FPL Free Hit GW34: Should You Play FH34?

68.8% of FPL squads have GW34 as their optimal Free Hit gameweek. GW34 is the blank. That's why the data is so clear.

I ran the chip optimizer across 7,124 real FPL squads. FH34 came out on top for more than two thirds of teams. Here's the full picture and how to decide if it's right for yours.

Why FH34 Is the Free Hit Week

GW34 is a blank gameweek. A chunk of the league does not play, and most squads have 4 to 7 players without a fixture. Free Hit exists for exactly this problem.

The rule is simple: Free Hit fixes one-week squad problems, and a blank is the biggest one-week problem in FPL. You swap your whole starting 11 for a full team of GW34 starters, then your original squad comes straight back for GW35.

FH34 vs FH33: The Double Gameweek Trap

30.2% of squads have FH33 as optimal instead of FH34. It is the second most common choice. Almost always it is the wrong one.

FH33 means using Free Hit on the double gameweek. That sounds clever, but it breaks the WC32 + BB33 combo and wastes the doublers you already built for. The data:

• FH34 alone: +15.9 pts median uplift
• FH33 instead of FH34: −8 to −12 pts on average across chip combos
• No Free Hit played: blank GW34 costs 25 to 40 points depending on squad

Keep the Free Hit for the blank. Use your Bench Boost or Triple Captain on the double.

The WC32 + BB33 + FH34 Sequence

The most common optimal four-chip sequence across squads with all chips remaining is WC32 + BB33 + FH34 + TC36. 55% of squads land exactly on this combo. 69% when you include close variants.

Each chip plays a specific role in the run-in:

• WC32: rebuild around GW33 doublers. 81.1% optimal.
• BB33: cash in. All 15 of your doublers score. 52% optimal.
• FH34: cover the blank. 68.8% optimal.
• TC36: highest captaincy ceiling remaining. 52.6% optimal.

FH34 is the third step. If you played Wildcard and Bench Boost already, you almost certainly want to Free Hit the blank. The sequence is designed that way.

How to Build a FH34 Team

A Free Hit squad is pure one-week maths. You ignore price, ignore long-term value, and pick 15 players who will score the most points in GW34 only. Your original squad comes back in GW35, so nothing you buy matters beyond the blank.

Priorities in order:

• Starters first. No rotation risk. A 4.5m defender who is nailed beats a 6.0m midfielder on the bench.
• Target the best fixtures. Stack players from 3 or 4 teams with the easiest GW34 matchups.
• Fresh premium captain. Free Hit is a captain decision as much as a squad decision. Pick the xPts leader, not your usual Fernandes or Haaland if they blank.
• Budget is fake. You can go 2 x 4.0m GKs and one outfield 4.0m to fit 10 strong outfielders. Spend like it is a cash giveaway.

Should You Play FH34?

Copilot verdictPLAY IT

“68.8% of 7,124 squads agree. GW34 is the blank, Free Hit was designed for blanks, and it pairs with the WC32 plus BB33 combo the vast majority already played. Skipping FH34 costs 25 to 40 points.”

FH34 is right for you if:

• You have 5 or more players without a GW34 fixture
• You still have your Free Hit chip unused
• You already played or planned WC32 and BB33
• Your squad has no special reason to save Free Hit for later

FH34 is not right for you if:

• You used Free Hit already in the first half of the season (one FH per half)
• Only 2 or 3 of your players blank (you can cover with 1 to 2 free transfers and a hit)
• Your full squad happens to line up with GW34 fixtures (rare but possible after WC32)

FH34 vs Wildcard 35

A small share of managers ask whether to skip Free Hit and Wildcard in GW35 instead. 7.2% of squads have WC35 as their optimal Wildcard. Usually that is the group who did not WC32 and held onto both chips.

If you have both chips untouched and no WC32, WC35 is a real option. But if you played WC32, FH34 beats WC35 every time for you specifically, because Wildcard only helps during blank GW34 if you restructure your whole squad for one week. Free Hit does the same job without wasting your Wildcard.

Before you lock in FH34, run the chip optimizer with your actual squad. 68.8% of teams are optimal on FH34, but 31.2% aren't. Your remaining chips and GW34 blank count change the answer.