For Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers who still have one or more unused chips, we look at the best remaining windows to use the first Wildcard, Bench Boost, Triple Captain and Free Hit.
Of course, a lot of this will be ‘team dependent’. However, we thought we’d provide some general guidance in this piece.
Remember, you must use the first set of chips before the Gameweek 19 deadline, or you will lose them.
WILDCARD
Gameweek 6
This three-week international break could be a good time to Wildcard.
Indeed, in our weekly chip poll, over 56% of responders say they are using the Wildcard in Gameweek 6.
This will allow you to chase price rises and sell any underperforming players before they fall. Reacting to any international break injuries, plus amassed minutes, is another consideration.
- READ MORE: Palmer injury latest after England international withdrawal
- READ MORE: Rice, Dedic, Sesko + Livramento the latest international withdrawals
Fulham play the promoted teams in succession in Gameweeks 6-8, so it could be the ideal entry point for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
Also, the in-form Pascal Gross (£5.8m), whose price will likely rise by £0.3m before the next deadline, has Sunderland and Crystal Palace next, while players from Liverpool and Leeds United could potentially be offloaded, given their respective fixtures.
With plenty of time to tinker and analyse the data from the first five rounds of matches, a Gameweek 6 Wildcard carries appeal.
Gameweek 7
Gameweek 7 is a slightly later window to Wildcard.
It allows you to see one Gameweek after the international break, which could provide extra information.
Another potential plus is that line-ups could be a bit more unpredictable in Gameweek 6, particularly for any late international returnees.
In Gameweek 7, both Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur jump up the ticker, so it could be a decent time to invest in players like Antonio Silva (£5.0m), Marcus Tavernier (£6.1m) and perhaps Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.9m).
Also, Manchester City play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League just three days before they host Ipswich Town in Gameweek 7. A Wildcard here would allow you to react to Enzo Maresca’s European teamsheet.
Of course, if you want to Triple Captain Erling Haaland (£15.6m) against Ipswich (more on that later), you’ll need to activate your Wildcard somewhere else.
Gameweek 11
The second and final international break of the year takes place ahead of Gameweek 11.
This one only lasts for a couple of weeks (thankfully!), but for many of the reasons outlined above, it’s another opportunity to Wildcard, with plenty of time to tinker with your squad.
Aston Villa and Brighton and Hove Albion both have some decent fixture runs to target.
Gameweek 13
With some tricky fixtures out of the way, this could be a nice time to jump on Liverpool players…
Also, it’s directly after Arsenal face Manchester City in Gameweek 12, so there is potential to phase out their players (particularly Arsenal), before Wildcarding them back in.
Looking further ahead…
You could of course save the Wildcard for later, with Gameweek 17 a nice entry point for Chelsea assets.
Gameweek 19 is the final opportunity to use the first Wildcard, however.
BENCH BOOST
The rest of this article below is completely free to read but requires a Fantasy Football Scout user account for access – you can get yours at no cost here
