FPL Chip Strategy GW1: Should You Play Triple Captain or Bench Boost?
Chip outlook
Gameweek 1 is a weak chip week with no double gameweeks and limited fixture information, making it unwise to use premium chips this early.
Wildcard
Do not use. It's Gameweek 1—you've just built your squad with full flexibility. Wildcarding now wastes a valuable tool you'll desperately need when injuries, suspensions, or fixture swings emerge later in the season. Save it for when your team genuinely needs rebuilding around GW8-12 or in the second half of the campaign.
Bench Boost
Do not use. Your bench returns just 15.8 expected points (Dubravka 2.7, Damsgaard 4.8, Gomez 4.2, Reed 4.1), which is underwhelming for a chip that works best during double gameweeks when every player has two fixtures. Hold this for a confirmed BGW or DGW when bench players can deliver 30+ combined points.
Triple Captain
Do not use. While Haaland at home to Bournemouth seems appealing (7.0 xP becomes 21 points if tripled), Gameweek 1 lacks the fixture certainty that justifies this chip. Triple Captain is best deployed on premium assets during confirmed double gameweeks where elite players face TWO favorable fixtures, potentially delivering 40+ points. Using it now on a single fixture—even Haaland's—represents poor value when superior opportunities will arise later.
Free Hit
Definitely do not use. This is the most valuable chip for navigating blank gameweeks or exploiting unique DGW fixture schedules. You've built your GW1 squad with full knowledge of opening fixtures—there's literally zero reason to temporarily replace it now. Free Hit should be reserved for weeks when most teams blank or when a DGW creates a completely different optimal lineup that you cannot otherwise field.
The Verdict: Save all chips for Gameweek 1. Your current XI projects 50.4 expected points with Haaland (C) returning 14.0—perfectly respectable without chip assistance. Patience is crucial in FPL; managers who burn chips early typically regret it when doubles and blanks arrive with no ammunition left. Build team value, assess early season form, and deploy chips strategically when fixture data supports maximum returns.Build this squad in the optimizer
Pre-selected 5-2-3 formation. Tweak the squad with your own preferences.
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