Winning your Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is a long game. It's not the same as winning the beautiful game itself; it's a game of smart decisions to earn clean sheets, goals, and assists. However, if you really want to conquer your mini-league, you also need to know how to use your chips, including the wildcard.
If you're looking to dominate in FPL in the 2023/24 season, consider this your ultimate guide to using your wildcard.
What is the wildcard chip FPL?
In short, the wildcard chip gives you unlimited free transfers for one gameweek.
Chips first entered Fantasy Premier League in the 2015/16 season, and they revolutionized gameplay. There are numerous chip types, including:
These chips are sort of like power-ups in video games. They give you an advantage in the game, either for one game week or, in the case of wildcards, a potential boost for the rest of your season.
Under normal circumstances, FPL managers get one free transfer per week or two if you roll one to the following week. However, the game caps managers at two free transfers per game week. So, if you didn't make a single transfer for more than two game weeks, you would essentially be forfeiting a transfer.
You can make additional transfers, but it costs four points each time to do so.
The wildcard chip seeks to change this. Playing it gives you unlimited free transfers, meaning you can make as many transfers as you like without taking a points hit.
Typically, FPL managers get two wildcards over the course of a Premier League season. However, in 2022/23, this was changed due to the Qatar World Cup taking place in December. This year, in 2023/24, we're back to normal with two.
You are not at liberty to play both whenever you want, though. The first wildcard in FPL is available before December 30, then the second wildcard becomes available immediately after that date. Basically, you get one per half of the season.
How do you play the wildcard chip?
Playing the wildcard is easy. You can do so via the Premier League website or the app, depending on how you play Fantasy Premier League. Here are step-by-step instructions for each method.
On the web
After you activate the wildcard chip, you can make unlimited transfers before the next deadline, shown at the top of the page.
On the FPL app
Now you can access unlimited transfers before the next game week deadline.
How many times can you play your wildcard?
Each FPL manager gets two wildcards per season. The first one is usable at the start of the season, before December 28, and the second becomes available after that. Unlike free transfers, wildcards do not roll over. So, if you fail to use your first wildcard at the start of the season, you won't have two in the second half.
What is the difference between wildcard and free hit?
Another chip available is the free hit. The free hit chip also affects your transfers, but the two are slightly different. Both give you unlimited free transfers. However, the free hit changes it for one gameweek, whereas the wildcard chip changes it more permanently.
In other words, if you transfer four players into your squad using free hit chips, you will only have that changed squad for one gameweek. As soon as the game week ends, your squad reverts to what it was the previous gameweek.
Each season, you get only one free hit, whereas you get two wildcards.
Can I use the wildcard and triple captain at the same time?
In short, no. Managers can use only one chip at a time, which means you can't combine multiple boosts in your chip strategy.
This is why it's a good idea to try and plan a little when you will use your wildcard chips and other chip options. Since you can't use more than one chip in a single gameweek, planning will help you make the most of your chips.
Of course, football is unpredictable, making it hard to plan your strategy. That's why this guide will explain the best times to use your wildcard chips.
When is the best time to play the FPL wildcard chip?
You can play your wildcard chip at any time. However, there are some strategies for success that will ensure you are making a wise decision. Here's when to play the wildcard during the FPL season.
First few weeks of the season
At the start of any Premier League season, you might not know the precise form of a team or player. Once you've seen how a new player plays, you might start to regret those initial FPL choices. After a couple of weeks, though, you'll have a better idea of how the rest of the season will play out.
At this point, you can play a wildcard to save you from those failed predictions.
Injury crisis
There are few scenarios worse than three players going out with injury in the same gameweek, or even a couple of matches apart. Already, FPL managers have been hindered at the start of the 2023/24 season by the news that star FPL player Kevin de Bruyne is out for 3-4 months after picking up an injury.
Thankfully, you can skirt around the issue of injured players with a wildcard.
Double gameweek
If certain players have two fixtures within a gameweek, it's a good time to use the wildcard to maximise your FPL points. However, this is an interesting chip strategy because it’s difficult to pull off.
Typically, you will use the bench boost in a double gameweek to boost your points. However, you can use your wildcard a week or two in advance to load up on players for your bench boost.
Although this is a viable strategy, it means you're sacrificing other game weeks by concentrating your chips into a short window.
January Transfer Window
Look out for the January transfer window opening and its effects on FPL. Some huge players have joined the Premier League during January, including Virgil Van Dijk, Enzo Fernandez, and Martin Odegaard. If you want to stack your FPL team with new signings, you can use your wildcard.
Remember, though, that this will be your second and last wildcard of the season.
During price changes
Early on in the league, price changes are frequent and volatile. Alexander Isak experienced a price rise after Newcastle United's first game of the season this year. If you want to take advantage of these price changes, you can use your wildcard early.
FPL wildcard chip 23/24 strategy
Want to know when to use your wildcards this season? The Premier League is subject to change, but we can give you some key tips for the first half of the season.
Leading up to game week 5
The two-week window provided by the international break in September is one of the better opportunities to use your wildcard. You can use it to:
If you have some Brighton players in your FPL team to take advantage of their easy opening fixtures, this strategy is for you. Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic could be a strong choice to bring in on a wildcard as a replacement.
Game week 9
You could also use a wildcard right after the second international break. Chelsea will have a fixture swing at this point, having had a relatively strong run between gameweeks 1 and 8. Aston Villa, Liverpool, and West Ham United all have favourable swings, too.
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