FPL chip strategy guide: When to wildcard, bench boost and free hit

The 2022/23 FPL season is only couple of days away and as FPL managers, we’ve all been planning and preparing for the upcoming season.

And while we might be focusing on teams to target, budget enablers, premium picks and captain picks, we also want to have a clear plan of how we want to use our various FPL chips.

The proper usage of these FPL chips, can see a rise in rankings for you, while a careless use of your chips, can lead to a drastic fall in rankings. In other words, your FPL chips are really important and they can decide how high you rank in the game.

In this article, we’d be providing you with important dates in the 2022/23 season, we’d be looking at when potential double gameweeks might come up, we’d also look at when the international breaks would be starting and then we’d use that information to draft out an FPL chip strategy guide that can help you get the best out of your various FPL chips.

FPL chip strategy guide: The 2022/23 FPL calendar

Here’s a look at how the 2022 season would go:

FPL chip strategy: what is the wildcard chip

The wildcard chip is a chip that allows you to completely change your entire team, from the first eleven to your bench players, without incurring any minuses. Once this chip is played, you can’t cancel it.

How many wildcards do you have each season

Two wildcards are given to every FPL manager each season. The first one can be used within the first 18 gameweeks of the season, after which it can’t be used again. While the second wildcard chip, is meant to be used in the second half of the season which is usually from gameweek 19 – gameweek 38.

However, this season, three wildcards would be given to FPL managers. The third wildcard can only be used during the world cup break after which it can’t be used again.

FPL chip strategy: when should you play your wildcard chip

One of the best times to play or use the wildcard chip, is when your team is in complete disarray. The moment you realize that a number of your FPL assets have a couple of tough fixtures, or the assets you picked aren’t returning enough points, or your team has been hit with a huge amount of injuries or suspension, then you should use your wildcard chip.

Another really good time to play or use the wildcard chip this season, is during the international break. Why’s that? well, for one, some teams begin to have fixture swing.

Teams with positive fixture swing after gameweek 8

• Leicester
• Newcastle
• Aston Villa
• Nott’m forest
• West Ham
• Crystal Palace

While the following teams would have a harder set of fixtures, after gameweek 8:

• Arsenal
• Tottenham
• Man United

So, yeah playing the wildcard during the international break, would allow you to switch assets between the teams with positive fixture swings and those with harder set of fixtures.

Another really nice chip strategy that could work this season, would be wildcarding right before the world cup break. In this case, the wildcard chip then becomes a free hit chip because right after we use it, we’d then get another wildcard chip during the break.

Playing the wildcard chip in gameweek 16, would allow us to target teams that have really nice fixtures. We can go all in on Man City, Liverpool, Man United and Spurs assets, as they all have really nice fixtures in gameweek 16.

FPL chip strategy: when to play your bench boost and free hit chip

It is very common for FPL managers to keep hold of their bench boost and free hit chip, and play them when there’s a double gameweek. Playing or using your free hit and bench boost chip when there’s a double gameweek, allows you to properly utilize these chips.

When is the first double gameweek of the season

Because of the involvement of teams in the carabao cup, the first double gameweek is most likely going to be in gameweek 29. Teams who blank in gameweek 25, would most likely feature in this double gameweek.

Gameweeks 34&37 are also possibly going to be double gameweeks. It is also very likely that the big double gameweek, falls either in gameweek 37 or in gameweek 34.

This tweet by @BenCrellin helps give us an idea of when the blank and double gameweeks would be coming up:

All of this dates are not certain and anything could happen during the season, games could be rescheduled or postponed for many reasons and if that happens, there would be more blank and double gameweeks.

So it’d be better to keep hold of your free hit and bench boost chip, till when you’re sure of all these dates. Do feel free to check back on raensports as we’d keep you informed as the season goes by.

redeyedrae

Redeyedrae, is an FPL content writer with years of experience in playing and writing about FPL. He has written for major FPL blogs like ALLABOUTFPL, Fantasytipsters, FF Titans, and nevermanagealone. With his deep knowledge of the game, he has become a trusted source for FPL fans worldwide. His content is well-researched and always up-to-date. He’s passionate about helping FPL managers gain an edge in their leagues by sharing insights and analysis about everything fantasy football on raensports.