FPL GW12 Wildcard Guide: Best Team & Player Picks
Gameweek 12 is one of the best moments of the season to activate a wildcard.
With eight Premier League gameweeks until the halfway point and AFCON on the horizon, this period gives FPL managers the opportunity to reset their teams, target fixture swings and maximize the free transfers that accumulate before GW16.
Below is a full breakdown of the best picks for an FPL GW12 wildcard, including goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards with elite fixtures, strong underlying numbers and long-term security.
Check out RotoWire's updated GW12 FPL rankings and FPL tips to improve your squad.
Our FPL cheat sheets include predicted lineups, team odds, goalscorer odds, set-piece stats, player stats and more.
Best FPL Wildcard Squad for Gameweek 12
This team is designed for a long-term eight-plus Gameweek run, with easy adaptation as you gain additional free transfers before AFCON.
Goalkeepers for a GW12 Wildcard
Gianluigi Donnarumma — $5.7m (Manchester City)
Donnarumma is one of the world's best goalkeepers, and of course, this makes him a quality option in FPL for this upcoming period. The Italian has kept four clean sheets in his eight matches since joining City, and three of those have come at home.
In the next five games, Manchester City have the best defensive fixtures (see: RotoWire's FDR) with a home game against Leeds in GW13 as one of the best in the league.
Martin Dubravka — $4.0m (Newcastle)
Dubravka is almost essential in a Wildcard team as a starting goalkeeper at $4.0m. He's kept two clean sheets in 11 games this season, a poor rate, but he's also picked up a save point for three or more saves and has once picked up seven saves to get two extra FPL points.
He is the perfect option as a backup in case of injury or for an upcoming bench boost.
Defenders to Target on a Gameweek 12 Wildcard
Jurrien Timber — $6.2m (Arsenal)
Gabriel was lined up to be the easiest choice in a Wildcard draft outside of Erling Haaland, but a thigh injury derails that notion.
Arsenal defenders have been a major threat from set pieces this season, as they've taken 75 corners in 11 games with 65 of them being taken directly into the box.
Timber has scored twice this season, and no defender in the Premier League has taken more shots on target (five) or shots inside the box (11). The full-back has also created two or more chances on three occasions this season.
Virgil van Dijk — $5.9m (Liverpool)
Liverpool have had a rough stretch and have only kept three clean sheets this season. However, they're joint-second in RotoWire's defensive fixture tracker for this run of five games.
Van Dijk has been crucial for Liverpool's Champions League campaign with two goals in the four games but has yet to score in the Premier League. That goal nearly came against Man City but was disallowed due to Andrew Robertson being offside. If it comes in this next spell, he could pull out some huge scores, not too dissimilar to what Gabriel had been doing.
Nico O'Reilly — $5.0m (Manchester City)
Man City sit top for defensive fixtures in the league according to our fixture tracker and he has scored or assisted in his last two Premier League games. Any Man City defender is going to be subject to rotation, but O'Reilly has started seven of the last eight league games and even got called up to the England national team. Since Gameweek 4, O'Reilly is the second highest scoring defender on FPL with 50 points in eight games.
Marcos Senesi — $5.0m (Bournemouth)
Senesi has picked up 18 points from DEFCON this season from a possible 22, meaning he's hit the extra two points in nine out of 11 games. Of defenders priced at $5.0m or lower, he's the joint-highest scorer with 58 points.
Bournemouth have a game against West Ham in Gameweek 12 as well as Everton in Gameweek 14.
Nordi Mukiele — $4.1m (Sunderland, Budget Pick)
When you filter down statistics to defenders who are below $4.5m, Mukiele is the name which keeps creeping to the top. He's top for points scored with 51, top for bonus and second for DEFCON. He's an all -ound strong fifth defender and can be called in at any time from the bench when required.
Midfielders for a GW12 Wildcard
Bryan Mbeumo — $8.5m (Manchester United)
Mbeumo is the third-highest scoring midfielder and is Manchester United's most important attacking asset. He's scored five goals and provided one assist despite scoring one goal with no assists in the first six matches. Only Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo have more shots in the league as a midfielder, and no midfielder has had more shots on target than him.
Declan Rice — $6.9m (Arsenal)
Arsenal have been ridiculed for their set pieces this season, but they have been incredibly effective. In the Premier League, he 's scored two goals and provided four assists, while also providing two assists in the Champions League.
Only two players have taken more corners than Rice, and he has taken the most indirect free kicks and completed the most. Rice has created three or more chances three different times this season, which shows his upside even as more of a defensive midfielder.
Rice has been the top-scoring midfielder since Gameweek 6 with 45 points in six games.
Yankuba Minteh — $6.0m (Brighton)
No player in the league has more assists than Minteh's five this season, with four of them coming since Gameweek 6.
Minteh has taken at least one shot and created at least one chance in each game this season apart from the opener against Fulham. He's played a full 90 minutes six times and 87 minutes or more on nine occasions. When ranking by attacking fixtures using the fixture tracker, Brighton sit third with games against Nottingham Forest and Wolves in their next four.
Casemiro — $5.5m (Manchester United)
Casemiro has returned to his place as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. Not only that, but he's consistently getting goal returns due to his activity on set pieces. He's also picked up DEFCON points in four of the last five weeks since returning from his one-game suspension. At such an affordable price and with such a good run of fixtures, he fits the profile of a perfect fourth- or fifth-choice midfielder.
Only Mbeumo has scored more FPL points for midfielders since Gameweek 8, hitting 32 points in four games.
Emiliano Buendia — $5.3m (Aston Villa)
Buendia might be one of the surprises of this Wildcard draft, as he's become an essential part of Aston Villa's attack. He's picked up three goals and two assists in his last five games in league play. Villa have a great fixture run with Leeds and Wolves in their next two matches, and they rank second in the Fixture Tracker for attacking fixtures in the next five.
Forwards for FPL Wildcard in GW12
Erling Haaland — $14.9m (Manchester City)
Haaland is one of the easiest choices and will likely be the first choice for captain on most weeks. With 102 points after 11 games, he's the top scorer in FPL by 21 points. With 14 goals, he has scored the same or more than 11 teams in the Premier League. He's also the league leader in shots, shots on target and big chances. With ownership topping 70 percent, it's hard to fade the best option in the game.
Hugo Ekitike — $8.6m (Liverpool)
After an impressive start to the season, Ekitike has failed to score in his last five Premier League matches, yet Liverpool sit top of the fixture tracker for attacking fixtures in the next five.
They start this run against Nottingham Forest and then face West Ham. This pick may be a little more risky but worth it for the next few games, especially when you optimally want to use transfers before the start of AFCON.
During the international break, Ekitike received a confidence boost of scoring his first international goal for France. Alexander Isak is still recovering from injury and just before his knock, Slot attempted starting both No. 9s together for the first time.
Jean-Philippe Mateta — $8.1m (Crystal Palace)
Mateta is third in the league for goals with six, only behind Haaland and Igor Thiago. Palace have some great attacking fixtures in their next three games with Wolves and Burnley as part of this run. The striker has had at least one shot in each game this season, with two or more shots on target in more than half of his games.
Mateta has been supplied with 15 big chances (second highest in the league) and has only turned that into his six goals. Still, he's scored four of his six big chances in the last four games. If he continues at this improved rate, he could score many more goals in the coming weeks.
Next Reads
• Teams with Best Upcoming Fixtures
Fixture Difficulty Ranker
• FPL Injury Report (Gabriel, Guehi, Semenyo)
FPL GW12 Wildcard FAQ
Is GW12 a good time to use a wildcard in FPL?
Yes, the upcoming eight-match run is one of the best fixture windows of the season, especially with AFCON approaching.
Who is essential for an FPL GW12 wildcard?
Haaland, Timber, Mbeumo and Minteh are core options due to fixtures and form.
Which budget defenders are best for a wildcard?
Mukiele and Senesi offer excellent value under $5.0m.
Should I plan for AFCON with my wildcard?
Yes. Strong planning now avoids multiple forced transfers in GW16.
What is the best formation for a GW12 wildcard?
Most managers should target a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 depending on midfielder depth.
