FPL Double Gameweeks Explained: DGWs, Blanks & How to Plan

FPL double gameweeks are the weeks in which some Premier League clubs play twice. Their players get two chances to score, so their predicted points roughly double, and the managers who own the most of them gain ground on everyone else. Blank gameweeks are the reverse: some clubs do not play at all and their players score nothing. Between them, doubles and blanks decide more mini-leagues than any single transfer.

This guide explains what double and blank gameweeks are, why they happen, how to tell when they are coming, and how to plan your transfers and chips around them in Fantasy Premier League 2026/27. For chip-by-chip timing in general, see our FPL chip strategy guide.

What is a double gameweek in FPL?

A double gameweek (DGW) is a gameweek in which at least one Premier League club has two fixtures before the next deadline. Every player from that club scores for both matches, so a double-gameweek player has two sets of minutes, two chances of a goal or assist and two chances of a clean sheet.

Not every club doubles in a double gameweek — often only a few do. A gameweek can be a double for some clubs and normal for the rest. What matters for your team is how many of your players belong to a doubling club.

What is a blank gameweek in FPL?

A blank gameweek (BGW) is a gameweek in which at least one club has no fixture. Players from a blanking club score zero that week, and if enough of your squad blanks you may not be able to field eleven players who are playing.

Blanks and doubles are usually two halves of the same event: a match that is removed from one gameweek is played in a later one, so the club that blanks first tends to double later.

Why do double and blank gameweeks happen?

They happen when a Premier League fixture cannot be played on its scheduled weekend and is moved. The match leaves its original gameweek, creating a blank for both clubs, and is rearranged into another gameweek, usually in midweek, creating a double for both clubs.

The usual causes are:

• Domestic cups. When a club is still in a cup competition whose round falls on a Premier League weekend, its league fixture has to move. Later cup rounds are the classic source of blanks.
• European commitments. Clubs with European fixtures can have league matches rearranged around them.
• Postponements. Weather, safety issues or other events force a match to be rescheduled.

Because they depend on cup results and draws, most doubles and blanks are not known at the start of the season. They are confirmed through the season, often only a few weeks before they arrive.

When are the FPL double gameweeks in 2026/27?

As of 13 October 2026 there are no double or blank gameweeks in the 2026/27 FPL schedule: our fixture data shows all 38 gameweeks with ten matches and all twenty clubs playing once. Doubles and blanks will be added as cup draws and postponements move fixtures, and we do not list dates until the fixtures are actually rescheduled.

The FPL fixture schedule updates from the same data, so a club with two fixtures in a gameweek, or none, shows there as soon as the change lands. It is the page to check before you plan a chip.

How do you prepare for a double gameweek in FPL?

Prepare by moving towards players from the doubling clubs over the gameweeks before it, so that by the deadline your starting eleven — and ideally your bench — holds as many double-gameweek players as possible. Start early: the transfers you need are spread over several weeks rather than made all at once with points hits.

A practical sequence:

1. Confirm which clubs double. Only plan around fixtures that have actually been rescheduled.
2. Rank the doubling clubs by both fixtures. A double against two strong sides can be worth less than a single fixture against a weak one. Use the predicted points, not the number of matches.
3. Prioritise nailed starters. Two fixtures in a few days means rotation. A player projected for 90 minutes twice is worth far more than one who might start one of the two games. Check projected minutes on FPL player picks.
4. Look at what comes after. Players you buy with normal transfers stay in your team, so a club with a double and then a hard run is a less attractive target than one with a double and a kind run.
5. Decide your chips (next section) before you start transferring, because a Wildcard or Bench Boost changes which players you need.

Which chips should you play in a double gameweek?

The Bench Boost and Triple Captain are the double-gameweek chips: both multiply players who play twice. The Wildcard is often played a week or two before a big double to build the squad for it, and the Free Hit belongs in a blank gameweek unless your Wildcard is gone.

• Bench Boost — all fifteen players score, so a double gameweek where every bench player plays twice is when it is worth most.
• Triple Captain — a nailed premium attacker with two good fixtures gives the chip its highest ceiling.
• Wildcard — the usual way to load up on double-gameweek players without points hits, often followed by the Bench Boost in the double itself.
• Free Hit — the answer to a big blank. Read the FPL Free Hit guide for when it is better spent on a double instead.

In 2026/27 every chip comes in two copies, one for Gameweeks 1–19 (2–19 for the Wildcard and Free Hit) and one for Gameweeks 20–38, and only one chip can be played per gameweek. So you cannot combine a Bench Boost and Triple Captain in the same double, and a double that falls in the first half can only use first-half chips. Our FPL chip planner maps each chip window against the schedule.

How do you deal with a blank gameweek?

Handle a small blank with normal transfers and your bench, and save the Free Hit for the biggest blank of each half-season. The test is simple: count how many of your starting eleven have a fixture. If you can still field a strong eleven, you do not need a chip.

Blanks are also a reason to keep a playable bench in the weeks before them. A bench of players who start for clubs that are playing can cover two or three blanking starters on its own. And because a club that blanks usually doubles later, a blanking player is not automatically a sell: if his club's rearranged match lands in a double, he may be worth keeping through the blank.

Using predicted points to plan doubles and blanks

The number of fixtures is only an input; what you want to compare is predicted points. A double against two top-four sides can project lower than a single home game against a promoted club, and a rotation-prone player's second fixture may add little. Our model projects every fixture separately and sums them for the gameweek, so a double gameweek shows up directly in each player's predicted points.

• FPL fixtures and difficulty — which clubs double or blank, and how hard each fixture is.
• FPL player picks — predicted points and projected minutes per gameweek.
• FPL optimal team calculator — the best squad for a double or blank gameweek, for a Free Hit or Wildcard.
• FPL team planner — plan transfers across several gameweeks with your own squad.

Related reading: FPL Wildcard guide, FPL Free Hit guide and fixture difficulty explained.

FAQ

What is a double gameweek in FPL?

A double gameweek is a gameweek in which some Premier League clubs play twice. Their players score for both matches, so they have roughly twice the predicted points of a single-fixture week.

Are there any double gameweeks in FPL 2026/27 yet?

Not as of 13 October 2026. Our fixture data shows all 38 gameweeks with ten matches each. Doubles appear when fixtures are rescheduled, and the FPL schedule shows them as soon as they are in the data.

Why are there blank gameweeks in FPL?

Blank gameweeks happen when a Premier League match is moved out of its gameweek, usually because of a cup tie, European fixture or postponement. The clubs involved have no fixture that week and normally double when the match is replayed.

Should I Bench Boost or Triple Captain in a double gameweek?

Both chips are built for double gameweeks, but you can only play one chip per gameweek. Bench Boost in the double where your whole squad plays twice, and Triple Captain in the double where one nailed premium has two good fixtures.

Should I sell players who have a blank gameweek?

Not automatically. A blanking club often doubles later, so if you can cover the blank with your bench, the player may be worth keeping for the double that follows.

This guide was written by TheFantasyTool.