Best FPL Fixtures 2026/27: Teams to Target in the First Six Gameweeks

Introduction

Early fixtures should not decide every pick, but they can break close calls. A reliable player with six favourable matches is easier to hold than a similar option who immediately faces several top sides.

Official Fixture Difficulty Ratings place Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United at the top of the opening-six schedule, with Arsenal, Ipswich, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest close behind.

Manchester United

United begin with Hull and Ipswich, the strongest opening pair in the league.

Bruno Fernandes is the priority because he combines minutes, penalties, creativity and captaincy. Cunha and Mbeumo offer attacking double-up routes, while Lammens and Maguire provide defensive options.

The main risk is overcommitting three slots before the new-season team structure is fully tested.

Manchester City

City's schedule includes multiple favourable fixtures and home matches against promoted opponents in the early run.

Haaland is the clear target. Semenyo, O'Reilly and other midfielders or defenders offer upside but carry more rotation risk.

Use the final friendlies to identify which non-Haaland player is most secure.

Liverpool

Liverpool avoid all of last season's top 10 in their first four matches: Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Fulham.

Van Dijk offers the safest defensive route. Isak has a high attacking ceiling if fit, while Szoboszlai and Wirtz need tactical monitoring under Andoni Iraola.

Arsenal

Arsenal face only one of last season's top six across their first eight matches.

Gabriel and Raya provide premium defensive routes, while Saka is the safest attacking option.

Do not guess which £5.5m defender will start alongside Gabriel until the centre-back situation is clearer.

Nottingham Forest

Forest's early home fixtures include Leeds, Tottenham and Coventry in the first five Gameweeks.

Gibbs-White is the standout attacker after 15 goals, four assists and 188 points last season. Defensive options such as Murillo, Milenkovic and Neco Williams can also be considered according to role and price.

Everton

Everton share the best average FDR score over the opening six.

Dewsbury-Hall provides a balanced midfield route, while Ndiaye and Garner can gain set-piece value. Defensive choices should be based on pre-season role and minutes.

Ipswich

Ipswich's overall six-match schedule rates well, but promoted-team uncertainty remains. Cheap defenders and midfielders should be treated as value enablers rather than automatic starters.

A favourable fixture does not remove the gap in team strength.

Teams to approach carefully

Bournemouth have three fixtures rated four or higher across the opening six.

Coventry and Leeds each have two difficult fixtures, while Hull face Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle in their first five.

Good players from these teams can still succeed, but avoid selecting several purely because they are cheap.

Plan the fixture swing, not only Gameweek 1

Look at where a good run ends. A defender with two easy matches followed by four difficult ones may require an early transfer.

Price points help. Selecting an £8.0m midfielder makes it easier to move sideways when another team begins a favourable run.