Decoding FPL Formations: Why the 3-5-2 Ruled the 2023/24 Season in Fantasy Premier League

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In this section, we examine the most commonly used Fantasy Premier League (FPL) formations for the 2023/24 season. Historically, the 3-4-3 formation has been the most popular. However, during this season, the 3-5-2 formation gained popularity, especially among the ‘Top 50’ and the ‘All Time Top 50’ groups. Interestingly, the ‘All FPL’ group deviated from this trend, with 3-4-3 remaining the most used formation.

Why the 3-5-2's Rise in FPL?

The popularity of the 3-5-2 formation can be attributed to FPL’s scoring system, which heavily rewards goals and assists, with the bonus point system also favouring these actions. As a result, managers often choose the minimum number of defenders in their starting XIs, since defenders have fewer opportunities to score points aside from clean sheets. Additionally, the underperformance of premium defenders like Alexander-Arnold and Trippier this season led managers to prefer using only three defenders.

The Cole Palmer Effect

A significant factor influencing the shift from three forwards to an extra midfielder was the emergence of Cole Palmer. Starting the season priced at just £5.0m, the Chelsea midfielder ended the season being owned by 99.8% of the top 100k managers' teams.

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