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 GW26 blogs including scout picks, players to target, buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, best forwards, 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 GW25 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:
Double Gameweek 26
We have the first confirmed double gameweek of the season, with Arsenal & Wolves doubling in GW26.
Arsenal have qualified for the Carabao Cup final, and since the final clashes with GW31 fixtures, Arsenal’s GW31 fixture against Wolves is now preponed to GW26, resulting in a double gameweek.
Double Gameweek 26
- Arsenal vs BRE(A), WOL(A)
- Wolves vs NFO(A), ARS(H)
Both Arsenal & Wolves will now blank in GW31.
What’s the scenario for Man City, the other Carabao Cup finalist?
Why can’t they also double in GW26?
Man City, who have also made it to the Carabao Cup final, have their GW31 fixture against Crystal Palace, who are involved in the Conference League knock-out phase playoff games, which are scheduled for the midweeks between GW26 & GW27. This prevents Man City & Crystal Palace from doubling in GW26 or GW27.
Blank Gameweek 31(Sure Blank):
Arsenal clashes with FPL GW31 weekend. We have confirmation already that Wolves & Arsenal will blank in GW31 and will have their fixture preponed into GW26.
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.
- There is also a chance the fixture will get rescheduled within GW31 (Meaning no blank for the two teams). For it to happen, both teams should get knocked out of UCL/UECL before the quarter-final stage, or Man City have to get knocked out of the FA Cup before Quarter finals (Crystal Palace are already out of the FA Cup.
Note: There’s a three-week gap between GW31 and GW32, with a bigger International break(2 weeks) and the FA Cup QFs happening in those three weeks.
Double Gameweek 33 (Likely):
- This is likely to be the Biggest Double Gameweek of the season
- The potential Man City vs Crystal Palace blank from GW31 (If not rescheduled within GW31) will be scheduled in GW33, making it a double gameweek for the two teams.
- Apart from this, there are chances that Blanks from GW34 could also move into the GW33 Double Gameweek.
Likely Teams to Double(As it stands):
- Manchester City vs Arsenal(H), Palace(H)
- Crystal Palace vs West Ham(H), Man City(A)
Blank Gameweek 34:
This is a Blank Gameweek due to the FA Cup Semifinals clashing with the Premier League. If a club or their GW34 opponent reach the FA Cup Semis, then both teams will blank in GW34. For example, if Man City or Burnley reach the FA Cup semis, both teams will blank in GW34.
PL Team out of FA Cup already: Man United, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest, Everton, Spurs, and Crystal Palace
When will we know?
FA Cup QFs happen between GW31 and GW32, which means that we will know the exact list of Teams blanking in GW34 before the GW32 deadline.
FA Cup Schedule:
- Fourth Round: Saturday 14 February 2026(Between GW26 & GW27)
- Fifth Round: Saturday 7 March 2026(Between GW29 & GW30)
- 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)
Double Gameweek 36(Likely):
- The last double Gameweek of the season will be in GW36, with most of the teams blanking in GW34 doubling in GW36(If they don’t double in 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.
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.
Nottingham Forest are also involved in the Europa League, but they have been knocked out of the FA Cup, and so has their GW37 opponent, Man United, so they cannot blank in GW37.
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.
- Might to be difficult to target the GW24 fixture swing if you don’t have many FTs and your team has lots of issues.
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
GW26 Bench Boost:
This is very likely to be a very small Double Gameweek with only Arsenal and Wolves doubling. So we wouldn’t suggest Bench Boosting unless you want to get it out of the way early.
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
GW26 Free Hit
GW26 will be a Double Gameweek for 2 teams- Arsenal and Wolves. Even though it’s a Double Gameweek, it’s just for 2 teams, so it is advisable to save it for later in the season, where there will be bigger blanks and Doubles. You can navigate DGW26 just with Free Transfers.
GW31 Free Hit
- This is likely be a Blank Gameweek for 4 Teams – Manchester City, Arsenal, Palace, and Wolves, assuming City and Arsenal reach the Carabao cup finals.
- 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. The likes of
- 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 26 | Saka/Gabriel vs BRE(A), WOL(A) | Confirmed |
| Double Gameweek 33 | Haaland vs ARS(H), CRY(H) or BUR(A) | Can happen only if Man City reach Carabao cup finals- Currently leading 2-0 vs Newcastle after 1st leg semis or reach FA Cup semis |
| 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 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
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.
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 | GW24 |
| Free Hit | GW33/GW34 |
| Triple Captain | GW33/GW36 |
| Bench Boost | GW33/GW36 |
This Chip Strategy is for FPL Managers whose teams is in a bad state right now- Having the likes of Gordon, Foden, O Reilly, along with a non-existent bench and no saved transfers. This will be a slightly Differential strategy if you are chasing points in your mini-leagues. You can clear up the mess, save up Free Transfers, and navigate the Doubles and Blanks later with other chips.
You can select the GW33/GW34 Free Hit based on how the FA Cup results go and which Teams Double and Blank in GW33/GW34.
Strategy 3:
| Wildcard | GW34/GW35 |
| Free Hit | GW31 |
| Triple Captain | GW33/GW26 |
| 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.
Strategy 4:
| Wildcard | GW32/GW34 |
| Free Hit | GW33 |
| Triple Captain | GW26/GW36 |
| Bench Boost | GW26/GW33 |
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 GW32/GW34 based on how your team is to potentially navigate GW34 Blank.
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 GW26:
Upcoming FPL Double/Blank Gameweeks | 25/26 FPL Season
Top FPL Gameweek 26 Captain Picks Based on Analysis & Metrics
FPL GW26 Team Reveal- Transfers, Chip Strategy and Triple Captain?
FPL GW26 Scout Picks Based on Stats, Analysis and Matchups
FPL Gameweek 26 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold, & Sell
Top FPL GW26 Differential Picks to Target Ahead of Deadline
FPL GW26 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More
2025/26 FPL Chip Strategy Guide for the 2nd Half of the Season
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