FPL Wildcard Strategy: Timing Is Everything

This article is part of our Top 50 Series, analysing how the best-performing Fantasy Premier League managers from 2024/25—and the All-Time Top 50—navigated the season.

Wildcards are arguably the most powerful tools at an FPL manager’s disposal. With two available per season, they allow unlimited transfers and are often central to how other chips—like Bench Boost, Free Hit, and Triple Captain—are deployed.

Let’s break down how the most successful managers made use of them in 2024/25.

• Check out our current Premium Membership deal 💥
• Follow the world’s top FPL managers’ team reveals – live! 👀
• Get instant FPL answers from Artificial Intelligence 🤖
• Read the latest FPL content and tips 📖

When did the 2024/25 Top 50 play their Wildcards?

When did the All Time Top 50 play their Wildcards?

When did the All FPL play their Wildcards?

First Wildcard: Early Activation Pays Off

For both the Top 50 and All-Time Top 50 managers, Gameweek 6 was the most popular time to play the first Wildcard.

• Top 50: 28% activated their Wildcard in GW6, with GW12 (12%) as the next most popular week.
• All-Time Top 50: A dominant 66% used it in GW6, with no other Gameweek exceeding 6%.

Several key factors made GW6 an ideal time:

• Palmer and Salah had returned 61 and 59 points respectively—second and third only to Haaland’s 65. Many hadn’t started the season with them.
• Budget enablers like Semenyo (£5.7m) and Rogers (£5.2m) were emerging with 29 and 25 points.
• Arsenal had two extremely favourable home games in GW6 and GW7 against promoted sides Leicester and Southampton, prompting a triple-up of players.
• Manchester City began a kind fixture run from GW7: Fulham (H), Wolves (A), Southampton (H)—boosting interest in players like Rico Lewis (£4.7m) who had emerged as playing more often than not for Man City.
• Mbeumo had an enticing schedule and ended up with a massive 236 points come the season end, making him a key Wildcard target.

While international breaks have traditionally been a popular time for Wildcards due to extra planning time, the belief that they provide increased price change potential is a myth—transfer activity actually tends to slow down.

The trend of early Wildcard use among top managers continues from previous seasons. However, there's still flexibility:

• 42% of the Top 50 delayed their Wildcard until after GW10, showing squad stability was a deciding factor.
• Only 14% of the All-Time Top 50 did the same, suggesting a stronger leaning toward the early Wildcard route among the very best.

Second Wildcard: Synchronised & Strategic

Gameweek 30 was the most common time to use the second Wildcard:

• Top 50: 66% activated it in GW30
• All-Time Top 50: 76% followed suit

This was a significant increase in Wildcard usage in the same Gameweek compared to previous years. One key reason? Fewer blank and double Gameweeks than usual, leaving fewer windows where chip strategy could diverge.

Bench Boost Synergy

As highlighted in the chip usage section:

• Gameweek 33 was the standout for Bench Boost, with Arsenal, Villa, Palace, and Man City all playing twice.
• 72% of the Top 50 and 60% of the All-Time Top 50 used their Bench Boost here.
• Gameweek 32 also attracted 32% of the All-Time Top 50 due to a smaller double involving Palace and Newcastle.

Using the second Wildcard in GW30 gave managers the runway to load up on double Gameweek players in time for GW33.

Free Hit Follow-Up

In Gameweek 34, those very same double players from GW33—Arsenal, Villa, Palace, and City—were all blanking.

• 100% of the Top 50
• 98% of the All-Time Top 50

...used their Free Hit in GW34, making it the most universally played chip of the season. The strategy was seamless:

1. Wildcard into doublers for GW33.
2. Bench Boost in GW33.
3. Free Hit to dodge the blanks in GW34.

It was classic FPL chip planning—and the near-unanimous execution shows just how clear the optimal path was.

Final Thoughts

The Wildcard trends among the top managers show a mix of discipline and adaptability:

• The first Wildcard is often used early—particularly in GW6—when explosive form players emerge and fixture swings align.
• The second Wildcard is saved for the run-in, helping managers build for Bench Boost and pivot to a Free Hit during blank Gameweeks.
• The reduced number of blanks and doubles in 2024/25 meant less room for creativity—but also more consensus on when and how to act.

In short, the best managers know that timing is everything—and they use Wildcards not just to fix their teams, but to unlock the full power of the chip strategy.

The Elite XI: Team Reveal managers share over 80 Top 10k finishes between them.

Follow their every move and learn the strategies behind their success. Click here to get started!