When is the best time to play your FPL Wildcard? Fantasy Premier League tips 2014/15
Every season there is always the panic and finger nail biting as fantasy managers ask that same old question – “When should I use my Wildcard”. We all have different views as to when to use it so here is a short guide as to six different options that might just be the difference in winning your Mini League or having the ignominy of a season wasted due to your poor wildcard decision. If you time your wildcard well it can be an opportunity to make huge strides with your side as your team climbs the league. Pressing that “Play wildcard” button can be a tense time, but if you plan it well you could reap the benefits.
Here are the six scenarios as to when you should consider using your wildcard, and why:
1. After Gameweek 1 – You’ve had an abysmal first gameweek; your fellow managers have had a great start and are not afraid about telling you, all of your selections look wrong, whilst everyone else has racked up the points. This is usually not a good idea, unless you have really taken a pasting, stand your ground. Your selections may not have paid off in week 1, but unless you have a situation where you don’t think you can start a complete eleven in GW2 due to injuries or players not starting, give your current team a longer chance. The boat’s sailed on this option already of course but assuming you managed to get past this stage then the next 5 options are your best bet to wildcard success in our view…
[divider_1px]
2. After the Transfer Window Closes/During the International Break – This is the earliest time where we think there is a sound reason to play your wildcard. You’ve had a few gameweeks to manage your team and it’s not going in the direction you want it to. Between Gameweeks 3 and 4 there is a two week window between Premier League fixtures. It is also the period when the summer transfer window closes. Playing your wildcard here will allow you to take advantage of late player movement, sometimes a player who does not look worthy of investment at one club can turn into a bargain at their new club (see Gylfi Sigurdsson). With a two week period for transfers to be made it also creates a greater chance of earning team value by bringing in players who are rising in price as there is more transfer movement. A word of caution to those managers bringing in players that are involved in International duty, make sure they are not injured whilst away and confirm before GW4 commences.
Some managers plan this in advance – they set their team up for the first 3GWs with a view to wildcarding before GW4. Their view is that they have had time to view the trends and bandwagons and will strike to mould their squad to reflect this.
[divider_1px]
3. Xmas and New Year – In December, the FPL schedule gets quite busy, resulting in occasions where clubs are playing three matches in seven or eight days. This period is when FPL managers will rotate their squads more frequently, making it difficult to put out a fantasy eleven where all your starting eleven are guaranteed 90 minutes. You could create a wildcard team geared toward this period of the season, bringing in players based on guaranteed game time. Now this could take advantage of the fixture list however we find this strategy a little too risky for its own good, due to weather and most notably rotation worries as many Premier League managers use this this time to make full use of their squad.
[divider_1px]
4. Double Gameweeks – This is probably the most popular strategy in the FPL community. Without doubt there will be fixtures moved around because of cup commitments or bad weather. The FA Cup 6th round fixtures in March are always a popular time to wildcard. When the rescheduled fixtures are announced, this creates double gameweeks. You can build up a starting eleven playing 22 matches if you choose carefully and have a cracking points haul that can take your FPL team from mid table anonymity to potential champions.
[divider_1px]
5. Double up with January Wildcard – While option 4 is the most popular with Fantasy Managers, if it can be done in January in conjunction with option 5 here then you can really hit the jackpot. We are all given a January wildcard to use during that month, this was designed to help managers whose squads were severely depleted by player movement in the January transfer window. You can organize the playing of both of your wildcards so that you can have a really strong team for the entire month. The only downside is it feels a bit of a waste if the first of your two wildcards still looks good when you plan to play your second.
[divider_1px]
6. In an Emergency – Do what some managers do and just hold on to it until a disaster occurs. It could be gameweek 4, 12 or 36. Every FPL manager will face a crisis of some sort with their squad, players injured, suspended, dropped, players out of form. Well, here’s a chance to right that sinking ship and start again. It’s your ‘Get out of Jail Free’ card. Just make sure you use it wisely.
Well we hope this guide is of some use to you and may help you in maximizing your Wildcard.
Evening (well almost) guys,
Hope we’re all well. I seem pretty content with my team, but any input is better then no input – critique away!
Courtois (Myhill)
Debuchy Clyne Dummett (wisdom Duff)
JWP Rambo Siggy Fab (Albrighton)
Studge Costa Aguero
0 itb
Im thinking of bringing Janmaat in for Debuchy in 2 weeks and swapping Dummett with another 4-4.5m defender.
Cheers
Shotts
Good team considering the front three. Why wait two weeks for that move? You could do it this GW so you avoid Debuchy vs City.
Thanks CC,
I’ve used up my ft for this week.
I may play Duff as they have Palace away but Debuchy could get a assist.
Speaking of wild cards I played mine, what you guys think?! Have 1 mil in the bank, could downgrade Henderson and upgrade Naismith to wellbeck? Opinions appreciated…
I’d say that’s a good idea Hacko. Unless you got Naismith in recently for his current price I would hold out for now though as Welbeck got a slight injury in training and will miss the game tonight. Make sure he’s fit before seeling Naismith as it would cost you more to bring him in again.
Yeah thanks Calvin , what you think about the rest of the team? Trying to keep a good balance building around certain players I think are key and then adding stoke swa and soton coverage…
Yep very good overall balance there. Not sure Wisdom is 100% safe now with Gamboa back to fitness, but that’s the only criticism I have, and it’s a small one at that.
Out in the middle of know where here first time be on in days how’s every one doing
Hey up Silvers, yip all good sitting here having the usual copius amounts of rain, hows yer hols going ?
So my wildcard is active! Although team value is relatively hard to make up so it seems! Are there any other sites that are reliable for price changes as totalfpl doesn’t seem to be working! Fiso or any others more reliable?
Don’t think so. Pretty disappointed with the changes to price changes, it feels like a key element of the game has been spoiled…
I’ve been cross-referencing those two and fplstatistics, but Sterling still went up the other day and was below 100% on all three of them.. no-one knows what’s going on :cuss:
They’ve changed the algorithm on the FPL site itself which means that FISO et al are out of kilter with the changes. Evidently FPL don’t like that these sites show risers and fallers and are trying to deter / block them from doing so. It’s short sighted really as it’s such a key element. These sites supplement the game and should be helped and supported by FPL not the other way round.
Especially when I’m on a wildcard!
Yeah, just thought the sites would be trying to work it out a bit quicker. They want traffic right? And I don’t know what you lot are all complaining about really, thought team value wasn’t worth worrying about 😉
How did the podcast go today Calvin? I believe Bry debuted also? Can’t wait to hear his eloquent mix of Japanese and Yorkshire tones!
Champion, did hi’sen proud
If FPL really didn’t like those sites it wouldn’t feed them the raw data on transfers, which I believe is how they operate. (At one point TotalFPL apologized that their data was a mess because the format of the feed had changed.) Obviously FPL doesn’t tell them what the algorithms are for price changes, and has made some changes to confuse everyone this season. I don’t know what their reason for doing that was, but my guess is that if too many people know about imminent price changes then the (fantasy) transfer market might start to be driven by its own transfer data rather than by footballing factors. FPL might feel that that somehow corrupts the (fantasy) game, though I don’t see the problem myself.
1. Heaton, Ivanovic, Wilson
2. Lloris, Moreno/ Lovren, Pieters
Leaning towards 2 due to Ivanovic’s poor fixtures
Evening, how we all doing?
Evening Cookie
Alright Cookie, not bad. Trying to resist the siren calls of my WC, you?
Hi Calvin,
I think you should play your WC whenever suits you. Now or half past eight. Whenever.
Don’t listen to him Calvin, this WC talk is evil 😉
Swivel GP :finger:
Lads,
Something I’ll never advise or talk anyone out of. Your WC, your time.
Of course GP! No need to explain haha.
Calvin,
i know just making my position clear.
But if you don’t wildcard now, you’re a scaredy cat. Fact.
Au contraire GP, I have it on good authority that anyone who has played their wildcard has made a massive mistake and ruined their season. :hippo:
Cookie,
I don’t believe it. Only an idiot would say something as utterly ridiculous as that . . . . .
They kissed and made up this morning, it was quite sweet! Floyd must have the patience of a saint as had somebody abused me like that I’d have been in my car!
Cookie,
Hi pal. Been back at work for two days and now off for five. Taking this ‘back to work’ lark nice and easy.
Got a WC team sitting, I’ll hang around here tonight and gonna watch Germany & Argentina tonight I think.
Work? I’m not in work again until Tuesday
Me too Kop,
Tuesday for me too, then back for two and off another five. Phasing my return to help the wife out, though in truth she is doing great, but I’m loving the two-day weeks :thumbup:
Nice one
Hey lads, still holding off, don’t think I really need to play it – though I can’t deny I’m always tempted as Kop will tell you!!