FPL Gameweek 25 Wildcard: Pros, cons and three possible drafts

Chip season is firmly underway for Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers – and Gameweek 25 is another chance to use the second Wildcard of 2024/25.

These unlimited free transfers can fix the current problems within your squad and also start planning for the future. It’s ideal for the unlucky managers who find themselves plagued by injuries and suspensions.

So here are the pros and cons of a Gameweek 25 Wildcard, plus a few draft ideas.

Don’t forget that you can get your Wildcard team rated via our Rate My Team tool or the Plan FPL planner!

• READ MORE: Do I keep my free transfers when I use an FPL Wildcard?

GAMEWEEK 25 WILDCARD: THE PROS

IT MAXIMISES DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 25

We’re about to enter the second successive Double Gameweek, while also being drip-fed extra information regarding later ones.

The Reds and Aston Villa will be featuring twice, both hosting relegation battlers before next Wednesday’s clash at Villa Park.

Therefore, Wildcard activators can aim for an immediate boost by picking three players from each side.

YOU CAN REACT TO FIXTURE SWINGS

As explored in our latest fixture frisk, it’s a good time to stock up on Bournemouth players. Of course, it’s not like recent ‘tough’ encounters have intimidated midfield trio Justin Kluivert (£5.9m), Dango Ouattara (£5.1m) and Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m). They keep delivering and no side has conceded fewer home goals, either.

Another team to jump onto is Brentford, should managers not own Bryan Mbeumo (£7.9m) or Yoane Wissa (£6.3m). Whereas West Ham United’s main asset for their upcoming run is the now-fit Jarrod Bowen (£7.3m).

CLEAR OUT THE UNWANTED

Simultaneously, this Wildcard is a chance to get rid of players that keep failing – such as Joao Pedro (£5.5m) and Nicolas Jackson (£7.8m) – plus those entering difficult fixtures like Anthony Gordon (£7.6m), Lewis Hall (£5.1m) and Josko Gvardiol (£5.9m).

Nottingham Forest’s next four outings are against teams that beat them in the reverse meeting. Chris Wood (£7.1m) blanked each time but he’d be a risky sale.

GAMEWEEK 25 WILDCARD: THE CONS

IT PREVENTS ASSISTANT MANAGER AND TRIPLE CAPTAIN

FPL managers can only activate one chip at a time, so Wildcarding now will block these great opportunities to use either Triple Captain or Assistant Manager.

With fewer upcoming Double Gameweeks than in previous campaigns, perhaps chip priority should instead go to these two. Historically, most managers tend to Wildcard in preparation for doubles, rather than during them.

GOING HEAVY ON THIS DOUBLE WILL TOUGHEN BLANK GAMEWEEK 29

Of course, pulling in the opposite direction to Liverpool and Aston Villa’s twin appearances is their subsequent Gameweek 29 absence.

Considering it’ll also be a blank for Newcastle United and Crystal Palace, the four free transfers between now and then might not be enough to field a full XI.

A BIGGER DOUBLE IS COMING UP

Then, one option will be to Free Hit. But without either that or a Wildcard, it’d become incredibly tough to navigate the Double Gameweek 33 and Blank Gameweek 34 sequence. Especially if Bench Boost usage is intended for the former.

Double Gameweek 36 is another on the horizon, so Wildcarding now just feels too early.

GAMEWEEK 25 WILDCARD IDEAS

DRAFT 1: WORRY ABOUT GAMEWEEK 29 LATER

As always, these drafts could either be slightly too expensive or have enough in the bank for an upgrade, depending on your own squad’s value. It may afford Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.4m) over Virgil van Dijk (£6.4m) but the latter has more secure game time.

Here, the mindset is that owning three Liverpool, three Aston Villa, Alexander Isak (£9.5m) and Daniel Munoz (£4.8m) is fine – it can attack Double Gameweek 25 and use free transfers to replace Isak, Ollie Watkins (£8.9m), Morgan Rogers (£5.6m) and possibly even Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) before the blank. A full defence isn’t essential, just make sure Forest’s trip to Ipswich Town is covered.

Up front, Joao Pedro has started Brighton and Hove Albion’s latest 13 league matches but was withdrawn at half-time in Gameweek 24 and didn’t start Saturday’s FA Cup win over Chelsea, making the further forward Danny Welbeck (£5.5m) more appealing.

Instead, that spot could be Raul Jimenez (£5.6m) or whoever the budget stretches to.

DRAFT 2: A BALANCED APPROACH

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