GW3 has been a rollercoaster of a gameweek, with a lot of shocking results and disappointing returns from some popular FPL picks.
Most of this week’s problem however, has come from the defensive side of things. Those of us FPL managers who have gone big at the back with double Chelsea or double Man City or double Liverpool defenders, did not have the best of gameweeks.
In fact, 10 of the most expensive defenders in the game scored a combined 3 points this gameweek and with returns like this, it is only normal for us FPL managers to have a rethink of our various strategies.
In this article, we’d be looking at what the best strategy is going forward, we’d be analyzing various FPL assets and deciding which ones would be good picks ahead of GW4 and lastly we’d decide the best time to activate our wildcard.
The best formation for a wildcard draft
One common dilemma those looking to wildcard this gameweek would have, is whether to stick with going big at the back or to go with three forwards.
Going big at the back is one strategy that FPL managers have deployed so far this season and we think it’s time for us to move on and get that extra striker or midfielder, if you’re wildcarding ahead of GW4.
Investing heavily in defense has its advantages and GW3 brought out its flaws. Defenders are great and when they score and assist its even better and the fact that they just have to keep a clean sheet to give 4 points makes it even better.
But the truth is when these premium defender assets concede, it is harder for them to return points, they need to either score or assist which could be difficult when their team is chasing a game.
That’s why we think it’d be much better to rather invest those funds in other areas of the pitch. You could decide to go for a 4-4-2 formation, 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 formation if you’re looking to wildcard ahead of GW4.
With the likes of Toney, Rodrigo, Pascal Gross, Zaha, Harrison and Mitrovic all performing well, it won’t hurt to let go of one premium defender and get in that extra forward or midfielder.
That being said, we also want to note that it’s FPL and sometimes the best move might be to do nothing. In GW3, most of the bigger sides played away from home and that could be one of the reasons why clean sheets didn’t come as we expected.
GW3 stats watch: which players would be great additions to your GW4 team or wildcard draft
With a lot of players playing and performing well already this season, we now have an idea of some of the best players in several price brackets and that’s what we’d be looking at to help us decide which players are worth adding to our various teams.
The best 7.0 million midfielder for your GW4 wildcard team: Zaha
Zaha is one player who has looked good in the last two gameweeks. He played well against Liverpool and got himself a goal and in GW3, against Aston Villa he did even better, getting himself 2 goals.
Zaha was the standout player in the game and his underlying stats look pretty good as well. He had 2 big chances, he also created 3 chances and he had 3 shots in the box against Aston Villa.
We can clearly see that he’s heavily involved in everything Crystal Palace does in the attacking third and this makes him a good pick.
He plays Manchester City in GW4 and honestly do think he can get a goal or an assist – he has proved that he can score against the best sides.
His fixtures after the Man City game are also really nice, Zaha goes up against Brentford, Newcastle, Man United and Brighton in his next four games after Man City.
If you’re looking for a midfielder in that 7.0 million price bracket, Zaha is your man.
The best budget forward for your GW4 wildcard draft: Mitrovic
If you’re looking to get that extra forward into your team, then Mitrovic is one worth considering. The forward might have shocked a few with his performances so far this season.
He has got himself three goals already this season, with two of those coming against Liverpool in GW1. Mitrovic is a player who passes the eye test and his underlying stats are quite impressive.
In the game against Brentford, Fulham had five big chances and four of those big chances fell to Mitrovic. The forward was really unlucky in the game and he could have gotten himself more than one goal.
He also managed several shots in the box which is actually really impressive and that’s something you want from your FPL forward.
A forward who is heavily involved in the game and taking shots, that is a good sign as it increases the potential of him getting attacking returns.
The best budget midfielder for your GW4 wildcard draft: Rodrigo
The Leeds man is one really nice pick and he would be a nice way to spend 6.3million. A midfielder in the game but a player that could be used as a forward.
That’s absolutely perfect for us FPL managers because we get a player who plays as a forward in matches, but a midfielder in the game.
Rodrigo has produced attacking returns in his last three games, the Leeds man has given 35 points, scoring four goals and assisting one.
With Leeds’ really nice upcoming fixtures, Rodrigo’s form, and price he’s one player worth adding into your team if you’re wildcarding.
The best budget midfielder for your GW4 wildcard draft: Pascal Groß
Pascal Groß seems to be one really good budget midfielder and is a nice Leon Bailey replacement if you’re looking for a replacement.
The Brighton man started at 5.5million but has since increased by 0.2million, after some really impressive displays so far this season.
Pascal Groß has proved to be a better buy than Leon Bailey, whom we all expected to do really well. If you’re on a wildcard and you’re looking for a budget midfielder then Pascal Groß is the man for you.
But if you have an extra million to spare, then you can go for Harrison or Rodrigo who are all in that 6.0million price range.
Honourable Mentions
Ilkay Gundogan and Jack Harrison are also really nice picks as well both players are in really good form and have been returning FPL points in recent gameweeks. Ivan Toney is another really nice forward pick if you have the funds to get him into your team.
We’d be creating a GW4 wildcard draft this week and the article we’d be out on Wednesday so feel free to check that out as well.
We’d be creating drafts with different formations and a couple of the FPL assets mentioned above, would be added to these drafts. You don’t want to miss it.
When should you activate your FPL wildcard 2022
There’s no specific time to activate your wildcard, It’s all down to your team and your strategy. If your team just isn’t performing well – if you don’t have assets who are on form, then you should definitely activate your wildcard and get in those FPL assets that are performing well.
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.
You can check out our FPL chip strategy guide post, In that article, we look at this FPL season and we suggest the best time to use your various chips, from your wildcard to your free hit chip, we also take a look at some of the teams that have positive fixture swings and those with negative fixture swings.
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.
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