this season.

As a result, the Triple Captain and Bench Boost were largely, and expectedly, left untouched.

However, it is certainly of note that 7.6% of the top 10k played their second Wildcards, almost certainly with Double Gameweek 19 at the forefront of their planning.

After several weeks of planning, we can finally examine the players that made the Free Hit cut among the top 10k.

As you can see from the template above, the small number of matches made for a large number of heavily-owned assets.

For example, Bruno Fernandes (£11.3m), Son Heung-min (£9.8m), Harry Kane (£11.0m) and Kevin De Bruyne (£11.8m) all secured places in over 94% of top 10k Free Hit squads.

Callum Wilson (£6.6m) has already let down the 70.1% who brought him in for one week only, blanking in the 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United.

Meanwhile, over 60% chose Tyrick Mitchell (£3.9m) and João Cancelo (£5.8m) and 58% felt Kieran Tierney (£5.4m) was worth extra spend compared to Rob Holding (£4.5m).

Therefore, it is up to the relative differentials to make a difference among these managers with roughly 44% investing in John Stones (£5.0m), Alexandre Lacazette (£8.3m) and Marcus Rashford (£9.6m).

It looks as if the goalkeeping department has the potential to make the biggest difference between these Free Hitting managers with just 26.4% ownership for the most popular shot-stopper, Hugo Lloris (£5.6m), in such squads, with Bernd Leno (26.3%) just behind him.

It is also worth considering which Free Hit assets count as relative differentials compared to the wider template top 10k template – although the 62% usage for the Free Hit will have significantly influenced that matrix of players.

Once again, it looks like the goalkeepers have the biggest power, however underwhelming that sounds. 

32.4% of this week’s top 10k came into Blank Gameweek 18 considering neither one of Leno (22.1%) or Lloris (19.2%) has a particularly large share at this level.

Bukayo Saka (£5.3m) could be something of an effective difference-maker for Free Hitters considering 53.9% of such managers decided to own him for Blank Gameweek 18 compared to 43.2% ownership for the rest of the top 10k.

Meanwhile, Rashford and Lacazette are both in roughly 44% of Free Hit squads compared to 33.5% and 32.4% of all top 10k squads.

There are some interesting decisions on display from those taking a longer-term approach with their Blank Gameweek 18 teams.

Holding is preferred to Tierney and Pedro Neto (£6.0m) has been selected by 31% of the top 10k’s Wildcard managers despite just one match in Double Gameweek 19.

And with Manchester United’s kind fixture schedule, Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£5.3m) was chosen by a similar share, more than the backing for Harry Maguire (£5.4m).

All eyes will be on Manchester City and Spurs on Wednesday concerning the top 10k captaincy debate.

40.8% of managers at this level backed De Bruyne with the armband, off the back of his double-digit haul against Chelsea and Brighton’s growing injury list.

The addition of Spurs’ meeting with Fulham did play a big part in the captaincy conversation in the end.

Kane mopped up 29.8% of the armband support among the top 10k, which left Fernandes with just 15.6% of it for Manchester United’s trip to Burnley.

Even though Son still sits in more top 10k squads than Kane, he is backed by fewer of them for the captaincy for the match with Fulham – just 11.2% of them choosing the South Korean as their skipper.

Raheem Sterling (£11.4m) has been conspicuous by his absence in this article thus far – mainly because he has gone under the Free Hit radar, it would seem.

Not among the most popular midfielders among Free Hitting top 10k managers, just 0.9% of managers at this level have captained him for Blank Gameweek 18.

Statistics taken from LiveFPL.net

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1,155 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Burger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    How long is DCL out for?

    1. The Knights Template
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Hamstring injury. Guessing a month or so. Emphasise guessing.

      1. Burger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thank you, that's helpful.

  2. Slitherene
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Can this move work out??

    Rashford, Kane -> Sterling, Vardy

    1. The Knights Template
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Don't like

      1. The Knights Template
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Sterling is a hibernator.

        1. Slitherene
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          You know what to expect when you get Sterling in.

          He's frustrating to own, but then can be so explosive.

          TC'd him last season, to collect 63 points.

          Worth a punt, maybe?

          1. The Knights Template
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Not for me but best of luck, I can see you want to do it.

            1. Slitherene
              • 6 Years
              3 years, 2 months ago

              Haha, have exact money too! So tempted.

  3. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Salah or Sterling for the DGW?

    1. The Knights Template
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Salah

      1. Make United Great Again
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Okay. Next question

        Vardy or Kane. I have so much value in the Spurs man. Getting him back will cost me a lot

        1. The Knights Template
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Kane no question

          1. Make United Great Again
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 2 months ago

            Cheers pal. That’s what I’m thinking! Kane stays

    2. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      First, the Brighton match.

      1. Make United Great Again
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        True true. Getting ahead of my self. On WC anyway - so flexible to any injuries etc

        1. Flair
          • 3 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          WCing this week, why's that? Super interested in hearing your thought process here.

  4. R.C
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Who to play?

    1. Holding v Newcastle (H)
    2. Coufal v West Brom & Burnley (H) -4

    1. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      2

    2. Slitherene
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      1

  5. Burger
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Would you BB this bench in 19?

    Johnstone (wol, whu)
    Raphina (BHA, SOU)
    Aurier (shu)
    Dallas (BHA, SOU)

    ?

    1. The Knights Template
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      No

    2. OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      If Leeds have double go for it

      1. RamaJama
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        This

      2. PartyPooper
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Why would Leeds not have a double? Did I miss some news?

        1. elwardio
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Shrewsbury rearranged fa cup fixture not yet confirmed but looks likely - all clubs have said no objections

        2. St Pauli Walnuts
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Southampton game may be rescheduled as Southampton might have to play Shrewsbury game in FA Cup instead.

    3. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Yes.

      1. Burger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks all.

    4. jomikijiq
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      of course

  6. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Your predictions
    Liverpool vs United
    Liverpool vs Burnley
    Sheffield vs Spurs

    1. Burger
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      1-1
      1-0
      0-3

    2. HollywoodXI
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      1-1
      2-0
      1-3

    3. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      1-2
      2-0
      0-3

    4. The Knights Template
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      2-0
      1-0
      1-1

    5. Make United Great Again
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      1-3. 😀

      4-0

      0-5

      1. OverTinker
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        4-0 seriously?

        1. Make United Great Again
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Yep. Think we’ll see a reaction after we hammer them and go 6 points clear.

    6. Slitherene
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      1-2
      2-0
      1-2

  7. FPL price manipulators are …
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    If City go mental today, it will be tempting to shift Salah to KDB/Sterling for DGW19

    1. OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I am going with KDB but two city defenders mean can't get another attacker.

    2. Avery
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Took Salah out last week. And got both Sterling and KDB.
      Salah can come back in a bit when things improve. Maybe at the end of City’s decent fixture run. Just couldn’t deal with 3 weeks of disappointment trending.

  8. Dont_Win_Friends_With_Salah…
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Zaha to who for dgw? Have up to 8.8m and midfield is Bruno, Son, Foden, Grealish

    1. The Knights Template
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Give some options

      1. The Knights Template
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Or Soucek

      2. Dont_Win_Friends_With_Salah…
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        1. Chelsea option (Pulisic/Ziyech)
        2. Mahrez
        3. Bowen

        1. The Knights Template
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          Stick with Soucek, he actually plays

        2. elwardio
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          None of them prefer soucek and use cash elsewhere

    2. jomikijiq
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Pulisic

  9. Dont_Win_Friends_With_Salah…
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Will Leeds have a dgw? I read before that the rescheduled Southampton FA cup game will prevent it

    1. The Knights Template
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Unknown at this stage but expecting info before gw19.

      1. Dont_Win_Friends_With_Salah…
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thanks

  10. RamaJama
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    Are we likely to know before deadline whether Leeds gets A dgw 19?

  11. AlpoShearer
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    A. Kane and Grealish to Salah and Antonio -4
    B. Kane and Son to Salah and Antonio 2,0M£ itb -4

    1. Dont_Win_Friends_With_Salah…
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I wouldn't do B. Getting rid of both of them doesn't seem sensible

      1. AlpoShearer
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Thinking same, thanks

      2. elwardio
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Went without both few weeks earlier and then because of ownership every week is feast or famine depending on spuds match. Stressful watching

  12. Make United Great Again
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 2 months ago

    WC GW19 is set. Thoughts?

    Forster/McCarthy
    Alioski Stones Coufal
    Salah(vc) Bruno Saka Son KDB (C)
    Bamford Kane

    Holding, Mitchell, Davis.

    1. jomikijiq
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      I'd have Soucek/Cavaleiro/Lookman over Saka

    2. Flair
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Not my cup of tea with that defense and bench.

    3. Vlekz
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Give it a couple of days. You will probably make a new one when you get more news on Southampton vs leeds

        1. elwardio
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          This

    4. DAZZ
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Is Antonio a good pick now he played 90 in the cup?

      1. Slitherene
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        A decent differential for his price

      2. The Knights Template
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        People said he was not looking particularly fit, as you'd expect

      3. FPL ElasticO
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        He may not start 2 games, so no for me.

        1. OverTinker
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          they don't have many strikers

    5. FPL ElasticO
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Who is the best TC for DGW 19?

      A, KDB
      B. Salah
      C. Bruno
      D. Soucek (differential)

      1. jomikijiq
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        A

        Salah is also fine

        Bruno on 4 YC is a no

      2. elwardio
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        A then B

    6. ‘Tis the Season
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      How would you get Salah into this team for GW19 ❓
      Martinez
      Cancelo coufal alioski
      KDB Gund son* Bruno soucek
      Kane* Bamford
      Subs - tierney Watkins N Williams

      1. jomikijiq
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Son -> Salah
        Kane -> Vardy/Jesus/Antonio

        1. elwardio
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 2 months ago

          So risky especially if this involves a hit

    7. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      On FH my cup opponents is playing 4-5-1 with just Maupay up top, treble Burnley D, Bruno as captain and has two Villa players ! He's beating me 29-6 after hits.

    8. dubtom
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Would you save your BB with this team? 1FT available.

      Martinez
      Cancelo, Coufal, Justin, Walker-Peters
      Sterling, Fernandes, Salah, Raphinha, Sterling
      Kane

      All have a double gameweek except Kane and that leaves double Targett on the bench. I'm tempted to go mental and sell Kane + bench goalie and striker for doublers (-8 points) - depending on what happens in tonight's games of course - and whip out my monstrous BBC*.

      *bench boost chip

      1. OverTinker
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Leeds vs soton might be postponed

    9. bitm2007
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Those group hugs after goals in all three PL games last night, despite being warned not to do it, were disgraceful. The refs need to start booking them, if something's not done about it the PL will grind to a halt again.

    10. maksud
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      a)Soucek
      or
      b)Gundogan

      for DGW 19?

      1. bitm2007
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        A, Gundogan more likely to be rotated.

    11. OverTinker
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Johnstones / DDG
      Stones/Coufal/Cancelo/AWB/Dier
      Smith Rowe/Bruno/Son/KDB/Soucek
      Kane/Wilson/Antonio

      Want to Bench Boost
      Original plan was to do the following
      Kane + Son to Salah + Bamford for -4

      Should I go ahead with this? Note after doing this I will have around 1.5 itb

      1. OverTinker
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        If Leeds get the double I may do Dier plus Wilson to Bamford plus dallas

    12. Millie7
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Mcarthy(DGW)
      Dias(DGW) - Holding - Yedlin - Targett(DGW)
      Salah(DGW) - KDB(DGW) - Son - Fernandes(DGW)
      Bamford(DGW) - Adams(DGW)

      Martin - Mitchell - Reidewald - DCL

      think it has the appearance of looking better on paper than it actually is. Half the DGW players are most likely only going to be playing one.
      Considering both FH and WC....any suggestions?

    13. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Cup opponent: Holding + Davies + 18
      Me: Kdb(C), Cancelo, stones, Kane, Laca

      Surely I don't lose from here...

    14. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Cup opponent: Holding + Davies + 18
      Me: Kdb(C), Cancelo, stones, Kane, Laca

      Surely I don't lose from here?

    15. Mambino
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Anyone know what happened to Leeds/Southampton DGW?

    16. Mambino
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Anyone know what happened to Leeds/Southampton DGW? - Anyone??

      1. themaindanger
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 2 months ago

        Southampton's postponed FA Cup game vs Shrewsbury is being played in GW19 instead. Both Leeds and Southampton have agreed to rearrange. I have 2 Leeds and 1 Southampton players so super frustrating! I have been planning and building my DGW19 bench Boost team since mid/end of December. After a few injuries and other changes this means I'll probably hold my BB for GW26 now.

    17. Bodie
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 2 months ago

      Kane & son > kdb & martial -4?
      Chasing top of a mini league and they (c) Kane every week!!