FPL Preseason Guide: Best Early Fixtures and GW1 Draft
The season is under way. This guide is kept as the template for next preseason and is no longer listed on the blog. For the current gameweek, see GW8 tips.
TL;DR
The season began on Friday 21 August 2026 and the Gameweek 1 deadline has passed, so this guide is now about the opening run rather than the first draft. Build around the teams with the softest fixtures, not around last season's points table, and check the live fixture ticker before every transfer. For the current gameweek, see GW8 tips.
Which Teams Have the Best Opening Fixtures?
It changes every week as fixtures are played and rescheduled, so the live ticker below is the answer. Sort it by the easiest run over the next 3, 6, 8 or 10 gameweeks: green is easy, red is hard, and the teams at the top are where your clean sheets and cheap attackers come from.
| Team | GW8 | GW9 | GW10 | GW11 | GW12 | GW13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COVCoventry | GW8: FUL home, difficulty 2 | GW9: SUN home, difficulty 3 | GW10: EVE away, difficulty 3 | GW11: CRY home, difficulty 2 | GW12: LEE away, difficulty 3 | GW13: IPS home, difficulty 2 |
| TOTSpurs | GW8: CHE away, difficulty 4 | GW9: CRY home, difficulty 2 | GW10: LEE away, difficulty 3 | GW11: IPS home, difficulty 2 | GW12: SUN away, difficulty 3 | GW13: FUL home, difficulty 2 |
| IPSIpswich | GW8: NFO home, difficulty 3 | GW9: HUL away, difficulty 2 | GW10: BOU home, difficulty 3 | GW11: TOT away, difficulty 3 | GW12: AVL home, difficulty 3 | GW13: COV away, difficulty 2 |
| CHEChelsea | GW8: TOT home, difficulty 2 | GW9: MUN home, difficulty 4 | GW10: SUN away, difficulty 3 | GW11: LEE home, difficulty 3 | GW12: NFO away, difficulty 3 | GW13: CRY home, difficulty 2 |
| NFONott'm Forest | GW8: IPS away, difficulty 2 | GW9: BRE away, difficulty 3 | GW10: MCI home, difficulty 4 | GW11: BOU away, difficulty 3 | GW12: CHE home, difficulty 4 | GW13: HUL away, difficulty 2 |
| SUNSunderland | GW8: LEE home, difficulty 3 | GW9: COV away, difficulty 2 | GW10: CHE home, difficulty 4 | GW11: AVL away, difficulty 3 | GW12: TOT home, difficulty 2 | GW13: LIV away, difficulty 4 |
| CRYCrystal Palace | GW8: NEW home, difficulty 3 | GW9: TOT away, difficulty 3 | GW10: LIV home, difficulty 4 | GW11: COV away, difficulty 2 | GW12: HUL home, difficulty 2 | GW13: CHE away, difficulty 4 |
| AVLAston Villa | GW8: MCI home, difficulty 4 | GW9: FUL home, difficulty 2 | GW10: MUN away, difficulty 4 | GW11: SUN home, difficulty 3 | GW12: IPS away, difficulty 2 | GW13: EVE home, difficulty 3 |
| BOUBournemouth | GW8: MUN away, difficulty 4 | GW9: LEE home, difficulty 3 | GW10: IPS away, difficulty 2 | GW11: NFO home, difficulty 3 | GW12: FUL away, difficulty 3 | GW13: BHA home, difficulty 3 |
| LEELeeds | GW8: SUN away, difficulty 3 | GW9: BOU away, difficulty 3 | GW10: TOT home, difficulty 2 | GW11: CHE away, difficulty 4 | GW12: COV home, difficulty 2 | GW13: MCI away, difficulty 5 |
| FULFulham | GW8: COV away, difficulty 2 | GW9: AVL away, difficulty 3 | GW10: NEW home, difficulty 3 | GW11: MCI away, difficulty 5 | GW12: BOU home, difficulty 3 | GW13: TOT away, difficulty 3 |
| HULHull | GW8: BRE home, difficulty 3 | GW9: IPS home, difficulty 2 | GW10: ARS away, difficulty 5 | GW11: BHA home, difficulty 3 | GW12: CRY away, difficulty 3 | GW13: NFO home, difficulty 3 |
| MCIMan City | GW8: AVL away, difficulty 3 | GW9: BHA home, difficulty 3 | GW10: NFO away, difficulty 3 | GW11: FUL home, difficulty 2 | GW12: ARS away, difficulty 5 | GW13: LEE home, difficulty 3 |
| ARSArsenal | GW8: EVE home, difficulty 3 | GW9: LIV away, difficulty 4 | GW10: HUL home, difficulty 2 | GW11: NEW away, difficulty 3 | GW12: MCI home, difficulty 4 | GW13: BRE away, difficulty 3 |
| BHABrighton | GW8: LIV away, difficulty 4 | GW9: MCI away, difficulty 5 | GW10: BRE home, difficulty 3 | GW11: HUL away, difficulty 2 | GW12: NEW home, difficulty 3 | GW13: BOU away, difficulty 3 |
| EVEEverton | GW8: ARS away, difficulty 5 | GW9: NEW away, difficulty 3 | GW10: COV home, difficulty 2 | GW11: BRE away, difficulty 3 | GW12: LIV home, difficulty 4 | GW13: AVL away, difficulty 3 |
| BREBrentford | GW8: HUL away, difficulty 2 | GW9: NFO home, difficulty 3 | GW10: BHA away, difficulty 4 | GW11: EVE home, difficulty 3 | GW12: MUN away, difficulty 4 | GW13: ARS home, difficulty 4 |
| LIVLiverpool | GW8: BHA home, difficulty 3 | GW9: ARS home, difficulty 4 | GW10: CRY away, difficulty 3 | GW11: MUN home, difficulty 4 | GW12: EVE away, difficulty 3 | GW13: SUN home, difficulty 3 |
| MUNMan Utd | GW8: BOU home, difficulty 3 | GW9: CHE away, difficulty 4 | GW10: AVL home, difficulty 3 | GW11: LIV away, difficulty 4 | GW12: BRE home, difficulty 3 | GW13: NEW away, difficulty 3 |
| NEWNewcastle | GW8: CRY away, difficulty 3 | GW9: EVE home, difficulty 3 | GW10: FUL away, difficulty 3 | GW11: ARS home, difficulty 4 | GW12: BHA away, difficulty 4 | GW13: MUN home, difficulty 4 |
A player from a team with three easy fixtures is worth more than a bigger name facing three tough ones. Use the fixtures to shortlist, then check each player's projected points before you commit.
How to Build Your Squad for the Opening Run
- Two or three premium attackers from teams with good fixtures. These are your captain rotation.
- Value midfielders (£6.0m to £8.0m) with real minutes. This is where you find the points-per-million that funds your premiums.
- A solid defence from teams that keep clean sheets, ideally with a set-piece or attacking threat.
- A playing bench, not fodder. Early-season rotation risk is high, so minutes matter more than name value.
- A budget goalkeeper pairing so you can spend up the pitch.
Transfers now cost 4 points beyond your free one, so changes need to earn their place. Do not chase last season's top scorers on reputation. Chase minutes, role, and fixtures.
Should I Use My First Wildcard Early?
No. You get two Wildcards across the season, and burning the first one in the opening weeks throws away information. Fixture difficulty and form only settle after about six gameweeks. The strongest first-Wildcard window is usually once that picture is clear, and for most managers this season that is the Gameweek 6 international break. For the full chip plan, read the chip strategy guide.
Got a squad already? Get it scored with a free Copilot Score.
FAQ
When does FPL start?
The season started on Friday 21 August 2026. Squad changes are no longer free: you get one free transfer a week, with extra moves costing 4 points each.
Which teams have the best fixtures right now?
Sort the live ticker above by the easiest run over the next six gameweeks. The teams at the top are the clean-sheet targets, and their regular starters up front are the transfer targets. It changes every week, so check it before the deadline rather than trusting a preseason list.
Should I use my Wildcard early in the season?
Usually not. Fixture and form data only settle after around six gameweeks, so an early Wildcard wastes information. Hold it for a clear fixture swing once the season has taken shape.
How many transfers can I make each week?
One free transfer a week, and 4 points for each extra. Before Gameweek 1 you could change as many as you liked, but that window has closed.