When to Use Your FPL Chips
FPL gives you four chips per season (plus a second Wildcard in January). Using them at the right time can be worth 50+ points over the season. Here is everything you need to know.
Chip overview
Wildcard
2x per season
Unlimited free transfers
Free Hit
1x per season
One-week wildcard
Bench Boost
1x per season
Bench players score
Triple Captain
1x per season
3x captain points
Wildcard
Make unlimited free transfers for the current gameweek. Your team is permanently changed. You get one Wildcard in the first half of the season (before GW20) and another in the second half.
When to play it
- +Your squad has 3+ players you want to remove and your free transfers cannot cover it
- +After a significant injury crisis or international break with new information
- +To prepare for a double gameweek by restructuring your squad around DGW teams
- +When fixture difficulty swings dramatically (e.g. several premium teams go from hard to easy)
- +Early-season Wildcard (GW4-8) to react to the first real form data after pre-season guesswork
Common mistakes
- -Using it when 2 free transfers would solve your problems
- -Wildcarding too early (GW1-2) before any meaningful data exists
- -Filling your squad with short-term picks without considering medium-term fixtures
- -Forgetting to use the first Wildcard before the January deadline (it expires)
Pro tips
- *Plan your Wildcard squad 2-3 days before the deadline so you can monitor injury news
- *Use a fixture ticker to build a squad with good next-6 fixtures, not just the next GW
- *If you have value locked up in a player (bought at 5.0, now 6.0), think carefully before selling because you only get half the profit back
- *A common pattern: Wildcard 1 around GW7-8, Wildcard 2 around GW25-28 ahead of blanks/doubles
Free Hit
Make unlimited transfers for one gameweek only. Your squad reverts to what it was before the Free Hit at the next deadline. Perfect for unusual one-off gameweeks.
When to play it
- +A blank gameweek where many of your players do not have a fixture
- +A heavily congested double gameweek where you want to load up on DGW players for one week
- +When your squad is completely misaligned for one specific gameweek but fine for the rest
- +Late-season blank/double GWs created by FA Cup or European rescheduling
Common mistakes
- -Using Free Hit when a Wildcard would be better (Free Hit reverts, Wildcard is permanent)
- -Free Hitting a normal gameweek because of knee-jerk panic
- -Forgetting your team reverts afterwards and taking hits the following week
- -Not checking which players have doubles vs blanks before building the Free Hit squad
Pro tips
- *Wait as long as possible to confirm fixture schedules before activating your Free Hit
- *Load up on players with two fixtures (DGW) or avoid the blank GW entirely
- *Since the team reverts, you do not need to worry about player value or long-term planning
- *Free Hit is most valuable in seasons with unpredictable blank/double schedules
Bench Boost
All four of your bench players score points for that gameweek. Normally, bench players only come on as auto-substitutes if a starting player gets 0 minutes.
When to play it
- +A double gameweek where all 15 of your players have two fixtures
- +After a Wildcard, when you have specifically built a strong bench
- +When fixture difficulty is low across the board and even your bench has good matchups
Common mistakes
- -Playing Bench Boost with a weak bench (your 3.9m bench fodder will not score much)
- -Using it in a single gameweek when a DGW is coming soon
- -Activating Bench Boost without checking injury status of your bench players
- -Pairing Bench Boost with a week where you have blank GW players on the bench
Pro tips
- *The classic combination: Wildcard to build a squad with 15 strong players, then Bench Boost the following week during a DGW
- *Realistic Bench Boost value: 8-16 points from your bench in a normal GW, 15-30 in a DGW
- *Make sure all four bench players are nailed starters. A bench player who does not play earns you nothing
- *Check for early kickoffs on your bench, the auto-sub priority matters if someone does not play
Triple Captain
Your captain scores 3x points instead of the usual 2x. The difference between Triple Captain and a normal captaincy is just 1x your captain's score, so you need a big haul to make it worthwhile.
When to play it
- +A double gameweek for your captain (two chances to score big)
- +When a premium player has two easy home fixtures in a DGW
- +Historical best use: premium forward or midfielder with two fixtures against bottom-half teams
Common mistakes
- -Using it in a single gameweek (the upside is capped at 1x one match's return)
- -Triple captaining a defender (their ceiling is too low)
- -Wasting it early in the season when a DGW would give better value later
- -Triple captaining a player with rotation risk in a DGW
Pro tips
- *Expected value: in a DGW, a premium captain might score 8-14 points across 2 games, so TC adds 8-14 on top of the normal double
- *Wait for a clear DGW with easy fixtures. Do not force it just because a DGW exists
- *Salah at home to a promoted team in a DGW is the textbook scenario
- *If no clear DGW opportunity exists, a home fixture against the worst defence in the league is acceptable
Season chip plan
Planning your chip usage across the season gives you a massive edge over managers who play reactively. Here is a typical chip schedule:
Wildcard 1
React to early-season form data and injuries after the first international break
Free Hit
Navigate the first big blank gameweek caused by cup rescheduling
Wildcard 2
Rebuild squad ahead of the double gameweek cluster
Bench Boost
Ideally the GW after your second Wildcard, with 15 DGW players
Triple Captain
Premium player with two easy fixtures in a double gameweek
This plan shifts every season based on when blanks and doubles fall. The key principle: plan chips around fixture anomalies, not around your emotional state after a bad week.
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