We have got new set of chips for the second half of the season, and FPL managers will be looking to use them by targeting the Double and Blank Gameweeks to gain ranks. In this FPL Chip Strategy blog, we’ll give you an understanding of the upcoming Double and Blank Gameweeks and then look at the best windows to play each of the FPL Chips, and then summarize the best chip combinations for the remainder of the season, covering all possible scenarios.
Link to all our FPL GW32 blogs including Wildcard drafts, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!
2025/26 FPL Chip Strategy Explained
Note: The strategies mentioned in the article are bound to change as and when we have more information and announcements. We will keep the article updated as and when the Cup results and announcements come. Don’t forget to bookmark/save the article so that you can check it again later.
Article last updated before GW28 deadline.
Shoutout and Thanks to Planet FPL Podcast, where they go into detail about the Projected/Predicted Double and Blank Gameweeks for this season. Recommend readers to check it out if you haven’t watched it already. The projected/predicted DGWs and BGWs in this article are taken from there.
Understanding the Upcoming Double Gameweeks:
Blank Gameweek 31(Sure Blank):
Teams that blank in FPL GW31:
- Manchester City
- Arsenal
- Crystal Palace
- Wolves
The Carabao Cup final between Man City and Arsenal clashes with FPL GW31 weekend. Wolves & Arsenal will blank in GW31, and they already played the fixture in DGW26. Manchester City and Palace will also blank in GW31.
Man City vs Crystal Palace GW31 fixture will also have to be rescheduled
- Most likely, the rescheduled Man City vs Crystal Palace fixture will go into GW33 or GW32, resulting in a Double Gameweek for the two teams.
Double Gameweek 33 (Likely):
- Teams that reach the FA Cup semis and their GW34 opponent will blank in GW34 and likely double in GW33 as seen below.
Some of the blanks from GW34 will be scheduled in GW33, making it a double Gameweek.
Current Projected Doubled for FPL Double Gameweek 33:
These are not confirmed Double Gameweeks and are based on the assumption that:
- Arsenal beat Southampton, Chelsea beat Port Vale, and Man City beat Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
- Bournemouth vs Leeds /West Ham vs Everton stay in GW34 itself, even if West Ham/Leeds make the FA Cup semis, as they are not in Europe.
Blank Gameweek 34:
Premier League fixtures will still clash with the FA Cup semi-finals in GW34. The exact number of teams blanking will depend on the FA Cup results. If a club & their GW34 opponent are both knocked out of the FA Cup, then both teams will not blank in GW34.
FA Cup Quarter Finals Draw:
FA Cup Schedule:
- Quarter Final: Saturday 4 April 2026 (Between GW31 and GW32)
- Semi-Final: Saturday 25 April 2026 (Clashes with GW34 resulting in a blank gameweek)
- The Final: Saturday 16 May 2026 (During GW37 weekend, could result in a blank)
- Currently, we have 4 confirmed fixtures for FPL GW34 – meaning these 8 teams surely can’t blank in GW34.
🔹Fulham vs Aston Villa
🔹Sunderland vs Nottingham Forest
🔹Wolves vs Spurs
🔹Man United vs Brentford
Other Blank Scenarios for FPL GW34:
- Arsenal and Newcastle will blank in GW34 if Arsenal beat Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
- Bournemouth and Leeds can blank in GW34 if Leeds beat West Ham in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
- Brighton and Chelsea most likely will blank in GW34 if Chelsea beat Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
- Manchester City and Burnley will blank in GW34 if Man City beat Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
- Liverpool and Palace will blank in GW34 if Liverpool beat Man City in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
- West Ham and Everton can blank in GW34 if West Ham beat Leeds in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Key Note: GW34 postponements could be moved into the midweek of GW34 if neither team makes it to the QFs of UCL/UEL/UECL. Bournemouth vs Leeds or West Ham vs Everton are the main games that could stay in GW34 itself, even if West Ham/Leeds make the FA Cup semis, as they are not all in Europe.
🏆Teams in Europe: Liverpool(R16 vs Galatasaray) & Crystal Palace(R16 vs AEK Larnaca)
Double Gameweek 36(Likely):
- The last Double Gameweek of the season will be in GW36, with some of the teams blanking in GW34 doubling in GW36(If they don’t double in GW33). Man City vs Palace blank is also likely to go into DGW36 if it is not pushed to GW32/GW33.
- There is also a chance that the blank from GW37 to fit into DGW36 if Villa reach the Europa League final and Villa/Liverpool reach the FA Cup semis.
Current Projected Doubles for GW36: (via FPL.Team/Planet FPL)
- Crystal Palace vs Everton(H), Manchester City(A)
- Manchester City vs Brentford(H), Crystal Palace(H)
Blank Gameweek 37(Possible):
The UEL final is scheduled between GW37 and GW38, so if Aston Villa reach the UEL final and if the Villans or their GW37 opponents(Liverpool) reach the FA Cup final, then their fixture will have to be moved from GW37, resulting in a blank.
Summary of upcoming FPL Double/Blank Gameweeks:
- BGW31: Four teams will surely blank (Arsenal, Wolves, Man City & Crystal Palace) as it clashes with the Carabao Cup finals.
- DGW33: Double Gameweek that could have one postponement from GW31 and some from GW34. 6-8 Teams are likely to double in GW33.
- BGW34: This Gameweek clashes with the FA Cup Semi-finals & the teams reaching the SFs & their GW34 opponent will blank in GW34. 6-8 teams are likely to blank in GW34
- DGW36: Teams blanking in GW34 will then double in GW36(Provided the fixtures are not preponed into GW33). Man City vs Palace blank from GW31 is also likely to go here. Villa and Liverpool, if they blank in GW37, could double in GW36.
- BGW37: Possible Blank Gameweek for Villa and Liverpool if Villa reach the UEL final and if Villa or their GW37 opponents(Liverpool) reach the FA Cup final.
Key Dates:
- Before the GW32 deadline, we’ll know the exact teams blanking in GW34, Teams Double in GW33 based on the FA Cup semifinalists.
FPL Chip Strategy – When to use your FPL Chips?
Wildcard
GW32 Wildcard
Pros of GW32 Wildcard:
- More information on Doubles and Blanks till the end of the season- DGW33, BGW34, DGW36
- 3 Week break between GW31-GW32, so can take advantage of Price rises and also have enough time to have a proper strategy in place.
- Can navigate GW31 Blank by dead-ending and using up saved transfers.
- Attack the final part of the season with the potential Free Hit and Bench Boost to follow.
Cons of GW32 Wildcard:
- Difficult to chase upside as most of the teams will look similar, and strategy might also be similar due to the information on Doubles and Blanks.
GW34/GW35 Wildcard
- This is a very late Wildcard window to potentially target a GW36 Double Gameweek and Bench Boost there if there is a decent double then. We wouldn’t recommend this unless your team is really well set up throughout till GW34.
- The main disadvantage with this strategy is obviously having only 4-5 weeks of your Wildcard team.
- You can avoid Teams and Players who have nothing to play for and Target Teams who are fighting for a European position or title race.
Bench Boost
GW33 Bench Boost:
- Likely to be the Biggest Double Gameweek of the season- If the upcoming FA cup draws are favorable, and there are no big upsets. Great Bench Boost window, especially for Managers who are planning the GW32 Wildcard.
- Cheap assets like Dubravka(vs nfo), Mane(vs lee) have decent single Gameweek fixtures. These are the kind of assets you will need on your Bench Boost as you try to build up to 15 starting players.
Cons of GW33 Bench Boost:
Arsenal and City play each other. If neither of the teams or their GW33 opponents make it to the FA Cup semis, there are chances that they might not double in GW33. It will be a difficult decision to play them on Bench Boost(with a single GW) compared to assets like Rogers, Wirtz, and Palmer, who all might double in GW33. In this scenario, GW33 Bench Boost might not be very appealing.
So if you are planning GW33 Bench Boost, keep this in mind and have alternate plans as well.
GW36 Bench Boost:
- This is likely to be a Double Gameweek with some of the Blanks from GW31/GW34/GW37 moving here.
- Might be too late to play 15 starting players, as there may be rotation with many teams not having anything to play for. There can be rotation in the form of FA Cup finals, where teams might prioritize cup finals rather than a PL fixture a few days before if they have nothing to play for.
Single Gameweek Bench Boost:
- If your team is well set for a Single Gameweek Bench Boost and you want to get it out of the way, then using your bench boost in a single gameweek could be a good strategy. After using the bench boost chip, you can limit your squad to 12 good players and just have cheap bench fodder assets to attack the final stretch.
- GW28 and GW30 are some of the decent Single Gameweek windows to play Bench Boost, but it is totally team-dependent.
Free Hit
GW31 Free Hit
- This is a Blank Gameweek for 4 Teams – Manchester City, Arsenal, Palace, and Wolves,
- If your team is loaded up with assets from these teams, this is an option to consider.
- If you are going for this strategy, you will need to save up transfers to navigate the GW34 Blank Gameweek.
GW33 Free Hit
- This will likely be the only Double Gameweek window where you might want to use Free Hit.
- It can be a potential option if City/Arsenal/both don’t reach the FA Cup semis. Will be an attacking strategy as City and Arsenal will play each other, whereas some other teams will have double gameweeks.
- It will be a risk worth taking on if you are chasing, and if Many of the Big Teams get knocked out of the FA Cup.
GW34 Free Hit
This looks to be the most popular and Best Option to Free Hit at the moment, mainly because there could potentially be up to 8 Teams blanking in GW34. This is likely to be the Biggest Blank Gameweek of the season due to the FA Cup semifinals.
- Teams like Manchester City are likely to double in GW33 and GW36 but Blank in GW34. You will want to have 3 Man City players for the run from GW32-GW38, where they double twice. The Blank Gameweek 34 can be navigated through the Free Hit.
- You will want to attack the Double Gameweeks GW33 and GW36 around it.
The main risk of GW34 Free Hit is that if there are upsets in the FA Cup(meaning very few teams will blank in GW34), it might not be worth Free Hitting. So watchout for the upcoming FA Cup round draws and results before committing to the plan.
GW36/GW37 Free Hit
It is likely to be a very small Double/Blank Gameweek, so it’s risky to save up the chip till then, as we will not have clear info till closer to it.
Triple Captain
| Gameweek | Triple Captain Option | Scenario |
| Double Gameweek 33 | Haaland vs ARS(H), CRY(H) or BUR(A) | Likely to happen if City beat Liverpool in FA Cup QFs |
| Double Gameweek 33 | Palmer vs MUN(H), BHA(A) | Can happen if Chelsea reach the FA Cup semis |
| Double Gameweek 33 | Salah vs EVE(A), CRY(H) | Can happen if Liverpool reach the FA Cup semis |
| Double Gameweek 36 | Haaland vs BRE(H), BUR(A) or CRY(H) | Can Happen only if Man City reach the Carabao Cup finals(already reached) AND FA Cup Semis. |
| Double Gameweek 36 | Salah vs CHE(H), AVL(A) | Can happen if Aston Villa reach the UEL final and if Villa/Liverpool reach the FA Cup final |
2025/26 FPL Chip Strategy
Scenario 1: All Chips available
Strategy 1:
| Wildcard | GW32 |
| Free Hit | GW34 |
| Triple Captain | GW36 |
| Bench Boost | GW33 |
This strategy means dead-ending your team to GW31(Blank Gameweek) with your Free Transfers, make a Wildcard team for GW32 targeting teams that Double in GW33/GW36/Both without worrying about the Blank in GW34, where you will play Free Hit. You can use Bench Boost and Triple Captain in DGW33/DGW36 based on how these Double Gameweeks land.
If you are do this Wildcard 32+ Bench Boost 33 plan, wait till GW32 deadline as we are likely to have the DGW33 announcements just before GW32 deadline. With a 3 week break between GW31 and GW32, we would suggest you to hold on to the chip till deadline(for official confirmation) even though it might be tempting.
This strategy is really good and likely to be the most popular one. But if there are too many upsets in the FA Cup, then there might not be too many Doubles/Blanks to go big on this strategy.
Strategy 2:
| Wildcard | GW34/GW35 |
| Free Hit | GW31 |
| Triple Captain | GW33 |
| Bench Boost | GW36 |
This will be a later Wildcard/Bench Boost window, which you can consider only if your team is doing really good and set up well for the long term with saved free transfers. Free Hit in GW31 can work well if you have too many players from Man City and Arsenal(and few FTs saved up). But the issue with this strategy is that it will be difficult to navigate GW33 Double and Blank GW34 just with free transfers.
Strategy 3:
| Wildcard | GW34/GW35 |
| Free Hit | GW33 |
| Triple Captain | GW36/Single Gameweek |
| Bench Boost | GW36/Single Gameweek |
This will be the upside chasing strategy where you will want to use Free Hit in a Double Gameweek. It will make more sense to do this if a few big teams(mainly Man City, Arsenal) get knocked out of the FA Cup in the upcoming rounds. You can wildcard in GW34/GW35 based on how your team is to potentially navigate GW34 Blank.
Scenario 2: Free Hit, Bench Boost and Triple Captain available
| Free Hit | GW33/GW34 |
| Bench Boost | GW33/GW36 |
| Triple Captain | GW36/Single Gameweek |
If you have the already used the Wildcard chip, the main tip is to roll as many as transfers possible till GW32 when you will have clarity and exact info about DGW33 and BGW34. You can Free Hit in GW33/GW34 based on cup results how the Doubles land- GW34 being the ideal scenario. You can use the saved up Free Transfers to get Double Gameweek players for GW33.
Scenario 3: Wildcard, Free Hit and Bench Boost available
Strategy 1:
| Wildcard | GW32 |
| Free Hit | GW34 |
| Bench Boost | GW33 |
Strategy 2: High risk, High reward strategy.
| Wildcard | GW35 |
| Free Hit | GW33 |
| Bench Boost | GW36 |
Scenario 4: Only Free Hit and Bench Boost available
| Free Hit | GW33/GW34 |
| Bench Boost | GW33/GW36/Single Gameweek |
Conclusion:
There is no right or wrong strategy in FPL. It is totally team-dependent. We have come up with these strategies and information to help you in coming up with your own strategy based on your team. More strategies are likely to emerge based on the information we receive about the Upcoming Double and Blank Gameweeks. We will keep updating the article, so don’t forget to bookmark/save it. Good luck with your planning, everyone!
Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW32:
Upcoming FPL Double/Blank Gameweeks | 25/26 FPL Season
AK’s FPL GW32 Wildcard Team Reveal- 3 * Top 5k Finishes
FPL GW32 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Stats & Eye Test
FPL GW32 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis and Matchups
Top FPL Gameweek 32 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
Interview with World Number 1 FPL Manager – Erik Ibsen
FPL GW32 Wildcard Team & Drafts to Consider | Wildcard Guide
FPL Gameweek 32 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold, & Sell
FPL GW32 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More
2025/26 FPL Chip Strategy Guide for the 2nd Half of the Season
Link to all our FPL GW32 blogs including scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!
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