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Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 25 Deadline Report

Fantasy Football Fix AI 18 Feb. 2024

Captaincy Choices Across the Ranks

As the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 25 deadline has passed, it's time to analyse the captaincy choices made by managers across different rank tiers. The captaincy decision is a pivotal one in FPL, and make or break a manager's gameweek.

Top Managers (Top 10k)

Player% Captained% Vice-Captained
Haaland98.0%2.0%
De Bruyne2.0%10.0%
Others0.0%Varied

Erling Haaland (Man City) is the overwhelming captaincy choice among top managers, with a staggering 98.0% handing him the armband. His effective ownership, which factors in captaincy, reached an astronomical 280.0%. With fixtures against Chelsea and Brentford, Haaland's potential for a high return is significant, despite the moderate difficulty rating for both matches.

Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), another premium asset, is the distant second choice for captaincy, with only 2.0% of top managers opting for him. His effective ownership stood at 30.0%.

Top 100k Managers

Player% Captained% Vice-Captained
Haaland97.3%2.0%
Darwin0.7%22.0%
Diogo J.0.7%29.3%
De Bruyne0.7%10.0%
Foden0.7%24.0%

In the top 100k, Haaland's captaincy percentage is slightly lower at 97.3%, but still dominant. Darwin (Liverpool) and Diogo Jota (Liverpool) were alternative choices, though they are primarily selected as vice-captains.

Top 1M Managers

Player% Captained% Vice-Captained
Haaland95.4%1.8%
Darwin1.4%24.3%
Diogo J.1.3%32.6%
De Bruyne0.7%12.3%
Foden0.3%17.0%

Among the top 1M managers, Haaland's captaincy percentage dipped slightly to 95.4%. Darwin and Diogo Jota remained popular vice-captaincy options, with their effective ownership at 51.3% and 71.3%, respectively.

All Managers

Player% Captained% Vice-Captained
Haaland58.9%5.2%
De Bruyne6.6%10.7%
Salah4.9%5.3%
Watkins3.1%4.6%
Saka2.8%8.4%

Across all managers, Haaland's captaincy percentage is significantly lower at 58.9%, indicating a wider spread of captaincy choices among the broader FPL community. De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) are notable alternatives.

Effective Ownership

Effective ownership is a metric that combines a player's ownership with the percentage of managers who have captained them. It's a crucial indicator of how much a player's performance can impact the overall rankings.

Top Managers (Top 10k)

PlayerEffective Ownership
Haaland280.0%
De Bruyne30.0%
Gabriel (Arsenal)74.0%

Haaland's effective ownership among top managers is a colossal 280.0%, making him a rank killer for those that do not own or who have not captained. As the figure is over 200%, even if a manager has captained him but not triple captained him, he will negatively impact their rank for every point he returns. Gabriel of Arsenal also has a high effective ownership of 74.0%, reflecting his popularity in defence.

Top 100k Managers

PlayerEffective Ownership
Haaland279.3%
Darwin48.0%
Diogo J.65.3%
De Bruyne28.0%
Foden88.7%

In the top 100k, Haaland's effective ownership is similar to that of the top 10k. Foden's effective ownership is notably high at 88.7%, indicating his popularity among these managers.

Top 1M Managers

PlayerEffective Ownership
Haaland271.6%
Darwin51.3%
Diogo J.71.3%
De Bruyne34.8%
Foden86.2%

Among the top 1M managers, Haaland's effective ownership remains high, though slightly lower than in the top tiers. Foden's effective ownership is also substantial, reflecting his consistent form and double gameweek potential.

All Managers

PlayerEffective Ownership
Haaland143.9%
De Bruyne38.2%
Salah24.1%
Watkins45.6%
Saka61.0%

Across all managers, Haaland's effective ownership is lower but still significant. Saka's effective ownership is noteworthy, indicating his value as a mid-priced midfielder.

Chip Usage

Chips can be game-changers in FPL, offering managers the chance to double their points, save a potential poor gameweek, or overhaul their teams.

Top Managers (Top 10k)

ChipUsage
Triple Captain82.0%
Free Hit2.0%
Bench Boost1.7%
Wildcard1.3%

The Triple Captain chip was heavily utilised by top managers in Gameweek 25, with 82.0% opting to play it on Haaland due to his double gameweek.

Top 100k Managers

ChipUsage
Triple Captain82.7%
Free Hit1.3%
Bench Boost1.8%
Wildcard1.5%

Similar to the top 10k, the Triple Captain chip was the preferred choice in the top 100k, with a slightly higher usage rate of 82.7%.

Top 1M Managers

ChipUsage
Triple Captain78.9%
Free Hit1.5%
Bench Boost1.5%
Wildcard1.0%

In the top 1M, the Triple Captain chip was still popular, though there was a slight increase in the usage of the Bench Boost and Wildcard chips.

All Managers

ChipUsage
Triple Captain13.6%
Free Hit2.9%
Bench Boost1.3%
Wildcard3.2%

Among all managers, the Triple Captain chip usage was significantly lower, indicating that many managers may have already used this chip or are saving it for a later gameweek.

Transfer Stats and Finances

Transfers and team value are critical aspects of FPL strategy, affecting a manager's ability to bring in high-performing players and adapt to changes in form and fixtures.

Top Managers (Top 10k)

StatValue
Average Bank£1.9M
Average GW Transfers1.4
Average Team Value£102.6M

Top managers maintained a healthy bank balance and team value, allowing for flexibility in transfers. The average number of transfers indicates a cautious approach to changes in their squads.

Top 100k Managers

StatValue
Average Bank£2.0M
Average GW Transfers1.4
Average Team Value£102.5M

The top 100k managers had a slightly higher average bank balance compared to the top 10k, with a similar number of transfers and team value.

Top 1M Managers

StatValue
Average Bank£2.0M
Average GW Transfers1.4
Average Team Value£102.5M

The top 1M managers mirrored the top 100k in terms of finances and transfer activity, indicating a consistent strategy across these tiers.

All Managers

StatValue
Average Bank£1.6M
Average GW Transfers0.8
Average Team Value£99.5M

Across all managers, the average bank balance was lower, and the team value was significantly less than that of higher-ranked managers. The average number of transfers was also lower, suggesting less frequent squad changes.

Conclusion

Gameweek 25 has seen a clear captaincy favourite in Erling Haaland, with his double gameweek fixtures and form making him an almost unanimous choice among top managers. Effective ownership figures reflect the high stakes placed on Haaland's performance, with other popular players like De Bruyne, Saka, and Foden also featuring prominently. Chip usage was dominated by the Triple Captain, especially in the higher ranks, while financial and transfer statistics show a cautious yet flexible approach to squad management.

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