For those Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers with the Wildcard still intact, when is the best time to use it?
In this article, we run through the pros and cons of playing the Wildcard in Gameweeks 32 and 35, the two most popular windows that remain.
- READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 32 Wildcard: 3 drafts to consider
- READ MORE: Who are the teams with a Double Gameweek 33 + Blank Gameweek 34?
GAMEWEEK 32 WILDCARD: THE PROS
Double Gameweek 33 Bench Boost
A Gameweek 32 Wildcard allows you to load up on Gameweek 33 ‘doublers’, with a Bench Boost in mind.
Bournemouth, Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds United and Manchester City are the six teams that play twice in Gameweek 33:
Therefore, you could potentially include 14 ‘doublers’ on your Wildcard, as well as the in-form Bruno Fernandes (£10.3m), who is very difficult to leave out given his Gameweek 32 fixture at home to Leeds.
Although it’s not guaranteed, this approach puts you in a really strong position to rack up a big Double Gameweek 33 score, in turn propelling you up the rankings.
Neale has already looked at a few Gameweek 32 Wildcard drafts to consider in this piece here.
Get on Brighton early
Brighton have a superb Gameweek 32 fixture, away at Burnley, so it’s the perfect entry point for a triple-up.
We’ve already discussed the merits of a defensive triple-up here, with Jack Hinshelwood (£5.1m) and Danny Welbeck (£6.2m) alternatives further forward.
Like Brighton, Leeds also have some decent fixtures to target in Gameweeks 35 to 38 (BUR, tot, BHA, whu), so look decent bets for the run-in.
Stock up on Man City
Man City visit Chelsea in Gameweek 32, who have kept just one clean sheet in 15 Premier League matches.
They follow it up with a Double Gameweek 33, and remember, City will have another ‘double’ beyond that one, likely in Gameweek 36.
Erling Haaland (£14.4m), who many FPL managers have recently sold, will have plenty of interest after Saturday’s hat-trick against Liverpool, while Antoine Semenyo (£8.2m) is hard to look past in midfield.
Defensively, Nico O’Reilly (£5.0m) looks a threat regardless of position, as demonstrated by his FA Cup assist against the Reds.
Gameweek 34 Free Hit
After Bournemouth, Brighton, Burnley, Chelsea, Leeds and Man City ‘double’ in Gameweek 33, the same six teams then blank in Gameweek 34.
Gameweek 32 Wildcarders can subsequently Free Hit in Gameweek 34, allowing you to build an optimal squad for that specific round of fixtures.
Gameweek 34 fixtures, sorted by difficulty on our Season Ticker
The matchups admittedly don’t scream points, but it is, after all, part of a much bigger plan (which could include Triple Captain 36 if you still have it left), and probably shouldn’t be focused on in isolation.
GAMEWEEK 32 WILDCARD: THE CONS
Not great entry points
One of the ‘cons’ for playing a Gameweek 32 Wildcard is the fact that so many of the Gameweek 33 ‘doublers’ have poor entry points.
Bournemouth and Leeds are away at Arsenal and Manchester United respectively, for example.
Then there’s Man City and Chelsea, who play each other. You could feasibly have five or six of your starting XI involved in that fixture alone, which is far from ideal if there aren’t many goals.
So, the trade-off is clear: a weaker-looking XI this week, but lots of players with two fixtures in Gameweek 33.
No Arsenal players?
Arsenal not ‘doubling’ in Gameweek 33 has made it trickier for Gameweek 32 Wildcarders, as they have some great fixtures from now until the end of the season.
No Arsenal coverage could hurt in Gameweek 32, for example, when Mikel Arteta’s side are the bookies’ favourites to keep a clean sheet.
You could, of course, include Gabriel Magalhaes (£7.2m) in your Wildcard squad, who most managers will have value tied up in, but it isn’t ideal to maximise the Bench Boost chip in Gameweek 33, when Arsenal visit Man City.
Arsenal + Palace transfer focus in Gameweeks 35/36
Should you choose to exclude Arsenal players from your Wildcard, you will probably need to prioritise them in Gameweek 35, ideal for those with a few free transfers already banked.
But if you don’t fall into this category, it becomes a bit more complicated, especially considering that players from Crystal Palace may also need to be transferred in before their ‘double’.
Either way, it will give you less flexibility with transfers for the final few Gameweeks.
To help navigate this period, you could include someone like Ismaila Sarr (£6.3m) on your Gameweek 32 Wildcard. Bench Boosting a single Gameweek option isn’t ideal, but Palace do at least have West Ham United at home.
GAMEWEEK 35 WILDCARD: THE PROS
Keep Arsenal players + your Gameweek 32 team
One of the main advantages of a later Wildcard is that you can keep your Arsenal players.
The same applies to Man Utd and Liverpool assets, who both have favourable on-paper fixtures in Gameweek 32.
Gameweek 32 fixtures, sorted by difficulty on our Season Ticker
If you Wildcard this week, you’ll probably offload those aforementioned options because they don’t ‘double’ in Gameweek 33.
As a result, by holding off, your immediate points potential is likely higher.
Gameweek 33 Free Hit
A Gameweek 35 Wildcard could be preceded by a Gameweek 33 Free Hit, which would allow you to field a full team of ‘doublers’.
It means the Free Hit chip could be used a bit more aggressively, knowing that you don’t have to commit to these players for the remainder of the campaign.
It could open up a short-term punt on a Bournemouth attacker, or perhaps Man City’s Rayan Cherki (£6.3m).
If you do opt for a Gameweek 33 Free Hit/Gameweek 35 Wildcard approach, you can further differentiate this week with players like Matheus Cunha (£8.0m) and Jarrod Bowen (£7.6m), who enjoy decent home matches on either side.
Get ready for Palace’s Double Gameweek
A Gameweek 35 Wildcard allows you to triple-up on Crystal Palace assets, since they are expected to ‘double’ in Gameweek 36.
We’ll know if they are still in Europe by that point, which may influence our decisions on who to invest in.
Furthermore, you can target players from teams such as Arsenal, Newcastle United and Leeds, who have some favourable fixtures in the final four Gameweeks, by which point we’ll also know each team’s motivation for the run-in.
GAMEWEEK 35 WILDCARD: THE CONS
Is the Palace ‘double’ really that appealing?
Crystal Palace will likely face Everton (h) and Man City (a) in Gameweek 36, which isn’t the easiest of ‘doubles’ on paper, particularly if Pep Guardiola’s side are still in the title race.
The appeal of a later Wildcard also takes a hit if Palace are still in Europe, with the UEFA Conference League semi-finals set to take place on either side of Gameweek 35, which in turn would increase the risk of domestic rotation/minute management.
The Eagles are the current bookies’ favourites to win the Conference League, too.
A worse Bench Boost?
If you Bench Boost in Gameweek 36, you’ll probably be doing it with single Gameweek options, rather than ‘doublers’.
It perhaps has limited upside compared to Gameweek 33, then, when Wildcarders could get to enjoy three bench options playing twice, as well as Fernandes.
On a Gameweek 36 Bench Boost, you’ll likely be looking at cheap options from the likes of Brighton (at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Aston Villa (away at Burnley).
Time running out
By the time we reach Gameweek 35, we will be very much nearing the end of the 2025/26 season, giving the Wildcard limited time to make an impact and gain rank.
By going in Gameweek 32, it at least gives you a few more rounds of fixtures to try and eke as much out of the chip as possible.
Finally, if you do choose to pursue the Gameweek 35 Wildcard approach, it is crucial to consider Blank Gameweek 34 and ensure you have enough starters without taking multiple points hits.
