For a lot of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers, the initial plan was to collect early free transfers and build a medium-term squad. However, reality has interfered and thrown up some bad situations that – to the extremely unlucky – may force a Gameweek 3 Wildcard activation.
Erling Haaland (£15.1m) and Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) are already joint-top of the leaderboard for points but it remains difficult to have both. We’ll explore all three circumstances involving owning this heavyweight duo.
Managers have until the Gameweek 19 deadline to use the first Wildcard. These unlimited free transfers are a chance to fix all mistakes and start planning for the future.
So let’s list the pros and cons of a Gameweek 3 Wildcard, then provide a few draft ideas.
PROS
If you successfully navigated last week’s Jarell Quansah (£4.4m) and Valentin Barco (£4.0m) problems, only to also own a combination of Dominic Solanke‘s (£7.5m) injury, an ill Phil Foden (£9.4m), the benched Christopher Nkunku (£6.4m) and goalless forwards Alexander Isak (£8.5m) and Ollie Watkins (£9.0m), there must be a huge temptation to hit the reset button rather than take points hits.
With the real-life transfer window closing on Friday, managers should get some answers in the final hours before Gameweek 3’s deadline.
Plenty of price rises and falls are taking place, so team value can be boosted by jumping onto bandwagons.
CONS
On the other hand, it’s way too reactionary to make judgements this early. For example, Isak next faces Tottenham Hotspur and Watkins is entering a great-looking run of matches.
Yet, apart from Aston Villa, no obvious fixture swings are taking place in Gameweek 3. Salah soon has Nottingham Forest and then Bournemouth at home but fellow premium midfielder Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) takes over after that point.
Wildcarding now could quickly backfire because there’ll also be a huge gap until the second usage of this chip, taking place in the latter half of 2024/25.
GAMEWEEK 3 WILDCARD IDEAS
SALAH YES, HAALAND NO
If you absolutely have to go without the player with the most goals (four), big chances (four) and shots on target (six) so far, at least the £6.0m released from downgrading him to Watkins can allow depth all over the pitch.
As a consolation prize for having no Manchester City stars, it unlocks a premium midfield of Salah, Saka and Cole Palmer (£10.5m), where cheap assets Emile Smith Rowe (£5.6m), Morgan Rogers (£5.0m) and Joao Pedro (£5.5m) can rotate for two attacking spots because their upcoming fixtures dovetail nicely.
This squad is also without Pedro Porro (£5.5m) but an alternative is to use him and Arsenal’s Gabriel (£6.0m) instead of Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) and a £4.5m name.
HAALAND YES, SALAH NO
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