FPLHERMESChips · 4 min read
The FPL Bench Boost: how it works and when to play it
Bench Boost adds your substitutes' points to your score for one gameweek. The chip is only as good as your bench, so the work happens in the weeks before you play it.
Updated 28 October 2026
What it does
For one gameweek, all 15 players score: your starting eleven plus your four substitutes. Normally the bench only matters when a starter doesn't play.
How many Bench Boosts do you get?
Two in 2026/27: one from Gameweek 1 to Gameweek 19 and one from Gameweek 20 to Gameweek 38. The first one is lost if you have not used it by Gameweek 19.
When to use it
- When all four bench players are likely to start and have decent fixtures
- In a double gameweek, if your bench players' teams play twice
- A week or two after a Wildcard, which lets you build a bench of regular starters
- Not with a back-up keeper who never plays or a defender who is out of the team
Your first Bench Boost if no doubles appear
Double gameweeks before Christmas are rare, and the first Bench Boost is lost if it isn't played by Gameweek 19. Don't hold it all autumn waiting for a double that may not come.
Pick a week where all four substitutes are regular starters with kind fixtures, ideally the week after a Wildcard, when you have just built a strong bench.
How to judge it
The chip is worth exactly what your bench scores. Add up your four substitutes' expected points for the week. If it is low, wait or improve the bench first.
Frequently asked
- What does Bench Boost do in FPL?
- For one gameweek, your four substitutes' points count towards your score as well as your starting eleven.
- How many Bench Boosts do you get in FPL?
- Two in 2026/27: one in Gameweeks 1 to 19 and one in Gameweeks 20 to 38.
- When should I play my first Bench Boost?
- In a double gameweek if one is announced before Gameweek 19. If not, in a week where all four substitutes are likely to start with good fixtures, often just after a Wildcard.