Fantasy Premier League managers are already debating when to use their first set of chips, and two of Fantasy Football Fix’s most experienced managers are considering very different Bench Boost strategies.
Are you considering an early Bench Boost in FPL this season? 👀
— Fantasy Football Fix (@FantasyFootyFix) August 3, 2026
Six-time top-10k finisher Copenhagen Wednesday is currently building towards a potential Gameweek 2 Bench Boost, targeting Coventry’s home fixture against Hull before potentially using an early Wildcard in Gameweek 5 or 6.
Dan Bennett, however, could activate the chip immediately.
After selecting Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes and Gabriel in his first FPL 2026/27 draft, the ten-time top-10k manager has completely changed his squad structure.
His latest draft contains no Haaland, spreads the available budget across all 15 players and is designed for a potential FPL Gameweek 1 Bench Boost.
Fantasy Football Fix members can follow Dan Bennett through Elite Team Reveals and receive notifications whenever he updates his squad, making it easy to see whether he commits to the strategy before the Gameweek 1 deadline.
Dan is one of only five managers in FPL history to record ten top-10k finishes, making his preseason plans particularly valuable for managers considering an unconventional chip strategy.
More than a week has passed since FPL launched and Dan has used that time to significantly reshape his opening squad.
“It’s been over a week since the game launched so time for a new draft. I’m considering playing the bench boost chip in GW1.”
His first published draft was built around Haaland, Fernandes and Gabriel. The updated version takes a very different approach, with the Haaland money distributed across the rest of the squad.
The complete 15-player team is available through Elite Team Reveals – where members can see Dan’s latest formation, captaincy selection and proposed Bench Boost bench.
They can also receive notifications whenever he makes another change, so there is no need to repeatedly check whether the ten-time top-10k manager has updated his plans.
The Bench Boost is often saved for a Double Gameweek, but managers must now use their first set of chips before the midpoint of the season, making an early activation more appealing.
A Gameweek 1 Bench Boost also limits the risk of transfers, injuries or price changes disrupting the plan between squad selection and chip activation.
Dan’s current bench contains Kinský, Groß, Shaw and Neco Williams, with the Fix algorithm projecting approximately 12 points from the four players. Members can view Dan’s complete live draft through Elite Team Reveals and receive notifications whenever he changes his squad.
Dan said:
“I’ve not done this before but since we have a set of chips to use in the first half of the season, there are a few advantages to a GW1 bench boost.”
The main attraction is the chance to secure an immediate points advantage.
“For starters, it’s just nice to (hopefully) get a head start on your rivals. Yes, they’ll still have their BB chip to play but points on the board early always feels good.”
Preparing for a Bench Boost normally requires managers to invest more money in their substitutes.
That often means selecting a second playing goalkeeper, avoiding non-playing £4.0m defenders and spreading funds across eight attacking players.
Although this increases the potential Bench Boost score, it can weaken the preferred starting XI during the Gameweeks before the chip is used.
Dan’s plan would remove that problem immediately.
“Second, once you’ve played the Bench Boost you can start reducing the amount of funds on your bench and prioritise your starting 11.”
That transition might happen through transfers, but it is more likely to be completed when he uses his first Wildcard.
“This tactic may not be fully realised until you play your first wildcard.”
This is one of the most compelling arguments for an opening-week Bench Boost. Managers would not have to carry an expensive bench for several months while waiting for the perfect opportunity to use the chip.
The biggest decision in Dan’s latest draft is starting the season without Haaland.
Haaland scored 27 goals, registered eight assists, collected 43 bonus points and finished on 239 FPL points last season, so going without him is clearly a major risk. It is an especially bold move given that Dan included the Manchester City forward in his first draft.
Dan admitted:
“This draft starts with no Haaland which is a bit daunting, but I can captain Fernandes in the first two weeks, against Hull and Ipswich.”
That captaincy plan is key.
Fernandes offers Dan a premium alternative for the opening two Gameweeks. The Manchester United midfielder scored nine goals and supplied 24 assists last season, while also creating 33 big chances and recording 136 attempted assists. With fixtures against Hull and Ipswich, he gives Dan a strong armband option without needing to back Haaland immediately.
The money saved by going without Haaland has allowed Dan to build a deeper and more balanced front line, with Thiago, João Pedro and Calvert-Lewin all included in his current draft.
As the image above shows for the Elite Team Reveals tool, Thiago is the standout scorer of the trio after delivering 22 goals, one assist, 22 bonus points and 181 FPL points last season. That goal total leaves him second only to Haaland among the forwards shown, highlighting why Dan may feel comfortable backing him as a cheaper route to goals.
João Pedro offers strong all-round output. He scored 15 goals, added nine assists, collected 30 bonus points and finished on 177 FPL points. Of Dan’s three forwards, he was the most creative and also earned the highest bonus total, suggesting he can deliver points in multiple ways.
Calvert-Lewin is the cheapest member of the front three, but he still posted 14 goals, two assists, 20 bonus points and 142 FPL points. While his overall total trails the other two, he still offers proven scoring ability and helps make the no-Haaland structure possible.
Together, the trio delivered 51 goals, 12 assists, 72 bonus points and 500 FPL points last season. Rather than concentrating a huge portion of his budget in one premium forward, Dan has spread the funds across three attackers with strong output.
The bigger question is what happens in Gameweek 3, when Manchester City face promoted Coventry.
“When Haaland plays Coventry in GW3, I could either play the Free Hit or the early Wildcard.”
A Free Hit would allow Dan to temporarily bring Haaland in for that fixture before reverting back to his original squad. The Wildcard, meanwhile, would offer a more permanent reset, letting him restructure the team and potentially move funds away from the bench after a possible Gameweek 1 Bench Boost.
You can view Dan’s complete live draft through Elite Team Reveals and receive notifications whenever he updates his team.
Removing the most expensive player in FPL has allowed Dan to strengthen several areas of his squad.
“With the money saved from no Haaland, I’ve brought in Van Dijk, Semenyo and Thiago, who all did great last season, and Palmer who will hopefully do well under new manager Alonso.”
Rather than relying on Haaland as the main premium, Dan has added proven options across defence, midfield and attack.
Semenyo became one of Manchester City’s leading FPL performers after joining the club ahead of Gameweek 22.
Semenyo joined Man City in GW22. From that point onwards:
— Fantasy Football Fix (@FantasyFootyFix) August 2, 2026
✅ He matched Haaland’s seven goals
✅ No City player scored more FPL points (82)
✅ He played the most minutes of any City outfield player (1,402)
Is Semenyo being criminally overlooked? 👀 pic.twitter.com/3B04gSiWkQ
He accumulated 82 points from that point onwards, scored seven league goals and started all 17 of City’s remaining matches.
His seven goals during that period matched Haaland’s total, while no Manchester City player completed more league minutes.
There remains competition for places in Enzo Maresca's attack, but Semenyo offers Dan a cheaper route into one of the league’s strongest teams.
Dan has used the Fantasy Football Fix Assistant Manager to assess the potential return from his proposed Gameweek 1 Bench Boost.
“The predicted points on Fix has my bench boost scoring about 12 points, which I’d be happy with.”
A projected return of around 12 points would give Dan a useful early boost, particularly if he can then reduce the money invested among his substitutes and strengthen his preferred starting XI.
Fantasy Football Fix users can also use the Assistant Manager to view their own personalised Chip Assistant AI recommendations. The tool analyses their current squad, upcoming fixtures and predicted points to suggest when chips such as the Bench Boost, Free Hit and Triple Captain could be most effective.
However, the success of Dan’s strategy cannot be judged solely by the four additional Bench Boost scores. His no-Haaland starting XI must also keep pace with squads containing the Manchester City forward, while using a Free Hit or Wildcard in Gameweek 3 would carry its own opportunity cost.
Dan’s plan provides an interesting contrast with Copenhagen Wednesday’s proposed Gameweek 2 Bench Boost.
The six-time top-10k manager is considering waiting one week and targeting Coventry’s home fixture against Hull.
Dan’s strategy would remove the risk of Gameweek 1 injuries or team news disrupting his chip, while also allowing him to begin moving money away from the bench immediately.
Copenhagen’s approach instead targets a specific favourable fixture but requires all 15 players to remain available through the opening round.
Both strategies have potential advantages:
Gameweek 1 Bench Boost
Gameweek 2 Bench Boost
Managers can read Copenhagen Wednesday’s full Gameweek 2 Bench Boost plan before comparing it with Dan’s live draft.
Dan’s squad is likely to continue changing before the Gameweek 1 deadline.
Through Elite Team Reveals, you can view his complete latest team alongside a panel of proven managers with more than 80 top-10k finishes between them.
You can also receive notifications whenever Dan changes his draft, captain, formation or chip selection.
That means readers can see whether he ultimately commits to the Gameweek 1 Bench Boost, returns to Haaland or changes his strategy entirely.
Managers considering the same approach can also use the predicted points and Future Planner tools to compare different Bench Boost combinations and estimate how many additional points the chip could deliver.
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