Should we Wildcard in Gameweek 26?

We try to answer one of the biggest questions in the FPL community this week, should we Wildcard in Gameweek 26? Taking into account scheduled fixtures, blank Gameweeks, double Gameweeks, and potential fixtures we try to find a conclusion.

Double and blank Gameweek’s can be some of the most important periods for FPL managers. Deciding when to use a chip during these times can be absolutely key to both rank and mini-league success. So, should we wildcard in Gameweek 26?

Fixtures

Below we can see the fixtures for the remainder of the season in order of difficulty. However breaking the fixtures down to locate those all important fixture swings will be key.

Double Gameweek 27

It is important we know what is immediately ahead of us first. Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Southampton all have double Gameweeks this week. Popular teams in terms of investment like Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle all have great fixtures as well.

Gameweek 28

What the official fixture schedule does not show is is that there is a huge chance of a blank Gameweek this week. The teams that could blank include Brentford, Brighton, Fulham, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Southampton, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves.

The blank Gameweek should be announced soon and the FA Cup results this week will have a significant impact on the fixture schedule moving forward.

Gameweek 29

As the fixture ticker above shows, we have a double Gameweek to navigate this week. The teams that have two fixtures are Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brentford, Brighton, Chelsea, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United.

Team with just one fixture include Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Everton, Fulham, Manchester City, Southampton, Tottenham and Wolves.

Gameweek 32

Another round clouded in uncertainty is Gameweek 32. Although this week is scheduled as a normal Gameweek it is very likely that some teams will have a blank Gameweek. Those teams include Brighton, Chelsea, Fulham, Leeds, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham.

This is another Gameweek where the fixtures should be confirmed or at least be a lot clearer in the coming weeks.

Double Gameweek 34 and 37

It is also very likely that managers will have to navigate two more sizable double Gameweeks. This is another important consideration when contemplating the use of the wildcard.

Teams with a likely double Gameweek include Brighton, Manchester City, Manchester United, Southampton, Tottenham and West Ham.

Two good opportunities to use the Wildcard

Taking the above into account, there could be two fantastic opportunities to use the wildcard. Some managers could opt to use their wildcard to navigate Gameweeks 26-Gameweek 29. This means that managers could set their teams up for both the blanks and the doubles in-between without the use of medium to large points hits.

The second best opportunity to use the wildcard could be ahead of Gameweek 33 to plan for the doubles in Gameweek 34 and 37.

Should we use the wildcard in Gameweek 26?

Waiting for confirmation on the official fixture schedule will be absolutely key before making any decisions. The schedule will likely become much clearer as the FA Cup matches play out. Generally, without those confirmed fixtures it could still be a good time to use the wildcard to help navigate the fixture swings between each Gameweek.

However, Gameweeks 33-37 could also be a tough period to navigate. So if we think we can navigate Gameweek 26-Gameweek 29 without using the Wildcard but with transfers and hits with ease, then saving it could also be very beneficial.