The Scout explains why Gameweek 6 could be a good time for managers to play the Wildcard chip in Fantasy Premier League, if they haven't already used it.
Get Haaland
First of all, if you already own Erling Haaland (£14.3m), it’s worth bearing in mind that you cannot use two chips in one Gameweek.
So if you are planning on playing your Triple Captain chip on the Manchester City forward at home to Burnley, you cannot also play the Wildcard.
If you don’t already own Haaland, the Wildcard gives you the perfect opportunity to capitalise on one of his best home matches of the season.
The Norwegian has scored six goals in the first five Gameweeks to top the player standings on 46 points.
Man City host a Burnley side who have conceded a hefty 31 shots in the box in just two away matches this season.
In a Gameweek where Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (£14.5m) visits Crystal Palace, Haaland’s form and fixture means he is expected to be the No 1 captain pick.
Having scored away to Arsenal to claim nine points last weekend, the Man City star has proven his fixture-proof potential and he is a must-have for any manager right now.
But bringing in Haaland doesn’t necessarily have to be at the expense of Salah, as there are plenty of value assets across all positions that can help you accommodate both.
Jump on clubs who have good fixture swings
Arsenal, Everton and Manchester United are all braced for favourable upcoming runs of opponents following a tough Gameweek 5.
In the Gunners’ case in particular, a triple-up on their assets could pay off when their schedule turns in Gameweek 7.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), where the difficulty of each fixture is ranked from one to five, with one being the easiest possible match and five being the hardest, three of their subsequent five matches score just two, including back-to-back encounters with Burnley and Sunderland in Gameweeks 10-11.
Arsenal's fixtures, GW7-11
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
| 7 | West Ham (H) | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Fulham (A) | 3 |
| 9 | Crystal Palace (H) | 3 |
| 10 | Burnley (A) | 2 |
| 11 | Sunderland (A) | 2 |
*1=easiest possible fixture, 5=hardest possible fixture
Goalkeeper David Raya (£5.5m) or centre-back Gabriel (£6.1m) look to be the best picks at the back, while Eberechi Eze (£7.5m), Bukayo Saka (£9.8m) and Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) can all bring in big returns further up the field.
Everton pair James Tarkowski (£5.5m) and Jack Grealish (£6.8m) have three home matches – against West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur – in the next five Gameweeks, as well as a visit to Sunderland.
Everton's next five fixtures
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
| 6 | West Ham (H) | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Crystal Palace (H) | 3 |
| 8 | Man City (A) | 4 |
| 9 | Spurs (H) | 3 |
| 10 | Sunderland (A) | 2 |
*1=easiest possible fixture, 5=hardest possible fixture
Along with AFC Bournemouth’s Marcos Senesi (£4.7m), Tarkowski is one of only two players to earn two points for his defensive contributions in all five of the opening Gameweeks.
Since making his full Everton debut in Gameweek 2, Grealish has created 13 chances, more than any other player in Fantasy. The Man City loanee would need to be benched in Gameweek 8, though, when he visits his parent club.
In Man Utd’s case, there’s an argument that Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m) is enough when it comes to investing.
The Portuguese’s potential for defensive contribution points, combined with his penalty and set-piece duties, have earned him 26 points, just four behind Salah.
The pair go head-to-head at Anfield in Gameweek 8 but Man Utd’s fixtures around that certainly lift the appeal of Fernandes, with Brentford, Sunderland, Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest in the next five Gameweeks.
Man Utd's next five fixtures
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
| 6 | Brentford (A) | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Sunderland (H) | 2 |
| 8 | Liverpool (A) | 5 |
| 9 | Brighton (H) | 3 |
| 10 | Nott'm Forest (A) | 3 |
*1=easiest possible fixture, 5=hardest possible fixture
Transfer out underperforming players
The Wildcard chip allows you to transfer out popular picks who have underperformed in the opening stages such as Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins (£8.8m) and Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz (£8.3m).
Both were backed to start the campaign strongly due to kind early fixtures but their owners have had to endure nightmare runs of five straight blanks.
Similarly, if you currently own any of Nott'm Forest’s backline, now could be the best time to part company. Having started the season without a clean sheet, their schedule takes a significant turn for the worse in Gameweek 7.
Get defensive contribution kings
As already mentioned, both Tarkowski and Senesi have collected 10 points from their defensive contributions already – that’s the equivalent of two-and-a-half extra clean sheets in just five Gameweeks.
Indeed, Bournemouth’s favourable long-term schedule suggests that both Senesi and his midfield team-mate Antoine Semenyo (£7.7m) can keep rewarding managers for many Gameweeks to come.
According to the FDR, only two of their next 13 matches score more than three.
Elsewhere, the promoted sides offer ultra low-priced centre-backs who can reward you with defensive contribution points.
Sunderland centre-backs Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete (both £4.0m) have been the most reliable.
Mukiele has started the last three Gameweeks and picked up two points for his defensive contributions in all of them, while Alderete has been successful in three of his four starts.
Burnley’s Hjalmar Ekdal (£4.0m) has also earned six points from defensive contribution points, albeit in five outings.
Catch the price rises/falls
If you’re planning to Wildcard, activate the chip as soon as possible to capitalise on price changes.
For example, both Haaland and Semenyo have already risen £0.1m in Gameweek 6 and could rise again before Saturday’s 11:00 BST deadline.
There’s also the price falls to consider, too. If you’re holding Watkins and Wirtz, there’s the prospect of both dropping £0.1m.
Combined with the Haaland and Semenyo potential rises, that’s £0.4m you could be saving yourself right there.