If you’re a veteran of Fantasy Premier League (FPL), you’ll know that the double gameweeks are where mini-league titles can be won and lost. There’s nothing worse than wasting your chips earlier in the season only to see a rival use theirs for a double gameweek and rack up 40+ points from one player as their triple captain. Hopefully, you’ve still got your chips left! If you don’t have at least one bonus chip left, you’re playing it wrong in all honesty. We’ve already had one double gameweek don’t forget! And well done to you if you had Mo Salah as captain for gameweek 25.

Ok, so we know that the League Cup Final is going to be played on the 1st of March this year, which is due to the winter break we’ve had this season in the Premier League. Some FA Cup games are also delayed because of this. This is where the double gameweeks come in. Here’s what we know:

•    Gameweek 31 clashes with the FA Cup, which means that some clubs will have a blank week but a double gameweek further down the line. FPL players won’t know the teams that will miss out until gameweek 29 either, which doesn’t give you long to plan out your transfers!

•    Aston Villa and Manchester City will have a double gameweek after reaching the EFL Cup Final. Or Carabao Cup, whatever you refer to it as. Stay on the lookout for the best betting sites in the UK if you’re looking to back Villa or City in the Final. Make sure you get the best odds you can. Some bookies have the Villans at around 20/1 if you fancy it!

When will the Double Gameweeks Happen?

In past years, the double gameweeks have tended to fall towards the end of the season. They tend to be midweeks too when you don’t have the Champions League or the Europa League going on. Stay alert on the following gameweeks:

•    Gameweek 34

•    Gameweek 37

These look likely to be the two double gameweeks. Plan your chips so that you can use one during each of these. Triple Captain, Free Hit, Bench Boost, whatever you like, just keep two if you still have two. If you have just one, use it the week that looks more favourable for your squad. If you don’t have any bonus chips left, unlucky. You might have already blown your chances of a mini league win or a win in the FPL Cup if you’re still in by gameweek 34.

Annoyingly, the FA Cup semi-finals clash with gameweek 34, so we might see more blanks and doubles for those who make this stage of the competition. Keep your eyes peeled and stay up to date with what’s going on in the FA Cup if you want to stay ahead of your competition. Plan your transfers out if you can ahead of time.

Deciding on Your Chips

There’s no right or wrong in terms of which bonus chip you should play on which double gameweek. However, if you still have your wildcard left, it could be beneficial to play that the week before one of the double gameweeks to give you the best possible chance of some big points the following week. Don’t forget that you can’t wildcard and use a bonus chip in the same gameweek, so don’t make that mistake. Many have.

Statistically, a lot of FPL players tend to use their triple captain bonus chip on the last double gameweek, which looks set to be gameweek 37. If you’re way out in front in your league, it’s probably a worthwhile idea holding onto your triple captain bonus chip until then. If you’re playing catch up, using it earlier could be the way to go. It’s not necessarily the case that a triple captain during a double gameweek will get you the most points when compared to any other point in the season, but note that most will use this chip in GW34 or GW37.

If you’ve got all of your bonus chips left as well as your wildcard, you’re laughing. If you’ve only got one or two left, plan your transfers out well. You’ll thank us later. It might be wise to ensure you have three Liverpool players for the remainder of the season too. Their players are racking up some serious points this year! Liverpool have won the Premier League already, let’s be honest.

However, you’re doing in FPL this year, best of luck for the remaining weeks of the season and here’s hoping for a 100+ points in gameweeks 34 and 37.