The fixtures for the 2025/26 Premier League season are officially out – so let the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) planning commence!

While FPL is yet to launch, we can at least assess which teams are worthy of investment and which ones we might want to steer clear of from a fixture difficulty perspective.

In this piece, we’ll focus on the teams that have the most favourable opening runs.

Later on, we’ll examine those with tougher schedules.

The primary focus of this article will be on a six-Gameweek lookahead. However, we’ll also take a look at the shorter and longer-term prospects where appropriate.

• READ MORE: When will FPL launch for 2025/26?
• READ MORE: Transfer window reopens: All the major done deals so far

SEASON TICKER

Our Season Ticker is live for the new season.

Here is the schedule for the first six Gameweeks, sorted by fixture difficulty.

Fantasy Football Scout subscribers can use this helpful tool to pick out favourable runs of matches for each club. They can also sort by rotation pairings, use their own customised fixture difficulty ratings and more.

It’s one of the many benefits available to subscribers – make sure you sign up before the 2025/26 season to give yourself all the tools you need for a successful FPL campaign.

BEST FIXTURES

ASTON VILLA

Aston Villa sit third on our Season Ticker in the opening six Gameweeks.

But it’s actually an even longer run of ‘easier’ matches, with a home clash against newly-promoted Burnley to come in Gameweek 7.

Unai Emery’s troops host Newcastle United on the opening weekend, who they thumped 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last season. It’s an opportunity for Villa to extend their unbeaten home run to 22 games across all competitions.

Beyond that, Villa won’t face any of last season’s top eight until the end of October.

The Villans will contest their first UEFA Europa League fixture on either September 24 or 25. It will be followed by a home encounter against Fulham, a potentially important factor, especially after some poor displays in post-European games in the campaign just gone.

Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins’ ownership will likely be sizeable in Gameweek 1, then, with Ezri Konsa also a potential target for the first two months at least. Villa recorded six clean sheets in their final 10 matches of 2024/25, the joint-most of any team.

CHELSEA

Chelsea have the most appealing first six fixtures from an ‘attack’ perspective, at least according to our Season Ticker, which is bound to raise interest in Cole Palmer.

The Blues won’t leave the capital until late September, with Enzo Maresca’s troops set to start the season with four successive London derbies.

They follow that up with games against Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion, both of whom finished in the bottom half for goals conceded and expected goals conceded (xGC) in 2024/25.

Next season will feature a UEFA Champions League campaign, of course. The first match is scheduled between Gameweeks 4 and 5, with potentially tricky away trips to Brentford and Man Utd on either side.

Having been sent off in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in Gameweek 36 last season, Nicolas Jackson will miss out on the opener against Crystal Palace. That could mean a start up front for summer transfer Liam Delap, who impressed on his debut against LAFC earlier this week.

SUNDERLAND

Sunderland top our Season Ticker for the first six Gameweeks.

The schedule isn’t entirely straightforward (is it ever for a newly-promoted club?), but there is a promising Gameweek 2 match-up against Burnley, plus home games against West Ham United and managerless Brentford on either side.

Sunderland don’t play any of the traditional ‘big six’ in the first half-dozen Gameweeks, either.

Regis Le Bris and his team have a shot at getting some early points on the board, then, although every match next season will no doubt be challenging for the play-off winners.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

While Nottingham Forest’s trip to Arsenal in Gameweek 4 is hardly favourable, the other fixtures look altogether more enticing.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, who will compete in next season’s UEFA Conference League, open the season at home to Brentford, who will have a new manager by then.

The real appeal lies in Gameweeks 5 and 6, however, when Forest face two newly-promoted clubs, Burnley and Sunderland, in quick succession.

Those two clashes scream clean sheet potential for Matz Sels and co.

Forest’s opening fixtures will no doubt raise interest in Chris Wood, too, although he is surely set for a considerable price hike after last season’s 200-point haul.

Incidentally, Forest’s matches rotate perfectly with Bournemouth’s in 2024/25.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Thomas Frank has an ideal start to his tenure with Tottenham Hotspur, facing Scott Parker’s promoted Burnley side at home in Gameweek 1.

It comes just three days after Spurs’ UEFA Super Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain, which is due to take place in Udine, Italy on August 13.

The UEFA Europa League winners face a tough trip to Man City in Gameweek 2, but beyond that, there’s an eye-catching run of matches right through until the end of October.

Indeed, Tottenham face two of the three newly-promoted sides in the first seven Gameweeks.

ALSO CONSIDER

Everton warrant a mention, with Leeds United, Brighton and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first three Gameweeks.

Assets like Charly Alcaraz, who produced three attacking returns in the final four Gameweeks of 2024/25, and Iliman Ndiaye could therefore offer early-season value.

Beyond that, though, things toughen up, with clashes against Aston Villa and Merseyside rivals Liverpool.

As for Brentford, they sit second on our Season Ticker in the first six Gameweeks, with their opening half-dozen games including fixtures against Sunderland and Fulham.

However, with new management and tougher matchups against Forest and Villa up first, many Fantasy managers are likely to take a cautious approach with their player selections, at least initially.

Also, a final word on Manchester City.

They may face three of the traditional ‘big six’ in the first five Gameweeks, but that run includes clashes against Tottenham and Man Utd, who were far from convincing last season.

It’s also worth noting Pep Guardiola’s side face only one of last season’s top seven across their first six matches, boosting the early appeal of Erling Haaland.