The Fantasy Premier League (FPL) Gameweek 26 deadline has passed — and the data reveals a clear strategic divide between casual managers and the elite.
With Arsenal enjoying a Double Gameweek against Brentford and Wolves, FPL managers have overwhelmingly backed the Gunners — especially in defence. Captaincy, effective ownership and chip usage all point towards one dominant theme: Arsenal triple-up and Gabriel triple captain.
Captaincy data shows a dramatic shift in FPL strategy — with a certain defender emerging as the standout option.
| Player | Position | Team | Top 1M | Top 100k | Top 10k | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | Defender | Arsenal | 54.1% | 66.3% | 70.7% | 24.3% |
| Haaland | Forward | Man City | 18.1% | 12.7% | 9.6% | 38.5% |
| Rice | Midfielder | Arsenal | 10.0% | 8.6% | 8.9% | 8.5% |
| B.Fernandes | Midfielder | Man Utd | 3.8% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 4.5% |
| J.Timber | Defender | Arsenal | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2.0% |
Gabriel is the clear FPL captaincy favourite. Backed by 70.7% of top 10k managers, the Arsenal defender has become the standout Double Gameweek 26 play.
The contrast is huge: while just 24.3% of overall Fantasy Premier League managers have handed him the armband, top managers have moved aggressively to exploit Arsenal’s double fixture.
Erling Haaland remains the most popular captain overall (38.5%), but interest sharply drops among the top 10k (9.6%). A single fixture naturally carries less upside than Arsenal’s Double Gameweek, so backing one may reflect either a deliberate differential play — or, for some, perhaps missing the Tuesday deadline.
Declan Rice offers a secondary Arsenal captaincy route, holding steady around 8–10% across tiers.
Bruno Fernandes attracted minimal captaincy backing — and that decision looks justified. He blanked in Manchester United’s 1–1 draw with West Ham, ending a streak of five consecutive attacking returns.
Effective ownership (EO) — factoring in captaincy and Triple Captain usage — highlights just how heavily elite managers are invested in Arsenal.
| Player | Position | Team | Top 1M | Top 100k | Top 10k | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel | Defender | Arsenal | 159.6% | 188.5% | 201.3% | 85.0% |
| Haaland | Forward | Man City | 113.3% | 109.6% | 106.6% | 123.9% |
| B.Fernandes | Midfielder | Man Utd | 78.1% | 85.6% | 89.2% | 47.8% |
| Rice | Midfielder | Arsenal | 79.8% | 82.0% | 83.9% | 35.7% |
| J.Timber | Defender | Arsenal | 50.9% | 52.0% | 52.5% | 31.2% |
| Raya | Goalkeeper | Arsenal | 44.1% | 46.4% | 46.1% | 35.3% |
| João Pedro | Forward | Chelsea | 50.4% | 47.0% | 45.1% | 44.7% |
| Palmer | Midfielder | Chelsea | 12.3% | 15.0% | 18.0% | 14.3% |
Gabriel’s EO hits 201.3% inside the top 10k. That means top FPL managers are not only owning him — but heavily captaining and triple captaining him.
This creates enormous volatility. A defensive return or set-piece goal could trigger huge red arrows for anyone who has gone against him with captaincy. However, a blank would impact almost everyone at the top simultaneously.
Elsewhere, early returns are already shaping the Gameweek narrative:
| Chip | Top 1M | Top 100k | Top 10k | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple Captain | 29.0% | 38.4% | 43.4% | 12.6% |
| Bench Boost | 6.7% | 7.5% | 3.1% | 0.8% |
| Free Hit | 0.0% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 2.0% |
| Wildcard | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.0% | 2.4% |
Triple Captain usage is extremely high among top-ranked Fantasy Premier League managers — 43.4% inside the top 10k.
This aligns perfectly with the Gabriel captaincy data. Many managers have gone all-in on Arsenal’s Double Gameweek, due to uncertainty on which teams will double later in the season
Bench Boost remains relatively quiet, and Free Hit/Wildcard usage is minimal.
| Metric | Top 1M | Top 100k | Top 10k | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Team Value | £102.5m | £103.5m | £103.8m | £100.7m |
| Average Bank | £0.7m | £0.8m | £0.8m | £1.0m |
| Average Transfers | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Average Points Hit | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.6 |
Elite FPL managers continue to show stronger long-term squad management:
The data suggests careful planning rather than reactive transfers — a key separator in Fantasy Premier League performance.
As it stands on Wednesday morning, early Chelsea returns have rewarded backers of João Pedro and Palmer.
But this Gameweek will be decided by Arsenal.
With Gabriel sitting at over 200% effective ownership in the top 10k — and nearly half of elite managers activating their Triple Captain — Double Gameweek 26 could produce one of the biggest rank swings of the season.
In Fantasy Premier League terms, we’re entering high-voltage territory.
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