Metrics

Almost 10% of the top 10k FPL managers fail to use their first Wildcard

We take our regular look at the chip usage and player selections of the top 10,000 Fantasy Premier League managers.

This is our first article in the series since the deadline for using the first Wildcard passed.

Remarkably, almost one in ten of the top 10,000 FPL bosses (at the point of the Gameweek 21 deadline) didn’t use the first of their two permitted Wildcards.

World number four Michael Somers is among that number.

It’d be interesting to know why so many didn’t deploy it. Lack of a need to because of a hugely successful first half of the season? Or blissful ignorance of the rules?

Given some of the stats we have seen already on the make-up of the top 10k managers in 2019/20, it may be more the latter.

Since the deadline for Gameweek 20 passed, 2.34% have used their second Wildcard.

Around one in five have already deployed their Bench Boost this season and there is a similar usage of the Triple Captain chip, too.

Approximately one in six of the top 10k have used their Free Hit over the last five months or so.

Discounting the first Wildcard, 61.7% of the top 10,000 managers have yet to use any of their chips.

Around 15% have used at least two of their chips, however.

Approximately 50 of the top 10,000 managers have already maxed out their allocation, including the second Wildcard.

For those who have used their second Wildcard, there are some familiar names in the ‘template’ squad.

Kevin De Bruyne (£10.6m) is the most-owned player in these Wildcard sides, sitting in 93.16% of the teams in question.

Jamie Vardy (£10.1m), Sadio Mane (£12.3m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5m) and John Lundstram (£5.1m) were also widely selected.

There was a lack of consensus between the posts, however: two of the three least-owned players in the template squad below are goalkeepers.

There are four differences from the Wildcard ‘template’ to the most-owned squad in the top 10k overall.

Raul Jimenez (£7.5m), Anthony Martial (£7.9m), Adama Traore (£5.6m) and Mathew Ryan (£4.8m) are the differentials of sort in the above graphic, while Nick Pope (£4.7m), Dele Alli (£8.8m), James Maddison (£7.7m) and Marcus Rashford (£9.1m) are the alternatives below.

Just over half of the top 10k captained the sidelined Vardy in Gameweek 21, although there would have been some Mane or Mohamed Salah (£12.3m) vice-captainers amongst that select group who emerged with a 16 or 20-point haul.

Looking in greater detail at the main candidates for the armband in the top 10k below, Salah was the only one who hit a double-digit haul.

As for how the top 10k are set up for Double Gameweek 24, the ownerships for a selection of the various Liverpool double-up and triple-up combinations are currently as follows:

CombinationOwnership
Salah + Mane5.82%
Salah + Alexander-Arnold13.3%
Salah + Robertson1.71%
Mane + Alexander-Arnold58.75%
Mane + Robertson9.54%
Salah + Mane + Alexander-Arnold3.9%
Salah + Mane + Robertson0.19%
Salah + Robertson + Alexander-Arnold0.89%
Mane + Robertson + Alexander-Arnold4.86%

The Mane and Alexander-Arnold combination is by some distance the most popular double-up, while relatively few FPL managers in the top 10k have already lumped on three Liverpool assets (there are other combinations beyond the above, of course).

We’ll surely see those figures rise considerably ahead of Gameweek 24, however.

All data taken from LIVEFPL.NET.

2,302 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Strchld
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Someone picking Deeney over DCL or Ings? Or is it too punty. Nice fixtures also and Watford looking good again.

    1. FirMinaMiMo
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Greenwood

      1. FirMinaMiMo
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        I saw a tweet that greeny ll b regular in his 1st lineup here after!

    2. Pep's Money Laundry
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Ings
      Deeney
      DCL

      That would my order of preference

    3. Amey
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Ings is a no brainer pick.
      No matter what fixtures DR says.

      He's in scintillating form. One shot, one goal & In9s ....

      1. Maddamotha
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Which is not sustainable

    4. Aubamazette
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Would deffo take Ings, I’m liking watford though, taking a punt on Doucore

  2. milanista10
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Would you rather get into the double with A or B from the below? Salah & TAA already in team.

    A) Mount, Mane, and Dunk
    B) Martial, Maddison, and Robertson

    1. FirMinaMiMo
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      B

    2. Botman and Robben
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      B

  3. FirMinaMiMo
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Will watch next two arsenal games .... If they kept cs!! ...thn Maitland niles ll be a gud def choice !!!!

    I m going with ozil this gw ...wish me GL!

    1. FirMinaMiMo
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Thoughts!!!! 🙂

    2. Bobby Digital
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      GL

  4. ZimZalabim
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Bench one for next gw

    A. Maupay
    B. Grealish
    C. Lundstram
    D. Soy

    1. FirMinaMiMo
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Lund

    2. palace ash
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Out of those A. No way you bench Lundstram Vs West Ham

  5. The-Red-1
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Is Son now a must have now that Kane's out?

    Tempted to try and squeeze him in but spurs very hit and miss

    1. FirMinaMiMo
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Skip this gw without spurs

    2. zelio78
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      No

    3. Rasping Drive
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      I remember a couple of seasons ago when Kane was out injured, it was Alli that really stepped up to the plate

    4. sandman58
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Wait a gameweek or 2 first...also Jose will now bring in a striker for sure

      1. FPL.team
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Really?

  6. tambourineman
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Idah brace, 4.4m forward alert

    1. FirMinaMiMo
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Greenwood

    2. tambourineman
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Idah hat-trick

  7. MysticMac17
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Who is the best defender 5.4 and under? Already have Soyuncu. Sidibe?

    1. FirMinaMiMo
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Maguire

      1. cravencottage
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Ha!

    2. Stef rocks
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      The Lord

    3. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Lundstram

    4. Quackadoodz
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Agree with Sidibe. Great fixtures with potential OOP. Seems rotation proof as well as Coleman usually comes off, pushing Sidibe back to the traditional RB position.

      Assuming you have Lord Lund already.

    5. sandman58
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Holgate
      1.0 cheaper

      1. timawflowers
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Will Holgate play every game?

        1. sandman58
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          So far he is
          Ancellotti and Big Dunc will play the youth

          1. timawflowers
            • 6 Years
            4 years, 2 months ago

            Could be a good shout

        2. sandman58
          • 5 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          So far he is
          Ancellotti and Big Dunc will play the youth
          Also he can play midfield fullback or centreback

    6. fgdu
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      sidibe and the lord

  8. Cilly Bonnolly
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    What's with the 5:31 kick off times today?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Giving people an extra minute to place their bets

    2. Zilla
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Mental health awareness

    3. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      To mess with peoples heads

    4. tambourineman
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      To show we are not slaves to the oppressive twelfths

  9. LewanGOALski
    • 12 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Richarlison in instead of Maddison - too mad..?

    1. FPL Pillars
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      He has more goal threat, mad more assist threat.

  10. zelio78
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Kane and Creswell to RCL and TAA for free? Forwards would be Vardy, RCL and Ings.

  11. Quackadoodz
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Anybody knows what impact the arrival or J.Rod would bring for the Blades in terms of line-ups?

  12. Lev Yashin
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    I get that the kickoffs being delayed by one minute to raise awareness for mental health.

    Hardly fair on the OCD sufferers though, is it?

    1. DannyDrinkVodka
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      +1

  13. T.Henry14
    • 10 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    2 ft and 0.4 itb

    team:

    Pope, McGovern
    Arnold, Soyuncu, Kelly, Rico, Lundstram
    Salah, KDB, Martial, Richarlison, Cantwell
    Vardy, Rashford, Abraham

    My plan:

    GW22: Pope ---> Ryan, save 2nd transfer.
    GW23: Rashford --- Calvert, save 2nd transfer and money.
    GW24: KDB ---> Mane, save 2nd transfer, for Lpool's dGW I will have TAA&Salah&Mane
    GW25: Liverpool vs South, City vs Tottenham, no need for Son&KDB
    GW26: use 2FT for buy back KDB, and Son, or use Wildcard!

    Is a double gameweek of Liverpool worth it?

    Or:
    GW22: Pope ---> Ryan, save 2nd transfer.
    GW23: Cantwell&Rashford ---> Son&Greenwood and play 3-5-2

  14. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Will Smallbone funds a way to penetrate the Huddlesfield defence!

    1. Sailboats
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      What a name

  15. thom830g
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Should I do Kane + Maupay -> Vardy + Ings for free?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Maupay seems odd to lose given fixtures, but given he hasn't even score against Sheffield Wednesday yet, why not I guess? 😆

    2. Sailboats
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      yes

  16. Kuzser
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    What’s the best strategy to get a 3rd LIV player?

    1. Getting Salah as a 3rd player
    a) Alli Grealish Jiménez-> Salah Dendo DCL and play 3-4-3
    b) Rico Alli Jimenez -> 3.9 Salah Greenwood and play 3-5-2

    2. Getting a def as a 3rd player
    a) Alli Grealish Rico -> Richarlison Dendo Robbo
    b) Grealish Rico -> Dendo VVD
    c) Alli Rico -> Richarlison Gomez

    Ramsdale
    Taa Soy Lundstram
    Maddison Mane Kdb Alli
    Vardy Ings Jiménez

    Button Grealish Rico Kelly

  17. The Big Fella
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Why are the Cup matches starting at 1 minute past the normal time?

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      To give people 60 seconds to scroll up 😉

    2. Tinkermania
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Raising mental health awareness before kick off.

  18. timawflowers
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Will Holgate play every game for Everton?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Possibly not every game, no. But seems favoured over the likes of Keane.

  19. tissae
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Is it mad to do Alli --> Son?

    1. tricpic
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Thinking same and concluded yes. Is it madder to have Alli and Son?

  20. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Brighton 0 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday

  21. Now I'm Panicking
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Which GW is the FA Cup quarter finals?

    1. Kabayan
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      31

      1. Now I'm Panicking
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Cheers

  22. larryofiah
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    after an epically terrible last 3 weeks ( I refuse to buy Ings, grealish, put too much faith in alli and got my captain pick wrong each time). I have decided to hit the trigger on my second wildcard. Thoughts on the team please?

    Ryan
    TAA, Lundstram, Soyuncu, Baldock
    Salah, KDB, Mane
    Abraham, Vardy, Rashford
    Bench: Elliot, Dendonker, Oriol Romeu, Simpson
    0.0 in the bank

    1. I SPEAK ENGELS AND DRINK GI…
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Rashford to Ings or similar and upgrade Romeu to Richa/Maddi/Grealish

      Baldock or Lundstram to Sidibe / Holgate / Dunk

      1. I SPEAK ENGELS AND DRINK GI…
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Nvm not Dunk you have Ryan

        1. larryofiah
          • 4 Years
          4 years, 2 months ago

          can't get rid of lund or baldock I got them while they were very very cheap so I'll lose out alot

      2. larryofiah
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        thanks

  23. Brosstan
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    10% of the top 10k confirmed mega casuals. Season of the casual confirmed...

    1. Baps hunter
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Nothing different from previous seasons.

  24. tambourineman
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Man City XI: Bravo, Cancelo, Stones, Harwood-Bellis, Angelino, Gundogan, Silva, Zinchenko, Foden, Bernardo, Aguero

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Aguero!

      1. Zilla
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        Good news for Aguero owners

    2. FirMinaMiMo
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      If kun scores thn he ll start gw22

    3. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Jesus saved for the weekend. Aguero confirmed second choice now

      1. Lord.
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        More likely Jesus starts in the League Cup semi.

      2. diesel001
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        We'll have a better idea after the EFL Cup SF IMO.

  25. panda07
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Great strike by Harry Arter!

  26. The Train Driver
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Lol, did Pope > Fabianski, now yellow flagged. Did Moyes say something?

  27. tambourineman
    • 9 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Wolves XI: Ruddy, Doherty, Dendoncker, Coady, Kilman, Vinagre, Neves, Saiss, Neto, Ashley-Seal, Traore.

    Manchester United XI: Romero, Young, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams, Pereira, Matic, Chong, Mata, James, Greenwood.

  28. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Bournemouth putting out a strong side:

    Travers, Francis, Mepham, Simpson, Rico, H.Wilson, Surman, Billing, Fraser, Solanke, Stanislas
    Subs: Ramsdale, S.Cook, Lerma, Kilkenny, Dobre, C.Wilson, Surridge

    1. Now I'm Panicking
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      They are?

      1. diesel001
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 2 months ago

        They don't have many other players. Ake, King, Brooks, Daniels, Stacey, A.Smith and Kelly injured. So other than Lewis Cook, there is noone else who could be in the squad that isn't.

    2. I SPEAK ENGELS AND DRINK GI…
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 2 months ago

      Their whole team is almost injured lol

  29. FirMinaMiMo
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Eagerly awaiting for minamino into the line up 🙂

  30. Tsparkes10
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 2 months ago

    Maupay to Delu tempting