Fantasy Premier League players, it’s time to get excited and panic in equal measure after the reveal of the Assistant Manager chip.
No longer a mystery chip, this power-up will take serious thinking to utilise effectively when compared to the straight-forward Bench Boost, Triple Captain and Free Hit chips that have proven so strong over the years.
Before we dive into the specifics and provide some useful player tips for the upcoming Gameweek 16, it’s worth noting you cannot activate the Assistant Manager chip until Gameweek 24, which is currently scheduled to begin at the start of February.
What is the Assistant Manager chip and how do I use it?
Let’s break it down as simply as possible.
The Assistant Manager chip allows you to add one Premier League manager to your squad alongside your usual setup of 15 players. However, one of the most important points to note is the chip will be active across three weeks once you trigger it. This is not the traditional one-week sprint that the other chips allow.
Your manager will be able to score points in multiple ways: six points for a win, three for a draw, two for a clean sheet and one for each goal.
First thoughts probably turn to Arne Slot and Liverpool, or Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, but there’s incentive to use managers from teams who aren’t flying. You will receive an extra 10 points per win if you pick a manager who beats a club ranked five or more places ahead of them in the Premier League at the start of the gameweek, or an extra five points if they draw.
For example, imagine top of the table Liverpool beat ninth-placed Brentford 3-0. This would accumulate 11 points: six for the win, two for the clean sheet and one per goal. Now imagine 15th-placed Everton beat the Bees by the same result. This would gain 21 points, with the extra total coming from the 10 additional win points.
This will obviously take some serious planning to work well, especially because there is a major drawback to consider. Your assistant manager costs money and you won’t be given any extra budget. We can expect to see the prices range from £0.5M-£1.5M depending on the quality of the team.
It’s also important to remember your selection takes up one allocated spot from the club in question. If you’re currently rocking Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel, you wouldn’t be able to grab Arteta without getting rid of one.
Remember, one chip can only be activated at a time. Once you have played your Assistant Manager chip, you’re locked out of the others for the next three weeks. You can change your manager selection during this time, but doing so will take away one of your free transfers for players.
Fear not, Erik ten Hag fans; should a manager get sacked, you will still get the club’s score for that gameweek. There’s obviously a high-risk, high-reward strategy to work out here, with teams like Bournemouth potentially an exciting prospect after beating Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City while being ranked well below them.
Tips for Gameweek 16: Players to bring in
For those who prefer to not think about future FPL stress, good news! It’s time to look at some players who you should consider bringing into your squad in time for Gameweek 16.
GK: Alisson, Liverpool, £5.4m: Liverpool’s brilliant Brazilian put on an excellent display against Girona on his return from injury on Tuesday evening. That time out has lowered his price ahead of a great run of fixtures for Slot’s Reds.
DEF: Jurrien Timber, Arsenal, £5.6m: It feels important to own an Arsenal defender who can attack from their corner routines. Timber is the cheapest way in, recently scored against Manchester United and was largely rested on Wednesday after rumours of a fitness issue. His appearance off the bench should put that to bed.
MID: Kaoru Mitoma, Brighton, £6.6m: Three goals and three assists so far this season for the mid-priced Mitoma, who allows a nice balance between enabling more expensive players without sacrificing too much quality. He’s an ever-present in an attacking side with three tasty fixtures on the horizon.
FW: Jorgen Strand Larsen, Wolves, £5.4m: Wolves fever has died down a little in FPL, largely due to Matheus Cunha going quiet. But it’s worth considering their attack across the next couple of weeks, with Ipswich and Leicester to come. Strand Larsen has adapted well to the Premier League and is a cheaper way into a side that looks like it could score 10 and concede 20 at any given moment.
