In ‘Frisking the Fixtures’, we pick out the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) teams and players with a strong run of matches from Gameweek 6 onwards.

Our default is to look at six-match stretches, but we also highlight any favourable runs beyond (or slightly short of!) this.

To do this, we’ll be using our all-new Fixture Ticker!

ABOUT THE FIXTURE TICKER

Using this tool, you can sort by difficulty, rank by attacking and defensive potential or find rotation pairings. 

You can also see projected goals and clean sheet odds, and change the way you view the ticker. For example, there is an option to have Premier League badges (seen above) rather than three-letter abbreviations.

You can even set your own difficulty ratings, should you disagree with ours.

BOURNEMOUTH

While Chelsea and Manchester United are blobs of red on the ticker, neither ‘big six’ side has kept a clean sheet in 2026/27. Indeed, the only other side (other than Bournemouth themselves!) yet to keep a shut-out this season, Ipswich Town, follows in Gameweek 10.

Home fixtures against Sunderland, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Hull City, while far from straightforward, also follow between now and Gameweek 14.

Form remains the obvious concern. Bournemouth sit 17th after five Gameweeks and are still searching for their first victory, having drawn three and lost two.

But despite conceding eight goals and failing to keep a clean sheet, the underlying defensive numbers offer encouragement. Bournemouth rank among the league’s eight best sides for expected goals conceded (xGC), suggesting their results have not reflected their defensive performances.

António Silva (£5.0m) stands out at the back. He leads Bournemouth’s defenders for FPL points and defensive contributions, having amassed 56 DefCons. That has produced eight DefCon points, with Silva hitting the threshold in four of his five starts.

There is potential at the other end too, with Silva leading his defensive team-mates for expected goal involvement (xGI).

Bournemouth have scored in every match but one, and are pretty unlucky to be winless, giving up losing positions in their first four fixtures.

While Evanilson (£6.0m) continues to misfire in front of goal (he is, at least, assisting), two midfielders stand out.

Marcus Tavernier (£6.1m) takes set pieces and leads his midfield team-mates for expected goal involvement (xGI). Meanwhile, Alex Scott (£6.1m) has caught the eye with one goal and two assists. He also takes some set pieces, including left-sided corners, while leading Bournemouth’s midfielders for defensive contributions.

European commitments, of course, add another consideration. Bournemouth will continue balancing domestic and continental football, so rotation and fatigue could become increasingly important as their schedule intensifies.

CHELSEA

Chelsea’s start under Xabi Alonso has been a mixed bag, with a 2-2 draw against Hull City and a 3-0 defeat to Brentford swiftly ending the Spaniard’s honeymoon period.

Defensive performances have been particularly concerning. Chelsea have conceded a league-high 12 goals and remain without a clean sheet.

The clean sheets odds are at least favourable over the next eight Gameweeks, only once dipping below 30%:

For those managers backing the Blues to bounce back defensively (a return to fitness for Moises Caicedo (£5.3m) should come soon, for example), Emiliano Martínez (£5.0m) arguably provides the safest route into the backline. Finding a standout defender is difficult, as none have started all five league matches so far, highlighting the rotation risk under Alonso.

Maxence Lacroix (£5.9m) may offer greater long-term security, and leads the way for DefCons, but even he was benched in Gameweek 4.

Most of Chelsea’s appeal comes further forward. They have scored 10 goals to date, averaging two per match.

João Pedro (£7.7m), Cole Palmer (£9.7m) and Morgan Rogers (£7.7m) already feature in many FPL squads, although there are yellow flags to clear up regarding the first two.

One advantage the Blues have over other Premier League sides is the lack of European football, which should lead to less rotation, although Alonso still continues to tinker, particularly at the back.

Five of the next eight league matches being on home soil is also a boon.

ARSENAL

Arsenal’s strong, unbeaten start to their Premier League campaign came to a crashing halt last time out, when they suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Even so, the Gunners have an excellent opportunity to bounce back, ranking among the top five sides on our Fixture Ticker over the next six Gameweeks.

Defence has been a major strength. Outside of that Brighton loss, it’s three clean sheets and just one goal conceded in four matches. Let’s not let that one blip mask what has been a long period of sustained excellence at the back.

Look at the underlying numbers. Even factoring in the Amex anomaly, the Gunners still have the best xGC in the league.:

The clean-sheet projections reflect year after year of league-leading data. You could easily see three or four shut-outs from the below, for instance:

David Raya (£6.1m) remains the safest route into the defence when it comes to minutes, along with a prohibitively pricy Gabriel Magalhães (£8.0m).

New signing Ezri Konsa (£4.6m) is considerably cheaper and appears to have nailed down a centre-back spot, while Riccardo Calafiori (£5.8m) offers more open-play attacking potential. The Italian has already supplied two assists and leads Arsenal’s defenders for FPL points.

Further forward, Arsenal have been slightly less convincing – and there’s nothing new there.

Still, only one Premier League side (Man City) is projected to score more goals than Arsenal across the next six Gameweeks:

An injury to Kai Havertz (£7.6m) could create an opportunity for Viktor Gyökeres (£7.1m) to lead the line. The Swede shares penalty duties but is yet to consistently prove himself in the Premier League.

That could make Bukayo Saka (£9.5m) the more convincing attacking option. He has some involvement from both penalties and set pieces, while three goals from his opening five matches highlight his early form.

Saka also leads his midfield team-mates by a considerable margin for expected goal involvement.

For those looking to spend less, Martin Ødegaard (£6.8m) has produced two goals from his number 10 role.

FULHAM

Fulham have made a poor start to the campaign but context is important, as the Cottagers have already faced big-six sides Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United under new manager Álvaro Arbeloa. They avoided defeat in the last two of those fixtures, suggesting things are on the up.

And things are about to get theoretically easier on the fixture front.

Fulham face all three promoted sides across their next three matches, while a still-in-transition Aston Villa and Newcastle United follow.

Defensively, the Cottagers rank 18th for xGC, although the early fixtures are a caveat there.

For those still convinced by the upcoming run, David Affengruber (£4.5m) has ousted Joachim Andersen (£5.0m) from the side and picked up DefCon points in both of those appearances.

At full-back, Timothy Castagne (£4.5m) has already produced two assists and leads Fulham’s defenders for expected goal involvement.

There is more encouragement when assessing Fulham’s attack.

The Cottagers sit eighth for xG despite their tough start. That figure rises to sixth (above Arsenal and Liverpool!) when we discount penalties.

Josh King (£5.5m) is arguably the player who stands out most. He continues to operate in the number 10 role and has already scored twice this season, while also coming in at a very affordable price.

King has registered 11 shots in the box, almost double the number of any other Fulham midfielder:

New signing Gonzalo García (£6.0m) is yet to fully convince up front, despite scoring twice. Rodrigo Muniz (£5.4m) also found the net recently, potentially eating into García’s minutes moving forward.

Only two FPL forwards can better Garcia’s total of 15 shots, however, and he does appear to be Arbeloa’s man up top.

NEWCASTLE UNITED

As is the case with Fulham, another five-match run to consider.

It’s 18th-placed Coventry next, with the worst three sides for xGC – Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Fulham – to come in the following four Gameweeks.

Villa, Coventry and Palace are also in the bottom six for xG.

Of course, some concerns linger around Newcastle defensively, too. They themselves are 17th for xGC.

That’s why Lewis Hall (£5.3m) stands out. The full-back has already produced one goal and one assist, while also reaching the DefCon threshold in three of his five matches. He has multiple routes to points even if the clean sheet falls.

Interestingly, three Newcastle defenders have picked up DefCon points in 60% of their matches so far. Sven Botman (£5.0m) and Malick Thiaw (£5.0m) join Hall in that group:

Newcastle ranking joint-last for xG is a possible worry at the other end.

Harvey Barnes (£6.1m) is a historic xG-buster, however, capable of scoring the spectacular.

One goal and three assists underline his importance to the Magpies’ attack, while his secure minutes could make him one of their more appealing options during this run.

There are some reservations about Yoane Wissa (£6.2m), who is now operating in a deeper role. It also remains to be seen whether he retains penalty-taking duties following his Gameweek 5 miss from the spot.

ALSO CONSIDER

COVENTRY CITY/IPSWICH TOWN

Coventry City and Ipswich Town are worth a mention, particularly for Fantasy managers looking for cheap players who can rotate in and out of their starting XI or act as an emergency sub.

Both promoted sides rank among the top three teams on our Fixture Ticker over the next eight Gameweeks. Coventry actually sit top.

For the Sky Blues, Bobby Thomas (£4.0m) continues to stand out. He has started all five league matches and reached the DefCon threshold in three of them. His 52 defensive contributions rank among the highest totals of any FPL defender, while two clean sheets have helped him to 24 points overall.

Ipswich have an equally interesting £4.0m option, albeit a different kind, in Leif Davis (£4.0m).

Unlike Thomas, much of Davis’ appeal comes at the other end of the pitch. Two goals and two assists have arrived across his opening five starts, helping him to 25 FPL points.

Those returns aren’t coming from nowhere, either. Davis ranks among the top three FPL defenders for expected goal involvement (xGI), registering 2.05 across his opening five matches:

For managers who prefer defensive contributions, Issa Diop (£4.0m) and Dara O’Shea (£4.0m) provide alternative routes into the Ipswich backline.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Spurs are a footnote in this article, what with them still winless and sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table.

The fixtures are there in the coming weeks: clean-sheet-less United and Chelsea, two newly promoted clubs, plus the ropey defences of Palace and Fulham.

But really, we’re going to need to see a lot more from the Lilywhites themselves before they become serious Fantasy targets.

Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.9m) is possibly the only outfield player worth considering at the moment. He’s hit the DefCon threshold once, and been one contribution away in two other matches – and he’s Spurs’ leading player for xGI this season!