The festive period is one of the busiest — and most crucial — times of the Fantasy Premier League season, with four FPL Gameweek deadlines in just 11 days.
In this article, we analyse which teams have the most favourable fixture runs from Gameweek 18 to Gameweek 21, using Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) to identify the best FPL transfer targets.
Whether you’re planning defensive reinforcements or hunting for attacking differentials, this guide will help you make smarter Fantasy Premier League transfer decisions for FPL Gameweek 18 and beyond.
As the Fixture Difficulty Ratings show, Man United, Liverpool and West Ham sit in the top three for Attack Difficulty over the next four Gameweeks.
Manchester United face an appealing run of fixtures, taking on Leeds United, Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers — all currently sitting in the bottom five of the Premier League table.
However, there is a key concern for FPL managers. United boss Rúben Amorim has cast doubt over the availability of Bruno Fernandes, suggesting the midfielder could miss multiple matches:
“I don’t know, it’s soft tissue. I think he’s going to lose some games — I don’t know for sure.”
United are also without several players due to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which could open up opportunities for others to step up, with Cunha among those who could benefit.
Despite the absences, United’s attacking data remains encouraging. As shown in the Opta Stats Sandbox, they rank 1st for Expected Goals (xG) over the last six Gameweeks, posting an impressive 16.36 xG, suggesting there may still be value to target in this fixture run — albeit with added risk if Fernandes is sidelined.
Liverpool also have a strong short-term fixture run, hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United at Anfield over the next two Gameweeks — both sides currently involved in the relegation battle.
While the Merseyside club have scored 13 goals in eight home matches this season (ranked eighth), their underlying numbers remain encouraging. As highlighted in the Opta Stats Sandbox, Liverpool rank fourth for shots in home matches with 136, suggesting further attacking returns could be on the way.
Up front, Hugo Ekitiké is emerging as a standout FPL transfer target for this period. The forward has scored five goals in his last three matches and has already been transferred in by over 425,000 FPL managers this week, underlining his growing popularity ahead of these favourable fixtures.
West Ham United will view the upcoming fixture block as crucial to their Premier League survival. The Hammers play three of their next four matches at home, with their only away trip over the festive period coming against a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers side.
With rotation likely across the league during this busy spell, Jarrod Bowen stands out as an appealing FPL option thanks to his proven quality and consistent minutes. While it has been a quieter season by his standards, Bowen has still delivered five goals and two assists, making him the fourth-highest scoring forward in Fantasy Premier League with 75 points.
Everton are dealing with injuries and absentees due to AFCON, but there may still be value in their assets with fixtures against Burnley, Brentford and Wolves. A defensive approach looks more appealing, with Everton having kept six clean sheets — the fifth most in the league. However, their attacking output has been limited, scoring just 18 goals in 17 matches, the third fewest in the division.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United face a mixed run of fixtures. Matches against Manchester United and Crystal Palace could prove challenging, but they also face promoted sides Burnley and Leeds United either side of those tougher tests — offering potential opportunities for FPL investment.
Thiago is emerging as a popular makeweight transfer to help accommodate Ekitiké. However, existing owners may be justified in keeping the faith.
As highlighted by the Player Heatmaps image above, Thiago has averaged an impressive 6.4 FPL points per game in home matches, underlining his reliability on home turf. That appeal is further boosted by Brentford’s upcoming schedule, with the Bees playing three of their next four fixtures at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford have already scored 16 goals at home this season, making Thiago a viable hold — and potentially a differential — despite his current popularity as a budget enabler.
Brentford top the Fixture Difficulty Ratings for defensive potential over the next six Gameweeks, with home fixtures against Bournemouth, Spurs and Sunderland standing out as the most appealing.
Similarly, West Ham also play three of their next four at home and Nuno will look for clean sheets in the games against Fulham, Wolves and Forest in particular.
Everton are ranked third, as the Opta Stats Sandbox image below shows the Toffees have kept four clean sheets at home this season and will look to the games against Burnley and Wolves in particular to add to that tally.
Man United have struggled defensively this season, managing just one clean sheet so far. However, upcoming fixtures against relegation-threatened Wolves, Leeds United and Burnley offer a strong opportunity to improve on that record.
Liverpool also stand out defensively in the short term, with back-to-back home matches against Wolves and Leeds presenting excellent clean sheet potential. However, those fixtures are followed by more challenging away trips to Fulham and Arsenal, which slightly dampens their longer-term appeal.
As highlighted in the AI Rotation Optimiser image below, a defensive rotation between Liverpool and Everton could be a smart solution. This setup gives FPL managers a home fixture every week for the next seven Gameweeks, maximising clean sheet potential while managing tougher fixtures more effectively.
Newcastle fixtures after the trip to Man United could bear defensive returns as well but the Magpies have struggled to keep clean sheets on the road recently, and will be relying largely on the games against Palace and Leeds.
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