Best FPL Fixtures GW1–GW6 2026/27: Teams to Target

Introduction

The best FPL fixtures for 2026/27 are not one simple list. Manchester United have the best immediate Gameweek 1–2 opportunity, Liverpool have the strongest first-five sequence, Everton offer the best defensive-value run and Manchester City provide the highest captaincy ceiling. Newcastle are more attractive as a Gameweek 3 target than as a Gameweek 1 pick. If you want a structured squad check alongside the schedule, use Rate My FPL Team.

This guide compares the official FPL Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR) with team quality, attacking and defensive expectations, home and away balance, minutes risk and likely transfer points. A fixture makes a good player more attractive; it does not turn an uncertain starter into a safe pick.

Last checked: 15 August 2026

Best FPL Fixtures GW1–GW6 — Quick Answer

This is the FPL Assistant editorial ranking. It is not a simple sort of the official FDR values.

The best FPL captain picks turn fixture strength into a weekly armband decision.

Use the FPL transfer planner to turn the fixture swings into a sequence of moves.

Balance the latest Gameweek 1 team news against fixture strength before targeting a player.

Use the GW1 captain rankings to turn the best opening fixtures into a final armband decision.

The complete GW1 guide brings the opening fixtures together with team news, minutes and the final checklist.

Which Teams Have the Easiest Official FPL Fixtures?

The official FPL Fixture Difficulty Ratings provide a useful benchmark for the opening six Gameweeks.

Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United have the joint-lowest average FDR across GW1–GW6 at 2.8.

Arsenal, Ipswich Town, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest follow at 3.0.

FPL Assistant's ranking is not based on average FDR alone. We also consider when the easiest fixtures fall, captaincy potential, defensive value, likely FPL targets and how useful a fixture run is when building a Gameweek 1 squad.

How the fixture ranking was calculated

The fixture table uses the current official FPL fixtures feed checked on 15 August 2026. The number in brackets is the official FPL FDR from 1 (very favourable) to 5 (very difficult). Home and away status is shown because venue changes the practical value of the same opponent.

The overall ranking then adds four editorial checks:

• Attack and defence: goals, assists, captaincy, clean-sheet and defensive-contribution potential, without treating any fixture as a guarantee.
• Team quality: strong teams can remain attractive through a neutral fixture; a promoted opponent does not make a promoted asset safe.
• Minutes and transfer risk: rotation, European football, injuries, new-manager roles and how quickly the run changes.

The FDR is official. The overall, attacking and defensive rankings are FPL Assistant editorial analysis. They are not official FPL predictions.

Complete GW1–GW6 fixture table

Key: 1 = very favourable, 2 = favourable, 3 = neutral, 4 = difficult, 5 = very difficult. These are official FPL FDR values, not adjusted FPL Assistant scores.

How Should You Use the GW1–GW6 Fixtures?

Building your GW1 team? Prioritise teams with good immediate fixtures rather than buying players solely because their schedule improves in four weeks.

Planning early transfers? Mark major fixture swings such as Newcastle from GW3 rather than trying to own every favourable asset from Gameweek 1.

Choosing a captain? Fixture difficulty matters most when combined with a genuinely high-ceiling player.

Choosing defenders? A sustained run of favourable fixtures can be more valuable than one easy Gameweek.

1. Manchester United — best immediate start

GW1–GW6: Hull (A), Ipswich (H), Everton (A), Man City (H), Fulham (A), Spurs (H).

The first two fixtures are the clearest reason to start with a United asset. Hull away is rated 2 and Ipswich at home is rated 2. The run is not perfect: Everton away is a reasonable but not effortless follow-up, Manchester City arrives in Gameweek 4, and Spurs at home in Gameweek 6 is not a fixture to treat as a guaranteed haul. The reviewed official analysis has only one opponent above FDR 3 across United's opening eight, with Manchester City in Gameweek 4 the obvious difficult fixture.

Bruno Fernandes is the safest route if the role remains unchanged. The current FPL feed lists him as a £12.0m midfielder, active, with first-choice penalty order and 3,065 minutes and 35 starts in the reference data. That is a much stronger case than simply repeating a popular name: penalties, creativity and expected minutes give him several routes to points.

Cunha and Mbeumo are both live-feed-supported £8.0m midfield options. They make a double-up possible, but doubling in attack should be a deliberate choice rather than an automatic response to two easy fixtures. A third United slot is harder to justify before the new-season structure is visible.

Lammens is listed at £5.0m and Maguire at £5.0m, but neither should be treated as a guaranteed defensive solution without confirming the starting hierarchy. United's defensive route may offer value if the first-choice goalkeeper and centre-back pairing settle; it is not enough to select a player solely because Hull and Ipswich appear in the ticker.

FPL Assistant verdict: the best Gameweek 1 launch point. Start with one secure attacker, consider a second if the rest of the squad is balanced, and keep flexibility for the Gameweek 4 City fixture. European football and tactical rotation should be checked before committing to three assets.

2. Liverpool — best first five

GW1–GW6: Newcastle (A), Nott'm Forest (H), Ipswich (A), Fulham (H), Bournemouth (A), Man City (H).

Liverpool's opening trip to Newcastle is the awkward part, but the next four matches are the reason the team can be held from Gameweek 1: Forest at home, Ipswich away, Fulham at home and Bournemouth away. Liverpool avoid last season's top 10 across Gameweeks 1–4, but that does not make every fixture easy. The official FDR average is joint-lowest at 2.83, and the schedule improves immediately after the opening match.

Virgil van Dijk is the most secure defensive example in the current official analysis, priced at £6.5m with 3,420 minutes and 38 starts in the reference data. That combines minutes and defensive-contribution potential, although clean sheets still depend on performance. Compare the route with the wider Best FPL Defenders 2026/27 guide.

Alexander Isak is active in the feed at £9.0m and has a high attacking ceiling, but his current reference minutes are much lower than van Dijk's. His selection therefore needs a fitness, role and pre-season check rather than an automatic recommendation. Szoboszlai (£7.0m) has the stronger recent minutes record, while Wirtz (£7.5m) remains a role-watch option. Neither should be presented as a guaranteed central creator before the tactical picture is clear.

Gameweek 6, when Manchester City visit, is a natural decision point. It does not mean every Liverpool asset must be sold: a good player can survive one hard fixture. It does mean managers planning a Wildcard or an early transfer should know that the best part of the run ends there.

FPL Assistant verdict: the best first-five hold. Liverpool assets can start, but Newcastle away is a reason not to force a captaincy call in Gameweek 1, and City in Gameweek 6 is the first sensible review point.

3. Everton — best defensive-value run

GW1–GW6: Crystal Palace (H), Bournemouth (A), Man Utd (H), Spurs (A), Ipswich (H), Hull (A).

Everton are in the joint-best official six-week FDR group with Liverpool and Manchester United, at an average of 2.8. Their appeal is different: this is a defensive-rotation schedule rather than a captaincy run, finishing with Ipswich and Hull in Gameweeks 5 and 6.

Jordan Pickford is the current £5.5m goalkeeper in the FPL feed, with 3,420 minutes and 38 starts. He is a credible set-and-forget or rotation anchor if the price fits. Dewsbury-Hall is £6.5m and Ndiaye £6.0m; both are active, while Ndiaye is listed first in Everton's current penalty order. Use the Most Nailed FPL Players guide to separate fixture appeal from minutes security.

Garner is not a safe immediate recommendation: the current feed marks him injured with a groin problem and an expected return of 22 August. That is exactly why fixture analysis must be joined to team news. An attractive home fixture does not turn an unavailable player into a Gameweek 1 pick.

Starting an Everton defender every week is not automatically sensible. The middle fixtures against United and Spurs are less attractive than the closing pair, and a rotation plan may be better than paying a premium for a player who is only needed in selected weeks.

FPL Assistant verdict: the best defensive-value run, especially for managers planning a rotation pair. Do not confuse good defensive fixtures with a captaincy schedule, and recheck the starting defenders and any injury news before the deadline.

4. Manchester City — best captaincy ceiling

GW1–GW6: Bournemouth (H), Crystal Palace (A), Coventry (H), Man Utd (A), Sunderland (H), Liverpool (A).

City's average FDR is 3.00, so the overall number is less impressive than the individual opportunity. Bournemouth, Coventry and Sunderland are all home fixtures, which gives Erling Haaland the highest captaincy ceiling in this comparison. The current feed lists Haaland at £15.5m, active, with first-choice penalty order and 2,953 minutes and 34 starts in the reference data.

The run is less consistent than United or Liverpool because Manchester United away in Gameweek 4 and Liverpool away in Gameweek 6 interrupt the home sequence. City are therefore more attractive for captaincy planning than for loading up on every available player.

Antoine Semenyo is a current £8.5m midfielder with a strong reference minutes record and third penalty order, while Nico O'Reilly is listed at £6.5m as a defender. Their prices and last-season minutes make them interesting, but neither has Haaland's role security. Pep Guardiola's rotation history, European football and positional competition mean secondary City assets require stronger starting evidence.

Defensive City picks are less compelling than the attack. A clean sheet against Coventry or Sunderland is possible, but a rotation-prone defender can lose the benefit before the fixture is played.

FPL Assistant verdict: the best captaincy ceiling, not the best reason to triple up. Haaland is the clear premium route; add a second City player only when minutes and role are sufficiently secure.

5. Newcastle United — best fixture swing

GW1–GW6: Liverpool (H), Spurs (A), Bournemouth (H), Leeds (A), Hull (H), Coventry (A).

Newcastle should not be described as a top Gameweek 1 fixture team. Their fifth-place editorial ranking is not a claim that they share the official 2.8 benchmark group. Liverpool at home is rated 4 and Tottenham away follows in Gameweek 2. The schedule changes from Gameweek 3: Bournemouth, Leeds, Hull and Coventry provide a much more attractive four-week run.

That makes Newcastle a planned transfer target rather than an automatic Gameweek 1 selection. Managers can start a Liverpool asset, preserve the transfer, then reassess Newcastle after the first two deadlines. A flexible FPL Template Team makes that sideways move easier.

Bruno Guimarães is a current £7.0m midfielder with regular-minute evidence, but his current penalty order is third. William Osula is £6.0m and active, but his reference minutes and starts are much lower, so the fixture swing alone is not enough to make him a safe starter. Newcastle's best attacking option should be chosen after role and minutes checks rather than from the opponent list.

The brief's lower-rotation argument is reasonable only if Newcastle remain outside European competition. That should be checked again before the season begins; domestic fixtures and manager selection still create rotation risk even without Europe.

FPL Assistant verdict: the clearest Gameweek 3 move. Avoid forcing Newcastle into a Gameweek 1 squad unless the player is good enough to justify Liverpool and Spurs first.

6. Arsenal — quality over pure fixture ease

GW1–GW6: Coventry (H), Aston Villa (A), Chelsea (H), Sunderland (A), Brighton (A), Leeds (H).

Arsenal have two very favourable fixtures in Coventry and Leeds, but Aston Villa away, Chelsea at home and Brighton away make the run mixed rather than uniformly easy. Their official average FDR is 3.00.

This is where team quality matters more than a raw ticker. Gabriel is £8.0m and Raya £6.0m in the current feed, and both have strong reference minutes. Saka is £9.5m, active and first in Arsenal's current penalty order. These players can remain good selections through a harder match because their team quality, role and expected involvement are valuable independently of the opponent.

A defensive double-up can be justified when both players have secure minutes and the rest of the squad is not short of attacking flexibility. It is not justified simply because Coventry and Leeds appear in the first and sixth columns.

FPL Assistant verdict: the best example of elite players overcoming a mixed schedule. Prioritise secure Arsenal roles; do not treat the team as a pure fixture punt.

What About Nottingham Forest?

Nottingham Forest deserve an honourable mention. Official FPL FDR gives them an average difficulty score of 3.0 across the first six Gameweeks, placing them alongside Arsenal, Ipswich and Manchester City in the second-best group.

Their early schedule includes home matches against Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City across the first five Gameweeks.

They sit outside our headline six because the FPL Assistant ranking considers more than average FDR alone, including the timing of fixture swings and how useful each team's assets are when constructing a GW1 squad.

Best attacking fixtures

This is a separate ranking from overall FDR because a good attacking fixture can be useful even when the defensive outlook is less attractive.

1. Manchester City — the strongest captaincy sequence through Bournemouth, Coventry and Sunderland at home. Haaland is the obvious route; see Is Haaland Worth £15.5m?.
2. Manchester United — the best first-two attacking launch, with Hull and Ipswich before the City test.
3. Liverpool — the most attractive sustained attacking run from Gameweeks 2–5.
4. Newcastle from Gameweek 3 — four improving fixtures after the Liverpool and Spurs opening.
5. Arsenal — Coventry and Leeds are attractive, but Villa, Chelsea and Brighton prevent a pure ticker-led ranking. The Best Premium Midfielders guide covers the player-quality tie-break in more detail.

These rankings are not claims that every attacker will score. A promoted opponent can defend well, and a rotation risk can turn an excellent fixture into zero minutes.

Best defensive fixtures

Defensive difficulty is also not identical to overall FDR. The team's defensive level, clean-sheet likelihood, set pieces and expected minutes all matter.

1. Everton — the clearest defensive-value run, with Palace and Bournemouth early and Ipswich and Hull late.
2. Arsenal — elite defensive quality makes Gabriel or Raya viable even with Villa, Chelsea and Brighton in the middle.
3. Manchester United — Hull and Ipswich offer an immediate clean-sheet opportunity, although the defence must prove its structure.
4. Liverpool — van Dijk provides the safest current defensive route, with the run improving after Newcastle.
5. Newcastle from Gameweek 3 — Hull and Coventry are useful late fixtures, but Liverpool and Spurs make the first two less appealing.

No clean sheet is guaranteed solely because the opponent is promoted. Use the fixture to support a player with secure starts, defensive contribution potential and a strong team context.

The key early fixture swings

Newcastle from Gameweek 3

The opening two are the price of admission: Liverpool at home and Spurs away. From Gameweek 3, Bournemouth, Leeds, Hull and Coventry make Newcastle a much more obvious transfer target. This is the best reason to plan a move rather than buy early.

Crystal Palace from Gameweek 4

Palace face Everton, Man City and Fulham in the first three, then Ipswich, Leeds and Forest. The run becomes more targetable from Gameweek 4, but the team still has only one official FDR 2 in the six-week window. Treat Palace as a monitored swing, not an automatic mass transfer.

Everton in Gameweeks 5–6

Ipswich at home followed by Hull away is the most useful closing pair in the six-week schedule for Everton defenders and budget assets. It is also late enough that managers can wait for starting roles and injury information.

Liverpool in Gameweek 6

Manchester City at home ends Liverpool's best early sequence. That is not a compulsory sell signal; it is a useful point for a Wildcard, a planned transfer or a captaincy rethink.

Leeds after Gameweek 5

Some independent short-window tickers rank Leeds surprisingly highly over the first five fixtures because the schedule contains several neutral opponents and Newcastle at home. The official six-week assessment is less favourable: Arsenal away in Gameweek 6 is rated 5, leaving Leeds at 3.17 overall. This is a useful warning that time period, methodology and team strength can change the conclusion. Do not follow a ticker blindly.

Teams with difficult opening schedules

Bournemouth have the toughest official FDR schedule across the first six Gameweeks, while Coventry, Leeds and Hull also face difficult opening runs.

Bournemouth — clearest avoid

GW1–GW6: Man City (A), Everton (H), Newcastle (A), Brentford (H), Liverpool (H), Chelsea (A).

Bournemouth are the only team with an official six-week average of 3.67, which rounds to 3.7. Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea are all inside the opening six, with City rated 5 and Liverpool and Chelsea rated 4. A genuinely elite individual could still return, but selecting several Bournemouth players because of price or a single home fixture is not attractive.

Coventry City

Coventry face Arsenal away and Manchester City away in the opening three. Their comparison value is 3.5, and the two very difficult matches make cheap enablers harder to trust as starters.

Hull City

Hull face Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle in their first five. Their comparison value is 3.3. Their home match with Coventry is favourable, but it does not compensate for the concentration of stronger opponents.

Leeds United

Leeds have a neutral-looking first five but Arsenal away in Gameweek 6 is rated 5. Their comparison value is 3.5. Their defensive appeal should not be built on a short ticker alone, and their attacking assets need enough individual quality to overcome the difficult finish.

Avoid means “do not select primarily for these fixtures”, not “every player is unusable”. Fixtures reduce the probability of returns; they never remove them.

How to use fixtures in your Gameweek 1 squad

1. Start with minutes. A secure starter with a neutral fixture is usually better than a rotation risk facing a promoted side.
2. Plan three to six Gameweeks. United can be started immediately, Liverpool can be held through the opening five, and Newcastle can be targeted from Gameweek 3.
3. Do not captain by FDR alone. Haaland's City home fixtures offer the highest ceiling, but captaincy still needs minutes and role security.
4. Use fixtures as a tie-breaker. Arsenal show why elite players can remain good through a mixed schedule.
5. Keep transfer routes open. Mid-price players are easier to move sideways when a fixture swing arrives.
6. Limit early double-ups and triple-ups. Two United attackers can be reasonable; three slots before the new season is tested creates avoidable concentration risk.
7. Recheck the deadline information. Garner is currently flagged with an expected 22 August return, and other roles can change through pre-season. Use the Gameweek 1 Final Checklist before saving.