Five Positives and Five Negatives to a Gameweek 4 Wildcard

As FPL Gameweek 4 approaches, let’s weigh out the positives and negatives of activating your wildcard at this stage of the game.

The wildcard remains the most impactful chip FPL offers, and activating it is a matter of personal preference. With no right or wrong answer, managers must decide if this is the right time for their team.

Approximately 25% of 2,000 FPL managers on X have stated their intention to use their wildcard this week, making it a popular choice.

Let’s examine the pros and cons of pulling the trigger before Gameweek 4.

The Positives

Quell early-season fires

Whether you owned injured players like Dominic Solanke, or Valentin Barco, who was loaned out to Sevilla, or those struggling for game time like Christopher Nkunku, Lewis Hall, and Jarell Quansah, a single weekly free transfer might not have been sufficient to offload the deadwood. A wildcard, on the other hand, allows you to select 15 players who are guaranteed to be regular starters.

Increase team value and jump on rising assets

The transfer market is more volatile early in the season, with frequent price rises and drops. An early wildcard allows you to acquire in-demand assets before others.

Move to Haaland + Salah

While it’s challenging to fit both of the most expensive players in your team, a wildcard allows you to restructure your squad and prioritise the two biggest hitters.

Recruit the three best Liverpool asset

Many consider this a crucial decision, but a triple Liverpool setup now seems like a necessity. Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are undoubtedly the standout players, but instead of adding a second Liverpool attacker like Diogo Jota or Luis Díaz, I’m drawn to Andrew Robertson. His role as a fullback will likely minimise his rotation risk when the Champions League begins.

Target Aston Villa, Brighton, and Crystal Palace fixtures

The fixture ticker is always a crucial factor when using a wildcard. While this week’s offerings may not be the most exciting, players like Ollie Watkins, Pau Torres, Bart Verbruggen, João Pedro, Eberechi Eze, and Jean-Philippe Mateta are all attractive options for the medium to long term.

The Negatives

Limited data

Three gameweeks gives us a nice enough shop window, but the sample size is limited, and so any eye test scouting or data analysis comes with the caveat that we’ve only seen three Premier League games for each team so far. Some teams have had easier fixtures than others, and therefore, it’s not a level playing field when making comparisons.

Lack of Arsenal love

Along with Manchester City and Liverpool, Arsenal look like they will be a popular choice for FPL managers, and at times, the Arsenal double or triple up will feel necessary. With fixtures against Spurs and Manchester City up next, however, those on wildcard will be tempted to swerve them, which would be more than fair, but just know that come Gameweek 6/7 they have high-upside home matches versus Leicester and Southampton.

Salah + Haaland might not be a long-term solution

Catering for both Salah and Haaland restricts the rest of your team, and knowing we only get one wildcard before the New Year, the team structure you’re building is likely to be around for a while. Whilst Salah and Haaland drafts feel right now, they might not be in a couple of week’s time, and spreading your funds with only one of them in your team, from Gameweek 6, for example, could be the play.

Uncertainty about Champions League rotation

Premier League teams playing in Europe will likely see more rotation than the rest, and whilst we know more about what to expect from the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, we know less about how Arne Slot and Unai Emery will treat domestic games before/after a big Champions League tie. After a few weeks of featuring in Europe, we will likely get a gauge for who are the bigger rotation risks and who is absolutely 100% nailed when fit – Saka and Haaland are two safe options, for example.

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