Christmas may have been and gone, but the fixtures continue to come thick and fast – so it’s time for another look at which clubs have the best schedules to target in Fantasy Premier League (FPL).
In our latest instalment of ‘Frisking the Fixtures’, we identify the teams and players with the most appealing runs of matches between Gameweeks 20 and 25.
As always, our colour-coded Season Ticker is the primary source for this piece.
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SEASON TICKER OVERVIEW: NEXT SIX GAMEWEEKS
EVERTON
Everton’s favourable run started in Gameweek 18 with a trip to Burnley, but they continue over the turn of the year with home matches against Brentford, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds, who have the fourth-worst, worst and third-worst away records in the division, respectively.
The Toffees can draw encouragement from this season’s results against the teams they must visit in this run, having held Aston Villa to a goalless draw and beaten both Brighton and Hove Albion and Fulham 2-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It should be noted that Everton have to get through at least half of these matches without Iliman Ndiaye (£6.3m) and Idrissa Gueye (£5.4m), who are at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Senegal, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (£5.0m) is currently sidelined. Goals are proving hard to come by for Thierno Barry (£5.7m) and Beto (£5.0m), although Barry scored past Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 19, his second in five outings.
Everton create and score so few chances that it is difficult to make a case for their attacking assets. But the underrated James Garner’s (£5.0m) price makes him worth considering as a budget enabler. He is Everton’s fourth-highest scoring player with 85 points, which is 10 more than Dewsbury-Hall.
It is Everton’s defensive assets that most stand out, however.
Michael Keane (£4.8m) and James Tarkowski (£5.6m) are defensive contribution (DefCon) monsters, with Tarkowski now the fifth-highest scoring defender in the game with 94 points. Three points behind is Keane, whose fitness status is still unknown; he has a “chance” for Brentford, but that’s all.
Jordan Pickford (£5.5m) is still doing Jordan Pickford things, briefly moving top of the goalkeeper standings following clean sheet number eight. With Pickford, Tarkowski and Keane averaging 4.5, 4.9 and 5.4 points per match this season, at least one of them should be snapped up at the earliest opportunity – although Keane can wait until we see his name back on the teamsheet.
WEST HAM UNITED
West Ham’s attractive run of fixtures continues with a must-win trip to Wolves, who have the division’s worst home record.
It also includes home matches against Nottingham Forest and Sunderland, who’ve each managed only two away wins this term.
The Hammers must go to Spurs, but Thomas Frank’s side have won only two home matches this season, the same tally as Gameweek 25 opponents Burnley.
You get the feeling that West Ham’s Premier League survival hinges on their results across this run of matches, and their performances have been slighty improving of late, particularly on the road, where they managed three successive draws before losing at Manchester City.
Wins are scarce, so Hammers’ assets are not exactly top of FPL managers’ shopping lists, but Jarrod Bowen (£7.6m) remains an FPL asset worthy of respect.
In the last six Gameweeks, Bowen has produced three goals and an assist. No forwards have taken as many penalty-area touches (44). What’s more, he’s a 90-minute man while rotation rages elsewhere in the league.
The defence remains problematic, and Nuno Espirito Santo will be missing full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.2m) and El Hadji Malick Diouf (£4.1m) for as long as they’re on AFCON duty.
West Ham have still not kept a clean sheet under this manager and are on a 16-match shutout drought.
The midfield also underwhelms, although Lucas Paqueta (£5.9m) did manage a 13-pointer in Gameweek 19 thanks to a penalty and an assist. The Brazilian has scored eight out of eight spot-kicks for the Hammers. Where there is a penalty taker, there is always hope of a haul in any given week.
CHELSEA
Chelsea have the hardest match of the season in Gameweek 20, and the west London derby against improving Fulham will also test their mettle. Thereafter, they have four fantastic fixtures from which they ought to churn out four wins.
The middle four are all in London, so travel will be minimal. It’s also a good time to visit an exhausted Crystal Palace side, and Wolves away feels straightforward.
The return of Cole Palmer (£10.4m) is starting to bear fruit. The England international has been treated with kid gloves as he makes his way back from a lengthy injury, but he has returned in three of his last four starts, scoring a penalty in Gameweek 19 to add to two goals and an assist since his comeback.
Now might be the time to get ahead of the curve on him, before price and ownership climb.
João Pedro (£7.2m), Pedro Neto (£7.3m) and Enzo Fernández (£6.4m) could all offer appeal, too. The Brazilian scored in Gameweeks 17 and 18, while Neto enjoyed a purple patch from Gameweeks 8 to 14. The issue? Rotation (Neto and Pedro were subs in midweek), and the unknowns associated with the appointment of a new manager. Will the incoming head coach favour regular breathers?
While the Premier League schedule eases after this week, Chelsea’s involvement in three cup competitions will ensure there’ll be no let-up. With everyone bar Palmer, perhaps it’s best to assess the lay of the land after Maresca’s successor has overseen his first two league games and the two cup matches before Gameweek 22.
That goes for defensive assets, too.
Between Gameweeks 15 and 18, Robert Sánchez (£4.9m) produced the most points by an FPL goalkeeper (23), while Trevoh Chalobah (£5.6m) remains the joint third-highest scoring defender. Chalobah has started every league game he’s been available for this season – but will he be as nailed under the head coach?
ASTON VILLA
Aston Villa’s recent form has been nothing short of galactico. And even though their 11-match winning sequence was ended rather unceremoniously by Arsenal, they can quickly recapture their momentum.
Home matches against Nottingham Forest and Brentford, who each have only two away wins to their names this season, should be comfortable enough for a free-scoring Villa side who will also back themselves to breach Everton’s solid rearguard at Villa Park.
Crystal Palace and Newcastle are not easy places to visit, but the timing could be opportune to face two sides suffering from unconvincing form. Bournemouth have also fallen off a cliff and are likely to be without Antoine Semenyo (£7.7m) by the time Gameweek 25 swings around.
Villa’s man of the moment is Morgan Rogers (£7.5m), someone seemingly capable of scoring at will from any distance.
Since Gameweek 12, he’s delivered three 15-point hauls. Between Gameweeks 12 and 18, among midfielders, only Phil Foden (£9.0m) secured more than his 57, while just Harry Wilson (£5.8m) managed more attacking returns. In that timeframe, a mere three midfielders attempted more shots (21). Like Bowen, he’s secure for minutes, too.
Ollie Watkins (£8.6m) is enjoying a long-awaited renaissance after recently producing five goals and two assists. But at that price, you’d want someone near-guaranteed starts – and there’ll always be a bit of concern about management of his knee pain. He was benched as recently as Gameweek 18.
With none of the Villans being DefCon machines, Matty Cash (£4.8m) is the backline pick due to his attacking threat. Since Gameweek 14, he has produced a goal and an assist and is well rested after serving a suspension in Gameweek 19.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION
Burnley at home in Gameweek 20 is just what the doctor ordered for a Brighton side that is winless in six matches. Man City away in Gameweek 21 is admittedly painful, though they’ve already beaten Pep Guardiola’s side this season.
Plus, they’ll be glad to host out-of-sorts Bournemouth and knackered fierce rivals Crystal Palace in a sequence that includes four home matches. The Seagulls have only lost once at home all campaign.
Recent struggles have coincided with injuries/illnesses to Danny Welbeck (£6.3m) and Kaoru Mitoma (£6.1m), but both are available again. Welbeck scored his eighth goal of the season – a penalty – against West Ham in Gameweek 19 and, although he hit the bar with a second spot-kick at the London Stadium, the veteran represents Brighton’s most reliable route to goals. The question remains over how much his game-time will continue to be managed, particularly at this time of year, at the age of 34.
Mitoma is still struggling for minutes, too, after missing nine matches with an ankle problem. However, he came close to scoring against West Ham and remains one to watch once he’s back in the line-up regularly.
A dead leg kills any new interest in Yankuba Minteh (£6.0m) this week; if you’ve got him, you surely hold and hope that he starts.
One shutout in the last six matches doesn’t scream any defensive appeal. But centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke (£4.5m) offers some attacking threat: since Gameweek 10, no defender has more goals (two), he’s shot eight times and has racked up an assist.
He’s also Brighton’s leading defender for DefCon points, with 12.
ALSO CONSIDER
NEWCASTLE UNITED
After back-to-back away matches, Newcastle will be grateful for a run of three home matches in their next four. They are a much stronger team at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe’s side first hosts Crystal Palace, who shipped four goals at Leeds United last time out.
Speaking of which, the Magpies welcome Daniel Farke’s lot to Tyneside, plus Brentford. Two teams that have only three away wins between them in 2025/26. The Magpies’ trip to Molineux should also provide rich pickings.
Newcastle are unbeaten in four home league encounters with Palace, winning the last two by a combined score of 9-0. They are unbeaten in 17 home league games against Villa, too, last losing to them on Tyneside in 2005. Of these, 11 were wins, the last three being a combined 12-1.
The shared workload between Yoane Wissa (£7.3m) and Nick Woltemade (£7.4m) may kill both as FPL assets but Anthony Gordon (£7.4m) and Bruno Guimarães (£7.0m) both appeal as mid-priced midfielders producing returns. Gordon has hit his straps with three assists in as many outings to follow up goals in Gameweeks 14 and 15, while Bruno has scored three goals in six.
In all likelihood, neither player will be spared rotation or an early substitution themselves, but they’ll start way more than 50% of games, which is something that may not be true of Wissa/Woltemade.
Other players to note are Nick Pope (£5.1m), who reclaimed his place in goal and came to the rescue on several occasions at Turf Moor, while Schar and Lewis Hall (£5.3m) are also playing well, albeit with the rather large caveat that Newcastle have not kept a clean sheet in their latest 12 occasions.
Since Gameweek 12, just one defender has more goal attempts than Schär and Hall (10).
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Spurs have a very attractive run until Gameweek 24, with Sunderland and West Ham visiting north London alongside trips to Bournemouth and Burnley. The Black Cats and the Hammers have only three away wins between them this term, while Spurs have the division’s best record on the road.
Though they have had an indifferent 2025/26 under Frank, clean-sheet wins over Brentford and Crystal Palace have furthered the cause of Micky van de Ven (£4.5m), who produced his third double-digit haul in Gameweek 18.
The defence certainly appeals more than the attack at present, with cries of ‘Boring, Boring Tottenham’ ringing out in west London in midweek. It’s two goals in the last four league games for the Lilywhites.
ARSENAL
Arsenal ought to be in the conversation based on form alone and, aside from Gameweek 21, their schedule eases up in early 2026. Having dispatched Aston Villa 4-1, neither the visit of Liverpool nor Manchester United should give too much cause for concern.
They have mustered only one clean sheet in five matches but the return of Gabriel Magalhaes (£6.4m) should help reverse that trend. Even if they struggle for shutouts, the Brazilian poses a very real set-piece goal threat, as he reminded us on Tuesday.
Beyond this, Arsenal’s midfielders offer the greatest interest, with Bukayo Saka (£10.3m) and Declan Rice (£7.2m) the obvious standouts.
Saka has been churning out some end product, assisting six times in the last seven matches. Since Gameweek 15, his 48 penalty area touches are comfortably more than any other midfielder. He also ranks second for shots on goal (18) and joint-third for chances created (13). He also has a share of penalties, although Viktor Gyökeres (£8.8m) did take and score the last one.
Rice has now become an FPL giant, given that he is the second-highest scoring midfielder in the game. He has assisted in back-to-back matches, and since Gameweek 14, only three midfielders have created more big chances than Arsenal’s set-piece specialist.
The major concern, however, is that he missed the win over Villa with a knee injury, the severity of which has yet to be ascertained.
