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Konsa Chaos & Bench Boost Busts – Elite FPL Managers Reveal Their Next Moves

FPL Gameweek 2 Transfer Plans
Fantasy Football Fix 19 Aug. 2025

GW1 Fallout: Panic Stations or Patience? Elite FPL Managers React

For many FPL managers, Gameweek 1 was a harsh wake-up call.

Benched players outscored starting XI ones, popular picks failed to deliver, and future Bench Boost plans were thrown into chaos by suspensions and surprise omissions.

So how are the world’s best FPL managers reacting?

We asked our Elite XI: Team Reveal managers — and their message was clear: don’t panic.



James Cooper – 7× Top 10k Finishes

“My main headache is Konsa…”
“…he ruins my Bench Boost plans for GW2.”

Cooper admits GW1 has already disrupted his strategy, but instead of scrambling for a quick fix, he’s rolling his transfer and holding Konsa:

“I’d rather save the move, bench him, and keep three free transfers ready for GW3.”

A lesson in forward planning rather than knee-jerking.

Elite FPL managers bench for Gameweek 2

James’ original plan looked promising on paper:

  • Verbruggen vs Everton (A): A low-scoring side, so there was real clean sheet potential.
  • Strand Larsen vs Bournemouth (A): Bournemouth shipped four against Liverpool, with their new-look defence still settling in.
  • Pedro Porro vs Man City (A): A tough fixture for clean sheet hopes, but Porro’s attacking threat always offers upside.
  • Konsa vs Brentford (A): A solid fixture for Aston Villa’s defender.

Mark Mansfield – 7× Top 10k Finishes

Mansfield’s reflections were equally cautious:

“Not a single player stood out.”
“…with Konsa out for just one week, there’ll be no changes.”

Elite managers defensive line up for FPL Gameweek 2

Like Cooper, Mansfield plans to hold steady until GW3/4, resisting the urge to tinker after just one poor week.

To be fair, his defence looks well set for Gameweek 2 with Neco Williams away at Palace, Aït-Nouri at home to Spurs, and Estève against Sunderland.

Daniel Boije – 5× Top 10k Finishes

Boije echoed the same calm:

“Bad start, but nothing to panic about.”
“Reijnders impressed — but he’s not worth a hit.”

Rolling his transfer is the sensible move, giving him another week of GW2 data before making any big decisions.

In yesterday’s article, we looked at which players managers were selling to bring in Reijnders — and whether those moves were shrewd or simply knee-jerk reactions.

Corey Baker – 5× Top 10k Finishes (no Salah, with Haaland)

Baker had a slightly different take, reflecting on a rare gamble:

“Haaland vs Salah? I won that round.”
“…but everyone else blanked.”

Baker’s keeping a close eye on Palmer, Wirtz, Reijnders and Anderson for the coming weeks, with no immediate changes planned.

Elite Managers front three forwards

Interestingly, he’s currently backing Watkins with the captain’s armband for Brentford away.

It suggests the Elite Manager expects the Bees to struggle following Thomas Frank’s summer departure. Our Predicted Points & Stats tool has the Villa striker projected at 4.7 points.

Copenhagen Wednesday – 6× Top 10k Finishes

Not all Elite XI reports were so measured. Copenhagen Wednesday summed up his GW1 with trademark humour:

“47 points, under the average.”

“Watkins and Mateta could’ve been stopped by a traffic cone.”

“Guiu’s zero minutes killed my Bench Boost plan.”

And yet, even after one of the harshest starts, the conclusion was the same as his peers:

“Transfer gets rolled. Panic moves won’t fix this mess.”

FPL Gameweek 1: Key Takeaways

What’s striking is the unified response from the Elite XI:

  • Patience > Panic: No one is rushing into early transfers.
  • Konsa headache: Multiple managers mentioned him as the week’s biggest curveball.
  • Bench Boost plans ruined: But the reaction wasn’t to chase points — it was to adapt and delay.
  • Long-term vision: GW3 (international break) is being marked as the first big opportunity to restructure.

So while the wider FPL community might be scrambling after one bad week, the Elite XI are almost unanimous: don’t rip up your team, don’t knee-jerk, and remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

👉 Want to see exactly how their squads line up and follow their transfers in real-time? Check out the Elite XI: Team Reveal page.


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