Fixtures

Who has the best and worst FPL fixtures over Christmas and New Year?

Our regular “frisk” of the Premier League fixture list from a Fantasy perspective returns ahead of Gameweek 16, a set of matches that marks something of a shift after the lull of recent weeks.

In this slightly abridged feature (due to the swift turnaround in Gameweeks), we assess the top-flight clubs with the strongest and weakest runs of league games over the coming month and offer our thoughts on the stand-out Fantasy assets from each of the sides discussed.

Although our primary focus will be on a six-Gameweek lookahead and the matches over the festive period, we will scrutinise the long-term fixtures beyond that point where relevant.

The Strong

Tottenham Hotspur

Next six: lei, BUR, eve, BOU, WOL, car

And then: MUN, ful, WAT, NEW, LEI, bur

Possible turning point: che (Gameweek 28)

There is no question who has the best medium-to-long-term fixtures in the Premier League.

Spurs face only Manchester United of the “big six” between now and the end of February, with their match against Southampton on Wednesday kicking off an enticing run of matches for the Lilywhites.

Seven of Spurs’ next 11 fixtures are at home, too.

The Gameweek 17 match against Burnley leaps off the page and there will be no shortage of Fantasy managers placing the armband on Harry Kane (£12.5m) for the visit of the division’s worst defence for shots in the box, shots on target and big chances conceded.

Matches against Leicester and Wolves might prove to be tighter affairs, with those two clubs sitting in the top four for fewest big chances conceded in 2018/19.

Having started the season uncharacteristically well from a defensive perspective, Bournemouth have reverted to type in recent weeks: in the last four Gameweeks, no Premier League club has conceded more shots in the box.

All five of Spurs’ opponents from Gameweeks 21 to 25 sit in the bottom half of the table for big chances conceded, meanwhile.

For those backing Hugo Lloris (£5.4m) – the French goalkeeper likely being the only “nailed” route into the Spurs backline over the festive period – and co, matches against Burnley, Cardiff City and Wolves in the next half-dozen Gameweeks offer realistic chances of clean sheets, with those three sides sitting in the bottom half for shots in the box and big chances.

West Ham United

Next six: CRY, ful, WAT, sou, bur, BHA

Possible turning point: ARS (Gameweek 22)

The Hammers sit top of our Season Ticker for the next half-dozen Gameweeks and along with Spurs are the only Premier League club to avoid any of the “big six” before the FA Cup third round weekend.

One player who the east London club look set to be without for this period, and who many Fantasy managers would have pinned their hopes on over Christmas and New Year, is Marko Arnautovic (£7.1m), who picked up a hamstring injury in the 3-1 win over Cardiff City on Tuesday.

That could see the likes of Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez (both £6.2m) feature more prominently for the Irons over the festive period, particularly with Manuel Pellegrini favouring a 4-4-2 in recent weeks.

Felipe Anderson‘s (£7.2m) ownership is on the rise too, which is understandable given that his impressive form is being coupled with some enticing fixtures: from Gameweeks 17-21, all five of the Hammers’ opponents are among the 11 worst clubs for big chances conceded.

Fantasy managers need only look at the “goals against” column in the Premier League table to see that West Ham’s next three opponents on the road sit in the bottom four for goals conceded in 2018/19.

West Ham clean sheets have been few and far between this season but five of the Irons’ next six opponents sit in the bottom half for shots in the box and attempts on target.

That Lukasz Fabianski (£4.5m) sits joint-fifth among the top-scoring FPL goalkeepers this season despite only registering two shut-outs hints at what he could achieve over the coming month if the Hammers’ opposition are as shot-shy as the statistics suggest.

Arsenal

Next six: HUD, sou, BUR, bha, liv, FUL

And then: whu

Possible turning point: CHE (Gameweek 23)

Arsenal’s last run of favourable fixtures from Gameweeks 3 to 10 saw the Gunners win seven and draw one, scoring 22 goals in the process.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.2m) and Alexandre Lacazette (£9.6m) racked up a combined 11 goals and six assists in those eight matches and the two premium forwards look set to be the most sought-after FPL assets from this Arsenal squad over the Christmas period.

A trip to Anfield in late-December is the Gunners’ only real unappealing remaining fixture of 2018, with matches against the bottom four clubs for shots in the box attempted – Huddersfield, Burnley, Brighton and Fulham – offering hope of an all-too-rare clean sheet for the likes of Hector Bellerin (£5.4m) and Sead Kolasinac (£4.9m).

At the other end of the pitch, Messrs Aubameyang and Lacazette can look forward to meetings against all three clubs who sit in the “relegation zone” for shots in the box conceded between now and New Year’s Day.

Five of their next six opponents are ranked tenth or below for shots on target and big chances conceded.

Manchester United

Next six: FUL, liv, car, HUD, BOU, new

Possible turning point: tot (Gameweek 22)

While we have marked the match against Spurs as a possible turning point for Jose Mourinho’s side, in reality, the Red Devils’ kind fixtures go well beyond that clash at Wembley and into the spring.

Whether any Fantasy managers would be willing to touch the United squad given the rollercoaster season they are embarking on is another matter, of course.

Mourinho’s innate ability to disharmonise a dressing room remains a concern, with Anthony Martial (£7.6m) – quite possibly the only United asset who currently warrants Fantasy managers’ interest – having been one of the players that the United boss allegedly described as being “without character” a few weeks ago.

Martial has seven goals in his last eight appearances and, if his hamstring injury proves to be not serious, he can look forward to meetings with five sides who sit in the bottom ten for shots in the box conceded over the next half-dozen Gameweeks.

A trip to Liverpool in Gameweek 17 is a little off-putting, but in Fulham, Cardiff and Newcastle the Red Devils face three of the four clubs who have conceded the most big chances this season.

Also consider:

Eden Hazard (£11.0m) has suffered a drop in FPL ownership and price over the last few weeks as he is jettisoned en masse for other premium options, but after the visit of Manchester City this weekend, Chelsea then have six fixtures (bha, LEI, wat, cry, SOU, NEW) that perhaps have been overlooked in the clamour for Spurs and Arsenal assets.

Brighton, Newcastle and Southampton all sit in the bottom six for shots in the box conceded.

Fulham‘s run of matches from Gameweeks 17 to 20 (WHU, new, WOL, HUD) is among the best in the division and even a Gameweek 21 trip to Arsenal – who have shipped 19 big chances at home this season – offers hope for those Fantasy managers planning to invest in Aleksandar Mitrovic (£6.6m) over the festive period.

Huddersfield Town remain unfashionable in the Fantasy community but with five of their next seven fixtures (ars, NEW, SOU, mun, ful, BUR, car) against sides in the bottom eight for big chances conceded, they too warrant a mention in this section.

From a defensive perspective, four of the Terriers’ opponents sit in the bottom six for shots in the box attempted.

The Weak

Liverpool

Next six: bou, MUN, wol, NEW, ARS, mci

Possible turning point: bha (Gameweek 22)

With heavy hitters such as Kane and Aubameyang enjoying a fixture swing in Gameweeks 15 and 16, money will have to be generated from somewhere in order to finance any moves for one or both of the in-form premium pair.

The likes of Mohamed Salah (£13.0m) and Sadio Mane (£9.8m), then, might be deemed surplus to requirements over the Christmas period by a fair few FPL bosses with the Reds not appearing to have such a favourable run of matches ahead over the next six Gameweeks.

It should be said, though, that three of their next five opponents sit in the bottom ten for shots on target conceded, with Arsenal and Wolves two of just four sides who have not kept a clean sheet in the last six Gameweeks.

Newcastle, meanwhile, have allowed more big chances than any other Premier League club during this period.

The negative nature of Liverpool’s fixtures is perhaps more from a defensive perspective, with Bournemouth, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City all in the top seven for goals scored this season.

The two Manchester clubs are the front-runners in the shots on target stakes, too.

Leicester City

Next six: TOT, cry, che, MCI, CAR, eve

Possible turning point: CAR (Gameweek 20)

Leicester’s favourable run of fixtures from Gameweeks 10-15 (in which they avoided any of the “big six”) is now well and truly over and the Foxes now have one of the worst medium-to-long-term schedules in the division.

While the game against Cardiff marks the start of a four-match respite in which they also face Wolves and Southampton, another trio of Champions League-chasing clubs lurk just around the corner in Gameweeks 24-26.

Three of their next four opponents (Crystal Palace, unsurprisingly, are the exception) sit in the top four for shots in the box attempted and top five for big chances and shots on target.

Attacking returns for the likes of Jamie Vardy (£8.9m) and James Maddison (£6.8m) might be thin on the ground, too – all of the Foxes’ next four opponents are among the nine meanest sides for big chances conceded.

Also Consider

Trips to Wolves, Spurs and Manchester United plus a home match against Liverpool, all of which happen before the turn of 2019, means that Bournemouth rank bottom on our Season Ticker for the remaining matches of the calendar year.

Three of those sides sit in the top six for fewest big chances conceded, but then again the Cherries’ have breached the defences of Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City in recent weeks.

While there are Fantasy assets available elsewhere with better fixtures, it will take a lot of persuading for Fantasy managers to part with Ryan Fraser (£6.2m) and/or Callum Wilson (£7.0m) – the two best-value players in their respective positions in FPL this season.

It remains to be seen if Ralph Hasenhuttl can shake Southampton from their slumber, but the incoming Saints manager could certainly have hoped for an easier Christmas schedule to start his reign: the south coast side facing the three highest-scoring teams in the Premier League in Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in the next half-dozen Gameweeks.

Not one of the Saints’ FPL assets is owned by more than 5% of Fantasy managers and it would take a considerable “new manager bounce” for us to venture anywhere near their squad over Christmas and New Year.

*All prices correct at the time of writing (Thursday 6 December)

Become a Member and access our data

Memberships for the 2018/19 campaign are now available for the price of just £15.

Join now to get the following:

  • Plot your transfer strategies using the fully interactive Season Ticker.
  • Get projections for every Premier League player provided by the Rate My Team statistical model.
  • Use Rate My Team throughout the season to guide your selections and transfers.
  • Get access to over 130+ exclusive members articles over the season.
  • Analyse our OPTA-powered statistic tables specifically tailored for Fantasy Football Managers.
  • Use our exclusive tool to build custom stats tables from over 100 OPTA player and team stats.
  • View heatmaps and expected goals data for every player.
  • Use our powerful comparison tool to analyse players head-to-head.

CLICK HERE TO BECOME A FANTASY FOOTBALL SCOUT MEMBER

1,465 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Hazardous1983
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Get vardy

  2. Net Gains
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Robertson fit or injured?

    1. korbendallas82
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Press later.

    2. Lazaretti
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Robertson were pictured in training yesterday, Should be ok. He had just dead leg if remember correctly

    3. Eze Really?
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      He is fine. Full training session.
      Rested last game. Could have played.

  3. tbhogal
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Any changes needed guys here guys ? Have 1FT 0.5 M

    Patricio (Hamer)
    Digne, Alonso, Bennett, Laporte (AWB)
    Sane, Salah, Rich, Maddison (Hojberg)
    Arnie, Kane, Jimenez

    1. Midlands Saint73
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Arnie to someone.

  4. De Gea is GOAT
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Thinking of using FH this week as mini league leader is 110 pnts ahead. Yay or nay? Thanks guys 🙂
    current team:
    Hart
    Digne - Doherty - Robbo - Laporte
    Siggi - Sterling - Alli - Ando
    Jimenez - Kane

    FH Team:
    Fabianski
    Balbuena - Kolasinac - Digne - Doherty
    Siggi/Richarlison - Sterling - Paterson
    Kane - Auba - Laca/Lukaku

    1. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Considering Lukaku myself but probs idiotic

    2. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Don’t free hit just because you are 110 points behind.

      It’ll only give you temporary gratification for the trade off of a long term worsening of your position. He’ll free hit much later in a blank week, gain more points from his free hit than you and thus overall extend his league further.

      Only play your free hit this week if you think this week is best chance of maximising points for it.

      110 points is easily catchable at this stage with good captain choices and 1 or 2 differentials. It’s a marathon not a sprint - never forget that (no matter how frustrating your current position is!)

      1. De Gea is GOAT
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 3 months ago

        Thank you so much for your help. Much appreciate it. Decided to go with 2 transfers instead 🙂

  5. tbhogal
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Don’t have Auba who to captain instead ?

    1. TheDragon
      • 5 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Depends who you DO have! What’s your team?

  6. tbhogal
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Kane, Arnie and Jimenez currently

  7. Eze Really?
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    With Gomez out, is Lovren nailed? maybe Matip?
    TAA. Who cn he rotate with ATM?

  8. Benditlike
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Kolasinac or Digne?

  9. BulgarianOwls
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    can you give me advice for a team selection?
    Patrticio
    Alonso Laporte TAA
    Richarlison Hazard Salah(v) Masuaku
    Jimenez Chicharito Kane (c)
    Foster -1 Mc artur,2 bennet,3 wb

  10. rnrd
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Why is Son suspended for the UCL Barcelona game ?

  11. tbhogal
    • 14 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Non and Auba and Laca owners who are you going to captain ?

    1. RyanC
      • 9 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Salah.

  12. Lukaku91
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    place in order for gw 16

    a) Laporte
    b) Gibbs-White
    c) Bennett

  13. Kane Train
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    People getting rid of Alonso are very brave. Has Brighton next week and can gaurentee they will not concede to them transfer out at your own risk. He will not be benched for Emerson as he will play Europa

  14. maurorodi00
    • 5 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    my current squad is
    ederson/fabiansky
    alonso rob wan bennet and yedlin
    salah hazard fraser richarlison and kenedy
    aubamayong mitrovic and kamara

    now how i will manage to take son and sterling or son and sane or and who do you think will delever most points between this two options ? thank you all

  15. Pablitto
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Guys which 4,5M def is worth -4 ?

  16. _werre_
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Help please

    Hart (Patricio)
    Digne - Alonso - Robertson
    Sane - Shaqiri - Martial - Hazard
    Arnie, Kane, Jimenez

    AWB - Alonso - Murphy

    A) Hazard, Arnie => Aubameyang, Snodgrass for a -4
    B) Hazard, Arnie=> Chicharito, Son also for a -4
    C) Save FT

    1. *sigh*
      • 12 Years
      5 years, 3 months ago

      Id keep Hazard tbh. Can you do simple Arnie to Wilson swap?

  17. Sol
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 3 months ago

    Gtg? (chasing points 120)
    Fab
    Holebas Rob Digne
    Son Fanderon(C) Haz Salah Pogba Son
    Mitro Rash
    Subs Deeny Arnold Peltier

    Cheers