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 ahead of a big Double Gameweek 36.
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, 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 vast numbers 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.
TOP 10K AND ‘ELITE’ MANAGERS: GAMEWEEK 35 CAPTAINCY
Above: Gameweek 34 captaincy stats for the all-time greats (right) and the top 10k (left)
Over 40% of the top 10,000 FPL managers saw their captain benched in the early kick-off. Mohamed Salah (£13.3m) couldn’t do any damage as a second-half substitute and emerged from the match with a mere one-pointer, while Kevin De Bruyne (£11.9m) didn’t even get onto the field in the evening fixture at Elland Road.
TOP 10K: CHIP USAGE
The calm before the storm.
Chip activity was minimal in Gameweek 35 ahead of what will likely be a barrage of Bench Boosts and Free Hits in Gameweek 36.
Just over 2.5% of managers activated their Wildcard ahead of Saturday’s deadline.
Over one in four top 10k managers have maxed out their allocation, while around 43% have only chip remaining.
A mere 0.3% have three chips still to use.
Most of the top 10,000 managers have now used their Wildcard, Triple Captain and first Free Hit but around half still have a second Free Hit in hand, while just short of 40% have the Bench Boost still to play.
TOP 10K AND ‘ELITE’ MANAGERS: TEMPLATE SQUAD FOR GAMEWEEK 35
There were three changes from the previous ‘template’ squad, one of which saw a change in the budget goalkeeper: Ben Foster (£4.1m), who doubles in Gameweek 36, replacing Martin Dubravka (£4.5m).
Chelsea assets are involved in the other two alterations, with Kai Havertz (£7.9m) dropping out and Marcos Alonso (£5.6m) coming in.
Son Heung-min (£11.0m) is the beneficiary of Havertz’s slight loss in popularity, while Fabian Schar‘s (£4.4m) dwindling appeal sees Alonso take his spot.
OWNERSHIP STATS FOR THE 1,000 ‘LEGENDARY MANAGERS’ IN GAMEWEEK 35
READ MORE: What is ‘effective ownership’ (EO) and why is it so widely talked about in FPL?
TOP 10K: TEMPLATE WILDCARD SQUAD
Aston Villa assets were the flavour of the week amongst Wildcarders, with the Villans having a favourable match against Norwich City before back-to-back Double Gameweeks.
Matthew Cash (£5.3m), Philippe Coutinho (£7.0m) and Ollie Watkins (£7.5m) were each brought in by over 50% of those who played their Wildcard.
Interestingly, only one Manchester City player features above.
The ‘big at the back/light up front’ approach is still proving popular, while all 15 players featured have two fixtures in Gameweek 36 – so there’ll no doubt be a fair few Bench Boost chips being activated ahead of Saturday’s deadline following directly on from the Wildcard just played.
AVERAGE NUMBER OF DOUBLE GAMEWEEK 36 PLAYERS OWNED PER CLUB
With the majority of our teams already well-stocked with players from Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, all of whom play twice in Gameweek 36, most of us already have a starting XI’s worth of ‘doublers’ without having to make a transfer.
The average top 10k manager still only owns 1.3 Manchester City players, so there are some explosive (if rotation-prone) differentials to be found on the books of the reigning champions for the run-in.
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