FPL Gameweek 6 Wildcard Rush: 5 Elite Managers Hit the Button

Yesterday, World No.1 Tom Dollimore hit the Wildcard button ahead of Gameweek 6 — you can read his full interview here.

Now, five more of our Elite XI: Team Reveal managers have followed suit, confirming that this is the most popular time of the season so far to play the chip.

We spoke to Paul Marshman (6× Top 1k finishes — the most of any FPL manager), Walter Randazzo (7× Top 10k finishes), James Cooper (7× Top 10k finishes), Matt Corbidge (6× Top 10k finishes) and Lari Ahti (4× Top 10k finishes) about why they’ve played their Wildcard, the players who are locked in, and their future chip strategies.

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Why Wildcard in Gameweek 6?

For many, the Salah ➝ Haaland switch has been decisive. James Cooper explained:

“The merits of Haaland over Salah have become overwhelming – and then Palmer has revealed he’s a week-by-week sicknote. That plus a couple of relevant fixture swings, and price changes.”

Walter Randazzo admitted he was torn between Gameweek 6 and 7, but the combination of deadwood and looming price changes forced his hand:

“Wildcard time, I always thought it was gonna be either this or next week and I was actually 50/50 on playing it. The plan would have been to get Haaland and Bruno for a hit, but patience has run out with triple Villa and double Forest defence. Also a hit just before Wildcard didn’t feel entirely right, and I’ll try and take advantage of price changes, with multiple players close to a price drop.”

For Matt Corbidge, it was more about restructuring his squad:

“I feel like I’ve done it quite impulsively… but the major driver was my inability to move out my deadwood without hits. I’d be stuck with Wirtz, Watkins, Strand Larsen, double Spurs defence and double Palace without the chance to move them on.”

And while Lari Ahti admitted he was initially content with his squad, the timing felt right:

“I actually liked my team, but I usually hold the wildcard too long. This time I’ve decided to play it early, even if I’ve already missed a few price changes. Time to clear out the deadwood: Wirtz and Murillo need to go, Sánchez conveniently picked up a red card, and Guiu… well, I’d like to replace him too.”

Teams and Fixtures Being Targeted

Fixture swings were another driving factor.

Walter Randazzo:

“I’m moving early and loading up on Arsenal, City and trying to adjust the team according to DEFCONs, which are having quite a big impact on the game.”

James Cooper:

“I’ll be looking to invest in Arsenal, City and Bournemouth, and avoid Palace, Fulham and Brentford, as those look like some of the fixture swings moving forwards.”

Lari Ahti:

“With the Wildcard I can invest in Spurs, Bournemouth, City, and Arsenal players — all with nice fixture runs ahead. Switching from Salah to Haaland changes the team structure, so it feels like the perfect time to hit the button.”

The Fixture Planner highlights why these four teams are attracting so much Wildcard interest. Over the next four Gameweeks, they all boast promising runs of fixtures:

• Spurs sit second for defensive difficulty. They face Wolves at home next, then newly promoted Leeds away, before meeting an Aston Villa side who have managed just one goal in five matches.
  
• Man City have two very appealing home fixtures against newly promoted Burnley (GW5) and Everton (GW7), plus away trips to Brentford and Villa that also offer potential for points.
  
• Bournemouth take on Leeds next and also enjoy home games against Fulham and Forest under new manager Ange Postecoglou.
  
• Arsenal may have a tough trip to Newcastle, but that is followed by a very attractive fixture against a struggling West Ham side.

Who Are the Popular Player Picks?

Across their drafts, several names come up again and again:

• Haaland – every manager confirmed he’s locked in.
  
• Reijnders – almost universally seen as the best-value midfielder.
  
• Bruno Fernandes – still trusted as Man United’s key man.
  
• Semenyo – strong midfield option after a very promisng start to the season.
  
• Senesi and Gabriel – key defensive picks with fixtures on their side.
  

Walter was clear on his core:

“Obviously Haaland is locked in, as is Reijnders. Then likely Semenyo, Pedro, Gabriel, Senesi and Bruno. Gyökeres probable but not set in stone.”

James Cooper echoed similar thinking:

“My keepers are locked in, as are an Arsenal defender and Senesi. In midfield it’s Semenyo, Reijnders, and probably Bruno. Up front – just Haaland.”

Meanwhile, Matt Corbidge provided the longest 'shortlist', reflecting how much restructuring he is weighing up:

“My shortlist of players include:

Goalkeepers – Dubravka, Petrovic, Raya, Pope, Donnarumma

Defenders – Gabriel, Calafiori, Gvardiol, Tarkowski, Senesi, Andersen, Richards, Rodon, Ester

Midfielders – Salah, Palmer, Saka, Bruno, Semenyo, Ndiaye, Sarr, Stach, Reijnders, Dewsbury-Hall, Anderson

Forwards – Haaland, Gyökeres, Joao Pedro, Calvert-Lewin, Foster”

FPL Chip Strategy Plans

Future chip use also came up in discussion:

Walter Randazzo:

“This means I won’t be able to activate the Triple Captain on Haaland this week so I’ll just wait for another occasion, and the other chips have already gone.”

James Cooper:

“No real chip plans to follow. Will play the Bench Boost whenever it looks optimal in a given week; same for Triple Captain. Free Hit is already gone. I should add – the Bench Boost being in my pocket means I won’t go for any dead squad spots like Guiu.”

Matt Corbidge:

“It also felt a nice opportunity to restructure my team, bring in some of the strongest defenders and also become more bench-boost ready… Do I want to Bench Boost soon? Gameweek 8 particularly looks promising.”

Wildcard Gameweek 6: Final Thoughts

With six Elite managers, including World No.1 Tom Dollimore, now on Wildcards ahead of Gameweek 6, the trend is clear.

Fixture swings, price changes, and the irresistible pull of Haaland are driving some of the sharpest minds in Fantasy Premier League to act now.

You can follow all of their evolving drafts on the Elite XI: Team Reveal tool.

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