Elite FPL managers saw their plans backfire after Watford’s disappointing defeat to Norwich in gameweek 23.
By analysing the movements of a group of 1,000 managers with multiple top-10,000 finishes to their names, we can see how the best bosses prepare for each gameweek.
And it’s fair to say that the top two elite transfers ahead of GW23 have some work to do in the second of their double gameweek.
Sting in the tail
With Watford’s double gameweek comprising relegation battlers Norwich AND Burnley, elite bosses invested heavily in the Hornets.
Strikers Emmanuel Dennis and Joshua King were the two most popular elite transfers ahead of the bumper week, their top ownerships increasing by 262 and 230 respectively.
In fact, GW23 saw both players owned by 50 per cent of our best managers for the first time this season – they have so far disappointed, however.
Dennis was captained by 488 of our 1,000-strong sample, the forward backed after five goals and three assists in six games between GW12 and GW20.
Not only did he fail to score as the Hornets lost 3-0 in GW23 however, he also picked up a red card and registered a negative points return, doubling to -2 for anyone who captained him.
King meanwhile has a respectable five goals and four FPL assists this term, and was the second most popular captaincy choice among our managers.
He returned just two points against the Canaries, though, and has now gone seven league games without a goal.
King’s hat-trick against Everton in GW9 now seems a long time ago, while Dennis’s negative points haul will have damaged his reputation as an FPL star.
De Bruyne bounce
At the other end of the table, Premier League leaders and defending champions Manchester City have seen two of their star players rise in popularity with the elite.
Kevin De Bruyne was the third most popular addition among our top bosses ahead of GW23, his stock rising by 136.
The Belgian midfielder has had a quiet season by his own standards, but a spell of four goals and one assist in six games ahead of GW23 has turned heads.
At £12.2million De Bruyne is one of the most expensive players in the game, but his pedigree remains difficult to ignore even if he is some way from his best.
KDB rewarded his backers in GW23 with an assist and eight points, while games against Brentford and Norwich in the coming weeks only enhance his appeal.
His team-mate Joao Cancelo continues to go from strength to strength, adding dozens of top bosses to take his elite ownership to 936 in GW23.
The defender ranks first for Threat among defenders and third for Creativity, scoring one, assisting eight and registering 12 clean sheets so far this term.
His 11-point haul against Chelsea in GW22 undoubtedly prompted a number of elite managers to add him to their squads – the only surprise is that 64 of them haven’t.