Fantasy Football Tips: FPL Gameweek 5 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 15th, 2026 9:34 AM EDT

Fact Checked By Oliver Lines

Arsenal and Manchester City are the only two sides with a 100% record four games in, both level on points at the top. Hull's clean sheet run finally ended at Chelsea, even if they also remain unbeaten. That's worth knowing if you're still holding one of their defenders hoping the good times continue to roll.

Chelsea's own defensive record is arguably the bigger story for FPL purposes. They've now gone 20 league games without a clean sheet for their worst run in 65 years. For that reason, their defenders are best avoided for now regardless of how the attack's firing.

Gameweek 5's deadline sneaks up a little earlier than usual, falling before Friday night's opener between Brentford and Chelsea rather than the usual Saturday slate. So get your transfers in by 6:30pm on the 18th if you don't want to be caught out. Manchester City at home to Sunderland at the Etihad could be a good week to lean on City assets, while Arsenal's trip to Brighton carries a touch more risk given how well the Seagulls have started.

There's plenty else worth planning around across the weekend too, and not just at football betting sites. Another full slate is awaiting us until the dreaded first international break of the season the following week.

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Three Players to Target This Gameweek

Yoane Wissa - £6.2m - vs Hull, 19th September 3pm

Things look set to ease up for Newcastle, with a home tie against Hull this weekend followed by an away trip to Coventry after the international break. This could be the perfect time to get Yoane Wissa into your lineup.

Despite a fairly slow start for the player and club this season, the Congolese forward has managed a goal and an assist. With back-to-back games against newly promoted sides on the horizon, Wissa could be in line for some more goals and bonus points.

You can currently get 8/5 with Ladbrokes on Wissa to score or assist vs Bournemouth.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - £6.5m - vs Ipswich, 19th September 3pm

Everton haven't exactly set the world alight with their start to the season. They sit one place above Saturday's opponents Ipswich on goal difference. Finding the back of the net has been a struggle for the Toffees and might continue to be until they can reinforce in January.

However, Saturday's fixture should provide some welcome respite in the form of the Tractor Boys. They have conceded 10 goals in their opening five games and giving teams a chance each week. that should lead to some opportunities for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who is almost always guaranteed a full game and has one goal to start to the season.

Get 7/2 with bet365 on Dewsbury-Hall to have over 0.5 assists vs Ipswich.

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Timothy Castagne - £4.5m - vs Man Utd, 20th September 4:30pm

A clean sheet and 0-0 draw for Fulham last week at Anfield could be a sign that their season is set to turn around. Next up is a home tie against Manchester United, who have failed to score in two of their four Premier League games this season.

The real value in Castagne is what’s coming after the international break, with Ipswich, Hull and Coventry coming in a handy run of fixtures for The Cottagers. At £4.5m, he could be a cracking bargain buy.

Get 9/2 with BOYLE Sports on Fulham to keep a clean sheet vs Man Utd.

Captaincy Pick of the Week

Dominic Calvert-Lewin - £6m - vs Crystal Palace, 20th September 2pm

Calvert-Lewin scored 14 league goals for Leeds last season and has carried that on into this campaign, netting twice and adding an assist in four games so far. Next up for Leeds is Crystal Palace at home, who have conceded a massive 11 times in the Premier League this season.

If those trends continue, DCL should have plenty of chances to add to his goal contributions on Sunday afternoon and continue to be a bargain at £6m.

Get 7/5 with Coral on Calvert-Lewin to score anytime vs Crystal Palace.

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 has basically shut now. Gameweek 5 is really pushing it if you're still waiting for 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 for a total of eight. Each one does something different to the others, so choose wisely when you plan on using them across the season.

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

More About Mark

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.