Which teams have the best upcoming fixtures in Fantasy Premier League?
Using the Fantasy Football Fix Fixture Planner, we have ranked the five best teams for attacking and defensive fixture difficulty between Gameweeks 2 and 5.
Nottingham Forest lead the attacking rankings, while Manchester City sit top for defensive difficulty. However, several of the strongest fixture runs do not begin until Gameweek 3 or later.
The Fantasy Football Fix Fixture Planner separates attacking and defensive difficulty, helping managers identify which teams are most likely to score goals and which have the greatest clean-sheet potential.
In the graphics below, capital letters indicate a home fixture, while lowercase letters represent an away fixture.
The five best attacking fixture runs between Gameweeks 2 and 5, ranked using the Fantasy Football Fix Fixture Planner.
Fixtures: Liverpool (A), Spurs (H), Aston Villa (A), Coventry (H)
Nottingham Forest rank first for attacking fixture difficulty across the next four Gameweeks, but their run begins with a difficult trip to Liverpool.
The Tricky Trees also made a slow start under their new manager, Oliver Glasner, losing 1-0 at home to Leeds in Gameweek 1.
Spurs at home and Coventry at home are the standout fixtures, suggesting Forest attackers may become more appealing from Gameweek 3 rather than being immediate transfer targets.
Fixtures: Bournemouth (A), Manchester United (H), Spurs (A), Ipswich (H)
Everton’s ranking is largely helped by their home match against newly promoted Ipswich in Gameweek 5.
Before then, they travel to Bournemouth and Spurs, with a home meeting against Manchester United in between.
Their attackers are worth monitoring, but the fixture run does not provide an obvious reason to invest ahead of Gameweek 2.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£6.5m) and Iliman Ndiaye (£6.0m) appear to be the Everton attackers worth adding to the watchlist.
As shown by the Opta Comparison Tool, Dewsbury-Hall recorded an 11-point haul after scoring, earning a clean-sheet point and collecting maximum bonus. Ndiaye returned nine points through an assist, a clean-sheet point, one bonus point and defensive contributions. This highlights the multiple routes both players have to FPL returns.
Ndiaye also appears to be Everton’s first-choice penalty taker, although he has been linked with a move away from the Toffees. That uncertainty further supports waiting for more information before investing.
Fixtures: Nottingham Forest (H), Ipswich (A), Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A)
Liverpool provide the clearest immediate entry point among the established attacking sides.
They host a Forest team that lost its opening match before travelling to newly promoted Ipswich in Gameweek 3.
Fulham at Anfield then extends an attractive three-match run, making Liverpool attackers strong candidates for managers planning transfers over the coming weeks.
Fixtures: Crystal Palace (A), Coventry (H), Manchester United (A), Sunderland (H)
A trip to Crystal Palace may not initially appear to be an ideal entry point. However, Palace conceded twice against Everton in Gameweek 1 during Pierre Sage’s first league match as manager.
Manchester City’s schedule then improves significantly. Coventry at home in Gameweek 3 and Sunderland at home in Gameweek 5 are two of the most attractive attacking fixtures on the calendar.
Current owners should be happy to hold, while non-owners may prefer to wait until Gameweek 3 before investing.
Fixtures: Brentford (H), Brighton (A), Newcastle (H), Crystal Palace (H)
Leeds begin the run with a favourable home fixture against Brentford and have three home matches across the next four Gameweeks.
However, Brighton away and Newcastle at home provide sterner tests.
Their 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest was encouraging, but another performance may be needed before their attacking options become convincing FPL transfer targets.
Liverpool travel to newly promoted Ipswich in Gameweek 3, while Manchester City host promoted Coventry.
That combination is already making Gameweek 3 look like a possible early opportunity to use the Free Hit, particularly for managers who started the season without several Liverpool or Manchester City assets.
This strategy has been suggested by Elite XI manager Dan Bennett, one of only five FPL managers to have recorded 10 Top-10k finishes.
As shown from the image from the FPL team reveal tool he currently has no attackers from either team.
Using the chip this early would still be an aggressive move. Injuries, transfers and team selection developments over the next two weeks could significantly change the picture, so managers should avoid committing to the strategy too soon.
The five best defensive fixture runs between Gameweeks 2 and 5, ranked using the Fantasy Football Fix Fixture Planner.
Fixtures: Crystal Palace (A), Coventry (H), Manchester United (A), Sunderland (H)
Manchester City rank first for defensive fixture difficulty, with home matches against Coventry and Sunderland standing out.
Their defenders also offered some unexpected attacking potential in Gameweek 1. Marc Guéhi (£6.0m) played in a holding midfield role, while Nico O’Reilly (£6.5m) started as the number 10, as shown in the Match Centre tool.
Guéhi scored and registered two goal attempts, but O’Reilly was replaced by Rayan Cherki (£7.5m), who went on to assist both City goals.
With only one match played and Manchester City still active in the transfer market, these advanced roles could prove temporary. Managers should therefore be cautious about buying either defender purely because of where they played in Gameweek 1.
Fixtures: Nottingham Forest (H), Ipswich (A), Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A)
Liverpool have arguably the most consistent defensive run, beginning with Forest at Anfield before a trip to promoted Ipswich.
However, they conceded twice against Newcastle in Gameweek 1, so there is no immediate need to invest heavily in their defence. Another match should provide a better indication of whether their back line can justify the fixtures.
Fixtures: Ipswich (H), Everton (A), Manchester City (H), Fulham (A)
Manchester United host newly promoted Ipswich in Gameweek 2, which should provide an excellent opportunity for a clean sheet.
Nevertheless, managers would be forgiven for avoiding their defenders after United conceded twice during a 2-0 defeat to promoted Hull in Gameweek 1.
The Manchester derby in Gameweek 4 also weakens the longer-term appeal of the run.
Fixtures: Liverpool (A), Spurs (H), Aston Villa (A), Coventry (H)
Forest’s defensive schedule is mixed despite their place inside the top five.
Liverpool and Aston Villa away are difficult fixtures, while Spurs at home may not be an obvious clean-sheet opportunity.
Coventry at home in Gameweek 5 is the standout fixture, making Forest defenders easier to hold than buy immediately.
Ola Aina (£4.5m) could be the Forest defender to watch. During pre-season, we suggested Neco Williams (£5.0m) might be the wing-back given the greatest licence to attack under Oliver Glasner. However, the opening match against Leeds suggested the cheaper option may offer more attacking threat.
As shown by Aina’s Opta touch map, he regularly moved into advanced positions and registered two shots, with only Igor Jesus managing more for Forest (three). He also recorded three attempted assists—the joint-most among his teammates.
Fixtures: Newcastle (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Everton (H), Aston Villa (H)
Spurs have three home matches in the next four Gameweeks, but none looks like a guaranteed clean sheet.
Newcastle and Aston Villa carry significant attacking threat, while Forest away could also be awkward.
Their defensive assets may need to demonstrate strong attacking potential or secure bonus-point routes before becoming priority transfers.
The Fixture Planner suggests that many of the most attractive runs begin in Gameweek 3 or Gameweek 5 rather than immediately.
Liverpool have the clearest short-term schedule, while Manchester City’s home matches against Coventry and Sunderland provide significant future upside. Forest and Everton also rank highly, but their best fixtures arrive later in the period.
Unless your team has a major problem such as an injury, suspension or unexpected benching, saving the free transfer may be the strongest approach.
Holding allows managers to gather another week of information, move into Gameweek 3 with greater flexibility and make decisions based on more than one match.
Fixtures are an important part of FPL planning, but they should not be considered in isolation. After only one Gameweek, minutes, tactical roles and summer transfer activity remain uncertain.
For most managers, patience and flexibility should remain central to their early-season transfer plans.
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