Navigating the rules of substitutions within Fantasy Premier League (FPL) is a key strategic component.
Ensuring your substitutes are correctly prioritized and understanding when changes are automatically or manually applied could be decisive in optimizing your points each Game Week.
Automatic substitutions and conditions
In FPL, automatic substitutions occur if a player in your starting XI does not play in a Game Week.
Three main conditions must meet for an automatic sub to take place: the player must not have played a single minute, your formation must remain valid post-substitution, and the auto-sub happens at the end of a Game Week.
The priority is given to the highest-priority substitute on your bench that can maintain a valid formation – at least one goalkeeper, three defenders, two midfielders, and one forward.
Manual substitutions and deadlines
Manual substitutions are changes you make to your line up before the Game Week deadline. You have the freedom to adjust your starting XI and the order of your substitutes. Any changes you want to integrate into your team for the upcoming Game Week must be confirmed before this cut-off point.
Remember, once the deadline passes, your team is locked, and only automatic substitutions can occur.
Substitute bench order and priority
Your substitutes bench is ranked by you and this dictates the priority in which they will replace non-playing starters.
Your first substitute (often called the first sub) has the highest-priority in auto-substitution scenarios. It’s crucial to arrange your bench considering possible absences and the likelihood of each sub playing, adhering to the game’s formation constraints.
