Free Hit or Triple Captain? The Ultimate GW13 Blueprint (READ THIS BEFORE DEADLINE)

📅 Gameweek 13 Deadline:
Saturday, 29 November — 13:30 GMT
Set your alarms, reminders, sticky notes, and whatever else prevents you from waking up at 13:33 holding back tears.

🛫 REMINDER:
AFCON absences are coming, which means your free transfers will auto-top up to a maximum of FIVE in GW16.
Use your all your free transfers by GW15.

🤒 Semenyo Illness Update:
Missed West Ham due to illness, but he’s back in training.

🩹 Cunha Injury:
Picked up a “minor” injury in training. Amorim says it’s “nothing serious”, but also “we cannot risk players.”
So he’s basically fine… but also not fine. Classic FPL.

⚡ Anthony Gordon Watch:
Started vs Marseille in the Champions League, played 72 minutes.

🔙 Ødegaard Returns:
Came on as a sub in the 80th minute against Bayern.

🤕 Trossard Trouble:
Taken off in the 38th minute against Bayern with an injury.

😵 Ekitike Update:
Withdrawn in the 61st minute vs PSV with an apparent back issue.
Things are getting from bad to worse for Slot.

How Did Your FPL Assets Do? 👇

CHELSEA 3-0 BARCELONA (UCL) ➡️ Estevao - 1 x ⚽, Delap - 1 x ⚽, James - 1 x 🅰️, Enzo - 1 x 🅰️

MAN CITY 0-2 LEVERKUSEN (UCL)

MARSEILLE 2-1 NEWCASTLE (UCL) ➡️ Barnes- 1 x ⚽,

ARSENAL 3-1 BAYERN (UCL) ➡️ Timber - 1 x ⚽, Madueke - 1 x ⚽, Martinelli - 1 x ⚽, Saka - 1 x 🅰️, Eze - 1 x 🅰️. Calafiori - 1 x 🅰️

LIVERPOOL 1-4 PSV (UCL) ➡️ Szoboszlai - 1 x ⚽

PSG 5-3 TOTTENHAM (UCL) ➡️ Richarlison - 1 x ⚽, Kolo Muani - 2 x ⚽ & 1 x 🅰️

ASTON VILLA 2-1 YOUNG BOYS (UEL)) ➡️ Malen - 2 x ⚽, Tielemans - 1 x 🅰️, Rogers- 1 x 🅰️

NOTTINGHAM 3-0 MALMO ➡️ Yates - 1 x ⚽ & 1 x 🅰️, Arnaud - 1 x ⚽, Milenkovic - 2 x ⚽

STRASBOURG 2-1 CRYSTAL PALACE ➡️ Mitchell - 1 x ⚽, Mateta - 1 x 🅰️

Among Other Things…. 👇

Keep scrolling — things only get spicier from here. If this newsletter were a kebab, you’re still at the first bite. 🌯🔥😎

➡️ Semenyo Watch:
Everything indicates that he should be fine for GW13… but essential? Nah. Man might not even be on pens anymore. 😅
Verdict: If you have him, keep him. 💨

➡️ Eze Owners Assemble (…or don’t):
Yes, he scored a hat-trick. 🎩⚽
No, that doesn’t mean you should impulse-buy. Fixture is Chelsea (A) next, and with Ødegaard’s return, his minutes might vanish faster than your rank after a -4 hit.
Wait till GW14 at least.

➡️ Minteh Mania:
An easy buy. 🔥
Cheap, nailed, not going to AFCON, and has only two tough fixtures in the next eight. Even Liverpool (A) looks less scary now.
Great long-term pick.

➡️ Rogers:
Good GW13 Free Hit option… but long term? Nope. For that price you deserve more joy. 😬

➡️ Elliot Anderson — DEFCON KING:
157 defensive contributions. Ranking No. 1. 🤖
Fixtures are nice. Budget-friendly.
A fantastic enabler. Respect him.

➡️ Muñoz Mayhem:
5 goal involvements + 6 clean sheets in 12 games. That’s Rogers, Gakpo & Doku-level goal involvement… from a defender.
Also: he’s on 4 yellows. Because of course he is. 😭
Proceed with chaos.

➡️ Van Dijk Survivors:
Yeah, frustrating returns. If you’ve already bought him, hold.🫂
Liverpool look like chaos incarnate, but WHU and Leeds are coming soon. Surely returns are coming, right?

➡️ City Defense — Enter the Pep Rollercoaster:
Fixtures = beautiful. 😍
Rotations = emotional trauma. 🎢
Gvardiol is safe-ish but doesn’t give DEFCONs.
O’Reilly? Fun punt and definitely GW13 Free Hit option. But long term option? Are you brave enough to overlook ‘Pep Rotations’? Especially when busy fixtures are knocking at the door?
Donnarumma is the safe pick — but do you really want to use a transfer on a goalkeeper who isn’t cheap? For GW13 Free Hit? Yes.

➡️ Arsenal vs Chelsea:
If you're already triple Arsenal, now’s a clever time to Free Hit.
BUT keeping one Arsenal defender might not be a bad idea— most managers won’t ditch Timber even for a bad fixture.
And Arsenal’s defense is still the best in the league. By miles. 🧱

➡️ Brentford Buffs:
Burnley (H) next — and Burnley have the worst xGA in the last 5. 🚨
Fixtures get ugly after… then beautiful again.
Thiago is becoming somewhat essential.
Kelleher is a cheap & cheerful GK for Free Hit. 🧤
For long-term? Only if your other GK covers GW14 and GW15.
Collins, Van den Berg, Schade, Dango — all playable for GW13 Free Hit.
But beware:
⚠️ Collins & Schade: 1 yellow from suspension ⚠️
🌍 Dango: AFCON departure pending 🌍

➡️ Man United Defense — A Public Service Announcement:
No.
Just… no. ❌
8 conceded in their last 5 and zero clean sheets.
But Bruno and Mbeumo? Yes, please. ✨

➡️ Cunha:
Once he’s fit and with Mbeumo at AFCON + Šeško out… minutes incoming.
Worth a watchlist spot. 👀

➡️ Aston Villa GW13 Targets:
Wolves have scored ONE goal in SIX away games. 🐺➡️🥶
Read that again.
Martinez = top-tier Free Hit GK.
Cash & Konsa = amazing value picks.
Double Villa defense?
Honestly… go wild. 🟣🔵

➡️ Newcastle Picks:
Fixtures are decent.
Woltemade deserves your attention.
Jacob Murphy? Your watchlist is calling. ☎️


Now keep scrolling — more fun stuff is coming. Captaincy Chaos, Differential Gems, Chip Strategy Brain Melt, and yes… team reveal (aka free therapy for everyone). 😎📊🔥

If you’re tired, stressed, emotionally fragile, or simply want green arrows… this is your captain.
Yes, he only got 6 points in the last two — but do we care? Leeds haven’t kept a clean sheet since forever and conceded 11 in their last 5, which is basically their way of screaming: “Please captain Haaland against us 🙏.”
City aren’t exactly shy either — second in goals, xG, and chance creation — and they desperately need a bounce-back after 2 straight defeats.
Haaland has already scored 2 in 2 against Leeds, and if City get even half their usual rhythm back, he’s in for one of those “how does he have a hat-trick already?” afternoons.
Verdict: The clear, logical, non-chaotic captain. Also a worthy TC shout. More on that later.

If you are thinking of not captaining Haaland, first of all — get yourself checked, and then think of Thiago. He is the brave (an understatement) option that could change your season or destroy it.
Burnley are bottom for xGA (last 5) and have conceded goals like it’s a charity initiative — 24 in 12 games.
Thiago, meanwhile, is on fire: scored 5 in last 5, most in form player in terms of xG (last 5) — all trending upward like a meme stock.
Verdict: A glorious differential pick… but requires courage, style, and possibly therapy.

Look, if you captain Rogers, I admire you.
I fear you (and for you).
But admire you.
Villa’s attack hasn’t been great statistically (their xG and chance creation numbers are… let’s just say “work in progress”), but Wolves’ defense has been even worse.
They’ve conceded 27 goals in 12 games and kept zero clean sheets — which is impressive in a tragic kind of way.
Rogers has quietly found form, bagging returns and becoming important to Villa’s resurgence. He’s got history against Wolves too, with two assists in his last two meetings.
Verdict: Wild, spicy, unhinged — but absolutely capable of paying off. The true gambler’s pick.

🛡️ Want safety? → Haaland

🚀 Want massive rank boosts? → Thiago

😬 Want to captain suspense itself? → Rogers

If Haaland hauls, you join the party.
If Thiago hauls, you own the party.
If Rogers hauls, you ARE the party.

Free Hit vs Triple Captain ⚔️

Let’s break it down like sensible managers—or at least try to.

🎯 If you only have Triple Captain left

This is a prime week to slap the TC on Haaland.
Why?

🆓 If you only have Free Hit left

GW13 is a banger of a Free Hit week 🔥

If your squad looks like:

Then the Free Hit lets you pivot into all the juicy fixtures:

Plus you get access to low-owned monsters with great potential for returns.

💣 If you have BOTH

You beautiful, disciplined, responsible FPL manager!
And now… you face a horrible dilemma.

Here’s the smart play:

→ Free Hit NOW (GW13)
→ Triple Captain in GW17

Why?

📣 So, to summarize 👇

I’ve been planning a GW13 Free Hit heist for a while now. But let me be brutally honest:
If we still had only one Free Hit like the prehistoric FPL era… would I use it this week?

Absolutely not.
I’d moan about a couple of bad fixtures, roll my eyes, pocket the 2.9m in the bank, bring in Bruno for Enzo, and call it a day. 🫠

But since we’ve been blessed with a bonus Free Hit before GW19—this feels like the perfect moment to unleash it. And yes, unlike responsible managers like you (…or not 👀), I’m fresh out of other chips.

Now, some picks explain themselves. Others need a “storytelling”. Grab your coffee. ☕️

🧤 Martinez + Cash (Aston Villa)
Facing the worst attack in the league by a mile.
Clean sheet potential? High.
.Villa defensive double-up? Automatic.

🛡 O’Reilly
Leeds away—aka the second-worst attack in the league.
Huge clean sheet potential + sneaky attacking returns.
Three goal contributions in his last five.
This is what we call “common sense FC.”

🛡 Van den Berg
Could’ve gone Collins instead, but VdB is cheaper and lets me splash cash elsewhere.

🔥 Why Salah + Gakpo?
Because West Ham defend like they’re allergic to clean sheets.
They’re the second-worst defense in the league.
If there was ever a week to back Liverpool attackers… it’s THIS one.
Is it risky?
A little.
Is it fun?
Absolutely.

🌪 Foden
Needed a City attacker outside of Haaland vs one of the worst defenses in the league.
Foden has the most minutes of all City attackers (other than Big Man Erling).
Doku? Tempting… but Pep never gives him 90 mins. 🕒

🐝 Schade
Three goal contributions in his last five.
Playing Burnley, who have conceded 24 goals already.

🦁 Rogers
Stats? Not great. Despite bagging an brace against Leeds last week.
Fixture? Glorious.
Wolves are the worst defense in the league.
I needed a Villa attacker. That’s the story. 👀

⭐ The No-Brainer Duo: Thiago & Haaland
If you were expecting an explanation here, you must be new.
I wish I could Free Hit and Triple Captain Haaland in the same week.
Alas, FPL doesn’t let us have nice things. 😭

Honestly?
I’m pretty buzzing about this team.
Big ceilings, spicy fixtures, explosive differentials—and enough risk to keep things interesting. 😎