Managers in Fantasy Premier League have the opportunity to give their points total a big boost by using their chips.
All FPL managers had four chips to use in the first half of the season - a Wildcard, Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost - and those same four chips were refreshed in Gameweek 20 for use between now and the end of the season.
Typically, experienced managers keep their chips until the final third of the season to take advantage of changes to the Premier League schedule, because domestic cup competitions can bring about Blank or Double Gameweeks.
What are Blank and Double Gameweeks?
If you're new to FPL, here's a quick breakdown of the terminology.
There are 38 Gameweeks in a season. Generally, each Gameweek is made up of 10 matches, with each Premier League club playing once.
A Blank Gameweek occurs when at least one top-flight club DOESN'T have a Premier League fixture in a particular Gameweek.
This is a problem for Fantasy managers because it means any players from the clubs in question score ZERO points in FPL.
A Double Gameweek is when at least one club has TWO league fixtures in a given Gameweek.
This gives Fantasy managers an opportunity because the players from these clubs have two opportunities to score points.
What causes Blank and Double Gameweeks?
Blank Gameweeks are caused by Premier League matches being postponed.
Typically, these postponements come about because of a fixture clash with domestic cup competitions.
Last season, Blank Gameweek 29 and Blank Gameweek 34 coincided with the same weekends as the EFL Cup final and FA Cup semi-finals respectively.
As a result, any top-flight club still involved in these cup competitions had their league matches postponed.
Those outstanding fixtures were then slotted into other Gameweeks, creating Double Gameweeks for the teams in question.
What does each chip do and how should you use it?
Wildcard
All transfers (including those already made) are free of charge.
The Wildcard is played when confirming transfers that cost points. It can’t be cancelled once played. When playing a Wildcard, you will KEEP your banked transfers.
A Wildcard is best saved for when your squad most needs an overhaul. This could be if you have multiple players injured, banned, out of form or not starting for their teams. However, it could also be used to target a particular set of fixtures for certain teams.
The Wildcard should always be played with a long-term outlook in mind.
It can be used to set up a Bench Boost (see below), allowing you to stock up on a host of players who are about to have a Double Gameweek while also spreading your funds around your 15-man squad so that all of your players have a good chance of scoring points.
Free Hit
Make unlimited free transfers for a Gameweek. At the next deadline, your squad is returned to how it was before those unlimited moves were made.
The Free Hit chip is played when confirming your transfers. It can’t be cancelled after being confirmed. It’s also worth noting that when playing your Free Hit chip, you will KEEP your banked transfers.
In the second half of the season, the Free Hit chip could be used to solve problems that occur in a Blank Gameweek.
For example, if Arsenal reached the EFL Cup final and have a Blank Gameweek in Gameweek 31, playing the Free Hit means you could remove three Gunners players for that one problematic week before getting them back again automatically in Gameweek 32.
Alternatively, the chip could be used more aggressively in a Double Gameweek and enable you to select 11 players who play twice, without having to worry about their long-term fixtures.
Triple Captain
Your captain points are TRIPLED instead of doubled.
The Triple Captain chip can be played when saving your team on the “Pick Team” page. It can be cancelled at any time before the Gameweek deadline.
Playing the chip in a Double Gameweek on a premium player such as Erling Haaland (£15.1m) or Bukayo Saka (£10.2m), should Man City or Arsenal have two fixtures in a Gameweek, would give you TWO opportunities to pick up points.
For example, last season, Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) returned the highest score of the season in Double Gameweek 24, racking up a whopping 29 points.
Bench Boost
The points scored by your benched players are included in your total.
The Bench Boost chip can be played when saving your team on the “Pick Team” page. It can be cancelled at any time before the Gameweek deadline.
The Bench Boost chip is most effective when all 15 of your players have a favourable fixture.
In a Double Gameweek, if you select 15 players who play twice, your squad would have a huge 30 matches in which to score points.