In Fantasy Premier League, substitutions are automatic. After the Gameweek ends, any starter who did not play is replaced by the first eligible substitute in your bench order.
The basic substitution rule
Automatic substitutions are processed only after all matches in the Gameweek have been played. A starter must have not played at all in that Gameweek for the system to consider a replacement, and “played” includes either appearing on the pitch or receiving a yellow or red card.
Bench players add to your Gameweek score only when they come in for a starter who did not play. The exception is “Bench Boost”, which makes the points of all four substitutes count in that Gameweek.
Any team change that is meant to apply to that Gameweek must be made before the deadline. That includes your starting XI, transfers, captain and vice-captain choices, and the priority order of your substitutes; after the deadline passes, those changes apply from the next Gameweek instead.
Who replaces a starter who did not play
Here is the replacement rule for each case.
| Starter who did not play | Replaced by |
|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | The substitute goalkeeper, if he played |
| Outfield player | The highest-priority outfield substitute who played and keeps the formation valid |
| Defender, when only 3 defenders start | Another defender who played |
Goalkeepers and outfield players are checked separately. If your starting goalkeeper does not play, only the substitute goalkeeper can replace him, and only if that substitute goalkeeper played in the Gameweek.
For outfield players, bench order matters, but formation rules still control who can come in. A valid starting XI must contain 1 goalkeeper, 3 to 5 defenders, 2 to 5 midfielders and 1 to 3 forwards, so an automatic substitution cannot create an invalid shape.
How bench order and formation work together
The order you set in “Pick Team” decides which outfield substitute is checked first. Even so, the first name on the bench does not always come on; he must also have played and his arrival must keep the formation legal.
Here is a rule-based example.
| Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
| A 3-4-3 team with bench order midfielder, defender, forward; one starting defender did not play | The midfielder cannot come on because only 2 defenders would remain, so the bench defender comes on if he played |
This is why a higher-priority bench player can be skipped. If that player has played but would break the formation rules, the system moves on to the next eligible outfield substitute.
Double Gameweeks, Blank Gameweeks and Bench Boost
In a Double Gameweek, a club plays twice in the same Gameweek. Its players can earn two sets of points if they play in both matches, and a captain from that club gets double points for each match he plays in.
Automatic substitutions still follow the same trigger: a player must not play at all in that Gameweek. If he appears for any minutes in any of his scheduled matches, he does not qualify for an automatic substitution; the same rule means a captain who plays in only one of the two matches is not replaced as captain.
In a Blank Gameweek, a club has no fixture, so its players score 0 points in that Gameweek. When that match is rescheduled, the club plays twice in a later Gameweek, and the points count only for managers who have those players selected in the Gameweek when the match is actually played.
“Bench Boost” changes scoring, not the timing of substitutions. The chip makes all four bench players count in that Gameweek, while automatic substitutions and captain changes are still processed at the end of the Gameweek.
FAQ
Do bench players get points in FPL?
They can score points from their real matches, but those points do not normally count toward your Gameweek total. They count only if the player is brought in for a non-playing starter, or if “Bench Boost” is active.
How do you change substitutes in FPL?
You set your starters and bench order in “Pick Team” before the Gameweek deadline. Once that deadline has passed, FPL cannot change your team, substitutes, captain, vice-captain or chips for that Gameweek.
Does a booked player count as having played?
Yes. A player is treated as having played if he appears on the pitch or receives a yellow or red card in that Gameweek, so he does not trigger an automatic substitution.
What happens if a player has left the Premier League but is still in your squad?
He can remain in your squad, but he scores 0 points. Removing him requires a transfer in “Transfers”; he is not automatically taken out of your team.