FPL Wildcard 2024
The FPL wildcard is crucial in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), but with only two available per season, it’s vital to use them wisely. Let’s delve into what the FPL wildcard is, its functions, optimal timing for its use, and address some common queries.
What does the wildcard do?
Lets start from the beginning.
The FPL wildcard allows unlimited transfers for a single game week, without incurring any transfer penalties.
You can activate it either before or after making transfers.
Typically, exceeding the one free transfer per week results in a -4 point penalty, impacting your overall season performance negatively. Therefore, utilising the wildcard strategically helps avoid such penalties.
Best time to use your wildcard in 2024
While there’s no definitive ‘best’ time, here are some suggestions on when to use your wildcard effectively:
Early in the season:
Many managers opt to use their wildcard early in the season, after a few initial matches. At the start, team selection involves uncertainties such as player form, adaptation of new transfers, and varying team performances.
By the second or third week, the season’s initial trends begin to emerge, allowing for adjustments based on actual performances rather than pre-season speculation. Using the wildcard at this stage helps rectify initial selection errors.
Injury Crisis:
Unexpectedly, several players might sustain injuries in a single week, impacting your fantasy team significantly. In such cases, activating the wildcard enables simultaneous replacements for injured players, sparing you from multiple transfers and point deductions.
January Transfer Window:
Although major transfers mostly occur in the summer, noteworthy signings may still happen in January. Utilising the wildcard during this period allows swift inclusion of newly arrived players in your fantasy squad.
Double Game Week Preparations:
Double gameweeks present opportunities for maximising points. You can use your wildcard to either:
- Prioritise players participating in double gameweeks by activating the wildcard just before the double gameweek.
- Plan ahead by using free transfers to acquire double gameweek players, then activate the wildcard to reset your team afterward.
The choice between these options depends on factors like player longevity and the quality of teams involved in the double gameweek. For example, if Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool all have a double gameweek coming up, you can use option 1 as you’ll likely want to keep players from these big teams. However, if Bournemouth and Luton have a double gameweek, you’re likely to want to get rid of those players as soon as the gameweek has finished, so option 2 would be your best bet.
Blank Game Week Preparations
How to use your wilcard: a step-by-step guide
Knowing when to use your wildcard is essential, but what’s the use if you don’t know how to activate it? Here’s a step-by-step guide:
On the FPL app:
- Open the app and navigate to the fantasy section.
- Tap ‘transfers.’
- Make desired transfers for the week but do not confirm.
- Tap ‘next step’ to confirm your transfers.
- Tap ‘play wildcard.’
On the web:
- Open fantasy.premierleague.com.
- Sign in and go to ‘transfers.’
- Make desired transfers but do not confirm.
- Click ‘make transfers.’
- Click ‘play wildcard.’
After completing these steps, you can make unlimited transfers until the next deadline without any penalties.
FPL Wildcard FAQs
How many wildcards do you get in FPL?
You get two wildcards in an FPL season. One at the start for the first half of the season, this can be used at any point before the 28th December (usually around game week 19). You then get given your second to use at any point from after the 28th December (usually from game week 20) to the end of the season.
The wildcards don’t rollover. So if you don’t use your first one before the 28th December, you will lose it and still only have one going into the second half of the season.
Can I cancel my wildcard?
No. Once you have chosen to use your wildcard, you can not reverse your decision.
Can I use more than one FPL chip in the same week?
No, you can only use one chip per week. This is why it’s a good idea to try and plan out which chips you will use a little in advance. It’s always good to consider each chip every time you notice a blank or double game week.
Is the wildcard permanent?
Yes, the wildcard is permanent. Once you have activated it, made your transfers for the game week and the deadline has passed, you will play with that team from that point forward.
This is unlike the free hit. When you play the free hit chip and the deadline passes your team will revert to how it was before you played the chip.
Do I lose my free transfers if I Wildcard?
Yes, once you wildcard, you will lose any stored free transfers and in the next game week, you will be reset back to 1 free transfer.
Can I Take Advantage Of Price Changes When On A Wildcard
Yes, you can use your wildcard to take advantage of price changes.
Due to you having unlimited transfers, you can make transfers throughout the week to avoid price falls and make profit on price rises.
An example of this would be, if you transferred a player into your team and you thought he was going to fall in price overnight, you could take him out of your team for the time being, then once he has dropped in price, put him back in the next day and get him for £0.1m cheaper.
The way it works if you want to make profit on a price rise is slightly different. With price rises, you only receive 50% of the price rise. For example, if a player you own increases from £10.0m to £10.1m, you will still only be able to sell them for £10.0m. They would have to rise to £10.2m for you to be able to sell them for £10.1m. If the player then rises to £10.4m, you could sell them for £10.2m.
How Long Does The Wildcard Last?
Your wildcard lasts until the next upcoming deadline. It only lasts 1 game week.
So you can make as many changes to your team until the deadline of the next game week then your team will be locked in and you will return to receiving 1 free transfer per week. Another point to add, is that the week after you use your wildcard, you will only have 1 free transfer, even if you rolled your previous transfers to build up 2.
What Is The Difference Between Wildcard and Free Hit?
The difference between the wildcard and free hit is that your wildcard transfers are permanent whereas your free hit transfers will reset the week after.
Therefore, your freehit is best used to plan for a single game week, but a wildcard should be used when you’re planning for the current game week and future game weeks to come.
Read more: Wilcard vs Free Hit
Does Wilcard Cancel Hits?
Yes. If you have taken hits for the week, such as a -4 or -8 etc. your wildcard will cancel those point deductions for that game week.
