FH33 vs WC35: What Is the Best FPL Chip Strategy Right Now?

GW32 Deadline: Friday 10 April at 17:30 BST — tomorrow. GW33 Deadline: Saturday 18 April at 10:00 BST.

The FPL community is mid-crisis right now. Enzo Fernandez is unavailable until April 18 (the exact morning of the GW33 deadline). Gabriel went off with a knee injury in the FA Cup semi. Arsenal's FA Cup exit to Southampton wiped out premium structure plans across millions of teams. The phrase "wildcard tatters" has never been more relevant.

And yet, sitting underneath all the noise is one of the clearest scheduling opportunities of the entire season: six teams double in Gameweek 33. Brighton, Chelsea, Leeds, Bournemouth, Burnley, and Man City all play twice. The managers who use their chips intelligently in the next two weeks will move 10, 15, even 20 rank places in a single gameweek. The ones who freeze — or act at the wrong moment — will lose them.

So: Free Hit 33 or Wildcard 35? Let's settle this with data.

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📅 The Schedule: What Is Confirmed Right Now?

Before picking a strategy, you need to know what you're working with.

✅ Confirmed: GW33 Double Gameweek (6 teams)

The FPL fixture feed confirms six teams play twice in Gameweek 33:

Team	Fixture 1	FDR	Fixture 2	FDR
Brighton	A @ Spurs	2	H vs Chelsea	3
Leeds	H vs Wolves	2	A @ Bournemouth	3
Bournemouth	A @ Newcastle	3	H vs Leeds	2
Man City	H vs Arsenal	4	A @ Burnley	2
Chelsea	H vs Man Utd	3	A @ Brighton	4
Burnley	A @ Nott'm Forest	3	H vs Man City	4

Fixture verdict: Brighton and Leeds have the two cleanest doubles. Bournemouth have two manageable games. Man City's Arsenal opener at home (FDR:4) drags down the ceiling. Burnley's double is the weakest — facing Nott'm Forest and Man City, both hard at home. Chelsea's double is mixed.

⚠️ Not Yet Confirmed: BGW34

As of April 9, the FPL API does not show confirmed blanks in Gameweek 34 for either of the doubled teams. However, external schedule analysis strongly points to a blank for at least some of the DGW33 clubs — particularly Brighton, Chelsea, and Leeds, who are likely involved in rescheduled fixture logic. Check our fixtures tool as this updates in real time.

The practical takeaway: plan for a likely BGW34, but don't stake your chip strategy on it being confirmed.

🎯 Which Chips Do You Have Left?

Before anything else — take stock. The FPL API data for GW31 shows that 1,344,160 managers played their Free Hit in the blank gameweek (BGW31 saw Arsenal, Man City, Crystal Palace, and Wolves all absent). That's the largest Free Hit wave of the 2025/26 season.

If you used your Free Hit in GW31: you no longer have it. Your chip path is narrower.

Check your own situation:

Scenario	Chips Remaining	Best Path
A	Free Hit + Wildcard	FH33 → WC35 (the consensus route)
B	Wildcard only (FH used in GW31)	WC32 to build DGW33 squad permanently
C	Free Hit only (WC used earlier)	FH33 for the double, use transfers carefully
D	Only TC/BB remain	FH and WC already spent — read the TC/BB sections below

🟢 Strategy A: FH33 + WC35 — The Consensus Play

This is the most-discussed strategy on Reddit right now and the one that makes most mathematical sense for managers who have both chips remaining.

How It Works

You do nothing permanent before GW33. You activate your Free Hit at the GW33 deadline (Saturday 18 April, 10:00 BST) and field a temporary squad built entirely from the six doubling teams. After GW33, your squad reverts to whatever it was before.

In GW35 (deadline May 1), you activate your Wildcard to build an optimal end-of-season squad tailored to the final four gameweeks.

The Ideal FH33 Squad

Here's the maximum-value FH33 lineup, built from confirmed DGW33 assets and verified from the live FPL API:

Goalkeepers (2)

Bart Verbruggen — Brighton (£4.5m) | GKP | EP: 5.5 | Form: 5.0 Two Brighton fixtures, 7 clean sheets this season. Best DGW33 GK. Start him.

Budget backup GK for the bench — any cheap option from the 6 doubling teams works.

Defenders (5)

Jan Paul van Hecke — Brighton (£4.5m) | DEF | EP: 7.0 | Form: 6.5 3 goals, 2 assists, 7 clean sheets from centre-back. The FH33 defensive cornerstone.

Adrien Truffert — Bournemouth (£4.7m) | DEF | EP: 6.5 | Form: 7.5 Higher EP and better form than Senesi at a lower price. 9 clean sheets and 3 assists from left-back. The smarter Bournemouth defensive pick.

Jaka Bijol — Leeds (£3.9m) | DEF | EP: 8.5 | Form: 9.0 One of the highest EPs in the entire game. £3.9m. Leeds double: H vs Wolves (FDR:2), A @ Bournemouth (FDR:3). Verify his starting role — he has 14 starts this season. If fit, unmissable.

Pascal Struijk — Leeds (£4.3m) | DEF | EP: 6.0 | Form: 6.5 The established Leeds starter (27 starts). 93 total points, 6 clean sheets, more reliable than Bijol. Pair with him or use as the safe alternative.

Marcos Senesi — Bournemouth (£5.1m) | DEF | EP: 4.5 | Form: 5.5 137 total points, 9 clean sheets, 4 assists. Most-owned Bournemouth player for good reason.

Midfielders (4)

Yankuba Minteh — Brighton (£5.5m) | MID | EP: 5.5 | Form: 5.0 2 goals, 8 assists, xGI of 7.06 this season. Brighton's creative engine. Pairs perfectly with Welbeck to stack the FH33 attack.

You'll want 2–3 more midfielders from Chelsea (Palmer, £10.6m if budget allows) or Man City assets depending on your FH33 budget.

Cole Palmer — Chelsea (£10.6m) | MID | EP: 2.0 | Form: 2.0 Note the low EP — Chelsea's double faces Man Utd and Brighton Away (FDR:4). Palmer is in a form dip (96 total points, down from his early-season elite pace). Include on the bench or at the sacrifice slot if budget forces a trade-off.

Forwards (3)

Danny Welbeck — Brighton (£6.2m) | FWD | EP: 7.5 | Form: 7.0 The standout DGW33 asset. 12 goals in 1,817 minutes. xGI of 11.56. Only 5.4% ownership. Brighton's best double pair: A @ Spurs (FDR:2), H vs Chelsea (FDR:3). The highest EP of any DGW33 forward and the biggest differential gain.

Erling Haaland — Man City (£14.4m) | FWD | EP: 2.0 | Form: 2.0 Important caveat: Haaland's DGW33 EP is depressed to just 2.0 because his opener against Arsenal at home (FDR:4) is a likely blank scenario. The Burnley away trip (FDR:2) is kinder. 22 goals and 7 assists overall, but if budget is tight, this is the slot to downgrade for a cheaper Leeds or Bournemouth forward.

João Pedro — Chelsea (£7.8m) | FWD | EP: 2.0 | Form: 2.0 14 goals and 9 assists this season, 50.3% TSB. In a form dip (EP: 2.0). Chelsea's mixed double means he's more of a second-bank hold than a ceiling play. Include for the double opportunity — but don't captain him.

FH33 Expected Points Ceiling

The combination of Welbeck (EP 7.5), Van Hecke (EP 7.0), Bijol (EP 8.5), Truffert (EP 6.5), and Verbruggen (EP 5.5) gives you a defensive + forward foundation of 35 expected points from five players alone — before a single midfielder or Haaland haul. In a standard gameweek, your squad expects 50–60 total. In this double configuration, 80–100 is a realistic ceiling with some returns.

That's the data-backed case for FH33.

The WC35 Follow-Up

In GW35 (deadline May 1), you activate your Wildcard and build for the final four gameweeks. At that point you'll know:

Which teams have ended-season run-ins with favourable fixtures
Which players are injured and which are flying
Any additional DGWs in GW35/36 for European hopefuls

The FH33 + WC35 strategy is the highest-floor play for managers with both chips. You don't permanently damage your squad, you get full double exposure in GW33, and you have a wildcard loaded for the end run.

🔴 Strategy B: WC32 NOW + FH34 for the Blank

This is the counter-argument gaining traction in the GW32 wildcard discussion threads. Here's when it makes sense.

The Logic

If your current squad is in a bad state — Enzo unavailable, Gabriel injured, struggling with fixtures — waiting until GW35 to wildcard feels expensive. The argument goes:

Wildcard now (before tomorrow's GW32 deadline: April 10 at 17:30 BST) to build a permanent squad featuring DGW33 assets.
Hold those players through GW33 — you get a full double without needing FH.
Use Free Hit in GW34 if the blank materialises, covering the dead week with a temporary squad.
You enter GW35 with a clean, already-optimised squad and your TC/BB still live.

Why It's Appealing

Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea, ID: 237) is currently unavailable for GW32's April 12 fixture — his FPL news says "Made unavailable for selection on 4/4 and 12/4. Expected back 18 Apr." That last point is critical: he is expected back on April 18 — the morning of the GW33 deadline. If you wildcard before GW32 closes tomorrow, you're committing to his availability before knowing if he returns fit.
Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal) came off with a knee injury in the FA Cup semi. His status for GW32 and GW33 is unclear. WC32 means you commit now without that clarity.

The Risks

GW34 BGW is not confirmed. If the blank doesn't materialise, you've wasted your FH on a normal gameweek — the single most expensive FH error possible.
Wildcarding now locks you into current transfer market prices. Late team news (like Enzo and Gabriel) typically arrives after deadline.

Verdict on WC32: Makes sense if your squad is genuinely broken and you've already accepted the Enzo/Gabriel risk. Do not Wildcard now just to chase DGW33 if you have a working squad — FH33 does the same job with less commitment.

🟡 Strategy C: WC Only (Free Hit Already Used)

Managers who played their Free Hit in BGW31 need to use the Wildcard to address both squad damage and DGW33 optimisation.

Best path: WC32 (activate before tomorrow)

This gives you:

A rebuilt squad based on DGW33 assets
Two points-hauls from six double-gameweek teams
Time to ride those assets through GW34 and beyond

If you go this route, build a squad with at least 8–9 DGW33 starters (minimum three Brighton, two Leeds, one Bournemouth) while keeping clean-sheet holds from single-GW teams (Bruno Fernandes at Man Utd is excellent with EP: 12.0 and Form: 11.5, even without a double).

Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd, £10.3m, EP: 12.0, Form: 11.5) — does NOT double in GW33, but his Man Utd vs Chelsea fixture is a strong standalone. Worth keeping if you WC, not worth FH-ing.

🔵 What About WC35 on Its Own?

Some managers want to hold all chips for the end of season. The argument is that GW35–38 may feature more compressed fixtures, European chases, and possible additional DGWs as fixture congestion resolves.

The problem with waiting: GW33 is the first confirmed multi-team double of the second half of the season. The difference between 80 points (full FH33 squad) and 50 points (single-gameweek squad) in one week is enormous for overall rank. Skipping the DGW33 entirely to "save chips" costs you a guaranteed structural advantage.

Unless your league situation specifically rewards a big end-season swing (e.g., chasing top FPL overall rank rather than mini-league position), holding all chips through GW35 while skipping DGW33 is the weakest outcome for most managers.

🧭 Decision Matrix: What Should YOU Do?

Your Situation	Chips Available	Recommended Action
Squad in decent shape	FH + WC	FH33 (activate April 18) → WC35
Squad broken (Enzo/Gabriel issues)	FH + WC	FH33 first unless squad is truly unplayable. WC32 if desperate
Used FH in BGW31	WC only	WC32 today/tomorrow — rebuild for DGW33
WC used earlier, FH remaining	FH only	FH33 — maximise the double, use transfers carefully to fix squad
Both FH and WC used	TC + BB remain	Use BB in DGW33 if squad has 6+ doubling starters. TC on best DGW33 captain

🎯 Captaincy in DGW33: Who to Armband

Regardless of your chip choice, you need a DGW33 captain decision.

The data from the live FPL API is clear:

Player	Team	Price	EP	Form	TSB	Fixtures
Welbeck	Brighton	£6.2m	7.5	7.0	5.4%	A@Spurs(2), H vs Chelsea(3)
Van Hecke	Brighton	£4.5m	7.0	6.5	5.7%	A@Spurs(2), H vs Chelsea(3)
Bijol	Leeds	£3.9m	8.5	9.0	0.5%	H vs Wolves(2), A@Bou(3)
Truffert	Bournemouth	£4.7m	6.5	7.5	3.3%	A@Newcastle(3), H vs Leeds(2)
Haaland	Man City	£14.4m	2.0	2.0	55.4%	H vs Arsenal(4), A@Burnley(2)

EP captain recommendation: Bijol (8.5 EP, 9.0 form), then Welbeck (7.5 EP). Haaland's deflated EP reflects the Arsenal fixture — he's owned by 55% of managers but his DGW33 ceiling is genuinely limited by that opening fixture. Captaining Brighton assets for DGW33 is backed by the data.

Track your captain's live score on our gameweek tracker during GW33.

⚡ Quick Action Checklist

Before GW32 deadline (April 10, 17:30 BST — tomorrow):

Decide if your squad needs emergency surgery (Enzo unavailable, Gabriel doubts)
If WC32 is your path, activate tonight/tomorrow morning with maximum DGW33 assets
Check Enzo Fernandez's status — expected back April 18 (GW33 deadline day)
Do NOT Wildcard GW32 just to chase DGW33 if you still have FH available

Before GW33 deadline (April 18, 10:00 BST):

Activate Free Hit if that's your route — squad should be 11 DGW33 starters
Check BGW34 confirmation on our fixtures tool before making permanent moves
Target: Verbruggen, Van Hecke, Bijol, Truffert, Struijk (DEF); Minteh, Palmer (MID); Welbeck, Haaland, João Pedro (FWD)
Captain on Bijol or Welbeck for FH squads — highest EP from confirmed starters

📊 The Bottom Line

The data points to one dominant path for most managers:

If you have Free Hit + Wildcard remaining: Play FH33 for the confirmed double, save Wildcard for GW35 end-season run. This is the highest expected value route.
If you only have Wildcard (FH used in GW31): WC32 now before tomorrow's deadline to build DGW33 assets permanently. Accept you lose a safety net on BGW34.
If you only have Free Hit: FH33 for the double, then use regular transfers to maintain your squad through the end run.
Don't skip DGW33 entirely to "save chips" — six teams doubling is a structural advantage that outweighs most end-season chip strategies.

The FH33 vs WC35 debate has one answer for most managers: FH33, then WC35. The community instinct is right on this one — and the data from the six confirmed DGW33 teams backs it up.

📊 Plan Your Transfers: Use our transfer planner to build your FH33 squad within budget. 📅 Check the Calendar: Monitor GW34 blank confirmations on the fixtures tool. 💎 More Differentials: Find under-the-radar DGW33 picks with our gems finder. 📈 Live Tracking: Follow every DGW33 return in real time on our live points tracker.

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