Chips are about to increase in popularity as we approach Blank/Double Gameweek season – and Gameweek 23 is another opportunity to use the second Wildcard of 2024/25.
These unlimited free transfers are a chance to fix all mistakes and start planning for the future. It’s also ideal for the unlucky managers who find themselves plagued by injuries and suspensions.
So here are the pros and cons of a Gameweek 23 Wildcard, plus a few draft ideas.
Don’t forget, you can get your Wildcard team rated via our Rate My Team tool or the Plan FPL planner!
GAMEWEEK 23 WILDCARD: THE PROS
IF YOU’RE GOING ALL-IN ON DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 24
Not only will Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton take part in this season’s first Double Gameweek but it’s preceded by both playing in the first batch of Gameweek 23 matches.
Such 15:00 GMT kick-offs follow the 13:30 deadline, providing an opportunity to react to possible line-up leaks. This would be particularly useful when purchasing attackers, as Diogo Jota (£7.2m) is injured.
Alternatively, with Mohamed Salah (£13.7m) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) highly popular, some Wildcarders may prefer using their third Liverpool spot on a safer, more-nailed defensive asset.
As for Everton, Sunday’s win over Tottenham Hotspur was well-timed. A clean sheet didn’t quite arrive but cheap forwards Iliman Ndiaye (£5.4m) and Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.4m) scored – the latter’s first in 17 league appearances. Of course, it should be noted that the Toffees only mustered one goal in their previous six.
REACT TO THE FIXTURE SWINGS
Elsewhere, there are also attractive schedules for Crystal Palace and Brentford.
Interested managers will have narrowly missed the Eagles’ wins against Leicester City, Southampton and West Ham United but there’s still time to jump onto a fixture run that appeals until April.
Across London, those without the Bees’ Bryan Mbeumo (£7.8m) can finally own this season’s third-best FPL scorer, though Yoane Wissa (£6.2m) is a nice, alternative way to cover their attack. Or get both, why not?
To counteract this, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest will have it tough. Just as Phil Foden (£9.3m) enters some outstanding form, the champions hit a wall of Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Liverpool.
And while Chris Wood (£7.1m) may be seen as fixture-proof, now might be a calculated time to sell defensive names Ola Aina (£5.4m) and Matz Sels (£5.0m).
REACT TO SALIBA + SOLANKE INJURIES
Furthermore, a couple of notable injuries have occurred. Those already frustrated with owning multiple parts from Arsenal’s backline might see William Saliba‘s (£6.2m) hamstring injury as a convenient time to get rid.
Those unlucky enough to recently buy Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) have an immediate problem to deal with and Tyler Dibling (£4.5m) isn’t around to offer bench depth for the next four to six weeks.
FREES BUDGET FOR ASSISTANT MANAGER CHIP
From Gameweek 24 onwards, the Assistant Manager will be available, where extra points can be gained based on the success of a Premier League side’s head coach over three consecutive Gameweeks.
As revealed two weeks ago, the 20 are split evenly between prices of £1.5m, £1.1m, £0.8m and £0.5m, meaning it’s a chip that needs budget preparation.
GAMEWEEK 23 WILDCARD: THE CONS
TRANSFER WINDOW IS OPEN
As always, January is a time of real-life transfers. Names that now seem locked into starting line-ups could suddenly be under threat should their club spend money.
Additionally, there’s still a chance that Real Madrid will come back with another Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.2m) bid.
THE WIDER BLANK/DOUBLE GAMEWEEK PICTURE IS STILL TO REVEAL ITSELF
A standard time to use the second Wildcard is later on, near Bench Boost activation. It should help navigate managers through the uneven schedules about to be caused by cup competitions.
But we don’t yet know how Blank Gameweeks 29 and 34 will look, or Double Gameweeks 33 and 36. Until information starts coming through, finalising a chip strategy remains extremely difficult.
DOES DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 24 NEED THAT MUCH ATTENTION?
A lot of us will already have a couple of Liverpool assets. Live FPL suggest that the average manager in the top 100k, for example, owns around 1.8 players from the Reds.
Say you can add another member of Arne Slot’s squad with a Gameweek 23 free transfer, or indeed choose Slot himself as a ‘third’ Liverpool pick in a week’s time. Then, in Gameweek 24, you recruit an Everton player with your next free transfer. Is there any need to go any bigger on the Toffees, given that one of their Double Gameweek fixtures is against Liverpool? Does it really merit the use of a chip? Both questions to ask yourself before pulling that trigger.
GAMEWEEK 23 WILDCARD IDEAS
DRAFT 1: DOUBLE LIVERPOOL ATTACK, TRIPLE-UPS ON BOTH DOUBLERS
These graphics show Double Gameweek 24’s fixtures rather than the immediate lot, as it’s the focus of current strategies. This one has a triple-up for both Liverpool and Everton, alongside FPL pillars Cole Palmer (£11.4m), Alexander Isak (£9.5m) and Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.4m).
Choosing a second Reds attacker is tricky. Cody Gakpo (£7.4m) has started 10 league matches in a row, netting five times. Arne Slot has several upcoming cup games where he can either rest his fellow Dutchman or at least limit his game time. But midfielder Luis Diaz (£7.5m) has a better ‘minutes per’ rate for points, goals and shots.
This draft leaves good money in the bank if Calvert-Lewin is, understandably, a big no or Justin Kluivert (£5.6m) doesn’t appeal. Bournemouth have good fixtures from Gameweek 25 and their multiple hat-trick hero takes penalties. Although team-mate Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m) has had far more goal attempts (81 v 43), Kluivert beats him for big chances (12 v 11) and they’ve both put 23 on target.
DRAFT 2: DOUBLE LIVERPOOL DEFENCE
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