Last updated on November 2nd, 2026
The Free Hit is one of the most useful chips available in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), allowing managers to make unlimited free transfers for a single Gameweek. It’s an opportunity to completely change your team for one round of fixtures without taking any points hits, before returning to your original squad the following week.
Knowing when to use it can make a big difference to your season. Whether you’re dealing with a difficult set of fixtures, missing players or planning around a Blank Gameweek, the Free Hit gives you another option when your usual team isn’t quite up to the job.
Football fans have plenty to keep track of throughout the season, from FPL transfers and team news to the latest football coverage and new UK betting sites. For FPL managers, though, getting the most out of your chips comes down to understanding the rules and choosing the right moment to play them.
What Is The Free Hit Chip In FPL?
The Free Hit chip allows you to make unlimited transfers for one Gameweek without losing points for those changes. Unlike a Wildcard, which permanently changes your squad, the Free Hit only applies for one round of fixtures.
For example, imagine you have three Arsenal players, two Liverpool players and several other picks facing difficult fixtures in the same Gameweek. You could activate your Free Hit and bring in players with more favourable matches, building a completely different team for that week.
Once the next Gameweek deadline arrives, your squad returns to how it was before you activated the chip. Your original players come back, although player price changes during the Gameweek can still affect their selling prices.
You also keep any banked free transfers you had before activating the chip. However, once you’ve confirmed your Free Hit transfers, you cannot cancel the chip, so make sure you’re happy with your selections before committing.
How Many Free Hits In FPL Do You Get?
For the 2026/27 season, FPL managers have two Free Hit chips, with one available in each half of the campaign.
Your first Free Hit must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline. A second becomes available from Gameweek 20, giving you another opportunity to change your squad later in the season.
There are a few important rules to remember:
- You cannot use the Free Hit in Gameweek 1. The opening Gameweek has unlimited transfers available, so the chip isn’t needed.
- You can only use one chip per Gameweek. You cannot combine your Free Hit with another chip, such as Bench Boost or Triple Captain.
- You cannot use Free Hits in consecutive Gameweeks. If you play your first in Gameweek 19, you must wait until Gameweek 21 to use your second.
- Unused chips do not carry over between halves of the season. Your first Free Hit must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline or it will be lost.
It’s worth keeping an eye on the fixture calendar as the season progresses. Using your first Free Hit early can make sense in the right circumstances, but saving it for a more challenging Gameweek may offer greater value.
When To Free Hit In FPL
There isn’t one perfect time to play the Free Hit. It depends on your current squad, the upcoming fixtures and how many players you expect to score points that week. However, there are a few situations where the chip can be particularly useful.
Blank Gameweeks
Blank Gameweeks are often the first thing managers consider when planning a Free Hit. These occur when some Premier League teams don’t have a league fixture, often because of domestic cup commitments.
If several of your players have no match that week, your squad could be left with a handful of empty positions. The Free Hit allows you to bring in players who do have fixtures, giving you a better chance of fielding a full starting XI.
Difficult fixtures
You don’t necessarily need a Blank Gameweek to justify using the chip. If several of your players face tough opponents in the same round, you could temporarily replace them with players who have more favourable fixtures.
For example, you might have multiple players facing top-six opposition while several other teams have attractive home matches. A Free Hit lets you target those fixtures without permanently losing your original picks.
Injuries and suspensions
A sudden wave of injuries or suspensions can leave your squad short of reliable starters. If several players are unavailable at once, the Free Hit can help you navigate the problem for one Gameweek without using a Wildcard to make permanent changes.
Before activating it, though, consider whether a couple of normal transfers would solve the issue. The Free Hit is a valuable resource, so it’s worth saving it for a week when you can make several meaningful improvements.
Is The Free Hit Worth Using?
The Free Hit is most valuable when your existing squad is poorly positioned for a particular Gameweek and you can identify enough better options to make a difference.
Blank Gameweeks are an obvious opportunity, but they aren’t automatically the best time to use it. If you already have plenty of players with fixtures, the chip might not improve your team enough to justify using it.
It’s also worth looking beyond the immediate Gameweek. A Wildcard is generally better when you need to rebuild your squad for the long term, while the Free Hit is designed for a short-term change. Think about how your team will look once your original players return.
Ultimately, the key is to avoid using the chip simply because a Gameweek looks difficult. Assess your squad, check the fixtures and consider the alternatives first. With two Free Hits available in the 2026/27 season, using each at the right moment could give you a useful advantage over your mini-league rivals.
