
2017-18 FPL season is LIVE! Learn How to Score Big with Chips in 2017-18 Fantasy Premier League. Revealed: Top tips for Triple Captain, Bench Boost, Wildcard and the NEW Free Hit chip.
***UPDATE Sept 10: GW5 team and tips! Subscribe to our newsletter
Welcome back!
Hope you’re having a great summer. If not, there’s still time! For now, get your feet wet with this teaser for the upcoming 2017-18 FPL season. 😎
FPL CHIPS 101
It’s been two seasons since chips were introduced, so we now have a better understanding of how to use them. The first season was more trial and error. Last season, we fine-tuned our strategy. Hopefully we’ve learned from previous successes and failures as we head into 2017-18. 👍
• Chips are strategic “boosts” that give you an advantage for a single Gameweek •

The 2017-18 chips:
- Free Hit. NEW! Make unlimited free transfers for one Gameweek, then your old squad returns.
- Triple Captain. Your captain’s points are tripled instead of doubled.
- Bench Boost. Points scored by your bench players are added to the Gameweek total.
- Wildcard (x2). All transfers for the Gameweek are free and remain in your squad for the future.
Only one chip can be played in a single Gameweek including the Wildcard. For example, you can’t combine the Wildcard with Bench Boost in the same Gameweek! ❌
Chips rules.
Triple Captain and Bench Boost chips can be cancelled anytime before the new Gameweek deadline. Let’s say you Triple Captain Harry Kane and he suffers a knock the day before the match. Simply turn off your TC chip.
Wildcards and the Free Hit chip are activated when confirming your transfers and cannot be cancelled!
FREE HIT
• Unlimited free transfers for one Gameweek, then your old squad returns •
The new Free Hit chip shares some similarities with the Wildcard. One benefit is a possible immediate boost in the next Gameweek score as a result of cutting the weakest performers in your squad. Some players go on hot or cold streaks, making this an opportunity to stack your team with in-form players.
It can also come to the rescue as a short-term fix when the squad is decimated with injuries. What if those injuries aren’t serious? It might be just enough to destroy your Gameweek, then you want those players back for the following week. This is where the Free Hit chip excels. 👍
Free Hit cheat.
TIP: Some Fantasy managers prefer to use their Wildcards at specific moments in the season. Don’t forget the two-week international breaks that increase the risk of injury and rotation! Key players in FPL often play for their national team, so it’s possible that those without a Wildcard could find themselves with a depleted squad by the Gameweek deadline.
TIP: Another idea is to use it in a Double Gameweek as key players may feature twice in one round. Managers who previously saved their second Wildcard for late in the season can now burn it sooner instead of suffering with players they don’t want.
The Free Hit chip replaces All Out Attack from the last two seasons. Our experience with the AOA chip was mixed. We had a knack for choosing the right defenders to bench, however, our beefed up attack failed to deliver as expected. We’re happy to see the AOA chip go. 👎
More on the All Out Attack chip: 5 Must-Have Cheats for 2016-17 Fantasy Premier League Chips
TRIPLE CAPTAIN
• Your captain’s points are tripled instead of doubled •
Same as last season, the Triple Captain chip is simple to understand but hard to implement. Picking your captain is based on a number of key factors:
- Player form
- Fixture difficulty, match-ups
- Rotation, fatigue, other competitions
- Single vs. Double Gameweek potential
- Gut instinct
Captain selection is mostly instinct. There is no particular blueprint. Once it’s narrowed down to a few players, every little factor weighs in. It could be something about the player behind the scenes, midweek games and fatigue, or an advantage with the opponent such as injury to a key defender.
Consider the player’s points-scoring ceiling versus consistency. Sometimes we gamble on someone who can either bang in 20pts or blank completely – Lukaku comes to mind! Other times we aim for someone we trust to deliver 7-8pts regularly. 👍
The early kickoff myth is just that, a myth. To be fair, early kickoffs can be an issue if the player hasn’t had enough time to recover since his last game. But it’s not a big factor. The way these myths help is to go against the masses who can be swayed by groupthink.
If your captain doesn’t play, your vice captain becomes Triple Captain. If neither plays, it’s wasted!
This chip can be hit or miss, so don’t get frustrated! Even if we watch all the games and make intelligent predictions, choosing the wrong Triple Captain could mean the difference between 6pts and 60pts! 😳
Triple Captain cheat.
TIP: It’s not a set rule to wait for a Double Gameweek to use the Triple Captain chip, and it’s not the way we’ve done it in the past, but it can pay off massively when the player features twice and does well.
Since Double Gameweeks aren’t announced too far in advance, we should stay flexible with our strategy. For example, it’s difficult to commit early on to triple captaining Harry Kane on Gameweek 37 as too many factors come into play. Don’t forget Kane missed two months with injury last season!
TIP: Check our weekly FPL blog for a list of players who are “immune” to rotation as it changes quickly throughout the season. Think back of how Sergio Aguero lost his place to Gabriel Jesus, then regained it and delivered big numbers until the end. And don’t forget our Green Lights and Red Flags. 😉
BENCH BOOST
• Points scored by your bench players are added to the Gameweek total •
Like the Triple Captain chip, Bench Boost is unchanged from last season. 👍
Make sure your bench players play 90 minutes consistently! Be especially cautious of a squad player slotting in temporarily while a regular recovers from injury. If you use your Bench Boost and the regular starter comes back, you’ve wasted it.
Bench Boost cheat.
TIP: Consider saving your Bench Boost chip for the second half of the season when your team value is higher and you have a stronger bench. This chip can also be effective in Double Gameweeks as points from bench players who feature in both games are added to the overall score.
WILDCARD
• All transfers for the Gameweek are free and remain in your squad for the future •
You are given two Wildcards per season. The fact that they are considered “chips” can be a bit misleading. They are similar to the new Free Hit chip, but very different from the Triple Captain and Bench Boost chips.
🚨 Wildcards cannot be cancelled once active!
It’s also important to note when you can use the Wildcards. Think of it as having one Wildcard for each half of the season.
Wildcard 1: Can be used anytime from the start of the season until December 30 (end of GW21).
Wildcard 2: Available after January 1st (beginning of GW22) until the end of the season.
Wildcard cheat.
TIP: Suppose you’re not quite sure whether to use your Wildcard. Instead of playing it at the beginning of the Gameweek, prioritize your transfers and make only the one or two transfers you absolutely need while incurring a points deduction. If later in the week you still want to use your Wildcard, activating it will erase your prior points deduction.
TIP: As with the Free Hit chip, long breaks from the Premier League can sometimes bring surprises such as injuries and suspensions. If you’re missing too many key players, and you’re not confident in keeping them for the future, pushing the big red button solves everything in one click. Don’t be afraid to use it!
FPL Extras.
There’s no need to bookmark this post. We are including a link to it in our weekly FPL blog on the right side of the page if you’re on a computer, or near the bottom if on a mobile device. See the widgets titled Upper 90 Studios FPL EXTRAS for this and other goodies added throughout the season.
PS: If you’re still thinking about whether your summer has been fun, it probably hasn’t, so get on that. 😉
Fantasy Premier League GW5 Tips
BLOG: Wildcard Cheat to Free Up Funds
💥 Final GW5 team revealed!
http://upper90studios.com/fantasy-premier-league-gw5-wildcard-cheat-free-up-funds/
Fantasy Premier League strategy.
For the past 10 years, our team has finished in the top 1-2% of all players. 2014-15 was our best finish ever: Overall rank 13,126, top 0.4%. Our strategy is risky. We start slow and build team value by making 1-3 transfers each week. We save on goalkeepers and defenders and load up with expensive midfielders and forwards. By January, we can stack the full team with the most valuable players and come from behind to pull into the top 1-2% of all managers. See our previous finishes HERE.
Stay ahead of your competitors! Don’t forget to subscribe to our email list at the top right of the page. We’ll send you our weekly team prediction and best tips which you can use to tweak your team. Stay up-to-date with our last-minute transfers and captain choice on Twitter or Facebook.
2017-18 FPL season is LIVE! Learn How to Score Big with Chips in 2017-18 Fantasy Premier League. Top tips for Triple Captain, Bench Boost, Wildcard and the new Free Hit chip.
Any good summer stories, thoughts or tips you’d like to share?
Hope to hear from you soon!
-Bruno

Swanremainsthesame
23/07/17
Hi Bruno,
Great you can report on so much pre season for us from USA. Myself Im excited about West Ham purchases, really bolstered their defence, & got a bargain in Chicarito.
Understand he is a #1 favorite player North America, So you could be seeing the Hammers there next summer too. In the meantime waiting for Chic’s price; less than 8m & I think I’m on him as 3rd striker for a 343 formation. Otherwise prob 352.
Foster (Myhill)
Alonso,Trippier,Lindelhof,(Tarkowski,Long)
Eriksen,Ramsey,Willian,Stanislas,(Romeu)
Kane,Jesus,Chic
Going to try to make it to 2nd IB before WC this year, Last year my early WC picks were too punty and dragged me down for 10 weeks shifting the flash in pans back out.
Early WC works great if you are good at picking quality so quickly I guess, but doesn’t seem one of my skills
Upper 90 Studios
24/07/17
Hi. Excited about Man United vs. Barcelona on Wednesday! Should be pitchside for this one with my brother covering from the press box. 👍
West Ham spending the Payet money? Chicharito, Hart, Arnautovic… I actually met West Ham’s U.S. fan group last summer who connected me to the Carolina Railhawks directors in regards to their friendly last year and the pre-game fanzone. 🙂 You’re right about Chicharito who is is very popular here.
Excellent team. We have a few players in common. Lindelof made a huge mistake last night, which is normal. Seems nervous, same as Vidic when he first arrived. Should be ok once he settles, good player.
Ramsey will depend on his role and positioning, and Sanchez. Front line is unique without Lukaku, although he has looked a bit sluggish in pre-season.
Everyone else is spot on.
The last few seasons have been different in that I’ve been fortunate to start the season well, but typically I’m a slow starter and burn the WC early. It helps as a quick boost in Team Value, although TV hasn’t been as useful in recent seasons.
We will do a post-match report on Man United and the possible impact on FPL. Two years ago we noticed some issues with Chelsea under Mourinho. They were crushed by the NY Red Bulls youth team with Costa and Hazard looking awfully out of shape. Of course these are just friendlies and we can’t take too much from them, but Chelsea took their pre-season form into the league and we know what happened.
-Bruno
Farrukh
23/07/17
Hey Bruno buddy )) its great to be back and very excited about season to start soon. Thank you again for valuable tips and advises for 16/17 season. will revert shortly on draft team in fb as usual )) pls include me in your mini-league. Gracias !
Upper 90 Studios
24/07/17
Hey. Great to be back! No problem, glad to help.
Those who joined the U90 mini-league last season should be automatically entered once they sign up to 2017-18 FPL and set their initial team.
CODE: 53353-238112
AUTO-JOIN: https://fantasy.premierleague.com?autojoin-code=53353-238112
Thanks.
-Bruno
Upper 90 Studios
24/07/17
*UPDATE U90 mini league!
• Free to enter
• Battle against top FPL players
• Closes to new entries after GW1
http://upper90studios.com/fpl-join-u90-mini-league-win-prize/
SneezleWeezle
24/07/17
Hi! Super stoked to follow another year of fpl and this blog. What do you think of my team?
Foster Heaton
Valencia Yoshida Mee Hünemeier Trippier
Alli Carrol Özil Philips Snodgrass
Jesus King Lukaku
Thanks and good luck this year!!
Upper 90 Studios
31/07/17
Hi! Sorry about the delay! Working on a new FPL video that will be up later today.
Great backline. Phillips and Snodgrass had a poor end of last season, but Snoddy in particular will be looking to impress.
Excellent front 3! Brave to avoid Kane to start, but you can make a case for using the funds to strengthen other positions. You also replaced him well.
Your team is looking strong already, and we have some players in common. 👍
-Bruno
Upper 90 Studios
26/07/17
*UPDATE Barcelona vs. Man United today!
Hey everyone! Welcome back. We are away to cover the friendly between Barça and United and will read the comments asap. 👍
Look out for photos of today’s match on U90’s Twitter and Facebook, thanks!
https://twitter.com/upper90studios
https://www.facebook.com/upper90studios
PS: The “First Draft” team blog post is finished, will upload it and possibly a new video in the next few days. 🙂
-Bruno
Waseem Hussain
29/07/17
Hey,
GL this year
I need a good first team midfielder for £5.5 million,
Do u know anyone
Thanks
Upper 90 Studios
31/07/17
Hey. Yes, there are quite a few, some even cheaper.
They’re revealed on the new FPL video:
Good luck to you as well. 👍
Upper 90 Studios
29/07/17
*UPDATE Florida trip!
Hi everyone, apologies for the delay in the “First Draft” team post and replying to comments. We’re away with family in FL for the weekend and will be back ready for Monday.
“First Draft” team post and video are complete but need to be edited and uploaded. Also finished the first “Fixture Difficulty Cheat Sheet”. They will all be posted by Monday.
Thanks. 👍
-Bruno
Upper 90 Studios
31/07/17
*UPDATE! NEW FPL VIDEO!
“How to Select a Winning First Draft Team in Fantasy Premier League”
1. Why a strong team core delivers big points with minimal effort
2. How to select a winning “first draft” team by instinct LIVE
3. Proven start-of-the-season strategy to build an early lead
Share your comments on the new video blog 👇
BLOG: http://upper90studios.com/how-to-select-winning-first-draft-team-fantasy-premier-league/
Thanks! 🙂
Kabir Muhammed
26/09/17
Thanks
Samuel
28/10/17
GK- De gea
DEF- Otamendi, Ward, Keane
MID- de bryne, salah (C) gross, decoure
ATT- okazaki, aguero, Lukaku…
I have 0.5 in bank any suggestion or advice on my team and i have no transfer left..
Upper 90 Studios
28/10/17
Hi. Great team for this Gameweek. No major concerns. Keep an eye on Okazaki in case he doesn’t start. Future replacement ideas include Diouf and Abraham.
Samuel
28/10/17
Well I just sold lukaku for morata and substituted Keane for mariappa.. am confused who to captain either aguero morata and salah… I took a -4 hit for bringing morata in
Upper 90 Studios
28/10/17
Already another one of the strangest ever weeks in FPL. Aguero benched, Salah missed penalty.
Hope your moves work out, in particular Morata who’s playing next. 👍
Samuel
28/10/17
Am so sad, very sad. Am disappointed in salah, de bryne, Watford smh, and in pep for benching aguero… I hope morata gets morethan 1 goal