Bench Boost in GW37 is about floor first, ceiling second. You want nailed minutes, playable fixtures, and enough attacking or clean sheet equity that your bench can realistically return 12 to 18 points. This week, the best cheap options are clustered around Chelsea and Manchester City, with a few Bournemouth enablers if you need pure budget.
BB principles for GW37
For a Bench Boost, prioritise appearance security and baseline xP over chasing a miracle haul. That is why the standout defenders matter more than the cheapest attackers. A bench defender sitting around 4.0 to 4.4 xP is a strong profile for this chip. Goalkeepers are also viable if they are live for save volume, even in tougher games.
The key takeaway from the GW37 pool is simple. Manchester City defenders lead the cheap bench options, Chelsea offer decent goalkeeper and defender cover, and Bournemouth provide the budget attackers if funds are tight.
Top picks by position
Goalkeepers
- Donnarumma is the best bench keeper on raw projection, with 3.98 xP at £5.6m, away to Bournemouth. The appeal is straightforward, he leads the position this week and has a solid 3.2 form.
- Sánchez is almost identical on projection, with 3.96 xP for just £4.8m, at home to Spurs. The form is weak at 1.2, but as a second keeper for Bench Boost, that price to projection ratio is very usable.
- Petrović is the budget alternative at £4.6m, with 3.57 xP and strong recent 4.5 form. The fixture against City is rough, but save points keep him in play.
Defenders
- Guéhi is the standout bench defender this week. 4.38 xP, 4.2 form, and only £5.1m is exactly the sort of profile you want for Bench Boost.
- O’Reilly follows closely on 4.11 xP at £5.3m. The form is only 1.6, but any defender above 4.0 xP is immediately relevant for the chip.
- Matheus N. is another City route, with 4.02 xP and just 2.9% selected, which makes him a nice differential bench piece.
- Chalobah is the Chelsea fallback, posting 3.95 xP at £5.4m. Not exciting, but perfectly acceptable as a fourth or fifth defender.
Midfielders
- Caicedo tops the cheap mids on 3.23 xP for £5.7m. He is more floor than upside, but that is fine on Bench Boost.
- Reijnders comes in at 3.05 xP for £5.0m, which is decent if you need a City midfielder at low cost.
- Scott and Tavernier are pure enablers at 2.98 xP and 2.92 xP respectively. Tavernier’s 4.2 form gives him the better upside case.
Forwards
- Kroupi.Jr is the clear bench striker target. At £4.7m, with 3.26 xP and 4.5 form, he is exactly the kind of cheap third forward that makes Bench Boost affordable.
- Marc Guiu is the basement-price punt at £4.0m. The 2.71 xP is playable, but the 0.0 form tells you this is mostly about structure, not confidence.
Squad-fit notes
If you are rebuilding a Bench Boost bench, start with one of the City defenders plus Sánchez or Donnarumma. That gives you the strongest xP base. Kroupi.Jr is the best striker enabler, while Caicedo is the safest midfielder if you need a fifth mid who should simply get you points on the board.
If your budget is stretched, Petrović, Scott and Guiu can make the chip viable. If you can spend a little more, Guéhi, O’Reilly and Kroupi.Jr look like the best-value trio for GW37.