International breaks are always popular times for Wildcards in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), and with Double Gameweek 33 on the horizon, usage is about to spike again.
Not far off 20% of the site readers in our sidebar vote said they are planning to activate the Wildcard chip ahead of Gameweek 31, so it’s with this in mind that we have produced a position-by-position guide to pick out the best and most discussed options in each category.
All stats taken from this article are from our Premium Members Area.
NICK POPE
Nick Pope (£5.4m) has been Burnley’s most reliable Fantasy performer this season, claiming 91 points.
It’s a fairly modest total that ranks joint-10th among goalkeepers, largely due to a shaky start which saw the Clarets keep just one clean sheet across the opening 12 rounds.
However, from Gameweek 14 onwards, the England international has rediscovered his best form, producing a further six clean sheets and averaging an impressive 4.8 points per start, a tally only bettered by Alisson (£6.0m) among first-choice ‘keepers.
Burnley’s style of play – low pass completion among defenders, few goals scored at the other end – also works to Pope’s advantage on the Bonus Points System (BPS), with his total of eight in 2021/22 only surpassed by Aaron Ramsdale (£5.1m), Alisson and Jose Sa (£5.3m).
Sean Dyche’s side, meanwhile, have a nice blend of quantity and quality of fixture ahead: they have more matches (five) and Double Gameweeks (two) than any other team in the next three rounds. These include meetings with rock-bottom Norwich City, an Everton side with the league’s worst away record and a potentially ‘on the beach’ Southampton outfit who have lost their last four matches in all competitions.
Defensively, only one team (Brighton and Hove Albion) below eighth in the table have conceded fewer goals than their 38, while their total of seven clean sheets ranks a pretty decent joint-ninth overall.
DAVID DE GEA
David de Gea (£5.1m) has been one of Manchester United’s best performers this season, with his eye-catching saves drawing attention.
Since Ralf Rangnick’s arrival in Gameweek 15, the Spaniard is averaging 4.2 points per start, while his +5.0 expected goals (xG) prevented tally is better than any other goalkeeper.
Notably, his 80.8% save percentage is only trumped by Alisson and Sa among first-choice stoppers, with his 59 saves a prime example of just how crucial he is to the Red Devils.
Questions have understandably been raised over United’s defence, having conceded 40 goals across the season so far. However, they have allowed just 16 in 15 Premier League matches under Rangnick – including five clean sheets – and six of those arrived in their last two games against table-toppers Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Now, out of all cup competitions at home and abroad, United are one of three top-seven sides who are free to concentrate solely on league matches between now and the end of the season. They too face struggling Everton and Norwich, along with two clubs who have packed schedules over the coming two months, Leicester City and Liverpool. In addition, there are also appealing matches against Brentford, Brighton and Crystal Palace during the run-in.
KASPER SCHMEICHEL
Kasper Schmeichel (£4.8m) could be a decent pick for those on a Wildcard with Leicester City scheduled to play twice in Double Gameweek 33 against Newcastle United and Everton.
Notably, the Foxes have also played fewer matches than the majority of other clubs in the division, increasing the likelihood of further ‘doubles’ in Gameweek 36/37.
Brendan Rodgers’ side aren’t exactly in stellar defensive form, but have kept two clean sheets in their last four matches, a period which has seen the Dane rack up 16 saves, averaging 5.3 points per start.
Across the season, it’s also worth noting that Schmeichel ranks fourth for saves (97) and joint-fourth for bonus (8), which is more encouraging for those eyeing him up and hoping to capitalise on those additional fixtures.
Another appealing factor is that he is nailed, which certainly isn’t the case for any of Leicester’s defenders, in light of the return to fitness of Jonny Evans (£5.4m), Wesley Fofana (£4.3m), Timothy Castagne (£5.3m) and James Justin (£4.9m).
ALSO CONSIDER
Aaron Ramsdale was missing from Arsenal’s matchday squad altogether in Gameweek 30, and has since pulled out of international duty because of fitness concerns. Mikel Arteta confirmed before kick-off that FPL’s most-owned goalkeeper has a hip injury, saying “… he will be out for a few weeks. He wasn’t comfortable in the last 50 minutes against Liverpool.” He is obviously a doubt for Gameweek 31, then, but if he were to make a recovery, he instantly becomes one of the best ‘keeper options for those on a Wildcard.
Ramsdale kept his 12th clean sheet of the Premier League season in Gameweek 29, which is some feat considering Arsenal still have 10 games to play and the only goalkeepers with more are Ederson (£6.1m) and Alisson. As a result, the England international is averaging 4.9 points per match, the second-best figure among first-choice ’keepers.
The Gunners are in good form and have only lost two of their last 12 Premier League games. That has seen them shoot up the table and into the top four, and with no cup or European fixtures in the coming months, they just have Premier League games to concentrate on. They also have two decent fixtures up next (one of which is against the team on the joint-longest losing run in the division, Brighton) before their Double Gameweek 33.
Martin Dubravka (£4.4m), meanwhile, is a reasonable budget pick, whose form has picked up following the arrival of Eddie Howe. In his last nine appearances, he has kept three clean sheets, averaging 4.1 points per start, while his +1.90 xG prevented figure ranks fifth among ‘keepers.
Newcastle United get to play three games in succession on Tyneside between Gameweeks 32 and 33, while they also have appealing away trips to Norwich and Burnley during the run-in.
