Metrics

Significant Free Hit usage among top 10k FPL managers for Gameweek 36+

The latest decisions made by the top 10,000 Fantasy Premier League managers look like the perfect ingredients for significant movement at the higher end of the worldwide rankings in Gameweek 36+.

Not only was there no clear consensus for the captaincy, the chip deployment means there is more squad variety among the top 10k than has been seen thus far into the Premier League’s restart.

The most recent battle for the armband is likely to be the biggest deciding factor in how this round pans out though, creating some incredibly polarising results at this level.

As you can see, there were four assets who came into Gameweek 36+ with more than 10% backing for the captaincy among the top 10k.

Raheem Sterling (£11.8m) emerged with the largest support but his 20% support can hardly be described as much of a majority, only 3.2 percentage points higher than the number of top 10k managers who placed the armband on Christian Pulisic (£7.3m). 

The fact that he managed only an assist against Norwich on Tuesday evening certainly opens the door for those who looked outside of the American.

Plenty of attention will settle on Manchester United as they travel to Selhurst Park, because Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m), who has registered attacking returns in every away match since the Premier League restart, has been backed by 16.6% of the top 10k for the captaincy.

Despite a loss of 55,000+ owners in Gameweek 36+, Kevin De Bruyne (£10.8m) is still in the picture with 11.5% support for the armband with Bournemouth preparing for a trip to the Etihad Stadium.

With both of those statistics in mind, Fernandes (108.3%) and De Bruyne (87.2%) remain the top two players for effective ownership among the top 10k FPL managers for this round.

The 7.9% of such bosses who captained Gabriel Jesus (£9.8m) for Gameweek 36+ may feel a lot more comfortable in having done so now that they have seen the split for the armband in the top 10k. While he has the fifth-highest support for the armband at this level, the gap between the Brazilian and Sterling stands at just 12.1 percentage points.

Meanwhile, Gameweek 36+’s fixtures convinced a sizeable number of managers inside the top 10k to deploy the Free Hit chip.

16.8% were convinced to trade in their current crop of players for a temporary selection, one of the largest swells of support for the chip this season.

Not many others were considered for Gameweek 36+ either, 1.7% of the top 10k going with the second Wildcard, 2% on a Triple Captain and 3.41% opting to Bench Boost.

That means 3.6% at that level are still waiting to use the second Wildcard in the final two Gameweeks, just over 10% want to use the Triple Captain in that time and just under 13% are saving the Bench Boost.

Most importantly, a large number of top 10k managers are looking to use the Free Hit either in Gameweek 37+ or 38+, specifically 34.6% of them.

As you can imagine, most of this season’s best managers in the world have played the majority of their chips, with 47.1% of them exhausting their supply as of Gameweek 36+.

Of great interest is the small number of bosses at this level who buck the trend. 6.8% of them are likely to play a chip in each of the remaining Gameweeks, having deployed only two of them so far.

Meanwhile, at least 0.8% at this level have wasted the opportunity to use all their chips this season, 0.1% of the top 10k in a position where none of those available in the second half of the campaign have been played.

It is no surprise to see Manchester City and Chelsea assets were the main reason for Free Hitting among the top 10k in Gameweek 36+ with their favourable fixtures against Bournemouth and Chelsea respectively.

These managers were largely unequivocal in their verdict on the best options from Pep Guardiola’s squad, with Jesus and Sterling both selected by more than 70% of top 10k Free Hitters, while Phil Foden (£5.5m) was in just under 40% of such squads.

That means De Bruyne was unable to squeeze into the top five midfielders in terms of popularity, somewhat interesting compared with how many at this level captained the Belgian for Gameweek 36+ and what his effective ownership stands at.

Meanwhile, there were a number of Chelsea options considered in both defence and midfield with at least 40% going for Cesar Azpilicueta (£6.1m) and Marcos Alonso (£6.1m), who both kept a clean sheet against Norwich.

Meanwhile, Pulisic was the most popular midfielder in top 10k Free Hit squads, chosen by a whopping 81.5% of them, even more than Fernandes (79.3%) and Sterling (70.1%). Willian (£7.4m) was the comparatively differential option on Pulisic, chosen by just 48.2% of such managers at this level, while 38.7% have Foden lined up for the Bournemouth game.

Also of interest is the fact that Lucas Digne (£5.8m) is the most popular defender on Free Hits, while Danny Ings (£7.5m) pulled in considerably more support than Olivier Giroud (£6.7m), who scored against Norwich.

Naturally, the Wildcard squads take a much more long-term view, as much as that is possible with the end of the season edging ever closer.

As a result, Pulisic is the only Chelsea player to find a place in such selections among the top 10k managers, considering that, after Norwich, they face Liverpool (away) and Wolves (home).

The Gameweek 36+ Wildcarders were much more interested in the two Manchester clubs, with Fernandes taking up space in 93.5% of these squads, Anthony Martial (£8.4m) in 65.9% and Mason Greenwood (£4.9m) in 81.2% of them.

As has been the case with Wildcards and Free Hits recently, there is not too much consensus about the best options in defence, John Egan (£4.6m), Digne, Charlie Taylor (£4.4m) and Romain Saïss (£4.7m) all pulling in at least 34% backing by Gameweek 36+ Wildcarders in the top 10k.

With Free Hits so popular this week and Wildcards still used only sparingly, the overall top 10k template has not shifted too much.

Jesus has broken into the top three most popular forwards but Sterling still sits outside the top-five midfielders which, when you consider his captaincy backing, makes him still an incredibly effective weapon at this level in Gameweek 36+.

1,294 Comments Post a Comment
  1. DAZZ
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Puli and Giroud owners can pretend all they want that they are happy with tonight, its all lies. Everyone expected a Chelsea 3/4/5 niler tonight. And everyone expected huge hauls from them all, otherwise they wouldn’t have loaded up with captains, and triple ups.

    Chelsea non owners are the winners tonight.

    1. Cheeto__Bandito
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I own Azpi, am I not a winner?

    2. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I think they will take the returns, especially with city rotation nightmare to come. Nothing is certain

      1. DAZZ
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        If you asked Puli and Giroud owners would you take 6 and 6 respectively they’d have laughed in your face and answered with a big fat resounding no.

        1. TheDragon
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          As a Pulisic and Giroud owner (non captainer) I’m
          Fairly ok with it. Not good not bad

    3. Dele
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      This!

      Imagine those who doubled up on Pulisic and Willian... ouch!

    4. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Azpi big win.

    5. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      It sure about that - think it’s fairly neutral for everyone

    6. Don Kloppeone
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I feel a bit of an escape with only Pulisic non-cap but a bit bitter re the CHE def double uppers

    7. Van der Faart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Not counting it as a fail or a win until the rest of the big hitters play

    8. Ajax Hamsterdam
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Think I'll wait until the gw ends to call myself a winner haha

    9. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Everyone? As a Chelsea fan I can tell you I was not expecting us to batter Norwich.

    10. T.Henry14
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Azpili, Alonso and Pulisic (not captain)
      I think, I am a bigger winner than Chelsea 😀

    11. gers23
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I have Giroud and Pulisic and think you are probably right. Time will tell u suppose.

    12. Vazza
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I second that - plus those owners are already considering to remove the players that they brought in this week out of their teams.

      1. Vazza
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Still think it was rather naive to captain sterling this week..

    13. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Azpi and Alonso success. Puli (C) massive fail. but it was expected, Chelsea have looked toothless lately

      1. PepSala
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Azpi and Pulisic here.

        I'm quite happy, thank you.

    14. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I'm not pretending at all. I'm a realist. It was a fail.

    15. jimmyabs1987
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      With Azpi and Alonso having EO of less than 15% and getting 16 points from them I am smiling

  2. Cheeto__Bandito
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Sheep and wolves separated tomorrow!!

  3. Sun Jihai
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Pulisic owners also getting rewarded with a price rise tonight

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Don't rub it in man 😀

  4. Begbie.
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    25 from 3. Was happy with it until I came on here and read it was a terrible return! 😉

  5. Congers
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Azpi the hero

  6. OneDennisBergkamp
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Willian (c) fail 🙁

    1. Chucky
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      tough luck

  7. squits
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Really depends on city tomorrow though. Jesus, sterling and foden go goal crazy and yes this is bad for Chelsea investors but if they get 1 or 2 then not so bad

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      What happens when Jesus and Sterling are benched and KDB gets a 20 pointer?

      1. Brosstan
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        You wake up some minutes after 😉

        1. TheDragon
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          At this stage I’d honestly take it happening in a dream only!

    2. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      What if I told you it was possible to have invested heavily in Chelsea AND City on FH?

      1. squits
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        of course then you're the winner! I have sterling captain ready to rock

  8. Pep Roulette
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Pulisic & Nketiah to Wood & Armstrong for -4?

    1. Congers
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Nope

      1. Pep Roulette
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Why not?

        1. Congers
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          Is a -4 worth it at this stage? Could even argue Nketiah is worth starting against Villa.

    2. Bartowski
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I'd still go JRod over Wood, form counts

  9. Hect.OR 98th
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Shame about the last-minute switch from Azpi to Alonso on a FH, but 19 from 3 is a reasonable start. No complaints here.

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Won’t worry about that, Alonso was worth the punt.

      Few decent positions took up too, on another night...

    2. Cok3y5murf
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I feel neutral. This was underwhelming. There are lots of attackers that can beat Pulisic's and Giroud's measly 6 points.

  10. CroatianHammer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I direct you to my previous statements whereby I was eschewing all Pensioners this GW... I might have dropped 13K spaces but I feel very much top of the table.

  11. FOO FIGHTER
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Who would you rather have for the last day

    Martial away to LEI or Son away to Palace?

    1. Begbie.
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Son

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Both ?

      1. FOO FIGHTER
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Only one

    3. gers23
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Martial

    4. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Son

    5. The Red Devil
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Ideally none, but son if one's compulsory

    6. CroatianHammer
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Martial... Any Spurs players cannot be trusted

  12. Eat my goal!
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    1/4 of top 10k caps blown on this fixture

  13. Amey
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Pulisic ©
    Hopefully Raz & Jesus blank vs Bournemouth now

    1. Van der Faart
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      1 point each be delightful

      1. Amey
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Amen

    2. Don Kloppeone
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      *Foden and Jesus blank

      Sterling to get a double hattie

      1. Amey
        • 5 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Ha ha
        Fine !

  14. Now I'm Panicking
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Farewell for this season Pulisic

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Who are you getting ??

  15. el polako
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Always makes me laugh how peeps taking -4 hits left right & centre and then sweating over if their player will get 1 bonus point or not.

    Not a dig at anyone in particular just an observation 😉

  16. Firminooooo
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    With just Pulisic(C) in this game, not to bad. Saving my FH for GW38 this GW is all about dampening the blow from all the Free hitters.

    1. Don Kloppeone
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      This (re the FH). GW38 to be much more exciting (even if it’ll probably end up disappointing!)

  17. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    ML Rival has used FH. Who wins this week?

    A) Sterling, jesus, Egan, Digne + 5 pts

    B) Salah x 2, DCL, Saiss, TAA, Martinez

    1. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A

    2. toluthadon
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      A

  18. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Chelsea non-owners counting the points they haven't got yet 🙂

    1. el polako
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      🙂

    2. Greek Freak
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      It's more relief that it wasn't a 4 or 5-0 with Pulisic and Willian braces!

  19. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I went Mahrez to Willian over Antonio last gw. I did say I wouldn’t judge it as a fail until Willian had a chance to play Norwich also. Massive fail.

  20. FCSB
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Playing BB, Lascelles >> (unless anything pressing comes)...

    1. Bardsley (nor)
    2. Lamptey (NEW)

    Thanks

    1. Pep's Money Laundry
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      1

  21. KrisMCFC
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    25 from 3 I will take that

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      You have no choice but to take it

      1. KrisMCFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Thanks for that observation ...

        1. TheDragon
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          And thanks for your observation tat you got 25 from 3 🙂

      2. Teror
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Take it like a man! Stop crying! Stop it!

    2. PrettyDick
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      it's a good start

    3. Vazza
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      If the pattern continues, you will score a mighty 100!

  22. chaser123
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Anyone started putting together a FH38 team?

    1. Teror
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Aubamayang, Salah, Dilva, Sterling, Kdb/Jesus, Richarlison, Digne... I'm sure there are others

    2. The Red Devil
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      3 city, 3 pool, Aubameyang, double Burnley defence, Antonio

  23. yakirh
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    On WC.. BB 38
    Triple Burnley defense for last 2 gws?
    Pope+Taylor+Pieters

  24. Teror
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    So doing Azpi > Alonso seconds before deadline turned out to be a complete and utter disaster.

    1. ⭐ Bemba_Da ⭐
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      2 points difference?

    2. Nightcrawler
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      2 points lost what a catastrophe 🙄

      1. Fred54
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        2 points makes alot of difference when ranked 4M.

    3. Greek Freak
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Not a disaster at all, but a bit of a strange move.

    4. Chucky
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      how? 2 points diff only...

    5. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Season over!

    6. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Come on - it’s 2 points difference

      If that’s a complete and utter disaster then I assume you are top 10 OR in the world

      1. Teror
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        199k. Would've been around 193k had I stuck with Azpi. But I'm in a really tight minileague where me and the leader have almost identical FH teams.

    7. JONALDINHO
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      What a disaster. You should be ashamed of yourself. That’s a season ending move

    8. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Only 2 points and was worth a punt
      His average position was as high up the pitch as Willian and he had a higher xGI than Azpi

    9. Bartowski
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      2 points off Chernobyl

  25. The Red Devil
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Your turn pep!

  26. Firminooooo
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Pulisic(C). The great thing is, I can still hope Sterling, Jesus and Foden do well. But if KdB hauls......

  27. gers23
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    How do we expect Utd to get on at Palace? Stroll on the park or tough game

    1. Pep Roulette
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I'm expecting a tough one. United fan here.

    2. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      10-0 to United Fernandes going berserk 🙂

      Should be an easy 3-0 win. Palace are in disarray

      1. KrisMCFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 8 months ago

        Let me guess you’re a united fan?

        1. TheDragon
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 8 months ago

          No but I am a Fernandes captainer 🙂

    3. Greek Freak
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Palace seem to have forgotten how to defend at some point during the lockdown, and now they'll be without their best defender too. I'd be surprised if it wasn't a stroll in the park.

    4. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      World #1 captained Bruno - haul imminent

  28. DaisyDaisyDaisyDaisy
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I think thats it for Alonso this season. No way he tries to deal with Salah and Traore next up. Azpi has that job

  29. FC Hakkebøf
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    Before this gameweek I was 35 pts behind top 10k. Now I am 48 pts behind. Still got BB(37) left. Staying optimistic!

  30. Jolly Good
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 8 months ago

    I expected more investment in D.Silva instead of Jesus

    1. Sun Jihai
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      Too many midfielder options

    2. Zladan
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      One scores goals, one might get an assist.

    3. Lilac Breasted Roller
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 8 months ago

      I wanted dsilva but only wanted to get rid of a fwd spot, so Jesus