Metrics

How the top 10,000 FPL managers are shaping up ahead of Christmas

Over one in six Fantasy Premier League managers who were in the top 10k at the point of the Gameweek 18 deadline have now used their Free Hit chip.

Blanks for Liverpool and, to a lesser extent, West Ham United in the Gameweek just gone may well have prompted a surge in the chip’s popularity, with just over 500 Fantasy bosses in the top 10,000 deploying their Free Hit in Gameweek 18.

The move may not have been a successful one for many, as the average score for those using their Free Hit was less than it was for the Fantasy bosses who used no chip at all (42.94 versus 45.00 respectively).

Seven of the 15 players in the template 10k Free Hit squad blanked, with not one of the assets below registering a double-digit haul.

A little over 2% of the leading 10,000 managers used their first Wildcard this weekend, with a handful of maverick managers opting to use the Triple Captain or Bench Boost chips.

A sixth of the top 10k (as of Saturday’s deadline) have yet to use their first Wildcard, with Gameweek 20 the final call for that particular chip.

The managers within the top 10,000 who did use their first Wildcard in Gameweek 18 also had a so-so weekend, with the average score being 41.85.

Eleven of the ‘template’ Wildcard squad below blanked or didn’t play, with two of them – Diego Rico (£4.4m) and Son Heung-min (£10.0m) – now suspended for Gameweek 19.

Looking at the most-owned players in the top 10,000 overall, there was no change in the ‘template’ squad from Gameweek 17 – although Sadio Mane‘s (£12.2m) ownership took a tumble from 85.8% to 58.59%.

Kevin De Bruyne‘s (£10.4m) popularity increased dramatically after his 19-point haul against Arsenal, with only Jamie Vardy (£10.1m) and John Lundstram (£5.2m) now owned by more managers than the Belgian within this elite group of FPL bosses.

There were widespread captaincy fails in the top 10k in Gameweek 18, with De Bruyne’s four points looking like a relatively good haul compared to the returns of Marcus Rashford (£9.1m) and especially Son.

The 8.74% who kept the armband on Vardy were rewarded with a goal and maximum bonus points, meanwhile.

For those of us who are chasing down the leading pack and who have kept most of our chips, there may be encouragement in the fact that over one in three of the top 10,000 FPL managers has used at least two of theirs.

Around 880 of these bosses have used at least three of their chips, while around 4.3% – including erstwhile number one Nick Tanner – have already maxed out and now only have the second Wildcard to come after Gameweek 20.

On the flip side, more than half of the top 10k have used just one chip, while around one in ten has reached the dizzying heights of the top 10,000 without the use of any.

All data taken from LIVEFPL.NET.


1,350 Comments Post a Comment
  1. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Quietly VVD is within a point of both TAA and Robbo. His stats in attack match up decently to the first half of last season too looking at goal attempts.

    His returns I guess are liable to be more random as he relies on goals from set plays. Possible of course he’s already had his allowance of goals for the season

    He’s also nailed and price allows a power front 7

    1. El Presidente
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      I dont like Liverpool def assets. Too expensive for the returns and lack of CS. Rather put my money elsewhere

  2. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    If you own Cantwell, when do you play him lol. If you go week in week out you know he wont do anything. If you sporadically pick him for nice fixture it probably wont work.
    He is better at home right? A home and away rotation with some other mid like El Ghazi, Traore?

    1. The Polymath
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      That's why I'd rather keep Grealish over Christmas.

      1. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        yea thats a good point, someone like Grealish better

    2. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      He is my bench fodder and will only come on in case of injury or blanks. He is not a reliable asset and don’t ever convince yourself otherwise

      1. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 3 months ago

        for his price he is good, but he is a nightmare to own. Had him once already this season and that didnt work out

        1. Karhumies
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 3 months ago

          He's a great 5th mid in 343, just always place him 1st on the bench and if anybody misses he's the sub in. If you want 352, use Traore or Grealish instead as the 5th mid I guess.

  3. The Overthinker
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Saving a FT.
    .9 ItB

    Pope
    Lundstram Egan aurier
    James Salah alli Sterling
    Jimenez Vardy Tammy

    Button Evans soyunchu Newcastle

  4. sirmorbach
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Any chance Pogba starts next week? Will WC20 and have a free transfer for next week only. Currently doing Son-Moura, but could change it if Pogba plays.

    1. Percy07
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Pogba lol? Unless you are competing to win anti FPL league Pogba is a horrible pick.

  5. The Polymath
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    To accommodate Son to Salah I could have done Grealish to Cantwell or Rashford to Ings. Decided to keep Grealish. Villa are hurting and may come out all guns blazing. Plus Ings looks more consistent than Rashford.

  6. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Interesting stat:

    Troy Deeney has played four times at home in the league this season - every single one has come under a different manager

    1. Ask Yourself
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Lol. Hopefully they are settled now Pearson is a smart guy

  7. ⚔★Vibudh★⚔
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Anyone who plans to WC before GW20? What will the template be like?

    1. La Roja
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Guaita
      Kelly Lundstram TAA
      Willian Alli KDB Mane/Salah
      Kane Vardy Ings

      Yawn

  8. La Roja
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Solskjaer’s premier league win percentage without penalties as permanent manager:

    7%

  9. FDMS All Starz
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Which combo in a WC? (Rest of def: Lunds/Soy/Kelly)

    A) Ryan - Kiko - Rico

    B) Gazza - Holgate - Saiss

    1. Jullepuu
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      A because Gazza is a transfer waiting to happen.

  10. OverTinker
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Salah was getting all the chances in the previous GW so why should one go for Mane instead of salah??

    1. Letsgo!
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Come on, mane is better

    2. FPL_Crisis
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      both above 7 points per match and if you assume 3-4 games rest over the season then they'll both score around 230-240 total points. imo there's really no difference other than the weeks you choose to captain one over the other

  11. UnitednationsXI
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Planning to WC in gw20 and stuck with the following tough choices!

    1) TAA + grealish vs
    2) Digne + Maddison

    A) TAA + Maddison + Rashford
    B) Aurier + Sterling + Ings

  12. Letsgo!
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 3 months ago

    Gonna bench vardy and start cantwell

    1. Tommy Tynans Left Shin Pad
      • 12 Years
      4 years, 3 months ago

      Nutter!