With Blank and Double Gameweeks continuing to shape the Fantasy Premier League season’s run-in, the Free Hit chip is about to become one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.
Blank Gameweek 34 is the biggest blank of the 2025-26 FPL campaign and, naturally, is going to be a very popular time for the game’s managers to play their Free Hit chip if they still have it.
The challenge, however, isn’t just picking the obvious names — it’s finding the right balance between reliable, highly-owned assets and the differentials who can shoot you up the ranks. With many FPL managers likely to build similar squads, identifying those less-owned players with big upside could be the key to climbing the table.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the best differential options to consider on a Free Hit, and discuss strategic approaches depending on your risk appetite and overall goals for the final stretch of the season.
The best Free Hit differentials
Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) — Liverpool
It feels strange to call a £14million player a differential but Salah’s ownership, due to his loss of form across this season, has fallen far enough to put him in that category.
He has been quietly returning well for those managers who have stuck with him, though, with goals in back-to-back matches, and has a nice home game this weekend against Crystal Palace, who look to be prioritising the UEFA Conference League over the Premier League and have the first leg of a semi-final in that competition coming up following this trip to Anfield.
Salah was owned by only 15.4 per cent of FPL managers at the time of writing, and it’s likely that those not on Free Hit either won’t buy him now or will struggle to fit him into their squad at that price.
Liverpool will be fully focused on finishing the season strongly and securing Champions League qualification, and they have no other competitions to distract them over the campaign’s remaining weeks.
It’s not often we get a premium like Salah at this ownership rate and ahead of a plum home match. He is a great option to have this week, and also a genuine captaincy candidate.
Cody Gakpo (£7.3m) — Liverpool
Salah’s fellow Liverpool midfielder hasn’t been a consistent pick this season, which naturally keeps his ownership low.
However, Gakpo has started 14 league games in a row and assisted in the past two, and with Hugo Ekitike (£9.1m) out for the season and Alexander Isak (£10.3m) still being bedded back in following a long injury absence, he could be played up top as well as in his natural position on the left.
Gakpo is also likely to be used in attack for a period of Saturday’s match if Isak starts and then gets substituted.
Cody Gakpo is an overlooked Liverpool midfielder in FPL (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Despite Liverpool having a poor season by their standards, they still have the fourth-most goals (54) in the Premier League and an xG of 54.29 (sixth-best), so could well score a few times this week.
Gakpo has six goals and five assists this season and, just like team-mate Salah, has posted attacking returns in each of their past two games and looks good in terms of expected minutes, too.
The Dutchman was owned by just under six per cent of managers at the time of writing, and I don’t expect that rate to increase much before the deadline. In a one-week punt scenario, the combination of upside and low ownership makes him a fine differential.
Crysencio Summerville (£5.5m) — West Ham United
Summerville is the kind of differential who can define a Free Hit.
West Ham are one of the teams with everything to play for on the run-in as they fight to avoid relegation, and the Dutchman has been one of their best attackers. Before the calf injury that kept him out of Gameweeks 30 and 31, he was on a run of five goals in eight league matches. He has now regained fitness, starting the past two matches and playing the full 90 minutes in Gameweek 33.
West Ham play Everton at home this weekend. It’s one of the most favourable games of the five they have left, so they will see it as a must-win. The 24-year-old looks to be one of their main goal threats and with an ownership rate of only 1.4 per cent at time of writing he can be the one who makes a huge difference.
I don’t see many managers going for Summerville, regardless of chip strategy.
Pedro Porro (£5.1m) — Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs haven’t kept a clean sheet since Gameweek 19 or won since Gameweek 18. However, they looked much better in their most recent outing against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Fixtures breed form, and it doesn’t get much better than a game against bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers. Spurs are the third favourites to keep a clean sheet (36 per cent) in Gameweek 34 and full-back Porro’s real appeal lies in his attacking output.
BGW34 clean sheet % 🧤🥅
ARS: 40%
LIV: 38%
TOT: 36%
SUN: 31%
NFO: 31%
MUN: 30%
WHU: 29%
AVL: 26%
EVE: 26%
FUL: 26%
WOL: 18%
BRE: 17%
CPL: 12%
NEW: 12%Source: Oddschecker
— Abdul Rehman (@FPL_Salah) April 21, 2026
He takes the majority of Tottenham’s set pieces and looks to be cutting in from the right and playing a lot more centrally under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi, which we saw with his goal against Brighton last weekend. Porro has also created the most chances (four) and ranks second for shots (six) among his team-mates since the Italian’s appointment.
Wolves are the lowest scorers in the division (24), have the second-worst xG at 29.12 and were officially relegated on Monday when West Ham got a draw away to Palace.
Dominic Solanke (£7.2m) — Tottenham Hotspur
Solanke hasn’t had the best season but is most definitely worth considering. He has managed just three league goals, though that return needs context given he’s missed a bunch of games through injury, starting only 10 times in the top flight.
Spurs showed clear improvement in attack in Gameweek 33 compared to recent performances and with Solanke being their first-choice No 9, he is sure to get chances. He has started their past six matches and completed the 90 minutes in five of those, which suggests his game time is secure under De Zerbi.
Despite their struggles overall, Tottenham will be strong favourites to win at Wolves, who have conceded the second-most goals in the league (61) and rank second-worst for xGC (expected goals conceded) at 52.8. This is arguably their most favourable remaining game as they fight to avoid relegation.
With 28 Premier League goals across the previous two campaigns, Solanke knows exactly where the net is and the fact he is Spurs’ first-choice penalty-taker further boosts his appeal. He is also one of the favourites this gameweek to score anytime (42 per cent) according to bookmakers, and with an ownership of under two per cent at time of writing, is a no-brainer pick in my opinion.
Free Hit draft and strategies
This is a good, balanced Free Hit draft, with the main players and some quality differentials:
It’s a fairly safe selection, so you may want to ramp up the risk by picking a few more differentials, or a differential as captain.
There are also alternative approaches you can take, such as doubling or even tripling up on specific clubs — for example, going with a triple Arsenal defence and/or triple Liverpool attack, and backing them heavily.
When using the Free Hit chip, it’s important to remember that this is a one-week punt.
In a single gameweek, variance plays a much bigger role and outcomes can be far less predictable. Because of that, trusting your instincts becomes far more justifiable. It’s a very different mindset compared to long-term planning, where decisions are typically driven by data, fixtures and consistency.
There’s more freedom to take risks and back the players or clubs you feel will deliver on the day.
