Best FPL Fixtures for Gameweeks 1-5: Teams and Players to Target
Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton, Brentford and Manchester City have some of the best early-season FPL fixture runs. Here are the teams worth targeting across Gameweeks 1-5, the schedules that make them appealing and the players best placed to benefit.
Set your squad before the Gameweek 1 deadline on Friday, Aug. 21 (1:30 p.m. ET, 90 minutes ahead of the 3 p.m. ET opener). For the full season board, see our FPL Top 400 rankings, and start at the Fantasy Premier League hub for everything 2026/27.
Best FPL Fixture Runs After GW1
| Team | Key Fixture Run | Best FPL Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | Hull, Ipswich | Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo, Luke Shaw |
| Liverpool | Newcastle, Forest, Ipswich, Fulham | Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Isak |
| Brighton | Aston Villa, Leeds, Coventry | Verbruggen, Gross, Diego Gomez |
| Brentford | Tottenham, Leeds, Bournemouth, Sunderland | Igor Thiago, Ajer |
| Manchester City | Coventry, Sunderland | Haaland, Gvardiol |
For a full schedule comparison, use RotoWire's FPL Fixture Difficulty Ranker.
Manchester United Fixtures and FPL Targets
Hull and Ipswich in the opening two Gameweeks give Manchester United one of the best early fixture runs, and Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) is the obvious starting point. The highest scoring FPL player since Michael Carrick took over, he is the first name on any serious team sheet this season.
Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) looks the more appealing attacking option ahead of Matheus Cunha, with significantly more pre-season minutes under his belt and likely to lead the line as the No. 9 with Benjamin Sesko not fully fit.
In defence, Luke Shaw (£4.5m) represents value at his price, while Harry Maguire (£5.0m) offers defensive contributions alongside genuine set-piece goal threat for just half a million more. Senne Lammens (£5.0m) is also worth considering in goal as a steady and reliable performer.
Liverpool Fixtures and FPL Targets
Liverpool probably have the most consistent fixture run of any side in the opening weeks. Newcastle in crisis, followed by Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Fulham makes for a very appealing sequence. Dominik Szoboszlai (£7.0m) is the most popular Liverpool asset and rightly so, nailed for minutes, on set pieces, likely on penalties and a consistent points scorer at his price.
Florian Wirtz is the alternative for those looking to double up in midfield. Alexander Isak (£9.0m) is an intriguing differential in attack. Hampered by injuries last season, he's now fully fit after a complete pre-season and already has a strong Premier League track record. At a reduced price he could be one of the steals of the opening gameweeks.
For individual player order rather than team schedules, see the FPL Gameweek 1 rankings.
Brighton Fixtures and FPL Targets
Brighton have a decent opener against a Villa side weakened by the departures of Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans, and potentially short of bodies following late World Cup returns. Following that, it's Leeds and Coventry which offer two more favourable fixtures after a tricky Chelsea test.
Bart Verbruggen (£4.5m) is probably the pick of the cheaper goalkeepers, reliable for saves and a consistent points scorer. Pascal Gross (£5.5m) is nailed to start, on set pieces and potentially next in line for penalties following Dany Welbeck's exit. Diego Gomez (£5.0m) should get a strong run of starts with Yankuba Minteh injured and Kaoru Mitoma also set to miss time, and having just signed a new contract, his place in the side looks secure.
Brentford Fixtures and FPL Targets
Brentford are flying somewhat under the radar, but the fixtures are genuinely good. Spurs, Leeds, Bournemouth and Sunderland in the opening four is a solid run. Igor Thiago (£8.0m) was the second highest scoring forward in the game last season behind Erling Haaland and is being heavily overlooked heading into this campaign, making him a compelling alternative to Joao Pedro for those operating in a similar price range.
Kristoffer Ajer (£4.5m) steps into a more prominent defensive role with Sepp van den Berg sidelined and has the defensive contribution history to make the most of a kind opening fixture run.
Manchester City Fixtures and FPL Targets
Coventry and Sunderland at home in Gameweeks 3 and 5 are the standout fixtures to target for Man City. Haaland is the obvious starting point given his ownership and those fixtures, and going without him carries real risk.
In midfield, Rayan Cherki and Phil Foden both carry minutes uncertainty under Enzo Maresca for now, and with so many reliable options elsewhere, it's hard to justify the risk at this stage. In defence, both Marc Guehi and Nico O'Reilly sit above 20% ownership but neither feels like a convincing pick. Guehi has no strong history of defensive contributions and has not had a full pre-season, while O'Reilly is not operating in the same advanced role he enjoyed under Pep.
Josko Gvardiol (£5.5m) is the City defensive pick of choice, fully fit after a complete pre-season and comfortably the most reliable starting option from their backline at that price.
Final Thoughts
Manchester United and Liverpool offer the strongest combination of fixtures and reliable FPL options, while Brighton and Brentford provide cheaper routes into favorable schedules. Manchester City are more of a selective target, with Gameweeks 3 and 5 standing out. Fixtures matter, but secure minutes and defined roles should still come first when choosing which players to bring in.
For more on which players to target instead, see our Best Budget FPL Players for Gameweek 1 and six popular FPL players to avoid.
