FPL Chips: What They Do and When to Play Them
TL;DR
What the four FPL chips do, the trigger to wait for with each, and why the exact gameweek depends on your squad. You get two of each per season, the first set expires at Gameweek 19, and the chip strategy optimizer tests every valid combination for your 15.
What Are the FPL Chips?
- Wildcard. Unlimited free transfers for one gameweek, with no points hits. The new squad is permanent, so you draft for the weeks ahead.
- Free Hit. Unlimited free transfers for one gameweek, but your squad reverts afterwards. You are renting a team for a single week.
- Bench Boost. Your four bench players score as well as your XI, so all 15 count instead of 11.
- Triple Captain. Your captain scores triple instead of double for that gameweek.
You start the season with one of each. The first set has to be used by Gameweek 19, a fresh set unlocks for the second half, and you can only play one chip in any single gameweek. With two of everything you rarely need to force one.
When to Play Each Chip
- Wildcard: on a clear fixture swing once form has settled, usually after about six gameweeks. Use the FPL FDR ticker to spot the cluster of teams flipping from red to green.
- Bench Boost: a double gameweek where all 15 of your players have two fixtures and a bench that starts. Wildcard the week before so every bench slot is a starter.
- Triple Captain: your best premium in a double gameweek or a soft home fixture. Haaland with two games is the textbook target.
- Free Hit: a blank gameweek where half your squad has no fixture. It is a one-week rescue, so timing beats squad quality.
Beyond those triggers it is mostly squad dependent. Whether Bench Boost or Triple Captain wins a given double, and whether your Wildcard should come before it, depends on your bench, your bank and which chips you have left. That is what the optimizer answers for your team rather than for the average one.
This Week's Chip Guides
Playing a chip going into Gameweek 8? This week's calls, each with the solver-built squad on current projections, are in FPL Triple Captain GW8.
For one chip in depth, each guide shows the solver's squad for the next gameweek: the Wildcard guide covers rebuild timing, the Free Hit guide blank gameweeks, the Bench Boost guide what a good bench return looks like, and the Triple Captain guide who to treble.
FAQ
When do FPL chips reset?
After Gameweek 19. A fresh set of all four chips unlocks for Gameweeks 20 to 38, and any first-half chip you haven't played by Gameweek 19 is lost.
How many chips do you get in FPL?
Eight: two each of the Wildcard, Free Hit, Bench Boost and Triple Captain. One set covers Gameweeks 1 to 19 and the other Gameweeks 20 to 38, with the first Wildcard and Free Hit playable from Gameweek 2.
Can you play two chips in one gameweek in FPL?
No, FPL allows one chip per gameweek. That is why a Wildcard usually comes the week before a double gameweek, with the Bench Boost in the double itself.
What is the best FPL chip strategy this season?
The one built on your own squad: hold each chip for its trigger and let your bench, bank and chips left decide the week. The FPL chip strategy optimizer tests every valid combination for your 15.
Can you cancel a chip in FPL?
Yes for a Bench Boost or Triple Captain, as long as you can still change your team that gameweek. A Wildcard or Free Hit can't be cancelled once you confirm the transfers.