The Scout explains how to use your Wildcard, Bench Boost, Free Hit and Triple Captain chips

Managers in Fantasy Premier League have the opportunity to give their points total a big boost by using their chips.

FPL bosses have been accustomed to having a Wildcard to use in each half of a season for some time.

But this season, for the first time ever in Fantasy, you have TWO Bench Boost, Triple Captain and Free Hit chips to play. Similarly to the Wildcard, you have one for EACH HALF of the campaign.

The first batch of chips must ALL be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline on Tuesday 30 December at 18:00 GMT. Any unused chips will be lost, because the chips are reset for the second half of the season after that deadline.

Remember, only ONE chip can be played in each Gameweek.

If you Free-Hit or Wildcard in Gameweek 19, you will carry over any free transfers. They will roll over into Gameweek 20.

Be aware that you cannot Free-Hit in both Gameweek 19 and Gameweek 20. This is because your team has to return to its previous state following a Free Hit. 

What to do if you have more than one chip left?

Since Gameweek 19 is the final chance to use your first set of chips, and you can only use one chip in this round of matches, you will unfortunately lose the rest.

You should therefore focus on using the most effective chip.

The Wildcard chip is the most powerful long-term and should be prioritised if you are unhappy with your current squad or have multiple issues with injuries or suspension. 

If you are happy with your current squad going forward or have multiple free transfers in the bank, then the Free Hit chip could provide a short-term boost in Gameweek 19. 

If you are deciding between the Triple Captain and Bench Boost chips, consider how many transfers you would need to make to improve the state of your bench, and whether you are likely to have 15 starters in this midweek round of fixtures, when rotation can be rife.

What does each chip do and how should you use it?
Free Hit

Make unlimited free transfers for a Gameweek. At the next deadline, your squad is returned to how it was before those unlimited moves were made.

The Free Hit chip is played when confirming your transfers. It can’t be cancelled after being confirmed. It’s also worth noting that when playing your Free Hit chip, you will KEEP your banked transfers.

The first Free Hit chip can be used to help you target a Gameweek where the weaker teams in the league play away from home. 

Using the chip in Gameweek 19 offers the option of tripling up on Liverpool and Manchester United, who host Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively.

Elsewhere, West Ham United host Brighton & Hove Albion, and Newcastle face Burnley, making the likes of Jarrod Bowen (£7.6m) and Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) interesting differentials.

A fit-again Cole Palmer (£10.4m), whose ownership is now at a lowly 11 per cent, could also be a tempting option at home to AFC Bournemouth.

Triple Captain

Your captain points are TRIPLED instead of doubled.

The Triple Captain chip can be played when saving your team on the “Pick Team” page. It can be cancelled at any time before the Gameweek deadline.

Erling Haaland (£15.1m), who is never a bad captaincy option, travels to Sunderland in Gameweek 19. The Norwegian has returned 29 points across his last three away matches.

Elsewhere, Man Utd’s Matheus Cunha (£8.1m) has a home fixture versus Wolves, while Hugo Ekitike (£9.1m) hosts another bottom-six side Leeds.

Bench Boost

The points scored by your benched players are included in your total.

The Bench Boost chip can be played when saving your team on the “Pick Team” page. It can be cancelled at any time before the Gameweek deadline.

The Bench Boost chip is most effective when all 15 of your players have a favourable fixture.

In Gameweek 19, popular cheap players such as Martin Dubravka (£4.0m), Omar Alderete (£4.0m), Michael Kayode (£4.5m), Freddie Potts (£4.4m) and Elliot Anderson (£5.3m) all play at home.

It’s also worth considering the in-form budget Man Utd pair Patrick Dorgu (£4.1m) and Ayden Heaven (£3.8m) ahead of their favourable home fixture against Wolves.

Wildcard

All transfers (including those already made) are free of charge.

The Wildcard is played when confirming transfers that cost points. It can’t be cancelled once played. When playing a Wildcard, you will KEEP your banked transfers.

A Wildcard is best saved for when your squad most needs an overhaul. This could be if you have multiple players injured, banned, out of form or not starting for their teams. However, it could also be used to target a particular set of fixtures for certain teams.

The Wildcard should always be played with a long-term outlook in mind.

Playing the chip in Gameweek 19 – the final week you can use the chip – could allow you to exploit both the short term and long-term fixtures. 

In the immediate future, Man Utd and Newcastle both face Wolves, Leeds and Burnley over the next four Gameweeks. Fantasy managers not playing the chip could find it difficult to pivot to short-term differentials, giving you an edge.

Other teams worth targeting for favourable fixtures are Brentford, Brighton, Everton and West Ham, alongside a premium core of Haaland, Ekitike and Bukayo Saka (£10.3m).

Finally, Crystal Palace face just one top-four side over the next 12 Gameweeks.