A wildcard in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is a special “chip” that lets you change your entire squad in one go without taking any points hits for extra transfers.

Quick Scoop: What is a Wildcard in FPL?

In a normal gameweek you only get a limited number of free transfers, and every extra transfer usually costs you -4 points. When you activate your wildcard , you can make unlimited transfers for that gameweek and all those moves become “free” – no points deducted.

  • It’s one of the most powerful tools in FPL because it lets you completely overhaul a struggling team or adapt to big fixture swings.
  • Once the wildcard is played and the transfers are confirmed, your new squad is permanent going forward (unlike the Free Hit, which resets after one week).
  • In the current FPL format, managers get two wildcards per season : one in the first half of the season and one in the second half, each usable only once.

Think of it as hitting the “reset” button on your team, but you only get to press it twice a season, so timing really matters.

How it works (in simple steps)

  1. Go to the Transfers page and start swapping players as usual.
  2. When you’ve made more transfers than your free allocation, you’ll see an option to “Play Wildcard” before confirming.
  1. Activate it, confirm transfers, and all those moves cost 0 points that week.
  1. You can’t cancel the wildcard once it’s played, and you can’t combine it with another chip in the same gameweek (like Bench Boost or Triple Captain).

Why and when people use a wildcard

Managers usually save the wildcard for big strategic moments , for example:

  • Poor start to the season and your squad structure is bad.
  • Major fixture swings (e.g., strong teams suddenly get a great run of games).
  • Lots of injuries and suspensions in your team at once.
  • Setting up for double gameweeks later in the season to maximize points.

A common approach is:

  • First wildcard: early-to-mid season to fix initial mistakes and jump on in-form players.
  • Second wildcard: later in the season, often around double gameweeks or big fixture reshuffles.

Mini FAQ

  • Is a wildcard the same as Free Hit?
    No. Both allow unlimited transfers, but wildcard changes stay for the rest of the season, while Free Hit only changes your team for one gameweek and then your old squad returns.
  • Do I lose my wildcard if I don’t use it in time?
    Yes – each wildcard is tied to a window (first half and second half of the season). If you don’t use it in that period, it expires.

In one line: A wildcard in FPL is a one-time-per-half-season chip that lets you rebuild your entire squad with unlimited free transfers, with no points hits, and the new team stays permanently.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.