FPL GW4: Best Fixture Runs and Teams to Target
Gameweek 4 brings a much clearer FPL picture after three weeks of data, with penalty takers, starting roles and early-season trends beginning to settle. Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool and Everton stand out as the best teams to target from GW4 and beyond.
Set your squad before the Gameweek 4 deadline. Using RotoWire's Fixture Difficulty Ranker, which evaluates upcoming matches based on league position, goals scored and goals conceded, here are the best teams to target heading into Gameweek 4 and beyond.
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Best FPL Teams to Target from GW4
| Team | Upcoming Run | Best Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | Sunderland, Brighton, Leeds, Nottingham Forest | Saka, Raya, Gabriel, Konsa, Calafiori |
| Chelsea | Hull, Brentford, Bournemouth | Palmer, Joao Pedro, Rogers |
| Newcastle | Leeds, Hull, Coventry | Wissa, Thiaw, Hall |
| Liverpool | Fulham | Szoboszlai, Isak |
| Everton | Tottenham, Ipswich, Hull | Barry, Branthwaite, Tarkowski |
For individual player order rather than team schedules, see our FPL Gameweek 4 Rankings.
Arsenal
Arsenal may be the strongest team to target in FPL from Gameweek 4 onward. Sunderland, Leeds and Nottingham Forest are on the horizon, giving them an excellent short-term fixture run, while their status as the league's strongest defensive unit creates obvious clean-sheet appeal.
Ezri Konsa stands out as the value route into the back line. With William Saliba (and Cristhian Mosquera) still absent, getting access to Arsenal's defense at Konsa's price is difficult to ignore, particularly if his minutes remain secure.
David Raya and Gabriel are the safest defensive options for managers who prioritize security, while Riccardo Calafiori offers significantly more attacking upside at an affordable price. His place currently looks secure enough to make him one of the more aggressive routes into the Arsenal defence.
Bukayo Saka is the clear attacking target. His minutes are secure, he carries penalty duties and the upcoming schedule gives him the kind of combination of floor and ceiling that makes him one of the safest premium midfielders to own.
For managers on a Wildcard, tripling up on Arsenal is firmly in play. Raya or one of the defenders can anchor the back line while Saka provides premium attacking exposure.
Chelsea
Chelsea are the standout attacking team to target in Gameweek 4, with Hull visiting Stamford Bridge.
Hull have somehow kept a clean sheet in each of their opening three matches despite allowing more than five expected goals. That is one of the most difficult defensive trends in the league to sustain, making Chelsea one of the strongest candidates for positive attacking regression this week.
Cole Palmer is the premium target and arguably the standout captaincy option of Gameweek 4. He has penalty duties, excellent early-season form and no European commitment creating an immediate threat to his minutes. With Manchester United and Manchester City facing each other, Palmer has an especially strong case for the armband.
Joao Pedro is the safer long-term route into the Chelsea attack from the forward position. His role makes him an easy set-and-forget option rather than simply a one-week punt.
Morgan Rogers provides a cheaper path into the same attacking setup and has also started the season strong under manager Xabi Alonso. With no European rotation and only domestic Cups to worry about, doubling or even tripling up on Chelsea's attack is viable for managers aggressively targeting the Hull fixture.
The defence is less convincing. Until the unit becomes more settled, Chelsea's attacking players remain considerably more attractive than their defensive options.
Check the latest Premier League injuries and predicted lineups before making transfers.
Newcastle
Newcastle continue to look like one of the better medium-term teams to target after an encouraging opening three gameweeks. Their schedule becomes particularly attractive in Gameweeks 5 and 6, when Coventry and Hull provide two fixtures with significant potential at both ends of the pitch.
Yoane Wissa remains the standout attacking option. With Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes gone, Wissa has inherited penalty responsibilities, while Will Osula's injury has helped secure consistent 90-minute appearances. He looks rejuvenated under the new manager and has both the role and upcoming fixtures to become a major FPL asset.
Malick Thiaw and Lewis Hall provide the more reliable routes into the Newcastle defence. With Coventry and Hull coming up, both deserve consideration for managers making transfers with more than one gameweek in mind.
Newcastle look more like a team to buy ahead of the fixture swing than one to chase purely for Gameweek 4.
Liverpool
Liverpool's schedule remains appealing, beginning with Fulham at home in Gameweek 4 against a side still searching for its first point of the season.
Dominik Szoboszlai remains the standout FPL option. He's nailed for minutes, confirmed as the penalty taker and offers reliable involvement from set pieces. That combination makes him one of the easiest set-and-forget midfield holds in the game.
Alexander Isak scored twice last week and clearly possesses massive upside, but the decision is less straightforward at his price. Without penalty duties, his value compared to other premium forwards becomes harder to justify over a longer stretch.
That makes Isak particularly attractive for managers on a Free Hit or targeting the Fulham matchup specifically, rather than necessarily being a priority long-term transfer.
Liverpool's defence remains the weaker side of the equation. Until performances improve, attacking exposure is the cleaner way to target their favorable fixtures.
Everton
Everton are more of an upcoming fixture play than an immediate Gameweek 4 priority, but Ipswich and Hull in Gameweeks 5 and 6 put them firmly on the FPL radar.
Thierno Barry is the most interesting differential. With Iliman Ndiaye gone, Barry has inherited penalty duties, while his low price provides the budget flexibility needed to load up on premium assets elsewhere. That combination of penalties, fixtures and price makes him a particularly useful option for Wildcard structures or managers trying to redistribute funds.
Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski provide the safer defensive routes into Everton's upcoming schedule. Both offer strong minute security, while their aerial presence adds set-piece upside on top of potential clean-sheet returns.
Everton assets don't need to be forced into squads immediately, but managers planning transfers over multiple gameweeks should have them firmly on the watchlist before the schedule improves.
Final Thoughts
Arsenal offer the strongest combination of defensive security and favorable upcoming fixtures, making a double or triple-up increasingly appealing from Gameweek 4 onward. Chelsea are the team to attack aggressively this week, particularly through Palmer, Joao Pedro and Rogers against Hull.
Newcastle and Everton become especially interesting as their fixtures improve over the following two gameweeks, while Liverpool continue to offer reliable attacking options through Szoboszlai and, for more aggressive managers, Isak.
With three weeks of Premier League data available, managers can start moving away from preseason assumptions and place more weight on secure minutes, established roles and repeatable team trends.
