With a raft of cup ties out of the way and Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers contemplating whether or not to move early on their second Wildcard, it’s worth taking stock of the clubs that have a kind schedule over the next few Gameweeks.
In our latest instalment of ‘Frisking the Fixtures’, we identify the teams and players with the most appealing runs of matches across the medium term.
As always, our colour-coded Season Ticker is the primary source for this piece.
ABOUT THE FIXTURE TICKER
Using this as a Chief Member, you can sort by difficulty, rank by attacking and defensive potential, or find budget rotation pairings.
You can even set your own difficulty ratings, should you disagree with ours.
And new, as of this season, is the ability to customise the colours!
There’s the:
- Premier League green/red colour scheme
- Good old Scout red/blue
- Colour-blind-friendly combo
- Option to set your own colours – if you fancy pink and purple, you absolutely can!
CHELSEA
It remains to be seen quite what the arrival of a new head coach means for Chelsea. Liam Rosenior will want to look at everyone at his disposal before deciding on his preferred starters, which means there could be a period of uncertainty for owners of Blues assets. Wednesday’s cup defeat didn’t tell us all that much, either, especially as several first-teamers were unavailable.
Rosenior has been dealt a lovely hand in terms of fixtures, though, with the possible exception of Brentford in Gameweek 22. The Bees are flying high in fifth place in the table and look to have turned their away form around, winning their last three on the road in all competitions.
Thereafter, however, Chelsea visit out-of-sorts Crystal Palace and bottom side Wolves, and host floundering West Ham, Leeds and Burnley, who have managed only three league away wins between them all season. Owning a Chelsea asset or two for Gameweek 23/24 onwards, therefore, seems a must.
We are all waiting to see when Cole Palmer (£10.4m) will get back to his best. He has been used quite carefully for fear of an injury relapse, missing Champions League, FA Cup and EFL Cup matches. Even when he has played, his output has not justified the price tag. He has managed two goals and an assist since Gameweek 16, which is not terrible, but in that timeframe, he has had just 10 shots, which ranks him joint-18th among midfielders. His six chances created and six crosses in those six Gameweeks place him well behind Enzo Fernandez (£6.4m) and Pedro Neto (£7.1m).
Enzo, by contrast, could be well worthy of consideration. After six matches without an attacking return, he has rediscovered his cutting edge, scoring three goals in his last four matches before Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie. We need to monitor whether Rosenior elects to play him in an attacking role or further back; he started deeper against Arsenal but a temporary lack of alternatives in midfield could explain that.
In attack, there’ll be fears of rotation between João Pedro (£7.1m) and Liam Delap £6.2m). The latter did score his first Premier League goal against Fulham in Gameweek 21 and has previous with Rosenior, who brought the best out of him when he was his manager at Hull City. Delap could become the differential forward for the next six weeks but it’s too early to make a call on him – and he was ill in midweek!
As for the defence, Trevoh Chalobah (£5.5m) is the fourth-highest scoring defender in Fantasy, and has started every league match he’s been available for this season.
If possible, give it Gameweek 22 and the Porto game in the Champions League to further assess Rosenior’s new-look side.
If not, go with what we know already – i.e., the tried and tested Chalobah and Enzo – until any differential names emerge.
ASTON VILLA
After setbacks against Arsenal and Crystal Palace, Aston Villa returned to winning ways thanks to a visit from Dr Tottenham. They certainly have the wherewithal to keep the pressure on the top two, thanks to a very amenable run of fixtures.
Everton visit in Gameweek 22 in the midst of a bad run of form and an availability crisis. They have won only once in seven matches in all competitions and are without their best defender this season, Michael Keane (£4.8m), through suspension. A trip to St James’ Park is never easy but the Magpies have shipped eight goals in their last three matches and have no fewer than five defenders out injured.
The visit of in-form Brentford will be a test as the Bees have won five of their last six matches but Villa can parlay their impressive home form (they have won eight out of 10 in the Premier League at Villa Park) against Keith Andrews’ side, as well as Brighton and Leeds, before taking on rock-bottom Wolves at Molineux.
For those who don’t already have him, Morgan Rogers (£7.6m) has to be one of the most desirable purchases this Gameweek. Since Gameweek 16, no midfielder has surpassed his 40 FPL points. In that time, among midfielders, only Antoine Semenyo (£7.6m) has matched his four goals, only Matheus Cunha (£8.2m) has surpassed his shot tally (21) and only Rayan Cherki (£6.8m) has created more than his four big chances.
After producing four goals in the last five matches, and back-to-back assists before that, Ollie Watkins (£8.8m) has rediscovered his mojo. With Donyell Malen (£5.1m) potentially Roma-bound, competition for his place will (temporarily) be at a minimum, and he was rested for Villa’s FA Cup win over Spurs.
There are two concerns re Watkins.
Firstly, his price point, which has risen by £0.3m in the last two Gameweeks. The likes of Igor Thiago (£7.1m) and Junior Kroupi (£4.6m) offer FPL managers a wholly different budget proposition.
Secondly, there are Champions League matches to come for Villa, so Watkins’ minutes may have to be managed even if reinforcements don’t arrive. He’s been playing through knee pain for over a year.
With Villa having had to come from behind to win many of their matches, their defenders have not been quite so appealing. However, Matty Cash (£4.8m) is an exception to the rule due to his attacking threat. He has produced a goal and two assists in his last seven appearances.
CRYSTAL PALACE
After a miserable run of results, Crystal Palace are hoping to find refuge in an easing of the fixtures across the next six Gameweeks. No one is pretending Sunderland away will be a walk in the park, as the Black Cats haven’t lost at the Stadium of Light – although they’re rock-bottom for xG on home soil. Chelsea will be a test, albeit with their status as a side in managerial transition.
Subsequent trips to Nottingham Forest and Brighton, plus home meetings with Burnley and Wolves, offer the prospect of FPL points.
The hope now is that the defeat to Macclesfield was a nadir. This is Palace’s first midweek rest in months, while FA Cup elimination means weekend breathers in February, March and April. They also have free midweeks after Gameweek 23 and 24. A chance for a knackered-looking squad to draw collective breath.
Palace have kept only one clean sheet since Gameweek 14 but the schedule easing, plus the return of key players, gives hope.
Daniel Munoz (£5.8m), who has six attacking returns from 14 appearances, should be back soon. At 6.4 points per match, Munoz is the second-best performing defender after Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.7m).
Marc Guehi (£5.3m) and Maxence Lacroix (£5.1m) are also among the six top-scoring defenders in the game. Guehi could be off to Man City, Liverpool or Arsenal this month, depending on which paper you read, so it’s well worth tracking the transfer news. For his part, Lacroix is a DefCon monster and clean sheets are possible against Sunderland, Forest, Burnley and Wolves, so he could be the shrewd selection. Bargain hunters might also consider Chris Richards (£4.4m), who is back after missing four Gameweeks through injury.
Elsewhere, Jean-Philippe Mateta (£7.6m) has eight goals this season but has scored only once in eight matches and is being outshone by forwards from other teams, so is best avoided at least until Ismaila Sarr (£6.3m), with whom he dovetails so well, returns from AFCON duty. We could start seeing the best of him once Munoz and Sarr are back.
ARSENAL
Arsenal’s fixtures continue to appeal over the next six Gameweeks, even if four of those matches are away trips. The Gunners will fancy their chances against Forest, Leeds, Brentford and a Spurs side ranked 17th in the home table, even if Leeds and Brentford have strong home form.
Arsenal have won six of their last seven home league matches with Manchester United and drew the other, while Sunderland have not been as convincing on the road.
All things considered, Mikel Arteta’s should be able to maintain their impressive form.
With the FPL landscape shifting elsewhere (Bring Bruno back? Which Chelsea assets to go for?), not many of us will be fussed about moving our Arsenal assets around. A lot of us will be tripled up on the Gunners already and be content to ‘stick’, with free transfers at a premium, while it should be noted that expected progress to the EFL Cup final could mean a Double Gameweek 26 or 27 (and later a Blank Gameweek 31) for the Gunners.
If you are assembling your Arsenal assets anew, Jurrien Timber (£6.3m) and Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.7m) are the go-to guys at the back, offering the extras (attacking returns/DefCon) that the similarly priced David Raya (£5.9m) simply can’t. While it’s just two clean sheets in seven Gameweeks, the shut-outs surely return with increased frequency soon. This is a defence that has been top of the class for underlying numbers for years.
In midfield, Bukayo Saka (£10.2m) v Declan Rice (£7.3m) is the ongoing debate.
Saka beats Rice for both xG and xA this season – but Rice’s owners keep counting the points and pennies saved. Rice is the top-scoring midfielder in the game, with his set-piece and DefCon prowess having been backed up of late with goals three and four for the season.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Brighton are a match for anyone on their day. They have snaffled four points from their two matches against Man City this season, while they knocked the other Manchester club out of the FA Cup last weekend.
The good news for Fabian Hurzeler’s side is that they face none of the ‘big six’ in their next seven matches.
The Seagulls are imperious at home, having lost only once at the Amex – so three of the next four being on their own turf is a further boon. Next, they host travel-sick Bournemouth, who haven’t won on the road for 10 matches in all competitions. Everton and Palace are also both out of form.
Albion’s defenders are all nicely priced, too. Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.5m) is a viable option, although six of his seven DefCon returns came against the big six/Newcastle United. None of those are to come before Gameweek 29. Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) is an option for those ditching Raya, while Ferdi Kadioglu (£4.4m), on a run of 17 successive starts, has been creative of late: nine chances created in the last six Gameweeks is joint-third-best among defenders.
Danny Welbeck (£6.2m) is probably too much of a week-to-week doubt to consider further forward, while Yankuba Minteh‘s (£5.8m) recovery from what was described as a “dead leg” drags on.
Kaoru Mitoma (£6.1m) could be an effective midfield differential, however. Back from his own medium-term lay-off and now established in the starting XI, he netted against City in Gameweek 21.
ALSO CONSIDER
Bournemouth’s fixtures majorly improve from Gameweek 24, as they visit struggling Wolves, Everton and West Ham, while the home match against Sunderland should garner points. The Cherries might even get something from the visit of Liverpool and Villa, given they have lost only twice in the league at the Vitality.
DefCon monster Marcos Senesi (£4.8m) is one to consider, while Marcus Tavernier (£5.5m), David Brooks (£5.0m) and Junior Kroupi (£4.6m) have all been returning and offering high attacking threat in recent matches. This trio should benefit from the departure of Semenyo and the injury to Justin Kluivert (£7.0m) in terms of minutes and attacking responsibility.
Liverpool are playing Bournemouth and Newcastle at the right time, given the Semenyo departure and the Magpies’ injury chagrin. Newcastle also have fixture grief, as they have to travel to PSG three days before going to Anfield. The trip to Sunderland will be tough but Forest away and West Ham at home should return six points for a side who may even have Mohamed Salah (£14.0m) back by then. Hugo Eketike (£8.9m) is back from injury just in time for the visit of the Clarets.
Everton’s home matches against away strugglers Leeds, Bournemouth and Burnley could reap points for the Blues, assuming they can overcome their recent poor form. Manchester United also haven’t kept a single clean sheet on the road.
The Gameweek 23 returns of Iliman Ndiaye (£6.2m) and Idrissa Gueye (£5.4m) from AFCON should help their cause, as will that of the suspended Keane for the tricky trips to Brighton, Fulham and Newcastle.
The Toffees’ fixtures deteriorate from Gameweek 30, hence why we’ve cut the above graphic off at Gameweek 29 for them.
