The rule, exactly
For one gameweek, your four bench players score too. Everything else stays normal — captaincy, automatic substitutions among the eleven, all of it. It is played on the Pick Team page and, unlike the transfer chips, can be cancelled any time before the deadline.
Two per season, one per half, same expiry as the rest: the first is gone after the Gameweek 18 deadline.
When it pays
Bench Boost is worth exactly what your bench scores, so it pays when all fifteen players have a fixture and the four on the bench genuinely play football. The strongest week is a double gameweek for clubs your bench players belong to — two matches each instead of one.
Played on a random week with a £4.3m reserve who never leaves the bench, it returns two or three points. Played on a planned week, fifteen and up. It is the chip that rewards owning a cheap bench that starts, which is precisely what the value tables on every league page here are for.
The five-league angle
With five calendars in play, the perfect Bench Boost week — all fifteen with fixtures, several with two — comes around more often than in a one-league game. Check the fixture screen for the week where no league blanks before committing it.
Questions
Asked and answered
What does Bench Boost do?
All fifteen of your players score for one gameweek instead of just the starting eleven. It is played on the Pick Team page and can be cancelled before the deadline.
How many points does Bench Boost usually add?
It adds whatever your bench scores. A bench of regular starters with full fixtures typically adds 10–20 points; a bench of reserves adds almost nothing, which is why the chip rewards planning.
Can I captain a bench player during Bench Boost?
No — the captain is chosen from your starting eleven as normal. The bench players simply score alongside them for that week.
When should I not use Bench Boost?
In any week where a bench player has no fixture at all — with five leagues on five calendars, always check for blanks first. A blanked bench slot scores zero and the chip is spent either way.
You know this rule.
Now use it.
Free, five leagues, and the deadline is Friday 13:00 UTC.