Fantasy Premier League managers have more chip decisions to make than ever, with two Wildcards, two Bench Boosts, two Free Hits and two Triple Captains available across the 2026/27 season.
The challenge is knowing when to use them.
The first set of FPL chips must be used during the opening half of the campaign, so managers cannot simply save everything for the traditional late-season Blank and Double Gameweeks.
That makes early opportunities much more important.
In this FPL chip strategy guide, we look at the best early opportunities for all four chips and the different approaches managers could take during the first half of 2026/27.
Fantasy Premier League managers receive two sets of four chips during the 2026/27 season:
The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline on Saturday 2 January. Any unused first-half chips are then lost rather than carried into the second half of the campaign.
A fresh set becomes available for the second half of the season.
Only one chip can be active in the same Gameweek, which is particularly important when planning combinations such as Wildcard and Bench Boost.
There is no single chip strategy every FPL manager should follow.
However, there are three broad approaches worth considering — and several are already being discussed by our Elite XI managers, who have 80+ Top 10k finishes between them.
Here are some of the early chip strategies FPL managers could consider for 2026/27.
This gets the awkward Bench Boost out of the way immediately and allows more money to be concentrated in the starting XI afterwards.
This provides slightly more information before committing to the first major chip decisions.
Keep the chips available until the opening weeks reveal which players, teams and fixtures are genuinely worth targeting.
The advantage is information.
The danger is reaching December with several chips still unused and being forced to play them in less-than-ideal circumstances.
The Bench Boost could be the chip that has the biggest impact on how managers build their Gameweek 1 squad.
Activating it adds the points scored by all four substitutes to your Gameweek total.
Waiting several months could require managers to keep extra money tied up among their substitutes.
An early Bench Boost lets you build a strong 15-player squad from the beginning, use the chip and then gradually move more of your budget towards the starting XI.
Gameweek 1 has one major advantage: complete control over your starting squad.
You have unlimited transfers throughout pre-season, meaning all 15 players can be selected specifically with Bench Boost in mind.
There is less risk of a Gameweek 1 injury, suspension or player price change ruining a plan you have spent several weeks preparing.
Ten-time top-10k finisher Dan Bennett is currently considering exactly that strategy.
Dan has moved away from his original Haaland-based draft and spread more of his budget across the full squad, with the intention of potentially activating Bench Boost immediately.
You can see the thinking behind his squad structure in Dan Bennett’s Gameweek 1 Bench Boost draft.
There is a trade-off.
Spreading your money across 15 players can make it harder to afford the most expensive premiums, and Dan's current structure notably goes without Haaland.
However, once the Bench Boost has been used, managers can begin reducing the amount invested among their substitutes.
Waiting until Gameweek 2 offers a different advantage: information.
Managers get one full round of Premier League matches to assess:
It also allows the opening squad to be constructed around Gameweek 2 fixtures rather than solely the first deadline.
Elite XI manager Copenhagen Wednesday is currently leaning towards this route.
The six-time top-10k finisher has built his early squad with Coventry's Gameweek 2 home fixture against Hull in mind and is considering carrying three Coventry players into the fixture.
His longer-term plan could then involve an early Wildcard around Gameweek 5 or 6.
Read the full strategy in Copenhagen Wednesday’s Gameweek 2 Bench Boost plan.
Absolutely.
There is no reason to force an early Bench Boost.
Gameweek 1 contains considerable uncertainty. New managers are implementing different systems, promoted teams are difficult to assess and some players may not have clearly established roles.
Waiting gives managers the chance to identify reliable budget starters before investing heavily across the full 15-man squad.
One interesting trend among our Elite XI managers — who have 80+ Top 10k finishes between them — is the number of drafts containing two playing goalkeepers.
That is something that has fallen out of fashion in recent FPL seasons, when many managers have preferred a £4.0m back-up goalkeeper.
However, having two starting goalkeepers gives managers much more flexibility over when to activate the Bench Boost. If an attractive opportunity suddenly appears, they can potentially use the chip without first spending a transfer just to secure a playing second goalkeeper.
Another popular strategy is to use the Bench Boost shortly after a Wildcard.
The Wildcard can create a strong squad of 15 players before the Bench Boost is activated in a subsequent Gameweek.
The Wildcard allows unlimited permanent transfers, making it the most powerful tool for completely restructuring an FPL squad.
Unlike the Bench Boost and Triple Captain, the Wildcard should usually be driven more by your own team than one particular fixture.
Gameweeks 5 and 6 could become an important early checkpoint for FPL managers.
By then, we should have a much clearer picture of:
Gameweek 6 could be particularly interesting, with the extended first international break of the season following immediately afterwards.
That gives managers an opportunity to reassess their squads after the opening run of fixtures, while potentially using the break to react to injuries, international minutes and any changes in player availability.
The fixture schedule could also make this an attractive time to restructure.
As the Fixture Planner shows, Fulham, Manchester United and Chelsea all have favourable fixtures around Gameweek 6, potentially making it a good point to stock up on players from those sides.
Copenhagen Wednesday has already suggested he would be willing to use his Wildcard around this period if his opening strategy requires a reset.
If your Gameweek 1 team performs well structurally, there is no reason to manufacture a Wildcard.
Rolling free transfers gives managers increasing flexibility, and five saved transfers can provide many of the benefits of a Wildcard without actually using the chip.
Use it when the difference between the squad you own and the squad you want becomes large enough to justify a complete reset.
The Triple Captain chip increases your captain's score from double to triple points.
With a first Triple Captain that must be used before Gameweek 19, an elite premium playing at home to a promoted side can present a perfectly viable opportunity.
There are already several standout fixtures.
Gameweek 2: Bruno Fernandes vs Ipswich (H)
Manchester United's early fixtures make Fernandes an immediate candidate.
He produced 235 FPL points last season and remains central to United's attack, offering goals, assists and captaincy potential.
Gameweek 3: Erling Haaland vs Coventry (H)
This could be one of the biggest early captaincy decisions of the season.
Haaland remains the standout goalscorer in Fantasy Premier League and a home game against promoted Coventry has obvious upside.
Gameweek 7: Erling Haaland vs Ipswich (H)
Managers who prefer to gather more information before using Triple Captain could instead target City's Gameweek 7 home fixture.
Gameweek 14: Bruno Fernandes vs Coventry (H)
Another promoted opponent at Old Trafford gives Fernandes a second obvious first-half opportunity.
Gameweek 16: Erling Haaland vs Hull (H)
Managers who have held the chip deep into the first half could potentially turn to Haaland before the Gameweek 19 expiry approaches.
Rather than committing to a Triple Captain weeks or months in advance, managers should regularly check the Predicted Points & Stats tool to see which players are projected to score the most in upcoming Gameweeks.
Remember, predicted points are constantly changing as new information becomes available, including form, fixtures, expected minutes and player availability.
Closer to the deadline, the Captain Reveal can provide another valuable indication, showing pre-deadline captaincy data and helping managers see which players are attracting the most interest.
The Free Hit provides unlimited transfers for one Gameweek before returning your squad to its previous state at the following deadline.
It is therefore particularly useful when the players you want for one specific Gameweek are very different from the players you want long term.
Unlike Bench Boost and Triple Captain, the Free Hit cannot be used in Gameweek 1.
For most managers, probably not.
But Gameweek 3 provides a good example of when an early Free Hit could make strategic sense.
Dan Bennett's current Gameweek 1 Bench Boost draft does not contain Haaland, which could become a major issue when Manchester City host Coventry in Gameweek 3.
Rather than building his entire opening squad around getting Haaland back, Dan has suggested that the Free Hit could be one possible solution.
An example Gameweek 3 Free Hit team built using the Future Planner tool shows how managers could attack several favourable fixtures at once.
It targets players from:
The Free Hit would also allow managers to temporarily move away from Arsenal and Chelsea assets, with the two sides facing each other in Gameweek 3.
It is an unconventional strategy, but it demonstrates exactly what the Free Hit is designed to offer: maximum flexibility to attack a specific set of fixtures without restructuring your long-term squad.
The introduction of two sets of chips changed elite FPL strategy significantly in 2025/26.
Fantasy Football Fix analysed how both the season's Top 50 managers and our All-Time Top 50 used their chips.
The first Bench Boost was spread across numerous Gameweeks rather than concentrated around one obvious window.
The Triple Captain was different. Haaland became a popular first-half option when Manchester City had favourable fixtures against promoted teams.
Read our full analysis of how the Top 50 FPL managers used their chips in 2025/26.
There is no need to lock every chip into a specific Gameweek before the season starts.
Instead, identify the best windows and keep your options open.
Most importantly, do not save chips simply because that was the traditional FPL approach.
The first set of chips expires before the second half of the season, so there is real value in attacking strong opportunities when they appear.
Managers receive eight chips in total: two Wildcards, two Bench Boosts, two Free Hits and two Triple Captains.
One set is available during the first half of the season before another set becomes available for the second half.
The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline. They cannot be carried over into the second half of the season.
No. Only one chip can be active in a Gameweek.
That means, for example, managers cannot Wildcard and Bench Boost simultaneously.
No. The Free Hit is unavailable in Gameweek 1.
Gameweek 1 or Gameweek 2 could appeal in 2026/27 because managers can build a strong 15-player squad from the start.
However, waiting until after a Wildcard or for a particularly favourable fixture schedule remains a valid strategy.
Premium players with strong home fixtures provide the clearest opportunities.
Early candidates in 2026/27 include Bruno Fernandes against Ipswich in Gameweek 2 and Haaland against Coventry in Gameweek 3 or Ipswich in Gameweek 7.
Use the Wildcard when your squad requires several permanent changes rather than because you have reached a predetermined Gameweek.
For some managers that could happen around Gameweek 5 or 6. Others may be able to hold the chip considerably longer.
Unlock live Elite Team Reveals, AI transfer recommendations and all our Opta-powered planning tools with Premium Plus.
Join 89% of members who won their main Mini-league last season.
Get 50% offAlready a Premium user? Login here
© fantasyfootballfix 2024 | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
