Due to the fact that four teams will be WITHOUT a fixture in Blank Gameweek 34 (BGW34), a host of Fantasy Premier League managers will be using their Free Hit chip to maximise their points potential.
FPL expert Sam Bonfield is among those using their Free Hit chip and picking a brand new squad solely for this round of matches. Here, Sam reveals her current line-up and explains her choices.
I genuinely don't think we will see a template Free Hit team like we normally do in Blank Gameweeks. The way the fixtures have fallen means that there are genuinely 30-40 players that could easily be selected by managers using the chip this week.
Fulham, Newcastle and Wolves feel like key teams to invest in given their fixtures, against Southampton, Ipswich Town and Leicester City respectively.
Bernd Leno (Fulham) £5.0m
The Fulham goalkeeper has one of the best fixtures, visiting relegated Southampton. Jose Sa (£4.4m) is the only goalkeeper with a potentially better fixture for a clean sheet this weekend, at home to Leicester, but with doubts over his fitness, I have opted for Leno. If we hear that Sa is starting or is ruled out then I will switch to his replacement, Daniel Bentley (£3.9m). But if there is any doubt, I will stick with the Fulham 'keeper.
Fabian Schar (Newcastle) £5.5m
Choosing which Newcastle defender to go with is one of the more difficult decisions on the Free Hit. But Schar has registered four goals this season, more than any other Newcastle defender. The centre-back has made 28 starts this season and has also registered an assist, along with nine clean sheets.
Marc Cucurella (Chelsea) £5.4m
Chelsea have started to find some goalscoring form, with five goals across their last four league matches. Since Gameweek 24, Cucurella has scored two goals, which is only bettered by Ryan Sessegnon (£4.1m) among defenders. His 24 penalty-area touches rank second over the same period, again only bettered by Sessegnon.
Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves) £4.9m
Ait Nouri was frustrating to own earlier in the season, but he has produced a goal, an assist and a clean sheet over his last two matches and faces a Leicester side who have scored just four goals since Gameweek 21, failing to score in 11 of the 13 matches over this period. Ait-Nouri boasts a strong attacking threat, with his 10 attacking returns joint-top among defenders.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) £13.8m
The Liverpool star has to be in my team, at home to Tottenham Hotspur. But the Egyptian will only be my vice-captain, as there are better fixtures across the rest of my team, with this feeling like an opportunity to opt for a different captain.
Cole Palmer (Chelsea) £10.6m
I have been on and off the Palmer train this week. He's currently in, despite only recording three assists since Gameweek 22. The injury to James Tarkowski (£4.9m) has persuaded me to go with the Chelsea star, as when Tarkowski was forced off in Gameweek 33, Everton conceded twice in quick succession and looked vulnerable defensively. But I may yet opt to go for the Liverpool double up, with Luis Diaz (£7.5m) instead of Palmer.
Alex Iwobi (Fulham) £5.5m
Fulham's Iwobi has racked up two goals, an assist and four bonus points over the last three Gameweeks. He faces a Southampton side who have conceded a league-high 78 goals, keeping just two clean sheets, with only Leicester registering fewer this season.
Jacob Murphy (Newcastle) £5.2m
Another close call here between Murphy and Harvey Barnes (£6.0m). I have opted for Murphy on the basis that Ipswich may be vulnerable down their left flank due to the absence of the suspended Leif Davis (£4.2m), leaving more space for Murphy down that side of the pitch.
Alexander Isak (Newcastle) £9.5m
Isak is a non-negotiable. He has the best fixture of the week, at home to Ipswich, and will, as a result, be my captain.
Matheus Cunha (Wolves) £6.9m
I haven't owned Cunha yet this season due to budget limitations, forcing me to select Jorgen Strand Larsen (£5.4m) instead, which in hindsight was definitely a mistake. But without budget limitations using the Free Hit chip, Cunha is the obvious choice. He started for the first time following his suspension in Gameweek 33 and has registered an attacking return in each of his last two matches, producing a goal and an assist.
Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) £6.9m
Wood has had an unbelievable season and was back on the scoresheet in Gameweek 33. I was at that game at Spurs and he was also close to scoring another, being denied by a close offside call. Wood has scored 19 goals this season, with only Alexander Isak (£9.5m) and Erling Haaland (£14.8m) managing more among forwards.
Bench
Kepa Arrizabalaga (AFC Bournemouth) £4.6m
Kepa has kept back-to-back clean sheets in the league and faces a Manchester United side who could potentially have an eye on their UEFA Europa League semi-final the following Thursday.
Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) £7.5m
Spending £7.5m on Bowen only to leave him on the bench highlights the strength of the team it is possible to create in BGW34. Bowen registered nine points against Southampton in Gameweek 33 and faces a Brighton side who are likely to be without the injured Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.5m) in defence.
Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham) £4.1m
Sessegnon has become a bit of an FPL darling in recent weeks. Classified as a defender in Fantasy, he has been playing out of position as a midfielder, producing two goals, two assists and a clean sheet over the last five Gameweeks. A little spanner in the works was the return of Harry Wilson (£5.2m) in Gameweek 33. Wilson's return could impact Sessegnon's minutes, so the safer pick is probably Antonee Robinson (£4.8m).
Dean Huijsen (AFC Bournemouth) £4.5m
The Cherries defender feels like a good bench option this week. Huijsen has some attacking threat, having scored two goals and provided one assist so far this season.