What is Bench Boost in FPL?
Bench Boost in FPL adds the points from your four substitutes to your gameweek score. You get two in 2026/27, one in each half of the season. The first has to be used by the Gameweek 19 deadline, 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027. Hold it for a confirmed double where those four can play twice, rather than a bench of players who will not start.
2025/26 is a reconstructive replay. The cutoff is first kickoff minus 90 minutes, not a live two-hour freeze. What that means
How Bench Boost works
When you activate Bench Boost, the points scored by all 15 squad members count towards your gameweek total. Points from your substitute goalkeeper and three outfield bench players are added to your score. You get two Bench Boosts, one per half. The first can be used from Gameweek 1 and must be used by the Gameweek 19 deadline, 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027. It does not carry over. You can cancel it before the deadline. Because every player on your bench is already active, automatic substitutions do not apply if a starter fails to play.
When to play it
- A double gameweek where your four bench players have real fixtures, often late in the season when matches are rearranged.
- The week after a Wildcard, once you have built a 15-man squad of starters without taking hits.
- A single gameweek only if all four substitutes are nailed-on starters and nobody is flagged.
- Do not play it with a non-playing cheap keeper, a youth player who will not feature, or a defender who only comes on for a cameo.
Arithmetic only. Bench Boost was not played.
2025/26 bench points by gameweek
The four substitutes scored 323 points across 38 gameweeks. The highest weeks were GW9 (28), GW3 (24), GW2 (18) and GW30 (17). The bench scored zero in GW31 and GW34, the two blank weeks. A Bench Boost would have added these bench points to the gameweek score. That is arithmetic. The replay did not play Bench Boost.
| GW | Bench points |
|---|---|
| GW1 | 11 |
| GW2 | 18 |
| GW3 | 24 |
| GW4 | 10 |
| GW5 | 9 |
| GW6 | 8 |
| GW7 | 11 |
| GW8 | 8 |
| GW9 | 28 |
| GW10 | 6 |
| GW11 | 6 |
| GW12 | 9 |
| GW13 | 3 |
| GW14 | 5 |
| GW15 | 12 |
| GW16 | 4 |
| GW17 | 8 |
| GW18 | 14 |
| GW19 | 5 |
| GW20 | 2 |
| GW21 | 10 |
| GW22 | 14 |
| GW23 | 10 |
| GW24 | 3 |
| GW25 | 7 |
| GW26 | 6 |
| GW27 | 14 |
| GW28 | 3 |
| GW29 | 4 |
| GW30 | 17 |
| GW31 | 0 |
| GW32 | 11 |
| GW33 | 11 |
| GW34 | 0 |
| GW35 | 3 |
| GW36 | 1 |
| GW37 | 6 |
| GW38 | 2 |
| Season | 323 |
Source: bench.realisedPoints on each file in data/seasons/2025-26/. Download the season file.
Arithmetic only. Bench Boost was not used.
GW37 bench: what Bench Boost would have added
The optimiser’s four listed substitutes scored 0, 6, 0 and 0 points in the 2025/26 GW37 replay. Adding those 6 bench points to its 70-point score gives 76, assuming the same squad and starting XI. The replay did not use Bench Boost, so 76 is arithmetic, not an observed chip score.
Source: 2025/26 GW37 optimiser snapshot. Data used: validatedPlan.bench.realisedPoints (0 + 6 + 0 + 0) and realisedSquadTotalPoints (70).
What the 2025/26 replay did
Bench Boost was never played on the 2025/26 reconstructive path. The bench points on this page are what the substitutes scored. They were not added to the gameweek total.
What is Bench Boost in FPL?
Bench Boost in FPL adds the points from your four substitutes to your score for one gameweek. You get two in 2026/27, one in each half. The starting eleven still score as usual.
Is Bench Boost once a season?
No. You get two Bench Boosts in FPL 2026/27, one in each half of the season. The first has to be used by the Gameweek 19 deadline, 13:30 GMT on Saturday 2 January 2027, or it is lost. The second is available from Gameweek 20.
How does Bench Boost work in FPL?
Bench Boost counts all 15 players for one gameweek. Your starting eleven score as usual, and the points from your four substitutes are added on top. Automatic substitutions do not apply, because the bench is already active.
Can you play Bench Boost in a single gameweek?
Yes. You can play Bench Boost in a single gameweek. It adds your four substitutes’ points for that one round, even when each club plays only once. A double is usually the better time, because those bench players can play twice.
When should I play Bench Boost in FPL?
Play Bench Boost when your four substitutes actually start. A double gameweek is the usual spot. In the first half you can also play it in Gameweek 1, or straight after a Wildcard, if the whole 15 have a match.
What is a good score for Bench Boost in FPL?
A strong Bench Boost is one where the four substitutes actually start. If they only bring appearance points, the chip has not done much. The 2025/26 table on this page is the substitutes’ recorded scores. Those figures are arithmetic, not a Bench Boost the replay played.
Can you Wildcard and Bench Boost in the same gameweek?
No. FPL rules allow only one chip in a gameweek. The usual move is to Wildcard the week before, then Bench Boost a 15-man squad of starters.
What happens if a bench player does not play during Bench Boost?
They score zero, the same as a starter who does not play. Automatic substitutions do not step in, because every player in the squad is already active.
Did the 2025/26 replay play Bench Boost?
No. Bench Boost was never played on the 2025/26 path. The bench table adds up the four substitutes’ recorded scores. Those totals are arithmetic, not a Bench Boost the replay played.
Triple CaptainFree HitWildcardAll chipsWhen to play them2025/26 seasonDownload the replayWhat this chip would have added