Since Double Gameweek 33 and Blank Gameweek 34 were finalised, we’ve published several articles aiming to help Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers lock in a chip strategy.
Now, it’s time to bring together everything under one roof. You might have one chip remaining. You might have all four. Or, something in between.
However many chips you have remaining, we thought we’d run down your options. Naturally, a lot of this is ‘team dependent’ – but we thought we’d offer some general guidance in this piece.
This article does, it should be said, assume that the outstanding, as-yet-unassigned Manchester City v Crystal Palace fixture will form a small Double Gameweek 36 for both clubs.
WHAT’S YOUR SITUATION?
Some people are sitting on all four chips: Wildcard (WC), Free Hit (FH), Bench Boost (BB) and Triple Captain (TC).
Alternatively, there are four combinations of three chips, six ways to have two of them, plus each by itself. There’ll even be some nervous managers without any remaining at all!
With seven rounds remaining, and nothing particularly special about Gameweeks 35, 37 or 38, the default idea is to Wildcard now so that it maximises a Double Gameweek 33 Bench Boost. That leaves Blank Gameweek 34 looking grim – a perfect reason to Free Hit.
Should Man City v Crystal Palace create a Double Gameweek 36, you can use Triple Captain at that moment.
Wildcard, Free Hit + Bench BoostSuggested strategies: (a) WC32, BB33, FH34 or (b) FH33, WC35, BB36
Many managers are in this situation and, following Arsenal’s shock FA Cup defeat, an alternative idea to the standard strategy above (sans Triple Captain) is gaining momentum.
Wildcarding in Gameweek 35 allows more time for information regarding the title chase, European progression and being ‘on the beach’. Although, in exchange, a poor-looking Bench Boost gets assigned to Gameweek 36, while the Gameweek 33 Free Hit becomes about rank protection rather than excitement.
As many of the ‘solvers’ will say, option (a) probably just about remains the statistically optimal one for a lot of managers – even though a Wildcarded Gameweek 32 team might not be too palatable this weekend.
Crystal Palace’s likely progression to the Europa League semi-finals also means the Eagles might not be worth Wildcarding into as much in Gameweek 35. Those semis take place on either side of that Gameweek.
Wildcard, Free Hit + Triple CaptainSuggested strategy: WC32 or 35, FH33, TC36
If the big Double Gameweek 33 can’t be Bench Boosted, the next best option is probably to go all-in on the Free Hit.
With Arsenal now playing in Gameweek 34, many Fantasy managers will be able to traverse that week with Gunners representation (whether they have them in their existing FPL team or a Wildcarded one), and not use a Free Hit then.
Your current Gameweek 32 team may look okay for Gameweek 34, indeed, meaning you can Wildcard in Gameweek 35.
The Triple Captain then gets saved for the smaller Double Gameweek 36.
Wildcard, Bench Boost + Triple CaptainSuggested strategy: TC33, WC34/35, BB36
Using a Gameweek 35 Wildcard, managers will have to softly approach Double Gameweek 33, taking into account the Blank Gameweek that follows. As a consolation, by using the Triple Captain wisely that week, your chosen skipper could outscore some four-man benches.
Then, it’s about picking a squad heavy on Man City and (maybe) Palace, as well as teams with good end-of-season fixtures like Newcastle and Arsenal, in preparation for Double Gameweek 36’s Bench Boost.
Alternatively, you can go with as many doublers as your free transfers will allow for Gameweek 33 and Wildcard a team for Blank Gameweek 34 onwards (perhaps with triple City on the bench).
Free Hit, Bench Boost + Triple CaptainSuggested strategy: BB33, FH34, TC36
Without a Wildcard, perhaps just collect as many Double Gameweek 33 players as possible with free transfers, knowing that this Bench Boost has the safety net of no blanks immediately afterwards.
Wildcard + Free HitSuggested strategy: FH33, WC35
Again, those who’ve already Bench Boosted can use the second-best idea for Double Gameweek 33 – a Free Hit. Surrounding this are two sets of fixtures that look fairly favourable for the current ‘template’, so activating a Wildcard can wait until the final four-match run.
Wildcard + Bench BoostSuggested strategy: WC34/35, BB36
Similar to the route of three entries ago, but without the consolation of a Triple Captain in the big double. Missing out on any sort of Gameweek 33 chip joy might hurt, but your time to shine comes shortly after.
Wildcard + Triple CaptainSuggested strategy: (a) TC33, WC35 or (b) WC35, TC36
With a Triple Captain instead of Bench Boost, there’s some choice about which player’s double looks more appealing across these two opportunities.
Free Hit + Bench BoostSuggested strategy: BB33, FH34
Allows a bunch of Man City, Chelsea, Brighton and Leeds players, who each play twice in Gameweek 33, alongside precious non-doublers from Arsenal and Manchester United.
Free Hit + Triple CaptainSuggested strategy: FH33, TC36
With no Bench Boost to influence decisions, the standard team of recent times has a solid run between now and the season’s end. There’s just the oddity of Double Gameweek 33, which the Free Hit can capitalise on.
Bench Boost + Triple CaptainSuggested strategy: BB33, TC36
As these two chips are usually used in Double Gameweeks, the better one gets assigned to 33, while the other goes to 36.
Wildcard
A tough decision, but there’ll need to be a balance between Double Gameweek 33 and Blank Gameweek 34. The deeper you dive into one, the worse the other will go.
Try using transfers to build a decent double, before a Gameweek 34 Wildcard that gets rid of Bournemouth assets, minimises blanks and adds some Arsenal etc.
Free Hit
A good Gameweek 32 squad is likely good for Gameweek 34 as well, keeping Arsenal and Newcastle United players for the final weeks. But there’s the pesky Double Gameweek 33 in between, which is the opposite of Gameweek 34 – using the Free Hit on either of these two occasions is recommended.
Bench Boost
Logically, a Bench Boost should be used when some teams play twice, meaning Gameweeks 33 or 36. But as you’re not likely to have 15 doublers (if you did, you’d be in trouble for Gameweek 34!), the fixture difficulty of ‘single Gameweek’ players is going to be a big factor.
Triple Captain
Same as above. Players like Erling Haaland (£14.4m), Antoine Semenyo (£8.2m) and Cole Palmer (£10.6m) then have two opportunities to score double points.
There’s more choice in Gameweek 33, although the fixtures for the doublers themselves aren’t too inspiring. The danger with leaving it till Gameweek 36, of course, is that the league may be done and dusted by then.
Zero chips remaining
Finally, for those without any chips left, it’s going to be a balancing act between getting a handful of players from Gameweek 33 doublers whilst thinking about Blank Gameweek 34.
Coverage of the most-owned players in Gameweek 33 would be ideal (ie City assets) but you could likely overlook Bournemouth, Chelsea and Burnley, given the trickier fixtures on either side of the double.
Having lots of free transfers, of course, helps!
