Double gameweeks: how they work and how to plan
Two fixtures, one deadline. Double gameweeks decide chip strategy and swing whole seasons, and they follow a predictable logic once you know where they come from.
What is a double gameweek in FPL?
A double gameweek (DGW) is a gameweek in which a team plays two fixtures instead of one, and every point from both matches counts. A player who starts both games effectively gets two chances at returns for one slot in your team, which is why doubling players are so sought after.
When do double gameweeks happen?
Doubles are created by rescheduling, not by design: when a fixture is postponed — usually for cup clashes, European finals congestion or weather — it is slotted into a later gameweek that already has a full round, giving both clubs two games. Most doubles land in spring, when FA Cup rounds collide with the league calendar, but a winter postponement can create one at any time.
What is a blank gameweek?
A blank gameweek (BGW) is the mirror image: a team has no fixture at all, and its players score nothing. Every postponement that creates a double somewhere creates a blank somewhere first. The classic trap is going into a blank with half a squad not playing.
How should you plan for a double gameweek?
Move early, but not blindly: doubles are usually confirmed two to four gameweeks ahead, and the best value comes from buying doubling players before the crowd piles in. Two ordinary fixtures often beat one good one — expected points add across matches — which is why Bench Boost and Triple Captain are normally held for a big double. But a double against two strong sides can still be worse than a single home game against a weak one; check the difficulty of both fixtures, not just the count.
Where to see them coming
The fixture difficulty ticker shows a double as two stacked fixtures in one cell and a blank as an empty one, with each fixture rated on its own merits — so you can see at a glance whether a double is actually worth chasing. When a chip week arrives, the wildcard builder will assemble the strongest fifteen for it under the real budget and club limits.
Open the fixture difficulty ticker
New to reading a ticker? Start with what fixture difficulty really measures.