Last updated on August 28th, 2025
Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers have the opportunity to improve their fortunes by utilising one of four different chips during the season.
The rules have changed for the 2025/26, with managers able to use the Wildcard, Free Hit, Bench Boost and Triple Captain chips twice this term.
With that in mind, read on as we assess the best time to deploy each of the chips in FPL.
Wildcard
Generally speaking, the optimum time to use the Wildcard chip in FPL is when your squad needs a significant overhaul.
For instance, if you have multiple players injured, suspended or not selected to play, this is the ideal time to shake things up.
Plenty of managers have already lost key players, which hands them a dilemma when determining how they should fix the problem.
Cole Palmer’s absence with a groin injury has forced many managers to utilise the Wildcard chip ahead of Gameweek 3 this season.
Palmer was tipped by Spreadex Sports to be one the top points scorers in FPL, but he could miss several games after withdrawing from the recent fixture at West Ham United.
Free Hit
With Palmer expected to be ruled out until after the international break, some FPL managers may decide using the Free Hit chip is a more prudent option.
This allows you to make unlimited free transfers for a single Gameweek. Your squad is returned to how it was before those unlimited moves were made ahead of the next round of fixtures.
The first Free Hit chip could also be used to help managers navigate their way through a tricky batch of fixtures in a single Gameweek.
For example, managers with three players each from Liverpool and Arsenal may be tempted to play the chip rather than have them in their team when the teams meet in Gameweek 3.
The second Free Hit chip is the ideal tool to use in Blank Gameweeks later in the season, when teams miss fixtures due to their commitments in cup competitions.
Bench Boost
The Bench Boost chip can be triggered when saving your team on the ‘Pick Team’ page. You have the option to cancel it any time before the Gameweek deadline.
The first Bench Boost chip is best used when all 15 of the players in your squad are likely to play and have a favourable fixture scheduled.
If you have selected a balanced squad featuring players who feature regularly for their respective teams, the boost in points can be significant.
The second Bench Boost chip is best reserved for Double Gameweeks. The ideal scenario is to have 15 players who each have two matches.
The introduction of defensive contribution points will likely make budget defenders and midfielders more valuable, adding a further layer of strategic thinking to squad selection.
Triple Captain
The FPL captain scores double points for your team each week. If you use the Triple Captain chip, his points are multiplied by three.
Picking a prolific midfielder or forward when their team faces a side struggling at the bottom of the league is the best time to use the chip in the first half of the season.
The second Triple Captain chip will be most beneficial when utilised in a Double Gameweek, allowing you to tally points from two Premier League fixtures.
It is worth noting that defenders become a more viable option in this scenario, as evidence by Aston Villa’s Matty Cash during the 2021/22 season.
He picked up 29 points in Gameweek 28 after bagging one goal, two assists and two clean sheets against Southampton and Leeds United. The Triple Captain chip took his tally to 87 points.
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