Current world No 1 Jonas Sand Labakk holds a commanding 46-point advantage over his nearest rival heading into the final Gameweek of 2023/24 Fantasy Premier League.
Labakk, who is aiming to become the first Norwegian to win the FPL world title, moved to the top of the standings following a successful Free Hit in Double Gameweek 34 (DGW34) and has led the way ever since.
His team, Onkel Blaa, produced a Bench Boost-inspired 143 points in Double Gameweek 37 (DGW37), thanks to double-digit contributions from Josko Gvardiol (£5.1m), Phil Foden (£8.5m), Erling Haaland (£14.3m), Cole Palmer (£6.3m) and Pedro Porro (£5.9m).
It was Labakk's third triple-figure score in four Gameweeks. Such imperious form has made it nearly impossible for his closest challengers to make up ground.
Top 10 managers in the world
| Rank | Team | Pts | Pts to first |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Onkel Blaa | 2,728 | 0 |
| 2 | Pinky and De Bruyne | 2,682 | 46 |
| 3 | Schorlings Schakaler | 2,666 | 62 |
| 4 | Flying Without Ings | 2,661 | 67 |
| 5 | DropItLikeIt'sKlopp | 2,659 | 69 |
| 6 | Alexandra Greats | 2,653 | 75 |
| 7 | InItToWinIt | 2,648 | 80 |
| 8 | Alqahs | 2,648 | 80 |
| 9 | Bogakameratane | 2,648 | 80 |
| 10 | A Cirkin Romance | 2,647 | 81 |
Second-placed Euan Thompson kept hold of his second Wildcard until Double Gameweek 35 (DGW35), whereas Labakk used his back in Gameweek 30.
But Thompson's team, Pinky and De Bruyne, has gained just four points on his rival in the three rounds since using the chip.
Indeed, going into DGW37, there were only three differences between their 15-man Bench Boost squads, suggesting Labakk made good use of his transfers to nullify the benefit of Wildcarding later.
Differentials between top two managers
| Manager | Differentials |
|---|---|
| Jonas Sand Labakk | Pickford, Dalot, Garnacho |
| Euan Thompson | Onana, Saliba, Johnson |
Nonetheless, Thompson will feel a little unfortunate that he isn't closer to the overall leader.
His differential Brennan Johnson (£5.8m) spurned a big chance in Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 win over Burnley, before creating a big chance for team-mate Son Heung-min (£10.0m), which he missed, in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Thompson now needs something spectacular from Johnson on the final day away to Sheffield United if he is to stand any chance of causing an upset.
The only glimmer of hope is that the Blades have been the best opponent for teams to face this season. They have conceded over 2,100 points in FPL, nearly 300 more than the next-worst team, Burnley.
Who could make a late charge?
Among the chasing pack, Hjalmar Schorling and his third-placed team Schorlings Schakaler has six differences to Labakk's side, the most of the top 10.
With Arsenal challenging for the Premier League crown, Ben White (£6.1m) and Kai Havertz (£7.5m) could be handy players for Schorling to own. Meanwhile, fitness permitting, Callum Wilson (£7.8m) has produced a return in each of his last three appearances against Brentford.
Differentials between chasing managers and world No 1
| Position | Manager | Differentials to Labakk |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Hjalmar Schörling | Onana, White, Gusto, Fernandes, Havertz, Wilson |
| 4 | Ashley Marsh | Vicario, Saliba, Doughty, Saka |
| 5 | Adam Price | Onana, Van de Ven, Branthwaite, Salah |
| 6 | Sundeep Jaswal | Ederson, White, Dunk, Maddison |
| 7 | Rishaad Khan | Onana, Stones, Johnson |
| 8 | Muath Alqahs | Dubravka, Gusto, Fernandes, Saka, Hojlund |
| 9 | Christian Bogsnes | Raya, Branthwaite |
| 10 | Harry McBeth | Onana, Romero, Fernandes |
But if any player has the potential to deliver a massive haul it's Mohamed Salah (£13.4m), selected by fifth-placed Adam Price.
Liverpool's Egyptian has 68 double-figure returns over his career, and notched 10 points against his Gameweek 38 opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers when the two sides met earlier in the season.
Tall order
In reality, it's going to be extremely difficult for anyone to catch Labakk, but it's not completely out of the question.
In 2017/18, eventual winner Yusef Sheikh was sixth and 33 points behind leader Bharat Dhody heading into Gameweek 38.
But 93 points, including 33 from his Triple Captain Salah, catapulted him into first place, as he won the title by eight points.
On that occasion the Triple Captain chip proved crucial but, this season, none of the top 10 have any chips left.
With one Gameweek to go, Labakk looks to have played a deft hand and, barring a miracle for one of his pursuers, he is set to win the world title.
Who will win the FPL Cup?
Gameweek 38 also sees the conclusion of the FPL Cup, with Finlay Glidden and his team Glidd's Galacticos taking on Lovro Vukomanovic's My little Toney in the final.
It looks set to be a close contest, with just one player being different between the two squads following the conclusion of DGW37.
Before any transfers are made, Glidden has Gabriel (£5.4m), while Vukomanovic has Diogo Dalot (£5.2m).
Differences between cup final teams
| Manager | Team | Differentials | Free Transfers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finlay Glidden | Glidd's Galacticos | Gabriel | 1 |
| Lovro Vukomanovic | My little Toney | Dalot | 2 |
Neither manager has any chips left, having both adopted a similar strategy of Wildcarding in DGW35 and using their Bench Boost chip in DGW37.
Vukomanovic has a slight advantage over his rival, however, with an extra free transfer, and that could be decisive for a manager who has shown he is not afraid to make changes to his XI.
He has taken a total of 20 points hits this season, costing his team 80 points. By contrast, Glidden is more conservative, taking just three hits.
Vukomanovic, from Croatia, is in just his third season of playing Fantasy and is enjoying his best campaign to date, ranked 65,277 overall.
Glidden started back in 2010/11 and is currently ranked 12,490. The Scottish manager will be looking to crack the top 10,000 for the first time having finished just outside on two occasions.
