Why managers are Wildcarding in Gameweek 5

More than 1.22million managers have already played their first Wildcard of 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League.

That includes the current 127,000+ who have the Wildcard chip active during the first international break of the season, more than double the total of any other chip for Gameweek 5.

While four rounds of matches is a small sample size, there have been plenty of lessons to take away that can apply to all managers.

Alvarez providing value

Erling Haaland (£14.1m) has immediately shown why he is the default captain for millions by climbing to the top of the player standings on 39 points.

His Manchester City team-mate Julian Alvarez (£6.7m) has proven the perfect foil for Haaland in Fantasy.

The Argentinian has started all four matches in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne (£10.3m) and is the second top-scoring forward in Fantasy on 28 points.

Nonetheless, it is midfielders who have dominated the overall player standings to underline why the 3-5-2 formation has been so popular in Fantasy this season.

Of the 31 players to deliver at least 20 points in the opening four Gameweeks, 15 are midfielders. 

Fantasy points by position, GW1-4

Furthermore, eight of the 13 players to return 25+ points are midfielders, compared with four forwards and one defender. 

James Maddison (£7.8m) and Son Heung-min (£9.1m) are among those top-performing midfielders, with Tottenham Hotspur’s displays under new head coach Ange Postecoglou suggesting investment in their attack could now be a necessity.

Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo (£6.8m) and Chelsea star Raheem Sterling (£7.2m) also have the form and fixtures to reward any new backers.

Clean sheets in short supply

At the back, however, a significant drop in clean sheets has impacted how managers are assessing their targets.

Only 14 clean sheets have been recorded in 2023/24, down 33 per cent from a total of 21 in the first four Gameweeks of the previous campaign. 

This is also reflected in the player standings in Fantasy.

At this time last season, eight of the 10 top-scoring defenders had claimed at least two clean sheets.

However, this applies to a mere two of the current top 10, Spurs pair Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie (both £4.7m).

Romero's goal v Burnley

Should the current trend continue, defenders who boast a strong attacking threat could be more crucial than ever in 2023/24 Fantasy.

Spurs duo Udogie and Pedro Porro (£4.9m), along with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pervis Estupinan (£5.3m), Ben Chilwell (£5.8m) and Aston Villa's Matty Cash (£4.6m) look the standout targets in that regard.

Also in this series

Part 2: FPL experts: When is the best time to Wildcard?
Part 3: FPL experts: Lessons learned from the season so far