How to manage the Blank and Double Gameweeks
The announcement of Double Gameweek 26 caused a stir in the FPL community. Many FPL managers had decided to hold fire on FPL decision making until after this weekends FA Cup matches. However, now they are busy formulating a chip strategy.
The next few FPL Gameweeks will be pivotal for managers seasons, with Blank and Double Gameweeks galore. However, not all of the postponed fixtures have been rescheduled, there are still 14 more to come.
Blank Gameweeks
- Gameweek 24 – Blank Gameweek for Chelsea and Brighton
- Gameweek 25 – Blank Gameweek for Chelsea and Arsenal
- Gameweek 27 – Blank Gameweek for Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Leicester
Double Gameweeks
- Gameweek 25 – Double Gameweek for Manchester United and Brighton
- Gameweek 26 – Double Gameweek for Arsenal, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Leeds, Spurs, Wolves and Watford
With teams playing Double Gameweeks one week and having Blank Gameweeks the next, getting your chip strategy right is going to be key.
Potential Chip strategies
Gameweek 24/25 Wildcard
Managers who still have their second Wildcard chip could chose to play it either ahead of the Gameweek 24 or the Gameweek 25 deadlines.
Playing the Wildcard chip at this stage would allow managers to invest heavily in players who are due to double such as Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal. All of whom have good Double Gameweek fixtures.
Managers who still have their Bench Boost and/or Triple Captain captain chips could then play those in Double Gameweek 26. Thus maximising the potential of the Wildcard.
However, by investing in players with good Double Gameweek 26 fixtures managers could have issues with their squad for Blank Gameweek 27. By trebling up on Liverpool and doubling or tripling on Arsenal would then leave managers with up to six players who do not play in Gameweek 27.
Whilst three of those players could be benched, four if one of them is Ramsdale and you have a second playing Goalkeeper, it would still be difficult to get a full team out.
Successful Wildcards ahead of the Double Gameweek likely need a Free Hit chip to manage Gameweek 27, or at least have carefully planned for Gameweek 27 when making Wildcard picks.
Strategy:
Gameweek 24 Wildcard or Free Transfer
Gameweek 25 Wildcard or Free Transfer
Gameweek 26 Triple Captain/Bench Boost
Gameweek 27 Free Hit
No wildcard left
For managers who have already played their second Wildcard it will be a case of prioritising your transfers.
In every Double Gameweek there are multiple Single Gameweek players who outscore the Double Gameweek players. Playing a single gameweeker shouldn’t be seen as a problem.
Making sure that you own the key doubling players will be important. Player such as Salah and Alexander-Arnold will be key during Double Gameweek 27. But outside of those, prioritise players that you want to hold for the long term. Doing this will mean you will be able to avoid unnecessary costly hits to remove players you only brought it for the double.
There are three deadlines ahead of Gameweek 26. This means that managers without a Wildcard will have three Free Transfers to build their team.
With over half the game already owning players such as Alexander-Arnold and Ramsdale, managers without a Wildcard will likely be able to get between five and seven Double Gameweek players out without a hit. By taking a hit or two over the next couple of weeks that could rise to eight or nine. Plenty to successfully attack the Gameweek.
Strategy:
Gameweek 24 Free Transfer
Gameweek 25 Free Transfer
Gameweek 26 Triple Captain/Bench Boost
Gameweek 27 Free Hit (if needed)
No Free Hit Chip
Much like managers who don’t have a wildcard getting your strategy right if you don’t have a Free Hit chip will be key.
Trebling up on both Liverpool and Arsenal will give you six blanking players for the following week and therefore will require a hit to get a full team out.
Without a Free Hit chip it will be a case of carefully targeting the Liverpool and Arsenal players and building a wildcard with players who do not blank in Gameweek 27.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah, Diogo Jota and Aaron Ramsdale will likely be the most popular Double Gameweek players who blank straight after their double. Owning these four will allow managers without a Free Hit chip to bench them in Gameweek 27 and still get a full XI out for the Gameweek.
This means on Wildcard for Gameweeks 25 and 26 you could ensure you had the key personal listed above, but also target the likes of Burnley, Spurs, Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Leeds. This avoids teams who blank in Gameweek 27 as well as targeting teams who will double again when their further postponed fixtures are rearranged.
For example looking at Cornet over Saka, or Regulion over Tierney will safe you a points hit in Gameweek 27 whilst still benefiting from a doubling player in Gameweek 28.
The other option here is to hold the Wildcard and play it ahead of Blank Gameweek 27, however doing this may mean losing players who you would have preferred to hold longer term from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.
Not having a Free Hit chip for Gameweek 27 is not the end of the world, especially for managers who plan carefully in the build up to the Gameweek.
Strategy:
Gameweek 24 Free Transfer or Wildcard
Gameweek 25 Free Transfer or Wildcard
Gameweek 26 Bench Boost or Triple Captain
Gameweek 27 Free Transfer or Wildcard
Get a plan
What chip strategy is correct will be different for every FPL manager depending on which players are currently in your FPL teams and which chips you have left to play.
Formulate your strategy based on the players in your squad now and who you would like for the Double Gameweek. Then look at your available chips and how best to use them to get you to the team that you want for each of the important Blank and Double Gameweeks.
