FPL Gameweek 5: Wildcard vs Free Hit Strategies

Gameweek 4 was chaotic. Leeds stood alone as the only side to win at home, penalties swung ranks, and Arsenal assets split the field wide open. Out of that turbulence, the two men behind AllAboutFPL, Surya and Srini, have both hit the big red button for Gameweek 5.

One on a Wildcard. The other on a Free Hit. Two very different routes, one shared aim: reset the season before the international break reshapes everything again.

Surya: Wildcarding Into Structure, Not Just Form

Surya’s GW4 Free Hit brought 78 points. Respectable on paper, but it felt like a miss. The Arsenal triple-up was there, but without David Raya or Bukayo Saka, the big swings went against him. Add in Joao Pedro’s injury concern and several fires across the squad, and the decision came quickly.

Wildcard active for GW5.

He’s fully aware of the risk. There’s a three-week international break straight after this gameweek, and injuries could punish early surgery. But he’s decided the upside of fixing a “mess” of a squad and locking in long-term value is worth it.

The target is clear: a defined team structure built around Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer, Saka, Morgan Gibbs-White and double Arsenal defence. Around that core, he wants cheap, reliable starters from teams with strong fixtures over the next run.

His current Wildcard draft, rated 91% on Fantasy Football Hub’s free AI Team Rating Tool and projected at 59 points, reflects that philosophy.

Defence and Goalkeepers: Double Arsenal and DEFCON Reliability

Double Arsenal defence is non-negotiable for him on Wildcard. Clean sheets, control, and value. Ezri Konsa at 4.5 million is described as “tremendous value” and forms part of that solid base.

Alongside them, Muharemovic and Silva are flagged as classic “DEFCON defenders” – the type who quietly deliver 4-pointers most weeks regardless of fixture difficulty. No frills, just steady returns.

Munoz is the aggressive play at the back. With Coventry, Crystal Palace and Ipswich in the next three or four, he’s the upside-chasing pick who can turn a decent week into a big one.

Midfield: Penalties, Creativity and a DEFCON Gem

Saka and Palmer headline the midfield. Both are on penalties, both are talismen for their sides, and both offer captaincy-worthy ceilings. The plan already has an eye on the future: one of them could make way for Bruno Fernandes around GW11/GW12 when Manchester United’s fixtures ease.

Gibbs-White is the heartbeat of the value strategy. His numbers back it up:

• 1st among midfielders for Big Chances Created (4)
• 5th for xGI (2.57)
• Joint 2nd for Bonus Points (6)
• 11th for total FPL points (26)

Multiple routes to points, heavy involvement, and a plum GW5 home game against Coventry. He’s not just a punt; he’s a key pillar.

King is the budget midfielder with a targeted role in the plan. From GW6 to GW8, he faces three promoted sides in three consecutive weeks. Playing in an advanced No.10 role and getting into strong scoring positions, he’s the differential bet Surya hopes will have a breakout spell.

Then there’s Vitaly Janelt, the eighth attacker and quiet enabler, but his underlying DEFCON data makes him far more than bench fodder:

• GW1: 13 DEFCON
• GW2: 10 DEFCON
• GW3: 12 DEFCON
• GW4: 20 DEFCON

He has a share of corners and set pieces, with 8 corners taken already this season, averages 13.75 DEFCON per 90, and has 2 goals to his name. At £5.0m and just 2.5% owned, he’s being framed as one of the best budget midfielders in the game.

Forwards: Haaland, Barry and a Fixture-Driven Punt

Up front, Haaland needs no justification. He’s locked, he’s captained, he’s the foundation.

Next to him, Barry is the standout value pick. Priced at 5.6 million, playing 90 minutes with no rotation risk, and facing two promoted teams in the next two gameweeks, he’s more than a fixture play. Underlying data has him second only to Haaland among forwards for xG, xGI, shots, shots in the box and big chances. One goal so far feels light. Surya is backing “fixtures breed form” and hoping these next two games ignite a scoring streak.

Wissa completes the front line with a friendly run of HUL (H), COV (A), AVL (H) and CRY (A). Two promoted sides, two struggling teams, and no European distractions for Newcastle make him an appealing short-term punt. Garcia remains in consideration for that final forward slot, and Surya hasn’t fully closed the door on a late switch.

Captaincy: Tempted by Gibbs-White, But Haaland Wins

There was a flicker of temptation to hand the armband to Gibbs-White at home to Coventry, especially with Fantasy Football Hub predicting 6.1 points for him. But in the end, logic wins.

Haaland is locked as captain. The view is simple: owning Gibbs-White is enough of a differential if he hauls. Fading Haaland, who again tops their GW5 captaincy metrics, feels like a step too far.

Srini: One-Week Assault With the Free Hit

If Surya is rebuilding, Srini is raiding.

GW4 hurt. No Pascal Gross, no Saka, no Raya, and a Liverpool midfield double-up that didn’t pay off left him short of where he wanted to be. His Chelsea attacking triple-up delivered, but with many managers holding similar assets, the gains were muted.

So he’s gone the other way to his co-founder: Free Hit active for GW5.

The plan is aggressive. He wants to stack players from teams with strong home fixtures against promoted or struggling sides: Everton vs Ipswich, Forest vs Coventry, Newcastle vs Hull, Leeds vs Crystal Palace, and Manchester City vs Sunderland. It’s a one-week window, and he intends to squeeze everything out of it.

Joao Pedro: A Key Factor in the Chip Call

The Joao Pedro situation feeds into his decision. Xabi Alonso’s comments before the game – no one ruled out, refusing to specify the injury, suggesting Pedro could play the next match but potentially miss Brazil duty – created more uncertainty than clarity.

The expectation is that Pedro likely misses GW5, recovers over the international break, and returns around GW6. For Srini, that’s another reason to lean into a Free Hit and dodge the selection headache for one week.

Only two or three players from his original squad are expected to survive into the Free Hit XI. The rest is built purely for GW5 upside.

His current draft is rated 95% on Fantasy Football Hub’s free AI Team Rating Tool and projected at 62 points.

Core Locks and Flexible Slots

Six names are non-negotiable in Srini’s Free Hit side:

• Haaland
• Barry
• Calvert-Lewin
• Bruno Fernandes
• Gibbs-White
• Munoz

Around them, he’s still playing with combinations. He’s clear that there will be:

• At least one Manchester City defender
• A Leeds defender
• An Everton defender

He leans strongly towards the team shown in his draft image, but keeps “option 1” and “option 3” alive as alternatives, planning to make the final call closer to the deadline.

Captaincy: No Overthinking With a Rested Haaland

With Haaland getting a midweek rest and City at home to Sunderland, Srini isn’t interested in overcomplicating the armband.

City have the highest goal-scoring odds of the gameweek, and Haaland is expected to be central to anything they do. Captaincy goes straight on him. No debate.

Two founders. Two chips burned in the same week. One chasing structural stability with a Wildcard, the other going all-in on a one-week Free Hit blitz.

Gameweek 5 won’t just shape their seasons. It will show whether early aggression in chip usage pays off, or whether the international break makes them look bold or exposed when the dust settles.