Opinion

When is the best time to play your FPL Wildcard?

After a great Gameweek 1 for many, Gameweek 2 brought a lot of us back down to earth with a bang.

So much so, that quite a few managers are activating their first Wildcard already, after just two weeks.

We spend months pulling our hair out building a Gameweek 1 squad only to rip it up before September has even arrived. That’s FPL. Things change so quickly.

It’s going to be a very interesting few weeks ahead to see how the early Wildcarders perform against those who are taking a more patient approach.

The beauty of FPL is that there is no right or wrong way to play it. You play the game the way you want to. If you care about what others think about your decision to Wildcard/not Wildcard, you need to take a step back and reassess things.

Do what’s right for your squad and ignore everything else. Don’t let the ‘noise’ influence your decision and that goes for any transfer not just Wildcarding.

Early transfers have been a hot topic this week too. I have always been a very patient FPL manager and it has served me well in the past, but I find with each new season, it is getting more and more difficult to play the waiting game, particularly in these early weeks when the transfer market is crazy.

I made rare early moves on Monday night as I had £0.0m to play with for my intended targets.

It is easier to move early at this stage of the campaign as there is less chance of issues arising during the week with no cup/European matches (apart from Wolves – stay safe Diogo!), and also the fact that the Wildcard is always there to fall back on if disaster does strike before the weekend.

As often as I can this season, I will continue to wait until Friday night to gather all the information possible before pulling the trigger, but as we’ve seen this week, sometimes you’ve got no choice but to act fast. Teemu Pukki (£6.8m) better act fast in Saturday’s early kick-off!

Double Liverpool defence is likely to be abandoned by most Wildcarders this week and by those looking to free up funds for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne (£9.6m) and Harry Kane (£11.0m).

The Liverpool defence has disappointed thus far but if it wasn’t for Adrian’s (£4.5m) howler against Southampton, and Danny Ings‘ (£6.0m) miss, the narrative would be very different this week.

Looking past the Arsenal fixture this weekend, Jurgen Klopp’s side face Burnley (away), Newcastle (home) and Sheffield United (away) in the next four.

Patience could well be rewarded with the likes of Virgil van Dijk (£6.5m), Andrew Robertson (£7.0m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m).

A clean sheet against Arsenal this weekend could see Wildcarders scrambling to get their ditched Liverpool defenders back in ahead of Gameweek 4.

There was a tweet doing the rounds on Wednesday about Benjamin Mendy (£6.0m) being back in training which will have Oleksandr Zinchenko (£5.5m) owners slightly worried about his place in the City team.

Pep Guardiola has been quoted recently saying he wants to see Mendy train well for a month before considering him for selection, but it’s Pep, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Mendy make an appearance sooner than expected.

If you own Zinchenko, it’s an easy one though, you just keep him until Mendy does reappear. On a Wildcard though, it might be worth trying to find the extra £1.0m for Aymeric Laporte (£6.5m) for peace of mind.

The forgotten man of FPL, Son Heung-min (£9.5m) is likely to make a return to action at home to Newcastle this weekend. Owned by less than 2% of managers, he could be the ultimate differential in Gameweek 3.

There is no guarantee that he goes straight back into the starting XI though, so it does feel like a risky move. Fortune favours the brave!

Good news and bad news now. The good news is Callum Wilson (£7.9m) is gone! Watch him wipe out my Zinchenko clean sheet on Sunday and doing his salute celebration to rub it in.

The bad news is my wife beat me again in Gameweek 2 in our head to head league. She’s six points ahead already and mentions that fact every single day.

Martial was her hero last weekend and I have a feeling he could be my downfall again this weekend. Hopefully, I can claw back three points.

Good luck all in Gameweek 3 and have great weekend.

Lessons learned from Gameweek 2

637 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Don Rogers FC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Francis (currently benched) > Martial for a -4?

    This will then mean benching Lundstram or Moura .

    Help please.

    1. wolvesmad
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Would wait and play Lundstram

    2. Tommytour
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Take the hit, bench Lundstram

      1. Don Rogers FC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Casting vote anybody?

    3. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Play Lund

    4. Zero-ZeroIsABigScore
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Play Moura

    5. Marty McFly
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Play Moura

  2. Emiliano Sala
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Best 4.0 on WC? Can't afford lundstram
    Kelly? Hanley?...

    1. Pukki Blinders
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Hanley > Kelly

      1. Emiliano Sala
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Is he nailed when other injured defenders return?

        1. Pukki Blinders
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Probably not 100% nailed, but he is more nailed than Kelly. Manager praised Hanley also.

      2. Hart-ake
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Even with Norwich's defence? I'm sticking with Kelly.

        1. Emiliano Sala
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Agreed

        2. Pukki Blinders
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Plays for a better team no doubt, but Kelly will lose his place sooner than Hanley. Take your pick

    2. Tommytour
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I'm going Kelly just so I can play him against Villa next week.

      Then he's probably on the scrap heap.

      1. Emiliano Sala
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Exactly. I want him to play vs villa when I bench kwp!

        1. pablo discobar
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          He wont play v villa. Cahill will

          1. pingissimus
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 7 months ago

            Not necessarily an either or. Kelly is quite probably ahead of Dann - depends on Sakho largely I guess.

      2. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Could be touch and go. Sakho is very close and Cahill lurks. 50:50

    3. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Wouldn't want to be going with either on WC. Try find the length of Zimmerman & Klose's injuries that are keeping Hanley in the team, probably him if you must.

      1. Emiliano Sala
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        I wouldn't get these if I could afford better options

    4. clodhopper
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Kelly

  3. leo_messi
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 7 months ago

    Hi all.Need some help to complete my WC team.

    Ryan
    AWB - Zinczenko - Lundstram - XXX
    Sterling(vc) - Mane - KDB - Martial - Mount
    Kane(c)

    sub: Button - XXX - Greenwood - Wickham

    A) Emerson + El Mohamady
    B) Digne + Kelly

    Thanks

    1. wolvesmad
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      B

    2. Tommytour
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      B

    3. Don Rogers FC
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      B

    4. Zenith UK
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      B

    5. Johnny 8
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      B

    6. Pinturicchio10
        4 years, 7 months ago

        As a wc squad, this looks like a disaster.

      • Marty McFly
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        A

    7. Hart-ake
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Which one:

      a) Mount + Adams
      b) McGinn+ Jota

      1. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        B

      2. wolvesmad
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        B

      3. Emiliano Sala
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Mount + anyone

        1. Hart-ake
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          I'm on WC and tempted to draft in Mount + a 6m striker (probably Adams) for the next two and then probably downgrade to McGinn in GW 5 and bring in Barnes for Burnley's fixture shift.

    8. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Am I GTG?
      Pope
      TAA,VVD,Coleman,Montoya,Lundstram
      Salah,Sterling,KDB,Martial
      Pukki

      Bench:McGovern,King,Dendoncker,Wickham

      1. ChickenTikkaMoSalah
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Sterling captain

      2. Don Rogers FC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Looks strong

    9. Zenith UK
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Fill the blanks please;

      Pope
      Digne, AWB, Zinc, Lund, Kelly
      Sterling, KDB, XXX, Ceballos, Mane
      Kane

      McGovern, Kelly, XXX, Wickham

      A) Martial & Greenwood - (0 ITB)
      B) Cantwell & Pukki - (0.9 ITB)

      1. Fulchester's New Centr…
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        B of those. A stretching too thin.

        1. Zenith UK
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Thought of going without a Man U attacker worries the life out of me... I'm currently on A

      2. Sharkytect
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        A

    10. Clickzy
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Best defender £5.5m & under?

      1. Fernando Torres
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Maguire

      2. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Coleman, Mina, AWB, Maguire, Boly ... uff the list continues, sorry not helping much 😉

      3. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Zinchenko for now.
        Possibly Zouma/Christensen, whoever's partners Rudiger.

      4. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Maguire or Zinchenko if you believe Pep will want Mendy training for a month before playing.

    11. Tosa86
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I played the WC:

      ryan
      Vvd-AWB-lundstram-digne
      mane-kdb-sterling-ceballos
      Rashford-pukki.

      Pope-king-cantwell-kelly

      1) mane+ceballos or salah dedoncker?
      2) mane or sterling captain?
      3) king or ceballos?

      1. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Very nice

        King? Dubious.

        I’d get a City defender. King is strictly pens with very occasional other return provided Wilson is up top. He’ll return of course but hus real value last season was when he went up top when Wilson was out.

        City have a truly glorious fixture run stretching as far as the eye can see.

        1. Tosa86
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Do you suggest downgrade king and upgrade someone for city defender and play with 442?

      2. Fulchester's New Centr…
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        1. M & C
        2. Raheem
        3. King (pens)

    12. Athletic Nasherbo
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Has Mark played his wildcard this week?

      1. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        How do we know? And why is it relevant? 😉

      2. Cok3y5murf
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Spying has been abolished

        1. Rupert The Horse
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Good

        2. Athletic Nasherbo
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          No I just saw in a popular video on YouTube that Mark has wildcards in the comments. Was just wondering if id missed anything.

          1. Athletic Nasherbo
            • 7 Years
            4 years, 7 months ago

            *used his wildcard

      3. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Nobody would heave any idea.

    13. Jimbo-Jones
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Would you bite bullet for -4?

      Robertson Robinson King
      To
      Montoya/Dunk/4.5 Martial Pukki

      1. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        No. Robertson will improve when Alison is back.

      2. yakirh
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Yes

    14. Bad Butcher
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Rash or Martial?

      1. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Martial.

      2. Bobby Digital
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Mart

      3. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Ma

      4. Rust Cohle
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Mmmmmmm

    15. tvz32
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      When choosing between 2 great captaincy options, do you take into account their ownership %?

      1. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        No

      2. Magic Zico
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Points and points alone

      3. Cok3y5murf
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        I don't take ownership into account for anything.

      4. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        No, especially not in GW3.

      5. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Ownership comes last for me

      6. GreennRed
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        No.Put stethoscope on your guts to hear the instinct 😉

      7. Maximus Bonimus Pointimus
        • 14 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Na, always pick the one you think will score most

      8. Sharkytect
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Nope

      9. Wensink
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Yes. Which is why I’m captaining Kane over Sterling this GW. A potential huge differential as majority of top 100K owners are going with Sterling.

    16. Karan14
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Pope
      AWB - Digne - __ - __ - Lundstarm
      Mane - Sterling - KDB - Martial - __
      Pukki - Barnes - Wickham

      Considering these options for my last 3 players on wildcard:

      A) VVD, Laporte & Cantwell (442)
      B) TAA, Walker/Zinchenko & Cantwell (442)
      C) TAA, Mount & Soyuncu (352)

      Appreciate your thoughts! 🙂

      1. Fulchester's New Centr…
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        A

      2. Stef rocks
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        A mainly for the security of start

      3. Zenith UK
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        A

      4. Sharkytect
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        A

    17. jaywills
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      A) Kyle Walker, Ayoze Perez and Martial?
      Or
      B) Robertson, McGinn and Martial?

      Either would result in a Man City/Liverpool defensive double up (I have TAA and Zinchenko already)

      1. Fulchester's New Centr…
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        B

    18. SHOWSTOPPERRR
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Robinson and Perez to drop today guys?

      1. Rupert The Horse
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Perez should.

    19. KingOllie
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      im currently benching VVD and Perez for Lundstram and Soyuncu. This GW could end up a disaster... im banking on arsenal scoring and she/lei being a tight game

      Heaton
      Robertson Soyuncu Coleman Lundstram
      Sterling(C) KDB Martial Ceballos
      Auba Jota

      Perez / VVD / Greeny

      1. Miguel Sanchez
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Play VVD over Soyuncu at least.

        1. KingOllie
          • 8 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Ceballos and auba vs robbo and vvd makes me feel sick

      2. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Bring Perez and VVD on. Sheff will concede and Soyuncu offers nothing except CSs, VVD has goal threat and plays for Liverpool...

    20. xuwei
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Which is better:

      a) Zinc, Wood and Che/>6, or
      b) Laporte, Barnes and Greenwood?

      Zinc may not be long term vs. Greenwood barely plays.

      1. Fulchester's New Centr…
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        A unless Greenwood 3rd sub

        1. xuwei
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Cheers.

    21. La Roja
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      What to do here chaps? Need advise;

      Pope
      TAA VvD Digne Zinchenko
      Salah KDB Perez Fraser
      Kane Jota

      4.0 Lundstram Dendoncker Wickham

      2 FT’s

      A) Jota Fraser VvD ➡ Pukki Martial AWB -4
      B) Wickham TAA Fraser ➡ Pukki Martial Hanley -4
      C) Fraser Perez ➡ Trossard Martial
      D) other

    22. Rover
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      I'm having a benching dilemma. Who would you bench among the following:

      Digne (avl)
      TAA (ARS)
      Zinchenko (bou)
      Dunk (SOU)
      Lundstram (LEI)

      Obviously I'd start Digne and TAA, but I'm not sure who among the other three to bench in a 433 for this GW.

      1. Fulchester's New Centr…
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Tough. Dunk?

      2. Canary_Kid
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Lundstrum

    23. The Royal Robin
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Hey guys, on my WC and I’m between these combos of big hitters. Which would you pick?

      A) Martial & Kane
      B) KDB & Rashford

      1. Fulchester's New Centr…
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        B

      2. TheWizz
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        A

    24. Bucky Barnes
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Wildcard Team fro GW3
      Pope
      AWB, Digne, KWP
      McGinn, Trossard, Martial, Salah, Sterling (C)
      Pukki, Kane

      Button, Almo, Lunds, Andone

      Get ready the points tidal wave

    25. TheWizz
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Has Barkley and Abraham fallen down the pecking order, or will Lamps just keep rotating through the season??
      It just seems Mount and Giroud has the upper hand!

      1. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Giroud starting one game doesn't mean he has the upper hand. Abraham is favoured more over Giroud imo

        1. TheWizz
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Thanks. And what do you reckon about the Chelsea midfield and Pedro and Barkley in particular?

          1. Pukki Blinders
            • 4 Years
            4 years, 7 months ago

            A bit late but they aren't nailed, Pedro and Willian will likely rotate. Mount and Pulisic are probably your safest bets

      2. Stef rocks
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Yeah seems like for now at least for next 2 GWs. However I expect a lot of rotation once EL starts in Mid of sept

        1. TheWizz
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 7 months ago

          Who would you rather have in Draft mode:
          2 out of: Barkley, Pedro, Ceballos
          1 of:: Abraham or Barnes

    26. jaguar shark
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Pope or Ryan? And which 4.0 do you pick with Pope??

      1. FOO FIGHTER
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Pope and Button

      2. Pukki Blinders
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        No 4.0s start so doesn't matter. Most have Button though

    27. Canary_Kid
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      a) Digne and Zinch
      b) Robbo and Soyuncu

      (no other Liverpool defence)

    28. Badgevilla
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Stop with the wife thing seriously it#s your 2nd team.

      This WC talk is boring.... Unless you're doing absolutely crap then there is no point in activating your WC

      1. Bobby Digital
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        This... WC teams look like the ones picked 2 weeks ago. Only two games gone..

      2. Rust Cohle
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Is there a hot topic on wives?

    29. TheWizz
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Abraham or Barnes?
      Ceballos or Barkley/Pedro?

    30. Fpl Richie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Will Klose be back in the side for Norwich this weekend or next? Assume he's replacing Hanley?

      1. Fpl Richie
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 7 months ago

        Mind you Zimmerman back too

    31. Rust Cohle
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Interested in people’s thoughts on Chicharito and Welbeck?

      Chicharito:
      —Nice next 3 fixtures
      —How soon will Haller settle in and push Chicharito to the side?

      Welbeck:
      —Quality, but oft-injured.
      —Will he start with Deeney out injured?
      —Like Chicharito, next 3 fixtures aren’t bad for attacking returns.

      Too punty or quality differentials?

      Is there anyone else in the 6.0M or less FWD bracket that people are considering a short-term roll of the dice on?

    32. $carface
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 7 months ago

      Sterling vs Kane captain is doing my head. Already swapped over 10 times this week. Not sure where it's gonna end up.