The Fantasy Premier League deadline for Gameweek 18 landed on Boxing Day, with Manchester United vs Newcastle the only fixture before a packed Saturday schedule featuring seven matches.
With the festive fixtures now in full swing, early data offers clear insight into how engaged and top-ranked FPL managers are approaching this crucial period. Captaincy choices, effective ownership and chip usage all highlight where managers are opting for safety — and where strategies are beginning to diverge.
As expected, Erling Haaland dominates the captaincy conversation for FPL Gameweek 18. Across every manager tier, he remains the standout armband choice, although there are subtle differences that highlight how more engaged Fantasy Premier League managers are willing to take selective risks.
| Player | Top 1M | Top 100k | Top 10k | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haaland | 80.5% | 81.9% | 82.2% | 70.8% |
| Ekitiké | 17.2% | 16.2% | 15.8% | 14.2% |
| Saka | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Wirtz | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 3.2% |
Haaland’s captaincy backing actually increases slightly among the highest-ranked managers, rising from 80.5% in the top 1M to 82.2% in the top 10k. This underlines just how strong his appeal is this week, even among managers who are typically more willing to chase upside.
Manchester City’s early kick-off against Nottingham Forest has only strengthened Haaland’s appeal. Many Fantasy Premier League managers have prioritised security over chasing a differential captaincy — and it is easy to see why, with Haaland averaging 8.88 FPL points per game. Recent Gameweeks have also punished those who have gone against him, underlining just how reliable the Norwegian remains as a captain option.
For those willing to go against the crowd, Hugo Ekitiké stands out as the clear alternative. The Liverpool forward has scored five goals in his last three matches and faces a struggling Wolves side at Anfield in Gameweek 18. However, his support dips slightly as rank improves — from 17.2% among the top 1M managers to 15.8% in the top 10k. This suggests that while Ekitiké is firmly on the radar, the very top Fantasy Premier League managers are less inclined to move away from Haaland in what still looks like a favourable fixture.
The overall captaincy data also highlights a sharp contrast in decision-making. Players such as Florian Wirtz and Bukayo Saka attract minimal attention from engaged managers, yet still account for a noticeable share of the overall captaincy pool — a reflection of less active Fantasy Premier League teams.
Effective ownership (EO), which factors in captaincy, shows where rank swings are likely to be most severe in FPL Gameweek 18.
| Player | Top 1M | Top 100k | Top 10k | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haaland | 183.6% | 183.6% | 183.4% | 164.3% |
| Ekitiké | 63.1% | 85.0% | 85.5% | 56.7% |
| Saka | 62.1% | 59.7% | 56.1% | 29.5% |
| Foden | 81.6% | 86.3% | 88.5% | 58.1% |
| Raya | 48.6% | 53.0% | 50.9% | 34.8% |
| Semenyo | 48.1% | 44.5% | 47.7% | 51.1% |
| J. Timber | 47.1% | 48.0% | 45.1% | 33.8% |
| Virgil | 37.1% | 33.8% | 36.9% | 24.5% |
Haaland’s effective ownership is almost identical across engaged manager tiers at around 183%, highlighting just how damaging his hauls can be for Fantasy Premier League rank — especially for those who choose to go against him.
Ekitiké is where a major divergence appears. His EO jumps from 63.1% in the top 1M to over 85% among the top 100k and top 10k. This suggests that many highly engaged managers view him as close to essential, increasing the risk for those who have ignored the Liverpool forward.
Phil Foden’s effective ownership steadily rises with rank, peaking at 88.5% in the top 10k. This highlights his growing importance among top-ranked FPL managers and leaves little room for error if he delivers against Nottingham Forest.
Elsewhere, Arsenal’s David Raya shows consistent ownership across tiers, reflecting his reliability as a goalkeeper option. Antoine Semenyo, meanwhile, stands out for being more popular in the overall game than among engaged managers, hinting that some experienced players may be moving away despite his continued minutes.
Chip usage patterns for Gameweek 18 offer further insight into how strategic thinking differs across Fantasy Premier League manager tiers. With this being the penultimate Gameweek in which the first set of chips can be used, the data makes for particularly interesting reading.
| Chip | Top 1M | Top 100k | Top 10k | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Boost | 7.9% | 5.7% | 5.1% | 6.9% |
| Free Hit | 5.7% | 6.2% | 6.0% | 6.0% |
| Wildcard | 5.7% | 4.0% | 5.0% | 1.7% |
| Triple Captain | 0.7% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 5.1% |
Bench Boost usage is notably higher among less engaged managers, with nearly 8% of the top 1M deploying it compared to just over 5% in the top 10k. This suggests many experienced Fantasy Premier League managers either used the chip at a more optimal time earlier in the season, rather than holding it until the last moment.
The Triple Captain chip shows the clearest divide. While 5.1% of overall managers have already activated it, just 1.2% of top 10k managers have done so. Predictably, Haaland is the most popular Triple Captain choice among top 10k managers, with around 70 backing him. Hugo Ekitiké is the next most popular option, with roughly 50 managers placing their faith in the Liverpool forward.
Free Hit usage is strikingly consistent across all tiers, indicating broad agreement on its value at this stage of the season. Wildcard usage, however, shows both struggling and highly engaged managers are reshaping squads, while those in the middle appear more content to hold.
Transfer behaviour and finances further underline how engaged managers approach Fantasy Premier League differently.
| Metric | Top 1M | Top 100k | Top 10k | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Transfers | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| Average Points Hit | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| Average Team Value | £102.4m | £103.1m | £103.2m | £100.7m |
| Average Bank | £0.9m | £0.9m | £0.9m | £0.9m |
Top-ranked Fantasy Premier League managers continue to make slightly more transfers, averaging 1.5 moves compared to just one across the overall game. With Bruno Fernandes both heavily owned and ruled out through injury — and Hugo Ekitiké looking close to essential given his fixture run — higher transfer activity was always likely, alongside a greater willingness to take calculated points hits.
Team value follows a clear upward trend with rank, with the top 10k holding squads worth over £103m on average. This gap reflects long-term planning and consistent optimisation rather than short-term decision-making.
Despite these differences, bank balances are identical across tiers, indicating that success in FPL is driven more by player selection and timing than by holding unused funds.
Overall, the Gameweek 18 data shows that while Haaland remains the central pillar of most Fantasy Premier League teams, meaningful differences are emerging beneath the surface — particularly around effective ownership, chip patience and squad value management.
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