W16 Wildcard FH18 BB19 Thread

[Resonare]

I’m pleased I got rid of my three Man City players (and have no Chelsea/Everton coverage). Imagine most of the WC16 will be in a similar boat.

Absolutely brutal

In hindsight it looks like selling City players was the WC trap this time, selling Villa assets will probably be OK considering their fixtures. If choosing a Villa attacker now I'd probably want El Ghazi over Grealish/Watkins anyway so probably not much lost there.

[Bobby Fetta]

Its not so much that I'm disatisfied with my WC team but that the extra two matches mean that other teams who didn't have their wildcard will be able to get through BGW18 and DGW19 with less pain with the extra two fixtures. I think the upside has shrunk for us wildcarders

[Sutter Kane]

The upside has also shrunk for all those planning for a BB19, FH18 (the FH18 is no longer a big advantage).

But yeah, the WC is less useful too. WC has been a bane this season for many though, lost me around 15 points since I played it.

[GreatGunsT]

Hi all,

I’m currently doing well in my league and am starting to take this all a bit more seriously now that there’s money on the line

Can anyone advise on my squad and what to do to get the most out of the coming weeks? Wildcard, free hit, bench boost and triple captain all to play.

Here’s my squad:

McCarthy/Martinez
Chilwell/KWP/Coufal/Lamptey/Cancelo
Salah/Fernandes/Neto/Rashford/McGinn
Adams/Bamford/DCL

Got 1.4 in the bank. Any help would be appreciated! Oh, and Happy New Year!

[Sutter Kane]

How many transfers do you have?

You look well set for BB in GW19 if you change Lamptey for Dias - this would help with GW18 if you didn't want to FH that week but you are short of players, as many will be. The major issue I see is no KDB. He will be captain for many GW18 and GW19 so you could take a pasting if he explodes. If you really want him therefore, you'll probably have to leave Lamptey alone, and remove Rashford for him, funded by Neto down to someone like Soucek (if you can afford him). The extra transfer I was talking about would be useful in this instance as you could change Chilwell to Dias if extra funds required.

Edit: You probably aren't going to get KDB GW18 without a FH and/or a -4. Doesn't look worth the shuffling around of Neto, as he has a game in GW18.

[GreatGunsT]

Thank you for the advice! No transfers left, unfortunately. I did KDB/Son for Salah/Rashford yesterday. Was this a bad move ?

[Wildcard Wally]

Well my plans for this aren't looking so healthy now.

What's better? Field 8 GW18 players (I have 4 currently, so 2 changes each week ='s 2 hits of -4) or just use my FH?

[Sutter Kane]

Thank you for the advice! No transfers left, unfortunately. I did KDB/Son for Salah/Rashford yesterday. Was this a bad move ?

Yes unfortunately it probably was. Though FPL is changing every week so it might not be next week.

The simple answer is if you want to go without KDB for GW19. You get Dias for Lamptey this week, FH in GW18 then do Neto to Soucek in gw19, Bench Boost and captain Salah. The complex answer is in my last post! Get a big sofa if you are going without De Bruyne.

What's better? Field 8 GW18 players (I have 4 currently, so 2 changes each week ='s 2 hits of -4) or just use my FH?

In the strategy you are suggesting, FH is miles better. Don't start taking hit if you only have 4 players currently. You should be planning towards GW19.

[Bernd Leno’s Garage]

Its not so much that I'm disatisfied with my WC team but that the extra two matches mean that other teams who didn't have their wildcard will be able to get through BGW18 and DGW19 with less pain with the extra two fixtures. I think the upside has shrunk for us wildcarders

I'd definitely agree to that. I needed to remove Lamptey, and knew this week I'd be looking at GW19. Instead I've gone for Dias in GW 18, which now means I have 9 players for 18.

I can now get to 10 players without a hit for GW18 which I'll probably take. (The original plan had been to FH like a good number of people). That now means I'll have WC and FH to negotiate the BGW and DGW later on.

[GreatGunsT]

Thank you for the advice! No transfers left, unfortunately. I did KDB/Son for Salah/Rashford yesterday. Was this a bad move ?

Yes unfortunately it probably was. Though FPL is changing every week so it might not be next week.

The simple answer is if you want to go without KDB for GW19. You get Dias for Lamptey this week, FH in GW18 then do Neto to Soucek in gw19, Bench Boost and captain Salah. The complex answer is in my last post! Get a big sofa if you are going without De Bruyne.

What's better? Field 8 GW18 players (I have 4 currently, so 2 changes each week ='s 2 hits of -4) or just use my FH?

In the strategy you are suggesting, FH is miles better. Don't start taking hit if you only have 4 players currently. You should be planning towards GW19.

Do you think I need KDB this week? Is it worth the -8 to get it sorted? What about my WC next week or is it worth keeping hold of?

[Wildcard Wally]

Thank you for the advice! No transfers left, unfortunately. I did KDB/Son for Salah/Rashford yesterday. Was this a bad move ?

Yes unfortunately it probably was. Though FPL is changing every week so it might not be next week.

The simple answer is if you want to go without KDB for GW19. You get Dias for Lamptey this week, FH in GW18 then do Neto to Soucek in gw19, Bench Boost and captain Salah. The complex answer is in my last post! Get a big sofa if you are going without De Bruyne.

What's better? Field 8 GW18 players (I have 4 currently, so 2 changes each week ='s 2 hits of -4) or just use my FH?

In the strategy you are suggesting, FH is miles better. Don't start taking hit if you only have 4 players currently. You should be planning towards GW19.

I probably should have made it clear that I'm already well positioned for GW19 (13 double players + Son & Kane). However it's because I've now got the 2 extra GW18 players (Pope & Bruno), that I'm thinking I'm only -4/-8/12 points off from putting a team out that can at least compete in GW18 and also save myself the FH in the process.

[Sutter Kane]

It certainly won't compete with a -12 as that will only give you 9 men and still being beaten by free hit teams and other teams that now have 10-11 men. if you're already set for GW19 any changes you make will upset that, no?

It's up to you, if you want to take a -4 maybe, and make sure you have the main players for GW18. No chance I'd be taking a -12.

[Sutter Kane]

Do you think I need KDB this week? Is it worth the -8 to get it sorted? What about my WC next week or is it worth keeping hold of?

You don't need him this week - he's playing Chelsea. You have a nice GW19 squad, no need to WC and it'll be useful later.

I have given two options (or more) as to how you can play it - take the risk of no KDB in the double gameweek 19 or not. I don't know which is better. If it were me, I'd probably get Dias for Chilwell this week, then free hit GW18 and take a -4 in GW19 to get KDB as I put in my first post, but I can't say whether Rashford will tear it up in GW19.

[eastcentral1]

I have returned to the drawing board, to see if I can save my free hit. With a -8 point hit I could have 9 playing in GW18.

However, I have come to the conclusion that I will use FH in 18. First, I would be going into the game week with an 8 point hit, and down at least 2 players. Secondly, I won't have a very strong team compared with FH teams. Thirdly, I don't fancy any City attackers (and to get them I'd need to remove Salah), whereas I could temporarily have City attackers on FH.

[Wildcard Wally]

It certainly won't compete with a -12 as that will only give you 9 men and still being beaten by free hit teams and other teams that now have 10-11 men. if you're already set for GW19 any changes you make will upset that, no?

It's up to you, if you want to take a -4 maybe, and make sure you have the main players for GW18. No chance I'd be taking a -12.

Well in the scenario where I save the free hit all of my changes will be to City, United, Villa or Burnley players, meaning I'm upping my GW18 quota and still have DGW players for GW19.

Thinking you're probably right though, as I'll still move beyond GW19 with my wildcard and TC available to me. Just can't help feeling my FH is a bit wasted with this additional game that's been arranged.

[Sutter Kane]

If you feel that, don't free hit. At the end of the day, the FH will definitely be worth a reasonable amount of points later in the season, that's pretty much fact. It's going to be marginal decision on paper, but I just don't agree with a -12.

[Wildcard Wally]

I have returned to the drawing board, to see if I can save my free hit. With a -8 point hit I could have 9 playing in GW18.

However, I have come to the conclusion that I will use FH in 18. First, I would be going into the game week with an 8 point hit, and down at least 2 players. Secondly, I won't have a very strong team compared with FH teams. Thirdly, I don't fancy any City attackers (and to get them I'd need to remove Salah), whereas I could temporarily have City attackers on FH.

Good logic that. Another post that's helping sway me towards using my FH next gameweek.

[Blue Fire]

Sticking with the plan of foregoing City attackers.

Adams Watkins this week (had previously planned this for GW20), FH18 and then Kane Vardy in GW19.

[flare2]

Feel a bit embarrassed asking this as have been playing FPL for 13 seasons! I’m playing my free hit this GW, I currently have 2 FT. If I don’t make any transfers and play FH how many transfer will I have next game week? Or, can I make transfers now and then play my free hit or does it always revert back to my team at the beginning of the GW. Just realised I may have shot myself in the foot a little...

[Smurphy Paw]

Feel a bit embarrassed asking this as have been playing FPL for 13 seasons! I’m playing my free hit this GW, I currently have 2 FT. If I don’t make any transfers and play FH how many transfer will I have next game week? Or, can I make transfers now and then play my free hit or does it always revert back to my team at the beginning of the GW. Just realised I may have shot myself in the foot a little...

It’s what you think. FreeHit is the ability to make multiple transfers, including any that you have ‘in hand’, so you’ll have one at the start of GW19

[flare2]

Thanks!

[poohdini]

I used my first wildcard in GW16 and planned for FH18 and BB19, despite also considering going chipless or the FH19 approach. I would have definitely chose the chipless approach had we known about the Man Utd - Burnley fixture rearrangement.

Now I can go with FH18 and BB19, and it probably makes sense because I am in a good rank at the moment. The thing is, I don't know if I want to do that. I can take a -4 to field 8 players (or -8 to field 9) in GW18 and still have 15 DGW players for BB19. In the original scenario I would still take the hits as I would need to replace Wood and McCarthy (who is rumored to be out for some weeks now) for my BB, and still would keep a SGW player in Son.

Keeping FH is likely to cost me around 15-20 points in GW18, but I still get to keep it, which sounds like a sensible idea in a season like this. At worst case I can use it in BGW29 and plan my 2nd WC more freely.

[Wildcard Wally]

I used my first wildcard in GW16 and planned for FH18 and BB19, despite also considering going chipless or the FH19 approach. I would have definitely chose the chipless approach had we known about the Man Utd - Burnley fixture rearrangement.

Now I can go with FH18 and BB19, and it probably makes sense because I am in a good rank at the moment. The thing is, I don't know if I want to do that. I can take a -4 to field 8 players (or -8 to field 9) in GW18 and still have 15 DGW players for BB19. In the original scenario I would still take the hits as I would need to replace Wood and McCarthy (who is rumored to be out for some weeks now) for my BB, and still would keep a SGW player in Son.

Keeping FH is likely to cost me around 15-20 points in GW18, but I still get to keep it, which sounds like a sensible idea in a season like this. At worst case I can use it in BGW29 and plan my 2nd WC more freely.

Alex McCarthy is rumoured to be out? Not heard this one?

[Oxford NZ]

I have heard that rumour, but not substantiated. Assuming it is a crock until it bites me.

[Smurphy Paw]

I have heard that rumour, but not substantiated. Assuming it is a crock until it bites me.

Haha! Never heard that before.

I am not wishing him hill but with Forster still clinging on as my second keeper that’d be helpful news with the Bench Boost incoming!

[Smurphy Paw]

I can take a -4 to field 8 players (or -8 to field 9) in GW18 and still have 15 DGW players for BB19.

That would mean having 38 or 39 (+Caps) points scoring chances over two game weeks. Few will have that many. Even with my Free Hit live and bench boosting in GW19 I will only have that many, players such as Kane or Son likely to remain

[Turd Ferguson]

What’s the story with Balbuena? Did he lose his place? West ham’s double is as good as it gets for clean sheet potential.

[Nailer6245]

Current bench boost remaining since GW16 wildcard:

McCarthy (Covid)
Taylor (hamstring)
Coufal
Soucek

Hoping at least one of the first two will recover in time, will probably take a hit to replace the other and still go ahead with it given West Ham's two fixtures.

[Resonare]

What’s the story with Balbuena? Did he lose his place? West ham’s double is as good as it gets for clean sheet potential.

Not sure but if he's been dropped it's pretty ridiculous really. Couldn't it have happened before GW16 or after DGW19?

[Kris_fiso]

Is Wilson against Sheff Utd a good idea