In ‘Frisking the Fixtures’, we pinpoint the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams and players with the strongest runs of matches from Gameweek 7 onwards.
We typically look at a six-Gameweek lookahead in these articles but we’ll peer beyond that where necessary.
As always, our colour-coded Season Ticker is the primary source for this piece.
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SEASON TICKER OVERVIEW: NEXT SIX GAMEWEEKS
ARSENAL
Arsenal’s imminent ‘fixture swing’ is the subject of much discussion in FPL circles, and the Gunners accordingly sit atop our Fixture Ticker for the next six Gameweeks.
Crystal Palace, currently unbeaten in 18 matches, and Gameweek 13’s north London Derby look likely to be the toughest tests in that run. Both of those matches will be contested at the Emirates, at least.
Of the other opponents, two are newly promoted. the other two have struggled for any real defensive consistency so far this season. All four have also generally left much to be desired from an attacking standpoint.
Combined with Arsenal’s stellar defensive record (from a comparatively trickier opening six rounds), those fixtures should be enough to elicit a few clean sheets.
Viktor Gyokeres (£9.0m) will be eagerly anticipating this chance to continue his ‘flat-track bully’ status, too, while the schedule gives fit-again Bukayo Saka (£9.8m) a chance to kickstart his campaign alongside the likes of Eberechi Eze (£7.5m) and Declan Rice (£6.5m).
We typically buy into Arsenal’s backline for their threat at the other end as well, and Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.2m) showed why he’s the most expensive FPL defender with a latest set piece goal in Gameweek 6. He could get more joy from dead-ball situations against West Ham, who have been woeful at defending them this season, while full-backs Riccardo Calafiori (£5.7m) and Jurrien Timber (£5.8m) are among the most attacking players in their position.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Wolves are still winless in the Premier League but they’ve at least stopped the rot.
First, the Old Gold secured a midweek Carabao Cup victory over Everton. They then led Tottenham Hotspur for 40 second-half minutes before succumbing to a late equaliser in Gameweek 6.
Jorgen Strand Larsen (£6.4m) returned to fitness during this spell and Vitor Pereira will be glad to have his frontline’s focal point back in action.
Onto the fixtures, then.
Brighton have looked threatening in attack but less assured in defence. They, along with Wolves themselves, are one of four Premier League sides yet to keep a clean sheet.
After that, it’s three of the same trio as Arsenal, Sunderland (A), Burnley (H) and Fulham (A), a run which probably offers Wolves their best chance yet of picking up a maiden victory. Things begin to take a turn in Gameweek 11-12, with a trip to Chelsea followed by the visit of Palace.
The trouble is, few – if any – players from Pereira’s squad have convinced us they are worthy of investment, particularly with alternatives performing better.
There are plenty of other £4.0m and £4.5m defenders delivering more consistently than any of Wolves’ bunch. None of their midfielders are challenging the leaders in the £5.0-£6.0m bracket either – although newly-signed playmaker Jhon Arias (£5.2m), who registered DefCon points against Spurs, remains one to keep an eye on there if he can nail down a regular starting spot.
That really just leaves us with Strand Larsen, who can be a solid mid-priced forward option if he can stay fit. Even then, though, the likes of Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor (£5.6m), Leeds’ Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.5m) and Burnley’s Lyle Foster (£5.0m) are all in better form, playing for arguably better sides, and have some decent fixtures of their own coming up.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
As alluded to above, Gameweek 7 could bring Brighton’s first shut-out of the season if they can keep Wolves at bay. From the Seagulls’ defence, the ever-present Lewis Dunk (£4.5m) has had five shots on goal so far, while new left-back Maxim De Cuyper (£4.4m) scored his first of the campaign just last weekend.
Danny Welbeck (£6.3m) grabbed a brace off the bench against Chelsea but isn’t a surefire starter, with FPL midfielder Georginio Rutter (£5.8m) getting the nod up top in back-to-back Gameweeks. Indeed, it is Brighton’s midfield that will probably be of most interest to FPL managers.
Kaoru Mitoma (£6.4m) was the top scorer last season, with 10 league goals and five assists.
But it’s the ‘other’ winger who has been catching the eye. All 10 of Yankuba Minteh‘s (£5.9m) shots have come from within the area this season – a total that only two other midfielders can better.
Minteh has also taken more touches in the box (48) than almost any other Premier League player, and leads Fabian Hurzeler’s side for both chances (eight) and Opta-defined ‘big chances’ (three) created as well as assists (two).
The defensively solid Newcastle in Gameweek 8 might be tough but Minteh did score against his old club last season as well as registering a goal and assist versus Manchester United (his Gameweek 9 opponent) and another assist against Palace (Gameweek 11) in 2024/25. Otherwise, it’s two home matches against newly-promoted Leeds and a Brentford side that have been notably worse on the road than at the Gtech under Keith Andrews.
Overall, Brighton are unbeaten in five (three wins, two draws) in all competitions against the Magpies, and have won four of their last five against the Red Devils.
LEEDS UNITED
Leeds, who join Wolves in remaining in our Fixture Ticker’s top four, host Spurs in Gameweek 7. It’s not a particularly daunting fixture, with the Lilywhites inconsistent and Thomas Frank chopping and changing his side.
Daniel Farke’s group currently remain unbeaten at home, having downed Everton on the opening weekend before drawing with Newcastle and Bournemouth. After Spurs, visits of West Ham and a shaky Aston Villa offer chances to continue that strong record at Elland Road.
As for the away fixtures, Burnley, Brighton and Nottingham Forest have all leaked goals so far. That might help Leeds continue their recent uptick in converted chances, after scoring five times in their last two matches despite netting just once in four games before that. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (£5.5m) has shown glimpses of the player Everton fans knew was in there amidst his injury woes, registering five shots in the box and four ‘big chances’ since his first start in Gameweek 4.
The budget-friendly FPL assets continue elsewhere with the likes of midfielder Anton Stach (£5.0m) and defenders Joe Rodon (£4.0m) – who put on a big attacking display last time out – and Gabriel Gudmunsson (£4.0m). Karl Darlow (£4.0m) is providing a cut-price goalkeeping option at the moment, too, though that may only be whilst Lucas Perri (£4.5m) is out.
CHELSEA/TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
This next couple of clubs has been grouped together because they each face one of last season’s top three, as well as each other, between Gameweeks 7 and 12, but are otherwise tasked with a relatively appealing medium-term fixture run.
Chelsea must face Liverpool in Gameweek 7, and will do so without several first-choice centre-backs given Trevoh Chalobah’s (£5.2m) suspension and the injuries of Tosin Adarabioyo (£4.4m), Wesley Fofana (£4.4m) and Levi Colwill (£4.8m). After that, at least, it’s Ange Postecoglou’s shaky Forest plus the similarly porous backlines of Wolves and Burnley in the Blues’ next five games.
The Gameweek 10 trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be a hard result to call, and Sunderland in their current form could end up frustrating Enzo Maresca’s men at Stamford Bridge. We’d at least expect more goals and assists for the likes of Joao Pedro (£7.8m), Enzo Fernandez (£6.7m) and – if he returns to fitness – Cole Palmer (£10.3m).
As for Spurs, Gameweek 7’s trip to Leeds should end in three points for Thomas Frank’s troops, and a home match against Villa after the international break could too unless Gameweek 6 has indeed sparked a revival for Unai Emery and co. Chelsea (H) and Arsenal (A) will be further tests of the Lilywhites’ resolve, but the Red Devils coming to visit in Gameweek 11 strikes nowhere the same level of fear as it once did; Spurs haven’t lost against United since 2022, in fact, a seven-game streak in all competitions.
ALSO CONSIDER
Sunderland have a few appealing matches over the next six Gameweeks, including against United, Wolves and Fulham. More chances for Wilson Isidor (£5.6m) and plenty of DefCon opportunities, including in the more difficult fixtures, for the impressive Granit Xhaka (£5.0m) and Omar Alderete (£4.0m).
If Nuno Espirito Santo can begin to fix the Hammers’ flaws, a run of games including Brentford (H), Leeds (A) and Burnley (H) could lead to some crucial points being earned. El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.4m), who now has four assists to his name, and three-goal Jarrod Bowen (£7.7m) are probably the stand-out FPL options if you fancy a punt, while Lucas Paqueta (£5.9m) earned DefCon points for the third time this past Gameweek and Crysencio Summerville (£5.5m) has looked promising since his return from injury.
It would be rude not to mention Palace, given the Eagles are the only Premier League team who still boast an unbeaten record. They’ve managed that despite facing four of last season’s top seven already, but will be put to the test again in the next six Gameweeks, particularly with the Gameweek 8-9 double-header of Bournemouth (H) and Arsenal (A) immediately after the October internationals. Things should lighten up again after that.
Newcastle don’t rank too highly on the Fixture Ticker between Gameweeks 7-12 but they do have a great long-term schedule of league matches. The Magpies’ defence, with the likes of Dan Burn (£5.0m) and Nick Pope (£5.0m), appeals the most until we get more clues as to Eddie Howe’s preferred attacking line-up in the weeks to come. Europe will of course remain a factor, too.
