The Best FPL Gameweek 12 Wildcard Team

We are finally here. The Gameweek 12 wildcard fixture swing has arrived. With teams like Arsenal reaching the end of their incredible fixture run. The time has come to highlight great assets from other clubs, such as Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Man United.

Remember to check in with the Predicted Line Ups Hub to make sure that even your most differential targets are likely to start. As well as the Game Week Tips section for all GW12 related news and updates.

The gameweek 12 wildcard has been one of our favourite weeks to wildcard since the beginning of the season, and with its arrival comes the opportunity for those who were patient enough with their Wildcards to finally cash in. Although this is not where the season is won, it can be where it is lost. So nailing this Gameweek 12 Wildcard is essential.

Even if you do not have your Wildcard left but still have a lot of transfers in the bank then this is also a great opportunity to get ahead of some fixtures and really make up serious ground in the rankings.

We have also included some great alternatives near the end of the article, should you be short a few £. As well as providing a clear pathway from this wildcard and our strategy for the upcoming few weeks. So wether you’re a DefCon truther, differential chaser, we’ve got you covered.

So without further ado, we kick things off, as always, with the Goalkeepers.

 

Goalkeepers

 

David Raya – £5.9m

It should be no surprise to see the Arsenal shot stopper kicking off the GW12 wildcard team. Despite shipping 2 goals to Sunderland, Arsenal still have, by far and away, the best defence in the league. Their fixtures are also not too bad, especially beyond Chelsea and Spurs.

 

Martin Dubravka – £4.0m

Not much explanation needed here. Dubravka is a starting goalkeeper at only £4m. Which in FPL terms is a no brainer as far as a 2nd keeper goes.

 

 

Defence

 

Gabriel – £6.6m

It should come as absolutely no surprise to see the Arsenal man retain his spot in the team. You probably couldn’t design a better FPL defender in a lab. He plays for the best defence in the league, offers a superb attacking threat and even clocks in a per 90 DefCon of 9+. There is absolutely no reason not to have this man in your team. A true FPL essential in any Gameweek 12 Wildcard team.

 

Marcos Senesi – £5.0m

Despite a small decrease in popularity of late, Marcos Senesi retains his place in our Wildcard series. Senesi averages a whopping 13 Defensive Contributions a game, topping all defenders per 90 minutes. He also offers a great attacking threat at 0.15 xGI per 90, higher than the likes of Gabriel, who is renowned for it.

With West Ham, Sunderland and Everton in their next 3, it’s safe to say the fixtures are there as well. Senesi profiles with a great DefCon floor and high ceiling with multiple clean sheets and attacking returns possible.

 

Daniel Munoz – £5.7m

Now, it wouldn’t be an IFF FPL draft without the one and only Daniel Munoz. Palace play 4 of the bottom 7 defences in their next 4 and 3 of the bottom 5 attacks. As fixtures go, you couldn’t ask for better, particularly from a player who can pick up points on both ends.

Even with his DefCons cooling off slightly, he still profiles as a fantastic all round FPL option. FPL’s 5th highest scoring defender for a reason.

 

Chris Richards – £4.5m

How this man is still only 3.4% owned and £4.5m is beyond me. He is currently 3rd overall amongst defenders for total Defensive Contributions, has the same xGI per 90 as Gabriel at 0.13 , has fantastic fixtures (As seen above with Munoz), and costs only £4.5m.

At his price, there is simply no better asset in the game. A great cheap defender who offers a very nice floor and high ceiling going into a fantastic run of fixtures.

 

Virgil Van Dijk – £5.9m

It would be wrong to enter this fixture schedule without some Liverpool players. But given their diabolical form and constant rotating, picking the right players can be tricky. That being said, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Man United and Man City are not easy fixtures and so we can take a pinch of salt with those losses.

Virgil currently has the 2nd most DefCons of any defender after Senesi, possesses a great attacking threat as we saw against City and has the best fixture run of any team over the next 5. If you can’t trust Liverpool’s clean sheets yet, Virgil’s DefCons and Attacking threat provide a nice points cover for those more dubious FPL managers who still want Liverpool coverage.

 

 

Midfield

 

Dominik Szoboszlai – £6.6m

With Liverpool’s attacking options being chopped and changed regularly, finding a stable and cheap asset is proving tricky. Enter Dominik Szoboszlai. Currently 4th in the league for DefCons as a midfielder. What sets Szobo apart however, is that he’s doing this from an attacking midfield position.

Think of him as a Bruno Fernandes lite but tilted more towards DefCon instead of attacking returns. His xGI of 0.22, while solid, should also grow heading into an unbelievable fixture run. Offering a great set piece threat as well.  A solid differential at only 5% ownership, particularly if you are struggling with choosing Liverpool assets.

 

Antoine Semenyo – £8.1m

Despite being unlucky in recent weeks, Antoine Semenyo still profiles as a fantastic GW12 Wildcard asset. With 6 goals and 4 games already this season, it is hard to think his recent dry patch will continue. Particularly into West Ham, Sunderland and Everton in their next 3. Keep the faith and trust the fixtures.

 

Bryan Mbeumo – £8.5m

The Man United star can no longer be ignored. Scoring 4 in his last 4 has catapulted the Cameroonian into the FPL elite tier. Man United’s attack has been purring the last few games, and with fixtures against Everton, Palace, West Ham and Wolves in their next 4. The stage is set for some mega-hauls. With attack becoming less and less essential to invest in, Mbeumo becomes a great option.

 

Bruno Fernandes – £8.9m

If Bruno’s 2 penalties had gone in, we’d be talking about one of FPL’s stars of the season. Instead, the points swing has led to him being disrespected as an asset. A DefCon per 90 of 10.47 combined with an xGI per 90 of 0.6 is simply unheard of. A true FPL Unicorn. This combination also makes him a great Bonus Point candidate. When you sprinkle in those amazing fixtures, Bruno becomes a deadly FPL asset. Do not overthink his inclusion.

 

Granit Xhaka – £5.1m

Calling Granit Xhaka a budget enabler is almost a disservice to his standing as an FPL asset. He currently sits in the top 10 for FPL points for midfielders and at only £5.1m is making a mockery of his price tag. He averages over 12 DefCons a game and already has 4 attacking returns this year. He therefore profiles as a fantastic 5th midfielder and with Sunderland’s fixtures gradually clearing up, will more than warrant a starting spot.

 

 

Forwards

Thaigo – £6.3m

It is hard to accuse anyone of points chasing when the man in question has already scored 8 goals. Were this a £8/£9m + asset this could look like points chasing. But when the player costs only £6.3m, it is almost disrespectful to ignore them. Operating at an xGI of 0.6 and with Brighton, Burnley, Leeds and Wolves in their next 6, the stage is set for more hauls from the big Brazilian. A fantastic option for the gameweek 12 wildcard in particular.

 

Erling Haaland – £14.9m

We do not need to elaborate on why this man should be in your teams. He is about to hit £15m..

 

Kroupi JR – £4.6m

Now if you had the funds this is one spot you could target a Welbeck instead. However, what this saving should allow most teams to do is target a 3rd Arsenal defender or 3rd Liverpool player accordingly based on performance. So even if you’d rather go for a £4.3m forward we also like this move.

 

 

Our Favourite Alternatives

Konate for VVD

This provides a cheaper route into the Liverpool defence and covers Van Dijk reasonably well without changing the make up of the team to drastically.

 

Mateta for Thiago

If your team is loaded on cash then Mateta to Thiago and a downgrade elsewhere is also a valid option. Many are high on the Frenchman so we completely understand wanting to find room for him. E.g. Through a Konate for VVD swap.

 

Ballard for Richards

If you wan’t to go upside chasing then we absolutely love Dan Ballard for Chris Richards. The fixtures are definitely worse but Ballards attacking threat and DefCon potential make him a fantastic option. A great choice if you believe in Sunderland.

 

The Final Team

 

We absolutely love this WC team for several reasons. We think it perfectly targets the upcoming fixture swings with some of the top assets from each team. If there is one thing we have also learnt from this season, it is that defenders are outperforming attacking players this season, so loading up on defence is definitely not a bad tactic.

We have also left an extra £1m in the bank. This is so we can flexibly target a 3rd Arsenal, Liverpool, United or Palace player in the following gameweeks, dependent on which team looks sharpest. Be it a 3rd Arsenal defender, Mateta or Sarr, Ekitike etc.

With 5 players also coming in at under 10% ownership, there is plenty of differential value as well considering it’s a wildcard team.

Make sure you check out our Game Week Tips section for more GW12 advice and pointers.