Many Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers are activating a Wildcard over the international break, ahead of the Gameweek 5 deadline.
Just over 30% of responders in our on-site poll are planning to play the chip ahead of the upcoming Gameweek:
In this article, we outline the upsides and downsides of using the chip right now and put together our own Gameweek 5 Wildcard draft.
PROS
PUT OUT SOME FIRES
Firstly, a Gameweek 5 Wildcard allows you to get rid of a few major injuries. Reece James (£5.3m) and John Stones (£5.3m) are almost back but fellow defenders Luke Shaw (£5.4m), Raphael Varane (£5.0m) and Tyrone Mings (£4.3m) may still be lingering.
Alongside this could be a desire to sell some out-of-form assets. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford (£4.5m) has let down over a million managers by collecting just five points from four matches, whilst Richarlison (£6.8m) may have lost his place and Gabriel Magalhaes (£4.8m) isn’t nailed on anymore. We’ve already seen Joao Pedro (£5.5m) be rotated at Brighton and Hove Albion and that’s before European football begins.
REACT TO INTERNATIONAL INJURIES
Similarly, deploying the Wildcard during an international break lets managers effortlessly remove those hurt during their round-the-world adventures. It’s a common tactic that can also be applied to the breaks preceding Gameweeks 9 and 13.
So far, we’ve already seen Gameweek 4 hat-trick hero Evan Ferguson (£6.0m) withdraw from Republic of Ireland duty due to a knee problem, Destiny Udogie (£4.7m) stay in north London to recover from a fever and England duo Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.9m) and Jack Grealish (£7.3m) be declared injured.
TRANSFER WINDOW IS CLOSED
The transfer window closed on Friday, just hours after the Gameweek 4 deadline. Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United and Manchester United were particularly active in its final days, providing a knock-on effect to certain FPL players.
- READ MORE: Transfer deadline day live: The new FPL arrivals
- READ MORE: FPL transfer round-up: Baleba, Castagne + more
- READ MORE: Is Mohammed Kudus a good buy at £6.5m?
Loaning Sergio Reguilon (£4.4m) to cover Shaw’s injury could give defensive coverage of Man United for a small price but their sale of Dean Henderson (£4.5m) to Crystal Palace will make Sam Johnstone (£4.5m) owners nervous.
Everton have signed forward Beto (£6.0m), whilst Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku (£6.5m) and Matheus Nunes (£5.0m) add competition for Phil Foden (£7.6m) and Julian Alvarez (£6.7m).
It’s also about the transfers that didn’t happen – knowing that no more will occur suddenly adds security to the situation.
NEW ENABLERS HAVE EMERGED
Champions League regular Odysseas Vlachodimos (£4.5m) surely isn’t joining Nottingham Forest to be a substitute, although Matt Turner‘s (£4.0m) unexpected Gameweek 4 clean sheet might postpone the panic for those needing him as a cheap back-up goalkeeper. Still, Alphonse Areola (£4.1m) seems like a better route.
Enablers like Carney Chukwuemeka (£4.4m) and Divin Mubama (£4.4m) are either injured or not playing. Instead, the moves of Cameron Archer (£4.5m) and James McAtee (£4.4m) to Sheffield United suggest regular starts for small prices. Nuno Tavares (£4.0m) may be Forest’s new left wing-back, although he’ll have to muscle past Ola Aina (£4.5m).
Furthermore, midfielder Pape Matar Sarr (£4.5m) is scoring for Spurs and forward Antoine Semenyo (£4.5m) is impressing at Bournemouth. For slightly more money, you can have Double Gameweek 7’s Lyle Foster (£5.0m) on the back of two goals from three Burnley starts.
BOOSTS TEAM VALUE
Another strategy is to use the Wildcard to jump into the hectic world of early price changes. Sell those about to drop and collect the Spurs players likely to shoot up in ownership.
That will marginally increase your future budget – it could be the difference between affording the next bandwagon and not.
CONS
BIGGER FIXTURE SWINGS TO COME
The most notable Gameweek 5 fixture improvement belongs to out-of-form Newcastle United. However, beyond a Kieran Trippier (£6.5m) or Sven Botman (£4.5m) purchase, it’s not until Gameweek 9 that a big switch takes place.
The likes of Liverpool, West Ham United and Aston Villa get an attractive run, whilst Chelsea certainly do not.
LONG TIME UNTIL SECOND WILDCARD
Officially, the final Wildcard can be used from Gameweek 21. But realistically most managers will opt to use it nearer the final stretch, where Blank and Double Gameweeks take place.
If Gameweek 5 Wildcarders want the second Wildcard to be later, it means a huge gap in between. Over 20 rounds, giving plenty of time for a squad to fall apart and crawl from week to week.
Man City and Brentford are already known to have a Blank Gameweek 18, while January’s Africa Cup of Nations will affect the availability of numerous players.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, BREAK GLASS
Additionally, it’s simply a source of comfort for managers to remember they have a Wildcard in their back pocket in case things quickly go wrong. Such reassurance can then allow shorter-term experimental punts, knowing that a disaster can immediately be averted.
It truly depends on each manager’s situation. Some depleted squads are in dire need of a Wildcard. But, for the rest, a few free transfers can navigate current concerns and therefore allow a postponing of the chip until later on.
DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 7
Playing a Wildcard now could be viewed as a pro or a con after Thursday’s Double Gameweek 7 announcement.
On the one hand, if you are keen on a Hail Mary pick or two from Burnley or Luton Town ahead of the season’s first ‘double’, you can recruit them now.
On the other hand, players from the Hatters and the Clarets – who are still point-less in the Premier League – surely aren’t long-term holds beyond their ‘double’. So a Wildcard in, say, Gameweek 8 and 9 can help remove the lingering Morrises or Fosters and replace them with more desirable options.
A GAMEWEEK 5 WILDCARD DRAFT
Taking all this into account, let’s use PlanFPL to put together a good Wildcard squad for this week.
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