In the fiercely competitive world of Fantasy Premier League (FPL), every point counts.
While goals, assists, and clean sheets form the bedrock of your score, the often decisive factor that separates the top managers is the ability to predict and profit from Bonus Points.
These extra points are awarded at the end of each match and can be the difference between a great Gameweek and a truly spectacular one.
It may seem little but here is a stat for reference, Gabriel has scored 80 points so far and 13 of them are from bonus which means 10.4% of his points are from collection bonus points throughout the season.
Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of how the FPL Bonus Points System (BPS) works and how you can track them live to keep ahead of your mini league rivals.
Bonus Points are allocated to the top three performing players in every Premier League match, based on the Bonus Points System (BPS).
The BPS is a complex formula that uses a range of statistics supplied by Opta to generate a performance score for every player on the pitch.
At the end of a match, the three players with the highest BPS score receive bonus points ranging from 3-1 every week.
The BPS rewards a wide variety of on field actions, both positive and negative, to provide a more holistic view of a player’s overall contribution.
| Positive Actions (Examples) | Negative Actions (Examples) |
| Goals (weighted higher for defenders/midfielders) | Goals Conceded (Goalkeepers/defenders only, after the first two) |
| Assists | Yellow & Red Cards |
| Clean Sheets (Goalkeepers/defenders) | Penalty Misses |
| Successful Tackles | Own Goals |
| Key Passes | |
| Saves (Goalkeepers) | |
| Big Chances Created |
It’s common for players to have the same BPS score. In these instances, the bonus points are resolved as follows, ensuring more than three players can earn a bonus:
Tie for 1st Place: The top two players receive 3 points each. The next highest score receives 1 point.
Tie for 2nd Place: The 1st place player receives 3 points. The two tied players receive 2 points each.
Tie for 3rd Place: The 1st and 2nd place players receive 3 and 2 points, respectively. The tied players all receive 1 point each.
In this image as you can see both Gabriel and Gyokeres ended up on the same BPS for second place which means that they will both get 2 points and Calafiori will not get 1 BPS despite having the third most.
While the official FPL website usually confirms the final bonus points about an hour after a match concludes, waiting for the official tally can leave you in the dark, especially during a crucial Gameweek.
FPL managers can rely on third party FPL tools and dashboards that track the BPS in real time.
These tools translate the live match data (from Opta) into estimated BPS and bonus points, often updating every few minutes.
You can use sites such as https://plan.livefpl.net/rank my personal favourite is youtuber FPL Focal’s website https://fpl.page/.
They even have an app you can use and has features that let you toggle real time xG and Defcon as well.
Mastering bonus points can be a game changer. When selecting players, look beyond just goals and assists and consider players who consistently perform well across multiple BPS categories
Defensive Midfielders: Players who contribute defensively (tackles, recoveries) and offensively (key passes, shots) often score well. We have seen that a lot this season especially with Defcon machines such as Caicedo, Xhaka, Gravenberch and Rice who is on set pieces for Arsenal.
Goal-Scoring/Assisting Defenders: These players get points for clean sheets plus a huge BPS boost for attacking returns. As mentioned before Gabriel has 13 bonus and the next best is Timber with 7.
High Volume Goalkeepers: Goalkeepers who face a lot of shots and make numerous saves can consistently rack up bonus points, even in defeats. At the top for Bonus points scorer is Roefs and Vicario with 6 and 5 respectively.
By understanding the intricacies of the Bonus Points System and utilising live tracking tools, you gain a significant strategic advantage in FPL, allowing you to react faster and better predict your final Gameweek score.
