The Scout highlights the best opportunities for Fantasy Premier League managers to use their Wildcard chip, if they haven't already used it.
Over three million Fantasy managers have already played their first Wildcard, but the majority are yet to use it.
The Wildcard is a valuable chip that allows UNLIMITED free transfers to overhaul your squad without incurring any points hits.
If you are thinking of using the Wildcard in Gameweek 8, it is a good idea to do so TODAY so that you can benefit from as many price changes as possible. By transferring in your top targets before they RISE in price, and selling your unwanted players before they DROP, you can make a big difference to your squad value.
Remember, once activated, the Wildcard chip can’t be cancelled.
Should you use a Wildcard in Gameweek 8?
When to play this chip very much depends on each team’s current situation. If several of your players are struggling for form or fitness or have tough fixtures ahead, now can be a good time to address those problems.
Playing the Wildcard can also help restructure your squad according to your preferred big-hitters. With the four most expensive players in Fantasy – Erling Haaland (£15.4m), Cole Palmer (£10.8m), Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) and Bukayo Saka (£10.1m) – also being the top points-scorers, and key picks, it is crucial to find reliable budget-friendly assets.
By using the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), managers can identify the clubs who are set to embark on kind runs of opponents.
Manchester City are one such example. According to the FDR, each of their four matches from Gameweek 8 – against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton, AFC Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion - score just two.
Man City's next four fixtures
| GW | Opp. | FDR* |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Wolves (A) | 2 |
| 9 | Southampton (H) | 2 |
| 10 | AFC Bournemouth (A) | 2 |
| 11 | Brighton (A) | 2 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
While Haaland's 73 per cent ownership are very likely to captain him throughout this spell, doubling up on the Man City attack with Phil Foden (£9.2m) could be a productive tactic and help you get ahead of the crowd, if the latter finds his form. Meanwhile, Rico Lewis (£4.7m) could prove a handy budget pick in defence.
Tottenham Hotspur also have a favourable schedule ahead, which looks encouraging for Son Heung-min (£9.9m) – if he recovers from injury in time for Gameweek 8 – while Brennan Johnson (£6.6m) and Dominic Solanke (£7.6m) offer cheaper routes into Ange Postecoglou’s attack.
Everton’s Dwight McNeil (£5.7m) and Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood (£6.2m) also have the form and fixtures to continue delivering great value for the foreseeable future.
Why Gameweek 12 could be the best time to Wildcard
If you’re in a position where you can be patient and wait a bit longer to play your Wildcard, a number of clubs' fixtures take a marked turn for the better in Gameweek 12, making it an ideal time to use the chip.
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea each have tough runs of opponents beforehand, which may limit the output of their key players over the next four Gameweeks.
But from Gameweek 12, picking three Arsenal players could prove to be a very profitable tactic. Saka and Gabriel (£6.2m) are the obvious picks, with goalkeeper David Raya (£5.6m) and forward Kai Havertz (£8.3m) battling it out for the third spot.
Chelsea’s encounters with Leicester City and Southampton in Gameweeks 12 and 14 respectively give Palmer the chance to deliver more massive points hauls and establish himself as a permanent fixture in managers’ line-ups for the remainder of the season.
Meanwhile, four of Villa’s five matches from Gameweek 12 score only two in the FDR, boosting Ollie Watkins’ (£9.1m) chances of adding to his four goals, two assists and two double-digit returns.
Bournemouth, Brighton, Newcastle United and Wolves also enjoy very kind schedules at this point and club offer more budget-friendly assets who could play a part in a major squad overhaul with the Wildcard.
