A mostly frustrating return to domestic action will surely see some Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers activate their Wildcard chip for Gameweek 5.
Managers have until the Gameweek 19 deadline to use the first Wildcard. These unlimited free transfers are a chance to fix all mistakes and start planning for the future.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of a Gameweek 5 Wildcard. Having entered the weekend on equal points, an Erling Haaland (£15.2m) brace pulled him ahead of Mohamed Salah (£12.7m) as overall highest scorer.
It was almost a third consecutive hat-trick for the Norwegian and, as a result of such dominance, each of the draft ideas below include him.
PROS
- Gets rid of the slow starters: Whilst Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) bagged his first return of this season, his five points won’t convince owners to keep faith. Additionally, some other popular names aren’t doing well: Alexander Isak (£8.4m) departed hurt at half-time, Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) blanked again, Josko Gvardiol (£6.0m) was only a substitute and Dean Henderson (£4.5m) feels like an FPL mistake.
- Others aren’t as nailed-on as we thought: Weeks after the Christopher Nkunku (£6.2m) letdown, Gameweek 4 saw previously assumed regulars be reduced to the sidelines. Rodrigo Muniz’s (£6.0m) replacement scored, Ben Johnson (£4.0m) was again unused and Southampton pair Adam Armstrong (£5.4m) and Taylor Harwood-Bellis (£4.0m) were part of widespread changes by Russell Martin. As a result, some managers are struggling to field 11 starters.
CONS
- It’s right before the Gameweek 6 fixture swing: Teams like Brighton and Hove Albion and Newcastle United have one appealing match before things look tougher. It’s the opposite for Brentford and West Ham United. Perhaps both Arsenal and Liverpool could be deemed fixture-proof but it’s hard to have a Gameweek 5 Wildcard that makes the most of both the Reds’ home meeting with Bournemouth and the Gunners’ subsequently nice run. Waiting one more week is ideal.
GAMEWEEK 5 WILDCARD IDEAS
SALAH ALONGSIDE HAALAND
This squad manages to have attacking depth, albeit the weekly choice involves starting three cheap names from four. Having both Salah and Bukayo Saka (£10.0m) means it’s all a bit of a squeeze, sacrificing Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.0m) too.
With roughly £9.0m between its two most expensive forwards, an alternative would be to have Kai Havertz (£8.1m) and Fernandes rather than Saka and the currently flagged Joao Pedro (£5.7m).
Antoine Semenyo (£5.6m) could instead be Emile Smith Rowe (£5.7m), Callum Hudson Odoi (£5.4m) or Dwight McNeil (£5.4m), with the latter creating an Everton double-up.
BIG DEFENCE
