Guide · Explanation. Effective ownership is a term FPL managers use; it is not in the official rules.
Effective ownership in FPL, explained
The short answer
Ownership counts how many teams have a player. Effective ownership counts how much those teams gain when he scores. A team that captains him counts twice, a team that has him on the bench counts as nothing.
How to work it out
For each team, take the number the player's points are multiplied by:
| The team has him | Counts as |
|---|---|
| On the bench, or not at all | 0 |
| In the starting eleven | 1 |
| As captain | 2 |
| As captain with Triple Captain played | 3 |
Add those up and divide by the number of teams.
An example
A mini-league of ten teams. Six start the player, and three of those six captain him.
- Three teams start him without the armband: 3 × 1 = 3
- Three teams captain him: 3 × 2 = 6
- Four teams do not start him: 0
That is 9 across 10 teams. His effective ownership in that league is 90%, although only 60% of the teams own him.
Why it matters
When the player scores, the league as a whole gains his points times the effective ownership. You gain his points times your own multiplier.
In the example, suppose he scores 10 points:
| You | You gain | The league gains on average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do not own him | 0 | 9 | You lose 9 |
| Start him | 10 | 9 | You gain 1 |
| Captain him | 20 | 9 | You gain 11 |
Owning him without the armband barely moves you. That is why a heavily captained player is a shield when you only start him, and a weapon only when you captain him too.
Above 100%
Effective ownership can pass 100% when most teams own a player and many captain him. Then starting him without the armband loses you ground every time he scores, even though you own him.
Your league, not the whole game
The number that decides your mini-league is the one inside it. A player owned by a third of all managers may be in every team in your league, or in none.
See it for your league
FPL Tilt's Live page shows effective ownership for your own mini-league, player by player, while the Gameweek is on.