As the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 5 deadline approaches, plenty of managers will be considering whether now is the right time to activate their Wildcard.

Indeed, 18% of responders in our weekly chip poll are playing their Wildcard this week.

Fixture swings for Newcastle United, Fulham and Everton create some fresh opportunities, while several popular Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion picks could come under scrutiny.

So, is Gameweek 5 the right time to rebuild? We assess the pros and cons before putting together our latest Wildcard draft.

• READ MORE: FPL Gameweek 5 early Scout Picks: Forest triple-up
• READ MORE: Rogers, Gross, Schade, Tzolis: Buy, keep or sell in Gameweek 5?

PROS

Aside from the usual benefits, such as building team value and removing underperforming picks, there are several reasons why Gameweek 5 could provide a good Wildcard window.

GOOD FIXTURES FOR NEWCASTLE, FULHAM + EVERTON

Newcastle head into Gameweek 5 after a heavy defeat, but fixtures can often breed form.

The Magpies now face two promoted sides in their next two matches, immediately bringing the likes of Lewis Hall (£5.2m), Malick Thiaw (£5.0m), Harvey Barnes (£6.0m) and Yoane Wissa (£6.2m) into the conversation.

Fulham, meanwhile, face all three promoted sides across their next four Gameweeks, as well as a unconvicing Manchester United backline.

Bernd Leno (£4.5m) could provide a route into the defence between the sticks, while Josh King (£5.5m) has impressed in the number 10 role. Gonzalo Garcia (£6.0m) could provide another option while spearheading the attack.

As for Everton, James Tarkowski (£6.1m) continues to justify his premium price tag season after season.

Further forward, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.5m) has emerged as one of the Toffees’ standout attacking options. Thierno Barry (£5.6m) continues to lead the line and provides another rotation-risk-free route into their favourable fixtures.

All three newly promoted sides are to come in the next six Gameweeks.

REASSESS THE ARSENAL TRIPLE-UP

We may not yet know the optimum Arsenal triple-up, but owning three players from arguably the best side in the league remains hugely appealing.

The Wildcard provides an opportunity to reassess exactly where those spots should go.

David Raya (£6.0m), Ezri Konsa (£4.5m) and Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) offer different routes into the defence, while Martin Odegaard (£6.7m) and Bukayo Saka (£9.5m) provide attacking options.

Rather than simply sticking with the Arsenal trio you started the season with, a Wildcard allows you to redistribute those valuable spots.

FIX THE MAN CITY PROBLEMS

Manchester City’s excellent Gameweek 3 fixture persuaded plenty of managers to load up on their assets.

Some of those picks have quickly developed into problems.

Phil Foden (£7.0m) is suspended for the upcoming round, Rayan Cherki (£7.8m) has had his minutes managed and Nico O’Reilly (£6.4m) may also leave owners questioning whether they want to retain multiple City players.

Wildcarding provides a clean escape route.

Managers can still retain the City assets they trust – like Erling Haaland (£15.5m) – while redistributing money tied up in the more questionable picks.

CHELSEA ATTACKING TRIPLE-UP TOO MUCH?

Chelsea’s excellent start and recent fixtures encouraged plenty of managers to invest heavily in their attack.

Owning Joao Pedro (£7.8m), Cole Palmer (£9.7m) and Morgan Rogers (£7.7m) together may now feel excessive, however.

Pedro’s form makes him extremely difficult to overlook, which could turn the decision into Palmer versus Rogers.

A Wildcard provides the opportunity to reduce the triple-up and spread those funds across teams with stronger immediate fixtures.

You’d still fancy goals across these fixtures, and a double-up shows plenty of faith in that, but is three attackers excessive?

MOVE AWAY FROM (SOME) BRENTFORD, LIVERPOOL AND BRIGHTON ASSETS

Brentford have impressed during the opening weeks, but their medium-term schedule now becomes more challenging – especially so for their defenders:

Managers who invested heavily in the Bees can use the Wildcard to cash in and move towards teams with greater potential over the coming Gameweeks.

That becomes particularly useful for squads carrying several Brentford players rather than just one easy-to-bench asset.

Similarly, Liverpool and Brighton sit towards the bottom of our Fixture Ticker over the next six Gameweeks:

Brighton’s immediate meeting with Arsenal looks particularly difficult, while Liverpool’s schedule also reduces the appeal of loading up on their players.

Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m), in particular, could come under scrutiny for managers looking to free up a midfield position. Even Maxim De Cuyper (£4.8m) may have peaked. It’s Arsenal this week, then Kaoru Mitoma (£5.9m) may return after the international break.

The Wildcard offers an easy route away from both teams without requiring several individual transfers.

TARGET FOREST FOR COVENTRY + NICE BRIGHTON ROTATION

Keeping one Brighton player, say Pascal Gross (£5.6m), may still be a goer.

Nottingham Forest don’t necessarily boast the best long-term schedule, but their immediate match is difficult to ignore – and their fixtures rotate fairly nicely with those of the Seagulls:

Daniel Munoz (£5.4m) and Neco Williams (£5.0m) come into consideration, combining clean-sheet potential with attacking threat. Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.9m) offers penalties and creativity further forward.

CONS

There are, however, good reasons to resist hitting the Wildcard button.

ARE NEWCASTLE AND FULHAM ACTUALLY GOOD ENOUGH?

Fixtures may bring form, but they don’t guarantee it.

Newcastle arrive at this favourable run after a poor result and haven’t completely convinced. Loading up on their players because two promoted sides await could therefore backfire.

Fulham present a similar dilemma. Their schedule looks excellent, but their performances haven’t necessarily done enough to demand heavy investment.

A Wildcard should ideally build a squad for several Gameweeks rather than simply chase attractive colours on the Fixture Ticker.

CONSIDER THE GAMEWEEK 5 FREE HIT

Gameweek 5 sees Arsenal away at Premier League top scorers Brighton. Chelsea, meanwhile, are away at a Brentford side that lost only three home games in 2025/26.

If you’d like to hold players from Brighton, Arsenal and Chelsea longer term, but want to tap into more favourable fixtures this weekend, there’s always the Gameweek 5 Free Hit to consider.

Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Everton and Newcastle United are clubs you might not want to go big on longer term. All of them, however, have favourable home fixtures in Gameweek 5.

Manchester United, too, have Fulham (porous until last Saturday!), before some trickier tests from Gameweeks 6-12. One last dance with Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m)?

WHY NOT WAIT UNTIL THE INTERNATIONAL BREAK?

Perhaps the strongest argument against a Gameweek 5 Wildcard is what comes immediately afterwards.

A three-week international break separates Gameweeks 5 and 6.

That creates plenty of time for injuries, fitness issues and other problems to emerge. Players will also return from international duty with differing workloads.

Waiting one more Gameweek would give managers considerably more information before committing to a squad designed for the medium and long term.

There is an alternative, of course. Managers who Wildcard now can carry free transfers into Gameweek 6 and use them to address any problems that emerge during the break.

But activating now still carries the risk that we’re rebuilding our squads one week too early.

GAMEWEEK 5: WILDCARD DRAFT

Our Arsenal triple-up consists of David Raya, Ezri Konsa and Bukayo Saka, giving us a good balance between defence and attack. Saka has already scored three goals this season, while his penalty-taking duties – especially with Viktor Gyokeres peripheral – add to his appeal.

Tarik Muharemović (£5.0m) – yet to blank – also makes the cut, alongside Malick Thiaw for some Newcastle coverage. Our budget does stretch to Lewis Hall. James Tarkowski is an easy inclusion thanks to his consistency and upcoming fixtures, while John Egan (£4.1m) is our budget pick of choice after showing excellent DefCon reliability.

In midfield, great short-term fixtures and no European football give Morgan Gibbs-White an edge. We’ve opted for Morgan Rogers over Cole Palmer, with the underlying data looking very positive so far and the significant savings helping elsewhere.

An Everton attacking double-up of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry could also work wonders, with two promoted sides up next. They’re both playable in five of the next six Gameweeks; bear in mind that Chelsea haven’t kept a Premier League clean sheet since January! All three Toffees would be benched in Gameweek 8, away at Arsenal.

Josh King has impressed and provides a cheap route into the Fulham attack ahead of their kind schedule, although you could equally just ‘set and forget’ Pascal Gross as the budget midfield option.

Up front, Joao Pedro completes our Chelsea attacking double-up. He has comfortably produced the best FPL output of their main attacking options so far. Erling Haaland also makes the cut and remains our premium forward of choice.