Using LiveFPL’s vast array of tools, we look at the squad make-ups and chip usage of the world’s leading Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers.
We will examine the 1,000 names in LiveFPL’s ‘Legendary Managers’ list – the historic cream of the crop, much like our own Hall of Fame – but chiefly those in the top 10k in the current overall rankings.
Between the two groups (where there will of course be some overlap), these are the managers who can offer us a better gauge of FPL ownership and chip strategy, as opposed to the overall figures that are skewed by the growing number of untouched ‘ghost teams’.
There is heaps of useful information beyond overall and top 10k figures on the LiveFPL site, of course, such as ownership stats for different rank tiers – as seen in the graphics below:
TOP 10K AND ‘ELITE’ MANAGERS: GAMEWEEK 24 CAPTAINCY
Gameweek 24 was wide-open in terms of captaincy, with not a single player in the top 10k garnering even a third of the vote.
Those managers who skippered Jarrod Bowen (£6.9m) are sitting pretty after the midfielder registered an 11-pointer on Tuesday and this Gameweek really is an opportunity to make ground with the armband, without a stand-out candidate.
Mohamed Salah (£12.8m), in case you’re wondering, is the sixth-most-backed player for the captaincy in the current Gameweek; can you remember the last time that the Egyptian had been given the responsibility by only 4% of the top 10,000 managers?
CAPTAINCY STATS FOR THE 1,000 ‘LEGENDARY MANAGERS’ IN GAMEWEEK 24
There’s unsurprisingly a similar feel among the historic greats but it’s Diogo Jota (£8.5m), and not Kevin De Bruyne (£12.2m), who gets top spot this week.
TOP 10K AND ‘ELITE’ MANAGERS: TEMPLATE SQUAD
There’s a bit of a hangover from Double Gameweek 23 as the underwhelming Watford strike duo are still hanging around the top 10k template squad, along with goalkeeper Ben Foster (£4.1m).
Compared to Gameweek 23, there are three changes to the ‘Most Owned XV’.
Gone from defence are Marcos Alonso (£5.7m), who blanks in Gameweeks 24, 25 and 27, and Vladimir Coufal (£4.8m), who has no more Double Gameweeks in his locker.
In come Lucas Digne (£5.1m) and Sergio Reguilon (£5.4m), who both now sit in more than one in four of the top 10,000 squads.
The only change in midfield and attack is something of an upgrade, with Demarai Gray (£5.5m) replaced by De Bruyne.
Salah features in only 13.62% of these teams (a modest rise of 4% or so on last week), while Son Heung-min (£10.6m) is even more of a differential at 8.39%. Both of these players’ ownerships will rise considerably ahead of Gameweek 26, when Liverpool and Spurs ‘double’.
OWNERSHIP STATS FOR THE 1,000 ‘LEGENDARY MANAGERS’ IN GAMEWEEK 24
Phil Foden (£8.0m) is still more popular than imminent doubler Bruno Fernandes (£11.7m) among the all-time greats.
For all the talk of Andrew Robertson (£7.1m) usurping Jota as the ‘third’ Liverpool asset alongside Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m), the Scot is still owned by just 4.4% of these 1,000 elite managers.
TOP 10K: CHIP USAGE
While there was a negligible number of Free Hit, Triple Captain and Bench Boost chips activated in Gameweek 24, over 7% of the top 10,000 deployed their second Wildcard – almost doubling the number who did so in Gameweeks 21-23 combined.
That means, for the first time since the turn of the year, managers who have all of their chips remaining are no longer in the majority.
Not far off one in six of the top 10k have already used two or more of their chips.
TOP 10K AND ‘ELITE’ MANAGERS: TEMPLATE WILDCARD SQUAD
It’s worth taking a look at the template Wildcard squad off the back of what we discussed above, then.
There are some considerable changes, too, with budget differentials like Michael Olise (£5.4m), Maxwel Cornet (£5.9m) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.4m) well-backed – evidently with one eye on Double Gameweek 26.
There’s a complete overhaul up top with Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.5m) and the two Watford forwards replaced, while the aforementioned Robertson is preferred to Jota here.
There’s still no sign of Salah but it’s an easy move from Fernandes or De Bruyne to the Egyptian in advance of Double Gameweek 26.
In all, there are eight changes from the template squad in the top 10k to the most-owned Wildcard side here.
TOP 10K: AVERAGE NUMBER OF PLAYERS OWNED PER TEAM FOR DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 25
Looking ahead to Double Gameweek 25, there are just over two Manchester United and Brighton players in the average top 10k squad.
Around 80% of these managers already have a goalkeeper with a ‘double’ in place.
TOP 10K: AVERAGE NUMBER OF PLAYERS OWNED PER TEAM FOR DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 26
It’s worth taking a peek even further down the line to Gameweek 26, when eight teams are in action twice.
The average top 10k squad has approximately 6.3 players with a double in Gameweek 26, so with at least two free transfers to come between now and then, the bulk of squads will be able to field eight or nine players with two Gameweek 26 fixtures without taking hits.
Burnley, interestingly, are still underrepresented, despite them looking likely to also have a double in Gameweek 27.
