Bench Boost in GW36 is less about chasing explosive upside and more about removing weak links. For a one week chip, managers should prioritise players with secure minutes, playable fixtures and enough baseline to avoid one point cameos. The data pool this week is unusually concentrated, with Manchester City and Crystal Palace dominating the best cheap options, so the key is deciding how much fixture concentration your squad can tolerate.
BB principles for GW36
The first rule is simple, target xP over name value. A cheap defender with 8 to 9 expected points is far more useful on Bench Boost than a fashionable attacker projected around 4 to 5. The second rule is minutes. Several of the low cost goalkeeper and forward names here are only viable if you are comfortable with some start risk. The third rule is squad balance. If your XI already leans heavily into one of these teams, your bench should ideally not overexpose you further unless the value is obvious.
Top picks per position
Goalkeepers
Donnarumma is the standout bench goalkeeper at £5.6m with 8.42 xP, 4.0 form and a home fixture vs CRY. That is a strong Bench Boost profile, even if the price is a touch high for a pure bench slot. Henderson is next at £5.1m and 7.96 xP, but the away trip to MCI makes him more of a volume save play than a clean sheet bet.
If you need pure budget relief, Trafford at £4.5m and Bettinelli at £3.8m both project at 6.15 xP. The issue is obvious, their 0.0 form numbers point to uncertainty, so they are only for managers who are willing to absorb start risk to save cash.
Defenders
Defence is where the Bench Boost value really sits. Guéhi is arguably the best bench option on the board, £5.1m, 9.36 xP, 6.8 form, and 32.7% selected. O’Reilly is right behind him at £5.2m with 9.04 xP and a superb 7.0 form. Matheus N. is the lower owned route, £5.3m, 8.79 xP, selected by just 3.0%. If you want a Palace defender instead, Lacroix still rates well at 7.40 xP for £5.2m.
Midfielders
There is less ceiling here, but some workable fourth or fifth midfielder options. Reijnders is the best of them at £5.0m with 6.25 xP. N.Gonzalez offers a differential route at £5.9m and 5.42 xP, though the 0.1% selection tells you most managers do not trust the role. Wharton at £5.0m and 5.27 xP is probably the safest Palace midfield bench filler.
Forwards
None of the cheap forwards are ideal, but Strand Larsen is the most usable at £5.9m with 5.29 xP. Marsh, Uche and Casey all sit at 4.55 xP, which is acceptable only if your Bench Boost needs a functioning body rather than genuine upside.
Squad fit notes
- Best all round bench picks: Guéhi, O’Reilly, Donnarumma.
- Best value enablers: Trafford, Bettinelli, Wharton.
- Best forward placeholder: Strand Larsen.
- Best approach: spend your Bench Boost budget in defence first, then goalkeeper, then midfield, and leave cheap forward as the final compromise.
If your bench currently contains dead spots, GW36 is a week to fix them with defenders carrying genuine 8.79 to 9.36 xP. That kind of projection is rare for budget Bench Boost slots, and it should shape transfer priorities.