Fantasy Premier League

Free Hit chip can solve cup conundrum

By The Scout 15 Feb 2018
Liverpool v Southampton

The Scout on how the new FPL chip can help managers when PL fixtures are rescheduled

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The Scout is looking at the impact of the FA Cup on Fantasy Premier League Gameweeks and the strategies to cope.

Planning ahead

The new Free Hit chip can play a vital role at this stage in the campaign.

The chip enables FPL managers to make unlimited transfers that are applied to one Gameweek only. At the next deadline, the original squad is returned.

So should the fixtures in Gameweek 31 and 35 be reduced by FA Cup ties, the chip can give a manager the chance to have a full 15-man squad available.

When to Free Hit

Gameweek 31 is the first opportunity for the chip.

With the potential for up to seven postponements during this Gameweek, it would seem the optimum time to use the chip.

It can give managers the chance to pick players from the remaining teams in Premier League action.

However, managers will need to consider who will be available to optimise the use of the chip.

Quality over quantity?

If the regular big points scorers are without a fixture because of FA Cup involvement, the advantage gained by having a full squad available could be very low.

The potential returns from the few strong players available may outweigh the desire to fill up all positions.

For example, we know Liverpool are one of four teams guaranteed to play in Gameweek 31.

So owning three of their players, perhaps with Mohamed Salah (£10.4m) as captain, could be enough alongside several players from the five other teams guaranteed for Gameweek 31.

Reasons to wait

This may then make it worth holding on to the chip for a better opportunity.

That opportunity may be in Gameweek 35, which coincides with the FA Cup semi-finals.

This could be a more profitable time to use the chip since there will be more fixtures remaining in the Gameweek with more big-name players definitely in action.

Possible Double Gameweeks

Another consideration is that the postponed matches will likely be rescheduled, which will give the teams involved two fixtures in a single Gameweek.

These “Double Gameweeks” can be profitable for FPL managers and could fall in Gameweek 34 and Gameweek 37, as in previous seasons.

Managers should use transfers or perhaps the second Wildcard chip to build a squad that is designed to maximise a future Double Gameweek.

By using the Free Hit chip in Gameweek 35, a manager can navigate the reduced fixtures without disrupting their squad, building for a Double Gameweek to come.

Also in this series 

Part 1: FPL managers keeping keen eye on FA Cup
Part 3: Keep your head up if you have no FPL chips

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