Forward planning: Sam FPLFamily

International breaks can be important moments for FPL managers. Some will consider hitting the Wildcard button, whereas others will want to hold transfers until the international matches conclude. Sam from FPL Family shares her thoughts on the international break and how she is forward planning for her FPL team.

The first international break always feels pivotal in my FPL seasons. It’s a time where if the opening weeks of the season have gone badly I might look to Wildcard. It is also the moment where I really start to consider the form of the 20 Premier League teams.

After four gameweeks we have a clearer understanding of the teams who have started well and those who haven’t. We have also had time to assess how the new signings have bedded in. In addition for most teams we will know who is on penalties and set pieces with more certainty. Finally, the transfer window has closed. This means less worrying about new signings coming in or our players leaving the league. So if international break one does end up being the week where I play my Wildcard it is key, but even if I don’t hit the chip button it is still a vital reflection period.

Wildcard Time?

Last season I had a dreadful start in FPL. Nothing went right and every decision felt like chasing my tail. This season has been the total opposite. But the way that I am treating the decision to Wildcard is the same. There are a number of key questions that I ask myself:

• How many players do I have that I don’t want?
• How many players do I not have but desperately want?
• What are my players fixtures like?
• Are there key teams that I am not invested in that have good fixtures coming?
• Is my budget spread in the correct way?
• Did anyone sign just before the transfer window closed that could change my team fundamentally?

The answers to these questions will be the reason that I decide whether or not to hit the Wildcard button. This season my there are only a couple of players that I own that I wish I didn’t and mostly they are my cheap bench options. There are so many players that I would like to own but don’t (I think that is the same for most of the game) however, if I am unwilling to sell the players that I have then I can’t get them anyway. At that point it’s clear that Wildcarding how would not have the impact on my team that it should have therefore holding the chip is better.

My Team

I’m writing this ahead of the Gameweek 4 deadline (although it will be published after the first fixture of the gameweek has been played). Ahead of Gameweek 4 this is my current squad of 15.

The £2.7m in the bank is a really nice place to be as it means that whatever happens during the Gameweek 4 matches and during the internationals I can rectify. Looking at my squad now I am really happy. Joao Pedro could easily be Nico Jackson, Ollie Watkins and Julian Alvarez. However, I am very aware of the benching headaches that would cause me on a weekly basis.

Injuries aside the midfield five are fairly locked. I would like to find a space for Raheem Sterling in there, however selling any of the five I have ahead of their Gameweek 5 fixtures feels very difficult.

Issa Kabore could also easily be any of the number of £4.5m defenders who have impressed so far. However once again that means benching headaches.

It’s like Andre Onana‘s position that is most at risk over the International period. There have been a number of stand out goalkeepers so far. Guglielmo Vicario, Ederson and Robert Sanchez have all impressed in the opening weeks. They also all have nice fixtures after the international break and have the potential for save points and bonus points. However, with a number of managers hitting the Wildcard button, a goalkeeper change does feel rather dull!

Long Term Strategy

If not now, when?

That’s a key question that comes to mind with the Wildcard chip. There are two further international breaks ahead of the deadline to use the first Wildcard. Between Gameweeks 8 and 9 in October, and between Gameweeks 12 and 13 in November. Both of these have potential. There is a nice fixture swing around Gameweek 9 too so tying those two together could be good.

However, normally I like the International break periods in order to catch as many price rises as possible. But this season, with Erling Haaland as my only premium it feels like the budget and price rises are less important to my strategy. Therefore, playing the Wildcard in a normal week feels much more likely.

My current plan is to wait as long as possible to hit the Wildcard button. If I can get to Gameweek 15 or 16 managing the changes that I want with my transfers then that would be perfect. Doing that will enable me to set up my team for the Christmas period as well as the new year. In doing this it should allow me to use my second Wildcard later too, helping to manage the important blank and double gameweeks as they come.

But circumstances change. Form, injuries and rotation could force my hand. If that happens then that’s exactly what the Wildcard is there for – to refresh the squad when it is needed most. So while I am thinking long term currently with my plans I am prepared to act when I need too.

Other Chips?

I’ll be holding all my other chips for the second half of the season. With so much money in the bank there will come a gameweek when my bench is too good not to play. When that happens I will hit the Bench Boost button.

The Free Hit I will play either in one of the blank or double gameweeks in the second half of the season depending on what suits my team best. Likewise with the Triple Captain. I like to hand my Triple Captain armband to a differential captain to try to maximise the returns. This went well last season with Marcus Rashford, and in previous seasons with Harry Kane and Roberto Firming over Mo Salah.

Lessons so far

This season we are going to have to get used to not being able to own everyone. In previous seasons there has been a template team formed early on. This season while there are some template picks such as Haaland there are so many other options that managers can pick up huge rank rises from players like James Maddison. But the wealth of options does mean that managers may struggle to fit in all the players that they want. Understanding that and changing up investments might be an important strategy for the 23/24 season.