Fantasy Premier League: How to use the wildcard, bench boost and free hit chips this season
Chips were introduced into the Fantasy Premier League game ahead of the 2015-16 season and it really transformed the way we play the game.
Over the years, the types of single-use chips — think of them like power-ups in computer games — available have changed. This season, we have one free hit, a triple captain chip, a bench boost chip and two wildcards.
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Only one chip can be played in a single gameweek.
Due to the unprecedented World Cup break in November this season, we’ve been forced to look at new strategies to maximise the use of our chips.
In this article, I will explain exactly what the chips do and when is the best time to use them in 2022-23.
The wildcard
The wildcard chip allows you to make unlimited transfers within your team’s budget without incurring a point hit. We get two wildcards and, this season, the first one has to be used by Gameweek 16. The second wildcard will be available from Monday, December 26 (Gameweek 17) and we have until the end of the season to use it.
Because we get unlimited transfers during the World Cup (between Gameweek 16 and Gameweek 17), it will really pay to use our first wildcard earlier this season.
Gameweek 9 (the one we’re currently in now) is a good time to use it as we can take advantage of fixture swings for teams such as Leicester City, Chelsea and Crystal Palace, for example, and jump off Arsenal and Brighton players as their fixtures get tougher.
Gameweek 13 is also another good time to use your first wildcard as it allows a more aggressive approach. Due to Arsenal and Manchester City blanking in Gameweek 12, you can get rid of all your City and Arsenal assets leading up to Gameweek 12 and take some high upside punts. Effectively, you are dead-ending your team into Gameweek 12 and then you can wildcard those players back in for Gameweek 13 and set yourself up until Gameweek 16.
This is a more risky approach but also has a lot of upsides. Ultimately, the key is to maximise your wildcard and the later you play it, the less chance you have of doing so.
The second wildcard should definitely be saved for the latter part of the season when we have the big double gameweeks. The main double gameweeks, with teams playing multiple fixtures, are going to be in Gameweek 29, Gameweek 34 and Gameweek 37.
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We are also going to have at least one extra-big double gameweek due to the postponement of Gameweek 7. This is likely to be at some point in January — possibly Gameweek 21.
The second wildcard is going to be vital in setting yourself up over this period. Therefore, be patient and try not to put yourself in a position where you are forced to use it earlier.
The bench boost
The bench boost chip allows you to score points from your four benched players, as well as your starting XI. It is typically best used in a double gameweek as it means we can potentially accrue points from 30 games if you have a full roster of double gameweek players. It effectively gives you a 15-man squad.
A common and successful tactic in using the bench boost is to combine it with your second wildcard. This gives managers the opportunity to pick the best bench boost squad and also to set themselves up for the upcoming fixtures. Note that you cannot play two chips in the same gameweek — therefore, you will have to wildcard at the very latest the week before you plan to play your bench boost.
Since the chips were introduced, I have always set my bench boost up by combining it with the wildcard just beforehand and playing it in a double gameweek.
There is the potential for some massive scores utilising the chip in this way.
The triple captain
This chip gives your captain treble the number of points they score in a gameweek instead of double. Again, the best time to use this is in a double gameweek as, by picking a player who will feature in two matches, you get two bites of the cherry rather than one.
There will be plenty of opportunities to use this chip in the second half of the season when the double gameweeks are coming thick and fast.
A prolific goalscorer like Erling Haaland is certain to be a popular triple captain pick this season, but the timing has to be right (Photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)The triple captain chip can be used in a single gameweek to good effect but you are always increasing your chances of a higher score playing it in a double gameweek.
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I have always used my triple captain in a double gameweek and will do so again this season. It’s always better to have two lottery tickets than one.
The free hit
Outside of the wildcard, the free hit is the most powerful chip we have. It gives you unlimited transfers to make in the gameweek you use it, but the transfers get reversed afterwards and you go back to your original team.
The free hit chip is typically best used in a blank gameweek — one where certain teams are without a fixture. It allows you to make the most out of the remaining fixtures but at the same time, you don’t have to lose any of your players who you may want long-term. However, depending on the situation, it could also be used to good effect in a double gameweek.
Gameweek 28 is going to be the biggest blank of the season and it’s also followed by an international break. There will be four to six blanks in this gameweek due to fixture clashes with the FA Cup quarter-finals.
It’s going to be extremely difficult to navigate this period without a free hit chip in hand.
Gameweek 29 is likely to be a big double gameweek, which will contain rearranged fixtures from Gameweek 28.
Therefore, if there is one chip we need to save until the latter part of the season, it’s the free hit chip. There have already been a few unexpected postponements, such as the aforementioned Gameweek 7 due to the death of the Queen, with Brighton vs Crystal Palace also called off due to rail strikes.
This provides more evidence that saving the free hit is a solid strategy as we just don’t know what the landscape will fully look like in the second half of the season.
Don’t forget that only one chip may be active in a gameweek and a wildcard counts as a chip also. For example, it is not possible to play your wildcard and bench boost in the same week.
Possible chip strategies
It is a bit early to be making firm chip strategy plans — however, it’s good to have a rough idea of when you are going to use them and also some possible scenarios.
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Below are a few strategies that we could adopt from the information we know so far:
Strategy one
- Wildcard in Gameweek 27
- Free hit in blank Gameweek 28
- Bench boost in double Gameweek 29
- Triple captain in double Gameweek 34 or 37
Strategy two
- Wildcard in double Gameweek 29
- Free hit in blank Gameweek 32
- Bench boost in double Gameweek 34
- Triple captain in double Gameweek 37
Strategy three
- Free hit in double Gameweek 29
- Wildcard in Gameweek 33
- Bench boost in double Gameweek 34
- Triple captain in double Gameweek 37
The best time to decide on a chip strategy will be after the Gameweek 28 blanks are confirmed or after the Gameweek 29 doubles are announced.
Make sure to check out the FPL General on The Athletic FPL Podcast twice a week this season for all his latest tips and tricks. Listen for free on all the usual listening providers and ad-free on The Athletic app
(Top photo: Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
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