SlowBuild • Available Chips: Free Hit Bench Boost • Wildcard used GW24 • Triple Captain used GW26 · Updated: 2026-04-20
| Gameweek | Type | Teams Affected | Your Squad Impact | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GW31 — BLANK | Blank GW (EFL Cup Final) | Arsenal, Man City, Crystal Palace, Wolves | 5 players blank: Gabriel, Timber, O'Reilly (CRY), Semenyo (CRY/Wolves link), Haaland | Only 10/15 play → massive disadvantage without a chip |
| GW33 — DOUBLE | Double GW (FA Cup rescheduling) | Arsenal, Man City, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace (confirmed) | 4-6 players double: Gabriel, Timber, Haaland + potential others | 4 teams play twice → up to 6 of your players get 2 fixtures |
| GW34 — BLANK | Blank GW (FA Cup Semis) | Arsenal, Man City, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace (same 4) | 4-6 players blank | If Free Hit not used by now, could deploy here |
What it does: Temporarily replaces your entire squad for GW31 only. Your real squad returns automatically in GW32.
| Factor | Analysis | Point Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Players rescued from blank | Gabriel, Timber, O'Reilly, Semenyo, Haaland — all replaced with players who have fixtures | +25 to +35 pts recovered |
| Squad optimization | Build a full 15 from the 16 non-blanking teams. Can pick the best fixture matchups across entire league for one week. | +8 to +12 pts vs a patched squad |
| No lasting damage | Your real squad returns GW32 — no wasted transfers. Haaland, Gabriel, Timber all come back. | Saves 1-2 FTs (£8-16 pts equiv.) |
| Captain flexibility | Can pick the absolute best captain from all non-blanking players (e.g. Bruno, Salah, etc.) | +3 to +8 pts vs constrained captain |
| Estimated total uplift | vs. playing BGW31 with 10 starters | +35 to +55 pts |
What it does: All 15 of your squad score points (bench included). Best used when maximum players have double fixtures.
| Factor | Analysis | Point Impact |
|---|---|---|
| DGW33 confirmed doubles | Arsenal (Gabriel, Timber), Man City (Haaland), Aston Villa, Crystal Palace all play twice | 4-6 of your 15 get double fixtures |
| Bench players score | Normally your 4 bench players score 0. In a DGW, even bench players can return 8-15 pts across 2 fixtures. | +12 to +25 pts from bench alone |
| DGW captain synergy | Haaland (2 games), Gabriel (2 games) — captain gets double opportunity even without TC | +4 to +10 pts extra captain value |
| Trade plan alignment | By GW33, Trade #1 (Mukiele→Hill) and Trade #2 (Enzo→Wilson) complete. Squad is stronger. | Better bench quality = higher Bench Boost value |
| Estimated total uplift | vs. playing DGW33 without Bench Boost | +15 to +30 pts |
What it does: All 15 score — but 5 of them have NO fixture and score 0 points regardless.
| Factor | Analysis | Point Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Wasted bench slots | 5 players blank (Gabriel, Timber, O'Reilly, Semenyo, Haaland). If any are benched, their Bench Boost contribution = 0 pts. | 0 pts from 1-3 bench players (complete waste) |
| Reduced effective squad | Only 10 players have fixtures. Bench Boost adds 4 bench players' points, but some of those bench players also blank. | Bench Boost value: +5 to +12 pts (severely diminished) |
| Captain limitation | Captain must come from 10 available players — likely Bruno (MUN) or Palmer (CHE). No Haaland option. | ±0 (still decent captain options) |
| Chip wasted on low-ceiling GW | BGWs have fewer fixtures = lower scoring ceilings across the board. A Bench Boost in a 7-fixture GW is historically wasteful. | Opportunity cost: –15 to –25 pts vs using BB in DGW |
| Estimated total uplift | vs. playing BGW31 without any chip | +5 to +12 pts |
What it does: Build an entirely new squad loaded with DGW players. Powerful but with a hidden cost.
| Factor | Analysis | Point Impact |
|---|---|---|
| DGW squad optimization | Pick 15 players all from doubling teams (Arsenal, City, Villa, Palace). Maximum fixture exposure. | +20 to +35 pts from full DGW squad |
| But you already own DGW assets | You already have Gabriel, Timber, Haaland (all DGW33 players). Free Hit replaces your entire squad — even the good parts you want to keep. | Marginal gain reduced: only +8 to +15 pts over your existing squad |
| No Bench Boost synergy | Without Bench Boost, your 4 bench players still score 0. Free Hit gets you a great XI but bench is wasted. | –12 to –20 pts vs BB+FH combo in DGW |
| GW34 problem unsolved | After Free Hit, your real squad returns for GW34 — another blank week. Same 4-5 players blank again. No chip left to handle it. | Stuck in BGW34 with no chip |
| Estimated total uplift | vs. playing DGW33 with your current squad | +8 to +15 pts |
| Criteria | Scenario A: FH31 + BB33 | Scenario B: BB31 + FH33 |
|---|---|---|
| BGW31 solution | Full 15-man squad with fixtures | 10 players play, 5 blank (BB wasted on 0-pt players) |
| DGW33 exploitation | Bench Boost = all 15 score, 4-6 with double fixtures | Free Hit XI is strong but bench doesn't score |
| BGW34 preparedness | No chip left, but squad has DGW33 assets that return | No chip left, real squad returns with same blank problem |
| Transfer efficiency | Free Hit preserves squad — no transfers burned on BGW | Need 1-2 transfers to patch BGW31 squad, then undo for DGW33 |
| Captain ceiling | GW31: any non-blank premium. GW33: DGW captain (Haaland 2 games) | GW31: constrained. GW33: FH captain is flexible but only 1 game counts for bench |
| Top-10 alignment | Matches elite chip discipline — save chips for max value GWs | Wastes Bench Boost on a diminished week |
| Est. combined uplift | +50 to +85 pts | +13 to +27 pts |
| Net advantage | Scenario A wins by +37 to +58 pts | |
The math is straightforward. Bench Boost turns your 4 bench players from 0 pts into active scorers. The value of this chip scales directly with how many points those bench players are expected to score:
(4 bench players × ~3 pts avg)
(4 bench players × ~6 pts avg with doubles)
In BGW31, your BB is even worse than a normal GW because some bench players have 0 fixtures. You'd be activating a chip on players who literally cannot score.
| Action | Detail |
|---|---|
| Activate chip | Free Hit before GW31 deadline |
| Remove | Gabriel, Timber, O'Reilly, Semenyo, Haaland (all blanking) |
| Target teams | MUN, CHE, LIV, NEW, BOU, NOT, BRE — teams with favorable GW31 fixtures |
| Captain pick | Bruno Fernandes or Salah — premium playing in a reduced-field GW |
| Strategy | Don't worry about long-term value — pick purely on GW31 fixture + form |
Real squad returns. Execute Mukiele → Hill (BOU, £4.2m). Your 1 FT from GW30 rollover.
| Action | Detail |
|---|---|
| Activate chip | Bench Boost before GW33 deadline |
| Pre-condition | Trade #2 (Enzo → Wilson) should be done by GW33 to maximize bench quality |
| Your DGW assets | Gabriel (ARS×2), Timber (ARS×2), Haaland (MCI×2) — 3 premiums with double fixtures in your starting XI |
| Bench value | All 4 bench players score. Even a GW33-blanking bench player is fine if the other 3 have fixtures. |
| Captain pick | Haaland (2 MCI fixtures) — massive ceiling with DGW captain |
No chip left, but manageable. Arsenal + City blank again but your trades (#1, #2) brought in non-blanking players. Expect 10-11 of your 15 to have fixtures. Use your 1 FT to patch if needed.
Free Hit in BGW31 + Bench Boost in DGW33
Estimated advantage: +37 to +58 points over the reverse
This is the consensus strategy among FPL experts and aligns with what the top-10 overall managers do: save value chips for maximum-fixture weeks, use Free Hit to solve blank gameweeks cleanly without burning transfers.
Analysis generated March 2026 • Sources: premierleague.com, fantasyfootballscout.co.uk, allaboutfpl.com