Fantasy Football Tips: FPL Gameweek 4 Guide and Captain Pick

Q: How many chips do FPL managers get?

FPL managers get eight chips across a season, two each of Wildcard, Free Hit, Bench Boost and Triple Captain. The first set must be used before the Gameweek 19 deadline in early January, after which any unused chips from that set expire and a fresh set becomes available for the second half.

Q: When is the Gameweek deadline?

The Gameweek deadline falls 90 minutes before the first match of that gameweek kicks off. Once it passes, your squad locks completely, so any transfers, captaincy changes or chip plays made after that point simply won't count for the gameweek ahead. This is especially important to know when there are Friday night games.

By Mark Fordham

Sep 8th, 2026 6:30 AM EDT

Fact Checked By Oliver Lines

Three gameweeks in and any FPL managers who trusted the "obvious" picks are already nursing a headache, while the manager who took a punt on Hull City's defence is sat there looking like a genius. Arsenal and Manchester City are the only two sides yet to drop a point, while Hull sit third on seven points, unbeaten and yet to concede a goal all season.

Goals have been harder to come by than usual, with six of last weekend's 10 games finishing level, and both Tottenham and Aston Villa are still searching for their first goals of the campaign let alone wins.

Gameweek 4's deadline falls 90 minutes before Saturday's first kick-off at 3pm. An intriguing fixture for your transfer consideration is Chelsea's home game with Hull City, which is a genuine test for both sides given where they sit right now. The first Manchester derby of the season on Sunday pits an unbeaten City against United in undoubtedly the highlight of the weekend.

There's plenty else worth planning around across the weekend too, and not just at football betting sites. Arsenal take on Sunderland in the Saturday evening kick-off slot and Leeds hosting Newcastle ends the Gameweek Monday night.

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Three Players to Target This Gameweek

Kevin Schade - £6m - vs Bournemouth, 12th September 3pm

It’s been a positive start to the season for Brentford, with two draws following up their thumping 3-0 win over Tottenham on the opening weekend. Creating chances hasn’t been too much of an issue for them, and that may well be the case again this weekend on their visit to Bournemouth, who are still finding their footing under new coach Marco Rose.

They’ve conceded five times in their three games, and their high intensity pressing can at times leave them exposed. Schade has played all but three minutes of the campaign so far for Brentford, scoring once. Another tidy points haul looks to be in the offing for him.

You can currently get 13/10 with bet365 on Schade to score or assist vs Bournemouth.

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Cody Gakpo - £7.2m - vs Fulham, 12th September 3pm

After a summer of being linked to both Manchester City and Tottenham, Cody Gakpo has come into the season with an air of determination about him. He scored Liverpool’s first goal of the season, a 25-yard rasper against Newcastle, and has since followed that up with an assist against Nottingham Forest and then fed Alexander Isak twice against Ipswich.

He’s also picked up five bonus points so far and could feast again when Liverpool host a Fulham side that’s conceded seven times already.

Get 8/5 with Ladbrokes on Gakpo to score anytime vs Fulham.

James Tarkowski - £6m - vs Tottenham, 12th September 5:30pm

It’s been a productive start to the season for James Tarkowski. In three games, the Everton captain has managed a clean sheet and a goal. Now, on paper at least, his schedule eases up quite considerably.

A trip to the Tottenham Stadium this weekend is next up, facing a Spurs side without a goal in three Premier League games this season. He’s worth keeping around after that, though, as the Toffees’ next two opponents are Ipswich and Hull. Now’s the time to get him in your squad.

Get 10/3 with PricedUp on Hull to keep a clean sheet vs Aston Villa.

Captaincy Pick of the Week

Ezri Konsa - £4.4m - vs Sunderland, 12th September 8pm

A first-choice defender in the Arsenal back line is probably a good choice for the entire season, not just this week, especially at the bargain price of £4.4m. Ezri Konsa is a good bet for a clean sheet most weeks, but against a Sunderland side who have only scored two goals in their three games so far this season, it looks close to nailed on.

He’s joining in with the Arsenal set-piece fun as well and would have had an assist against Chelsea if not for being just offside, which makes him a threat for double-figure points most weeks.

Get 19/20 with William Hill on Arsenal to keep a clean sheet vs Sunderland.

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Chip Strategy Watch

Nobody needs reminding that chips exist in FPL. What actually matters week-to-week is timing, and the pressure isn't really on this early in the season. Your first Wildcard, Free Hit, Bench Boost and Triple Captain all need using before the Gameweek 19 deadline in early January, so there's a good few months of breathing room before that clock starts to matter.

That said, the window for an early Bench Boost is closing. Gameweek 4 is really the last sensible point to play it around a freshly assembled squad, since injuries and rotation only creep in the longer a chip like that gets left. There's no point holding it for a full squad once half your bench is carrying a knock.

Triple Captain is worth saving for a fixture that stands out rather than using it out of habit. There's no shortage of strong captaincy weeks still to come between now and the Gameweek 19 cut off, but make sure you choose wisely.

Whatever you don't use by that Gameweek 19 deadline vanishes. There's no carrying a Wildcard over into February. Plan around that deadline rather than being surprised by it in December.

New Rules for 2026/27

A few changes have landed for this season, and you’ll want to be in the know about them rather than half-remembering from a headline.

Gameweek lockdown moved later: Scores used to become final an hour after the last match of a gameweek finished. Now that happens at 9am the following morning instead. It sounds like a small tweak but it gives Opta enough time to finalise bonus points and defensive contribution data, so don’t be hitting refresh on your FPL on the same night unless you want to be disappointed.

The Bonus Points System rebalanced: Full-backs and defensively minded attackers should see a bit more love from the algorithm this season. Be aware, though, Defensive Contributions themselves, the CBIT and CBIRT thresholds, haven't changed. That's a separate system and is staying exactly as it was.

A Price Change Predictor now exists officially: FPL will show you how close a player is to a price rise or fall based on transfer activity, rather than leaving you to guess from third-party sites like everyone's had to do for years.

There's a squad building assistant too: Answer a few quick questions about favourite club, how you like to split your budget, attack or defence, and it'll build you a starting squad. This is handy for anyone starting out, but seasoned managers will probably still want full control.

How to Play Fantasy Premier League

Starting from scratch isn't as difficult as it might seem once you know the shape of it. You get £100m to build a 15-player squad, split as two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders and three forwards. The biggest thing to be aware of is that you can't have more than three players from any single club.

Each gameweek you pick a starting XI from that squad of 15, in a valid formation (4-4-2, 3-5-2 or 3-4-3) and name a captain whose points double for the week. Whoever you don't start sits on your bench as backup, only cashed in if you play the Bench Boost chip, or if one of your starters doesn’t play.

You get one free transfer every gameweek, and if you don't use it, it rolls over, up to a maximum of five banked at once. Anything beyond your free allowance costs four points each, so think carefully before making three panic transfers the week after a bad result.

Deadlines matter more than anything else in this game. Your squad locks 90 minutes before the first match of each gameweek kicks off, and once it's locked, that's it, no late changes, no exceptions for a shock injury news alert five minutes after the whistle. Build the habit of checking your team the night before rather than relying on a lunchtime scramble.

FPL Scoring System Explained

Every action on the pitch translates into points, and the value of that action often depends on which position your player plays. For instance, a defender scoring is going to be worth more points than a striker because of how less likely that is to happen. Here's the full breakdown.

Action	Points
Playing up to 60 minutes	1
Playing 60 minutes or more (excluding stoppage time)	2
Goal scored by a goalkeeper	10
Goal scored by a defender	6
Goal scored by a midfielder	5
Goal scored by a forward	4
Goal assist	3
Clean sheet by a goalkeeper or defender	4
Clean sheet by a midfielder	1
Every 3 shot saves by a goalkeeper	1
10 or more CBIT (defenders)	2
12 or more CBIRT (midfielders and forwards)	2
Penalty save	5
Penalty miss	-2
Bonus points for the best players in a match	1 to 3
Every 2 goals conceded by a goalkeeper or defender	-1
Yellow card	-1
Red card	-3
Own goal	-2

A goalkeeper scoring is worth more than any other position precisely because it happens so rarely. It's the game rewarding a real rarity rather than a typo. CBIT stands for clearances, blocked shots, interceptions and tackles. This is the defenders' route to a defensive contribution point. CBIRT adds recoveries into that mix for midfielders and forwards, since defensive work matters less to their usual job. Therefore, the bar sits slightly higher to compensate.

Your captain's points double automatically, and your vice-captain steps in and inherits that double if your actual captain doesn't play at all that gameweek. Bonus points come from an underlying algorithm weighing up everything a player did in a match. It is based on the player(s) who did best in a given game, no matter whether they scored a goal or not.

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Chips Explained

You get four chips, two of each across the season. Each one does something different to the others, so choose wisely when you spend them.

Wildcard: Make unlimited transfers for that gameweek at no points cost. This is a full squad rebuild you'll get without burning through your bank of free transfers one at a time.
Free Hit: Also unlimited transfers, but only for a single gameweek. Once that gameweek's done, your squad snaps straight back to whatever it looked like before you played the chip. This is perfect for a blank gameweek where half your usual squad has no fixture at all or if there's a double gameweek you want to take advantage of.
Bench Boost: Every point scored by your bench that gameweek counts toward your total on top of your starting 11. It is only worth playing when your whole 15 has a decent chance of getting minutes and returning points.
Triple Captain: Your captain's points triple instead of double. Save it for your most explosive player in his single best fixture of the season, not just a random Tuesday because it felt like time to use it.

Fantasy Football Tips FAQs

What is Defensive Contribution scoring?

Defensive Contributions award two points when a defender reaches 10 or more combined clearances, blocked shots, interceptions and tackles in a match, known as CBIT. Midfielders and forwards need 12 or more of the same actions plus recoveries, known as CBIRT, since defensive work is less central to their usual role.

How many chips do FPL managers get?

When is the Gameweek deadline?

About the Author

Mark Fordham

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Mark spent over a decade as a sports reporter and editor with Goal.com and Bleacher Report. He is now a Content Manager at Bookies.com covering all manner of sports from the Premier League and cricket to the NBA and NFL. Mark also has years of experience working in the online casino industry and knows how to rate a good one over a bad one.