How many wildcards do you get?
You can think of this as similar to free bet offers at online sportsbooks. Just like your two wildcards per season, these offers are time-sensitive; you get a great opportunity to place bets without using your own funds, but if you don’t use them before they expire, you miss out. Free bet promotions are especially common around major football events, where platforms give players a chance to get in on the action with reduced risk. Whether you’re making strategic FPL swaps or eyeing odds-on Premier League matchups, it’s all about timing and value. So, make sure you use that wildcard just like you would take advantage of a betting offer while it’s still on the table.
When is the optimal time to use your first wildcard?
This is the hardest question to answer because it is something that will differ for pretty much every single team.
We recommend that you don’t make any sweeping changes to your FPL team unless you need to, at least at the start. During the first few weeks of the league, your team will still be bedding in. Unless you encounter large, sweeping issues with your team – for example, form, injury issues etc – then leave things be. You chose those players for a reason.
The first time that most people consider using a wildcard is right after the first international break, which normally happens at the four-week mark. At this point, you should have a decent idea of how your team is shaping up. It means that you can correct any glaring issues immediately, while still having enough time to collect some points for the rest of the season. You might also want to look into some free bets during the international break, as you’ll often find some good sports betting bonuses for when the league returns. Of course, you don’t need to use a wildcard here. Some people wait a lot longer. A lot of people won’t even use a wildcard until the 10-15 week mark.
Determining the best time to use a wildcard during the second half of the season is a little bit trickier. Ideally, you would use one when:
- The players you want to swap into your team are playing clubs on relegation form, just so they can pick up a few more points.
- There is a bit of fixture congestion during the week (ie two games in a week), as it means you get more points from your swap-ins.
Is your team performing well or can it perform better?
This is the big question you should be asking yourself. How is your team performing? If you don’t think that you can make changes that will considerably boost your points haul, then don’t bother making those changes – it could be a big and common mistake . Sometimes, it is better to go with a team that will probably work, rather than take the time to put together a whole new team that might squeak out a few points.
That being said, you might want to seriously consider how the most expensive players in your team are performing. If you don’t think they are up to scratch, it might be better to free up a bit of space in your transfer budget and get somebody cheaper. A lot of the time, some of the more expensive players will lose value rapidly at the start of the season, and it is better to switch them out while they still have something left in them.
Which clubs will your players be facing?
One of the key determining factors of when to switch out the players in your club through a wildcard is which players you want to switch in. The objective is to get as many points as possible, after all.
So, let’s say a team has a particularly easy fixture list coming up. Maybe a top team with a couple of relegation candidates in their immediate fixture schedule. It might be worth bringing in players from those clubs and getting a few easy points out of them. If you are considering players who have some tougher fixtures coming up, then we probably wouldn’t switch them in just yet. It might cost you a few points.
Are player values rising?
It is impossible to know where player values are heading. There are complicated algorithms behind the valuation of players, but generally speaking, if players are performing well then their value will go up. During the first few weeks of a season, you might notice that the value of a few players is rising, and you believe it will continue to rise. In that case, it might be worth switching in those players to boost the value of your team.
You might also want to shift players who are likely to plummet in value. You certainly wouldn’t want to use a wildcard to bring in players that will fall in value. But we’re sure you’re smart enough to know that already.
Is form dropping for your players?
Are your players having a few off games, but you believe they might get back on track? Don’t worry about using a wildcard at this point. However, if you have several players who are consistently bad and show no sign of improving, it is time to pull out that wildcard and get rid of them.
Final thoughts
Using your two wildcards is important when you’re building your FPL team . It is the best way to score some extra points in the game. Make unlimited changes to your team in one week, and you can climb up the leagues rapidly. Knowing what to think about when using your wildcard isn’t too difficult either. If you’ve got a number of players performing badly, switch them out. Simple.