Using your wildcard depends on a number of factors. In my opinion, the best time to use your FPL wildcard depends on:
- Double game weeks
- Number of injuries/unavailable players in your squad
- Fixture swings
Because the best strategy for using your wildcard is situational, I will go through each of the above so you can try to figure out if your team meets any of the criteria for pulling the trigger on your wildcard.
Double game weeks
We’re about to get some big news either this week or next on who will get a double game week, possibly in GW 25 or 29 due to the FA cup draw. Man City and Brentford have also just recently been handed a double game week in GW25 so be sure to look towards those players if you’re thinking about a wilcard soon.
Basically when planning your wildcard around a double game week, you’re looking for the teams with the most favourable fixtures, and trying to get as many players from those teams, without compromising the balance of your squad for the rest of the season. If you’re planning for the DGW 29, there will still be 9 game weeks after that you will not have another wildcard for. Therefore, it’s important not to go too heavy on players from smaller teams or teams that have a bad run after the double game week. It’s also important to plan your transfers loosely for a few weeks after the double game week. I say loosely because with form and injury, these plans are rarely seen through.
Several injuries or players unavailable
GW21 was a popular week to wildcard due to AFCON and the Asia Cup starting. Important players like Salah and Son are now unavailable until at least GW24, meaning they miss a lot of games. At the same time, a lot of popular players also flagged up injured, like Haaland, Bowen, Pau Torres, Charlie Taylor & more.
My usual rule of thumb is that if you have 5 or more players out with injury, its usually a good idea to wildcard. However, last week, we knew there was lots of information just around the corner on double game weeks, so it was probably better to take a -4, or whatever hit you had to take to field a full 11, then wait a week.
Fixture swings
A fixture swing is when there are a group of teams with a few unfavourable fixtures in a row, then at a certain point they start to get an easy run of games, or vice versa. You can plan your wildcard around these points in the season by doing the following:
- Identify Fixture Swings: Start by analysing the upcoming fixtures for all teams over the next 5-10 gameweeks. Look for teams whose schedule shifts from tough to more favorable matchups. These are your primary targets for bringing in players.
- Evaluate Player Form and Team Performance: Even with favorable fixtures, you want players who are in good form and playing for teams that are performing well. Check recent statistics and performances, not just overall season data.
- Balance Short-term and Long-term Strategy: While the focus might be on capitalising on the fixture swing, remember that your wildcard changes are permanent. Choose players who not only have good upcoming fixtures but will also be valuable in the longer term.
- Diversify Your Team Selection: Avoid over-reliance on players from a single team, even if they have a run of good fixtures. Diversify your selections to mitigate risks associated with unexpected poor performances or team rotation.
- Budget Management: Allocate your budget wisely across your team. It might be tempting to fill your team with premium players from teams with good fixtures, but ensure you have a balanced squad with a strong bench.
Remember that you only get one FPL wildcard between now and the end of the season, so you should always try to plan long term when using it.
Contact me on Instagram
Wildcarding can be a complicated topic, so if you need anymore information, feel free to drop me a message (and follow please!) on Instagram.
I’ve also partnered with FFHUB who offer valuable information on wildcarding, so check them out for more information too. I get all my info about double gameweeks, fixture swings and team analysis from there too.
