With just seven gameweeks left in the first half of the season, FPL managers are entering a crucial stretch for chip strategy.
The lack of explosive double-gameweek opportunities has made timing and player selection more important than ever.
While some popular assets have struggled for consistency, a few standout performers remain strong chip candidates.
This article breaks down the optimal approach for Triple Captain, Wildcard, Bench Boost, and Free Hit based on current form and upcoming fixtures.
By planning ahead, managers can squeeze maximum value out of every chip before the mid-season reset.
Triple Captain
It’s been a tricky season to use the Triple Captain chip due to the lack of consistent output from previously reliable options such as Mo Salah, Chris Wood, Bryan Mbeumo, and Bukayo Saka.
While Semenyo has been nothing short of astonishing this season, trusting him with the triple captain armband would have been too big a risk for most managers.
He’s also on a dry spell, contributing just one assist in his last four outings, and recently failed to convert a penalty against Argentina international Emiliano Martínez in Aston Villa’s goal.
With limited reliable options, Erling Haaland stands out as the most reasonable and obvious Triple Captain candidate.
Haaland has scored 14 goals in just 11 league games and does not appear likely to slow down any time soon.
Choosing the right gameweek is just as important as choosing the right player, and looking at Manchester City’s fixtures up to Gameweek 18, the home match against Leeds in Gameweek 13 looks ideal.
Having already conceded 20 goals, Leeds sit in the bottom five for defensive records this season.
Wildcard
The Wildcard is another chip that can significantly shift the trajectory of your team if used properly at any point in the season.
If you haven’t activated it yet and your team is in decent shape, it’s advisable to hold your Wildcard until around Gameweek 16.
This timing lets you prepare your squad for the busy festive period as well as the early part of the second half of the season.
Setting up for the second half also means you can save your second Wildcard for the later stages, where double gameweeks become more frequent. With the Wildcard, patience is often what leads to maximum payoff.
Bench Boost
The Bench Boost may not be the most popular chip, but it can provide a substantial advantage in a single gameweek when planned correctly.
Many managers prefer to activate it a week after using their Wildcard, ideally in a double gameweek.
With no double gameweek expected in the first half of the season, ensuring you have 15 active players becomes crucial for fully benefiting from the chip.
This is why activating it immediately after a Wildcard when your squad is fresh and fully active often makes the most sense.
If you go for a gameweek 16 wildcard strategy, then bench boosting in gameweek 17 would be optimal if all players in a squad are picked based on their form and fixtures.
Free Hit
The Free Hit is the chip you can rely on for flexibility, even without any double gameweeks on the horizon before Gameweek 18.
In the second half of the season, it’s usually best saved for blank or double gameweeks, but at this stage, there isn’t a strict formula.
It largely depends on how you feel about the upcoming week and whether your current squad looks well-positioned to take advantage of a specific gameweek.
Sometimes, the instinctive play can be the right one with this chip.
