FPL GW5: Wildcards and Free Hits for a Season Reset

Gameweek 4 flipped the script. Leeds were the only side to win at home, chips flew, and two of AllAboutFPL’s founders – Surya and Srini – now head into GW5 with the big red buttons pressed. One on a Wildcard. One on a Free Hit. Both looking for a hard reset before the long international break.

No experiments this time. Just aggressive strategy.

Surya: Free Hit Hangover, Wildcard Activated

GW4: A Costly Free Hit

Surya walked out of GW4 with 78 points on a Free Hit and a bitter taste.

The Arsenal triple-up was there, but not the right one. No David Raya. No Bukayo Saka. Both returned with penalties – one saved, one scored – and the swing was brutal.

On top of that, Joao Pedro’s injury concern and a handful of structural issues left his squad creaking. The conclusion came quickly: Wildcard for GW5.

Why Pull the Wildcard Now?

Wildcarding before a three-week international break is a gamble. Injuries, rotation, late returns from national duty – they all lurk on the other side.

Surya’s view? The team is already in trouble.

He wants a long-term core and a clear structure:

• Erling Haaland up front
• Cole Palmer and Saka as premium midfield engines
• Morgan Gibbs-White as a mid-price talisman
• Double Arsenal defence as the backbone

Around that spine, he’s targeting value from teams with strong fixture runs and cheap enablers. The draft he’s currently on is rated 91% by Fantasy Football Hub’s free AI Team Rating Tool and projected at 59 points for GW5. The numbers back the reset.

Defence and Goalkeepers: Arsenal Double-Up and DEFCON Gems

Double Arsenal defence is locked. At this point, it’s central to his Wildcard.

Ezri Konsa comes in at 4.5m and offers standout value. Alongside him, Muharemovic and Silva are the DEFCON darlings – steady four-pointers in most weeks, regardless of fixture difficulty, thanks to consistent defensive output.

Munoz is the upside play. With Coventry, Crystal Palace and Ipswich in the next four, there’s attacking potential layered on top of decent clean sheet odds.

Midfield: Talisman Territory and a £5.0 Machine

Saka and Palmer sit at the top of the midfield hierarchy. Both on penalties. Both central to their teams’ attacks. They’re not just picks, they’re system pieces.

There’s already a plan for the medium term: one of them could become Bruno Fernandes around GW11/GW12 when Manchester United’s fixtures soften and the captaincy landscape widens.

Then comes Morgan Gibbs-White – and the data screams value. Among midfielders so far, he ranks:

• 1st 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 Coventry at home in GW5. He’s not just a punt; he’s a focal point.

King fills the budget slot. Three promoted sides in a row from GW6–GW8, advanced No.10 role, and consistent involvement in dangerous areas. If there’s a breakout run coming, the fixtures are there to light the fuse.

Vitaly Janelt completes the midfield as the eighth attacker and bench cover. At £5.0, his case is built on relentless DEFCON numbers and set-piece involvement:

• GW1: 13 DEFCON
• GW2: 10 DEFCON
• GW3: 12 DEFCON
• GW4: 20 DEFCON
• 13.75 DEFCON per 90
• 8 corners taken already
• 2 goals this season
• 2.5% TSB – a genuine differential

He’s not the flashiest pick, but he’s always close to the action.

Forwards: Haaland, Data Monster Barry, and a Fixture Punt

Haaland needs no justification. He’s the captaincy cornerstone and the first name on the team sheet.

Next to him stands Barry, priced at 5.6m and quietly posting elite numbers. Two promoted sides in the next two Gameweeks, 90 minutes nailed, no rotation threat. Underlying data? Only Haaland beats him among forwards for xG, xGI, total shots, shots in the box, and big chances.

One goal so far doesn’t tell the story. The stats do. The belief is simple: fixtures can turn those numbers into a scoring streak.

Wissa rounds off the frontline with a strong four-match run:

• HUL (H)
• COV (A)
• AVL (H)
• CRY (A)

Two promoted opponents, then two out-of-form sides. With Newcastle not burdened by European football, Surya sees room for an aggressive punt in this slot. Garcia is the main alternative under consideration, and that final forward spot remains open until closer to the deadline.

Captaincy: The Haaland Lock

The armband is on Haaland.

Gibbs-White at home to Coventry did tempt Surya briefly – Fantasy Football Hub’s model even projects him at 6.1 points – but the logic is ruthless. Owning Gibbs-White is already a differential play. Fading Haaland, who once again tops their captaincy metrics for GW5, would be a step too far.

Haaland stays captain. The risk lies elsewhere.

Srini: Free Hit for One Explosive Swing

GW4: Edged Out by Template Swings

Srini’s GW4 story was about what he didn’t have.

No Pascal Gross. No double Liverpool midfield. Chelsea’s triple attack did its job, but most managers had them anyway. The real damage came from missing Saka and Raya, with both delivering big returns.

The gap widened. GW5 is his answer.

Why Free Hit in GW5?

Srini’s Free Hit is all about one thing: hammering home fixtures against promoted and struggling sides.

His GW5 targets are clear:

• Everton vs Ipswich (H)
• Nottingham Forest vs Coventry (H)
• Newcastle vs Hull (H)
• Leeds vs Crystal Palace (H)
• Manchester City vs Sunderland (H)

He’s also watching the Joao Pedro situation closely. Xabi Alonso has said no one is ruled out, but refused to clarify the injury. Pedro could feature in GW5 and then miss Brazil duty, or he could sit out entirely and return after the break. The expectation is simple: likely absent in GW5, back around GW6.

That uncertainty only strengthens the Free Hit call. Srini expects just two or three players from his original squad to survive into his GW5 XI.

The current draft is rated 95% by Fantasy Football Hub’s AI Team Rating Tool and projected at 62 points. It’s built to attack this one specific week.

Core Locks and Moving Pieces

Some names are non-negotiable for Srini’s Free Hit:

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

Around them, five slots are still fluid. He’s weighing different combinations, but certain themes are set: there will be Manchester City defensive cover, a Leeds defender, and an Everton defender in the final XI.

He leans strongly towards the draft he’s already built, while still liking alternate options 1 and 3 he’s tested. The final tweaks will come late in the week once press conferences and injury updates land.

Captaincy: No Overthinking

Haaland again.

After a midweek rest, he faces Sunderland at home with Manchester City carrying the highest goal-scoring odds of the Gameweek. When City score, Haaland is almost always involved. Srini isn’t looking for a clever angle here – he’s looking for maximum damage.

Two founders. Two chips active. One Wildcard reshaping the season, one Free Hit chasing a single explosive Gameweek.

GW5 won’t just tidy up their ranks. It could redefine their campaigns.