FPL 2025-26: How to use your Fantasy Premier League Bench Boost?

In FPL 2025-26, each manager is granted two 'Bench Boost' bonus chips to maximise their team's points haul on a given week. Let us explain.

A Fantasy Premier League squad is made up of 15 players, but usually only 11 are allowed to collect points during a normal gameweek. Your bench - which consists of the four remaining members of the squad - comes into play whenever your starters are injured or absent for whatever reason. Any player who doesn't feature that gameweek will be substituted out for a player on your bench, so long as they did play.

During the upcoming 2025-26 season, you can use the bench to your advantage – by activating the Bench Boost chip, once during the first half of the campaign and again during the second half. This means you get all the points you would for your first team, plus all the substitutes. 

FPL: How Bench Boost works in Fantasy Premier League

Usually when squad building, FPL managers tend to choose a few low-cost subs who are unlikely to play throughout the season. These are often the 4.0m backup goalkeepers or younger squad members who don't get a look-in but in Fantasy Premier League terms, help you fill out your squad. 

Bench Boost benefits those FPL managers who've picked substitutes capable of earning points. In an ideal world, a well-played bench boost allows managers to earn points from all 15 players in their Fantasy Premier League squad.

To use Bench Boost, select the icon while setting up your team for that week. You'll be asked to confirm your decision and from that point onwards, your subs' goals, assists, clean sheets and defensive contributions will count until the end of the gameweek.

Changed your mind? That's no problem. You're able to retract your Bench Boost chip up until the gameweek transfer deadline, which tends to be 90 minutes before the first fixture kicks off. Even though this year managers are allocated two sets of bonus chips, you can only activate one per gameweek. So, if you select Bench Boost, you can't then also play triple captain or make transfers with your wildcard. 

More FPL stories

You can play Fantasy Premier League online on the Premier League website, or on the Premier League app, which is available on iOS and Android. Still missing something? Here's everything you need to know about FPL, including FourFourTwo's guides on the game. Enjoy!