FPL Draft guide
FPL Draft waiver tips: how to win the waiver wire
Updated November 2026 · 4 min read
You already know the in-form name everyone's after. The edge is in everything around him: where you sit in the order, what your rivals need, and what a swap is really worth to your starting XI over the next month.
In short
- Rank claims by points gained in your XI, not by the player's own projection.
- Your place in the order sets your ceiling. Claim for the player who'll actually reach you.
- Minutes and underlying numbers beat last week's haul.
- Sometimes the best claim is the one your rival needed.
How FPL Draft waivers work
- Claims: before each gameweek, you name an unowned player and the player you'd drop for him. You can list several in order of preference; if one fails, the next is tried.
- Order: claims run in reverse league order, so the bottom of the table picks first and the leader picks last.
- Free agency: anyone unclaimed after waivers is first come, first served until the deadline.
8 tips to win the waiver wire
- Value the swap, not the player: a claim is worth the extra points in your best XI, only in the weeks he'd actually start for you. An upgrade on your fifth midfielder who never plays is worth nothing. A small upgrade on a nailed starter adds up fast.
- Plan around your place in the order: if you're ninth in the order, the week's obvious pick-up won't reach you. Put your first claim on the best player who realistically will, and keep the dream claim lower down in case everyone above you goes elsewhere.
- Read the managers above you: look at their squads, not just their table position. A team down to two fit defenders will take the best defender available, which leaves the attacker you wanted for you. Work out who goes where and claim the gap.
- Block when the gap is small: in head-to-head, a claim on the player your opponent this week or your nearest rival needs can be worth more than a marginal upgrade for yourself, especially at a thin position.
- Minutes first, then output: a player on 90% start chance with modest numbers beats a rotation risk with a big xG per 90. Watch European weeks, cup ties and returning injuries at his club before you commit.
- Trust the underlying numbers: a defender with one goal from one shot will cool off. A forward getting shots in the box and big chances without returns is often the better buy before the points arrive and the waiver price goes up.
- Look across the next three to five fixtures: you'll own him for weeks. Plan blank and double gameweeks early. A spare keeper or defender with a double can be the cheapest points of the season.
- Don't drop proven scorers into the pool: two blanks don't make a 180-point player bad, and a rival will happily take him. If you need the space, trade him instead and get something back.
Swap · expected points over 5 GWs+7.0
+TonaliTOT MID28.2
−MaduekeARS MID21.1
Claim chance98%
FPL Draft waiver questions
- When do FPL Draft waivers run? Before each gameweek, ahead of the gameweek deadline. The exact time for your league is shown in the FPL Draft app.
- Who gets first pick on waivers? The manager lowest in the league table. The leader picks last, which helps keep leagues close.
- What happens if my waiver claim fails? Your next claim is tried, if you made one. You keep the player you planned to drop.
- Waivers or free agents: which is better? Waivers are how you get the most wanted players. Free agency is for whoever is left once waivers have run, and it's first come, first served.
See your own league's claim chances
BetterDraft works out the best waiver claims for your squad, your chance of getting each player in your league's waiver order, and how many points every swap gains you. Free during the beta.