FPL GW23 Review2025/26 GW23 Review how did you do?

Published · refreshed

Hero of the week2.3% owned

Estêvão made the difference. The template did not.

Chelsea crestEstêvão Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves, Chelsea
13points · Starred in Chelsea's impressive 3-1 away victory against Crystal Palace

Gameweek 23 for the 2025/26 season proved brutal for many, with a low average score of 44. Captaincy was a tale of two cities; heavily-backed options delivered minimal returns, while a less owned alternative rewarded its backers handsomely. This challenging week offered stark reminders about ownership concentrations and the potential rewards of overlooked assets, setting the stage for crucial lessons ahead of GW24.

See the GW24 captain picks
01The field

How the field scored

44average score
59green-arrow target
74elite week

The average manager scored 44. Around 59 was a useful target for a green arrow; 74+ made it an elite week.

02Most-picked captains

Did the armband deliver?

  • Erling Haaland, Man CityHaalandMan City crestMCI· 72.9% owned
    72.9%1→2Missed
  • Antoine Semenyo, Man CitySemenyoMan City crestMCI· 48% owned
    48%8→16Missed
  • Igor Thiago Nascimento Rodrigues, BrentfordThiagoBrentford crestBRE· 37.6% owned
    37.6%2→4Missed
  • Marc Guéhi, Man CityGuéhiMan City crestMCI· 37.5% owned
    37.5%6→12Missed
  • Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães, ArsenalGabrielArsenal crestARS· 37.2% owned
    37.2%1→2Missed
03Hauls and blanks

Heroes and villains

Heroes
  • Estêvão Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves, ChelseaEstêvãoChelsea crestCHE · 2.3% owned13ptsStarred in Chelsea's impressive 3-1 away victory against Crystal Palace.
  • Dominik Szoboszlai, LiverpoolSzoboszlaiLiverpool crestLIV · 5.7% owned13ptsInstrumental in Liverpool's goal-scoring despite a narrow 3-2 defeat to Bournemouth.
  • João Pedro Junqueira de Jesus, ChelseaJoão PedroChelsea crestCHE · 29.6% owned12ptsA significant contributor in Chelsea's productive attacking display against Crystal Palace.
  • BowenWest Ham United crestWHU · 8.3% owned12ptsLed the line effectively in West Ham's 3-1 home win against Sunderland.
Villains
  • Erling Haaland, Man CityHaalandMan City crestMCI · 72.9% owned1ptsThe season's most essential asset failed to deliver in a 2-0 clean sheet win, resulting in a significant rank fall for the majority.
  • Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães, ArsenalGabrielArsenal crestARS · 37.2% owned1ptsA high-ownership defender blanked and conceded three goals at home, punishing a large portion of managers.
  • David Raya Martín, ArsenalRayaArsenal crestARS · 33.3% owned1ptsArsenal's goalkeeper conceded three goals in a home loss to Manchester United, leading to a minimal return for over a third of the FPL populace.
04Actionable for GW24

Three lessons

  1. 01

    Diversify Captaincy Risk

    With overwhelming ownership on a single captain, a blank can be devastating for overall rank. Spreading risk or identifying high-upside alternatives, even within the same team, can pay dividends when the favourite fails.

  2. 02

    Unearth Low-Owned Gems

    Players like Estêvão (2.3% owned) and Buendía (0.4% owned) topped the charts, rewarding managers who looked beyond highly owned assets for form and strong fixtures, indicating the power of differentials.

  3. 03

    Clean Sheets Are Not Guaranteed

    Arsenal's popular defensive assets (Gabriel, Raya) blanked due to conceding three goals at home. Relying solely on fixture strength for defensive returns carries inherent risk; form and opposition strength are critical factors.

Get the GW24 captain picks

Utilise robust analysis tools to dissect these outcomes and refine your strategy for future gameweeks.

GW24 captain picks

Questions managers ask

What was the average FPL score in Gameweek 23?
The average FPL score in Gameweek 23 was 44 points. Around 59+ was a useful green-arrow target, and 74+ an elite week.
Who were the highest scoring FPL players in Gameweek 23?
The top FPL performers in Gameweek 23 were: Estêvão (13 pts), Szoboszlai (13 pts), João Pedro (12 pts), Bowen (12 pts).
Did the top FPL captain picks deliver in Gameweek 23?
Haaland disappointed as captain in GW23 with 2 captain points (1 base points).
Which FPL players disappointed in Gameweek 23?
The biggest FPL disappointments in Gameweek 23 were: Haaland (1 pts), Gabriel (1 pts), Raya (1 pts).