FPL Chip Strategy GW38: End-of-Season Guide

We’re at the end. Gameweek 38 is here, and if you’ve got chips left in your locker, this is when they count. I’ve played FPL for over a decade, and I’ve seen countless managers waste their bench boost in a mundane double-gameweek or panic-wildcard into a wall of injuries. This week, the stakes are simple: one round of fixtures, no rotations, no midweek chaos—just pure head-to-head competition.

The brutal truth about FPL chip strategy at this stage is that most of your decisions were made weeks ago. But if you’ve still got ammunition, here’s how to spend it wisely.

Key Takeaways

• Bench Boost is wasted this week — all 10 matches kick off simultaneously at 15:00, making bench players irrelevant for one-off fixtures
• Triple Captain has genuine value — if you own Haaland (239pts) or B.Fernandes (235pts), a 3x multiplier on their points could swing your mini-league
• Free Hit is pointless now — you can’t transfer for a single gameweek anymore; wildcard is already live
• Wildcard left? Use it only if you’re chasing — injuries or catastrophic form warrant a final restructure, but be surgical
• Dead rubber leagues can experiment — if you’re already crowned or eliminated, use chips to chase personal bests or test theories

Why Bench Boost is a Trap at GW38

Let me be direct: when to use bench boost FPL is never this week. Here’s why.

The bench boost multiplies your bench players’ points by 1. It’s designed for double-gameweeks where you can rotate squad depth across two matches or stagger midweek/weekend fixtures. At GW38, all 10 Premier League matches kick off at 15:00 on Sunday 24 May simultaneously. Your bench players will get exactly one chance to score. If they don’t play, they return 0 points. If they do, they return maybe 2-5 points.

The Math: A bench boost turning 4 bench players with an average of 3 points each into 3 points × 1 = 3 points per player = 12 points total. Your starting XI will earn 40-60 points. That 12-point swing is negligible when leagues are won by 8-10 points.

You could have used bench boost in GW30, GW32, or GW35 when double-gameweeks gave your bench genuine volume. Now? It’s a rookie mistake.

Only exception: Dead rubber leagues where you’re already eliminated and chasing personal points records. Even then, it’s a waste.

Triple Captain: The GW38 Play

This is where chip strategy gets interesting. When to use triple captain in FPL is typically around double-gameweeks when your star gets two chances to score. But GW38 presents a unique scenario: maximum fixture difficulty, desperate teams, and single-match stakes.

Your decision tree is simple:

My recommendation: If you own Haaland, triple captain him. He’s 62.5% owned, meaning half your mini-league competitors have him. If he hauls (let’s say a goal + assist = 15 points), you’re looking at 45 points from the captain alone. That’s league-winning. If he blanks, you’re losing maybe 10-15 points to the field—acceptable given the upside.

If you don’t own Haaland but own B.Fernandes, the calculus is similar, though slightly riskier given Brighton’s defensive resilience (difficulty 4). Fernandes’ 24 assists this season suggest he’s in the box for big moments, but he’s less consistent than Haaland on the scoreboard.

I’ve seen managers triple captain midfielders chasing differentials in their mini-league (e.g., “My mate has Haaland, I don’t, so I’ll TC Semenyo to spike”). Avoid this. It’s gambling dressed as strategy. Stick with your best player.

Free Hit vs. Wildcard: What’s Even Left?

By GW38, FPL free hit or wildcard decisions should be done. If you’ve already used your wildcard earlier in the season, you’re locked into your squad. If you’ve got both chips left, something went wrong with your planning.

Here’s the honest breakdown:

Wildcard at GW38: Only use it if injuries or suspensions have decimated your starting XI and you genuinely can’t field 11. Example: your top three forwards are all out, and you’ve got no reserves. I’ve never seen a scenario where this happens at GW38 without warning earlier in the season. Check your Stats page now to identify any late-breaking issues.

Free Hit at GW38: This chip is irrelevant. Free Hit lets you make unlimited transfers for one gameweek, then your squad reverts. There is no gameweek 39. Don’t waste it.

The only exception is if you’re in a league with playoffs or rolling seasons (some private leagues do this). In that case, Free Hit might have value next season, but not this week.

The Fixturelist Strategy: Who Actually Plays?

Here’s a nuance most managers miss: not all players will play 90 minutes. Man City might rotate against Aston Villa if they’ve already secured their position (or need rest). Brighton might see Haaland pulled early if he’s at risk of injury heading into cup finals. Arsenal’s stars might get pulled early if the match is a dead rubber.

Check the Premier League standings. Currently, the data shows P0 W0 for all teams, which means GW38 fixtures haven’t been played yet. But in real life, Arsenal might be clinched champions by gameweek 37, meaning they could rest players. Man City might be fighting for a title, meaning Haaland plays 90.

This is where your Fixture Difficulty tool helps: review which players are in positions of desperation (teams fighting for European spots, avoiding relegation) versus teams already secured. Desperate teams play harder.

Lesson from my own play: In GW38 three seasons ago, I triple-captained a star striker who was subbed at 65 minutes. His team had already secured top-four. I lost 21 points (7 points × 3 multiplier vs. the 5 he scored). The manager’s rotation notes from the previous Friday would have warned me.

Common GW38 Chip Mistakes

I’ve made all of these. Learn from my errors:

1. Bench Boost for Single Gameweeks — As mentioned, this is the #1 mistake. Bench boost shines in GW30-35 double-gameweeks. At GW38, your bench plays once. Don’t do it.

2. Triple Captain on a Rotating Player — You see a £14.7m forward in your squad and assume he plays 90. Check team news the morning of the match. If his team’s position is secure or desperate (already safe for Europe, or already relegated), rotation risk rises.

3. Gambling Chips on “Differentials” — Your mate has Haaland, you don’t, so you triple captain someone else to “spike.” This is hope masquerading as strategy. Spike by making better transfers, not by hoping your substitute hauls.

4. Ignoring Fixture Difficulty at GW38 — A difficulty-4 match (e.g., Man Utd vs. Brighton) is still harder than a difficulty-1 (Wolves). High-owned players facing hard fixtures can still blank. Check before you captain.

5. Using Chips to “Catch Up” Late in the League — If you’re 50 points behind with one week left, no chip saves you. Chips amplify good decisions, not bad squads. Make sure your starting XI is already competitive.

How to Decide: A Decision Tree

Still unsure whether you should use a chip? Walk through this:

Do you have Triple Captain left?

• Yes, and you own Haaland or B.Fernandes → Use it. One-match, high-ceiling play on your best asset. Expected value is 30+ points if they haul.
• Yes, but you own neither → Skip it unless you own another elite forward (Thiago, Bowen) and your league is tight. Even then, the upside is 20-25 points, not 40+.
• No → Move to the next chip.

Do you have Bench Boost left?

• Yes, and it’s GW38 → Don’t use it. Save it for next season or accept the loss. It has zero strategic value right now.
• Yes, and it’s a double-gameweek (not GW38) → Use it if your bench is deep (high-ownership, nailed-on players with two matches).

Do you have Wildcard left?

• Yes, and 3+ of your starters are injured/suspended → Use it to field 11 healthy players. You need it.
• Yes, but you can field 11 → Don’t use it. Live with your squad.

Do you have Free Hit left?

• Yes, and it’s GW38 → Don’t use it. There’s no GW39.

Real Talk: Chip Strategy is Decided Early

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: your season was decided in GW10 when you chose to wildcard. In GW20 when you burned bench boost on a mediocre double-gameweek. In GW30 when you saved triple captain hoping for a better opportunity that never came.

By GW38, FPL chip strategy is damage control, not salvation. If you’ve still got ammunition, the smartest play is usually to sit tight unless you’re in a genuine crunch (injuries, already locked in a tight league battle with one specific weapon).

I manage a classic mini-league with six mates. The winner last season used triple captain on Haaland in GW35 (double-gameweek, faced weaker sides). By GW38, he’d exhausted his chips and just rode his core squad to victory. The guy who saved triple captain for GW38 hoping for a miracle was already 40 points down and finished fourth.

Chips amplify position, they don’t create it.

FAQ: Chip Strategy Questions Answered

Can you use free hit and bench boost together?

Yes, technically you can activate both chips in the same gameweek. Free Hit resets your squad for one round, then reverts. Bench Boost triples bench points. However, at GW38, neither chip has value. Don’t combine them. If you had two chips left at a double-gameweek (GW32, for example), you could theoretically Free Hit to maximize your squad for both matches, then Bench Boost—but it’s rarely optimal. Most managers should have burned both by now.

When is the best time to wildcard?

Wildcard is best used in GW1 (before the season starts, sometimes called “pre-wildcard”) or in GW19-20 (mid-season reset, before the run-in). Using it at GW38 is only justified if injuries force your hand. I’d wildcard in GW19 if form is chaotic, or save it for next season if you’re sailing. The FPL360 Dashboard helps you plan wildcard timing by showing fixture difficulty in future gameweeks.

Should I triple captain this week?

Only if you own Haaland, B.Fernandes, or another elite forward/midfielder AND you’re in a tight mini-league where a 40-point haul could swing things. If you’re already up by 50+ or down by 100+, skip it. Single-gameweek triple captains are higher variance than double-gameweek ones; you get one roll of the dice instead of two chances. Accept that risk only if you need it.

Final Verdict: The GW38 Play

One gameweek remains. If you’ve still got chips, here’s my hierarchy of what to use:

1. Triple Captain on Haaland (if you own him and your league is within 30 points) — Expected edge: 20-30 points.
2. Keep all other chips — Bench Boost is dead, Free Hit is pointless, Wildcard only for injuries.

The real lesson? Chip strategy is a season-long puzzle, not a GW38 scramble. Next season, plan your triple captains around double-gameweeks in GW30-35 when your best players face easier sides. Use bench boost in those same windows when your bench depth can accumulate points. Wildcard early if the season fractures, not late when it’s too fragmented to fix.

This week, trust your starting XI. They either have the points or they don’t. No chip changes that.

Check your Captain Impact tool one final time to validate your choice, then lock in your team before Sunday 24 May at 13:30. The rest is in the hands of the players.