The Scout uses the Fixture Difficulty Ratings to identify the clubs and players with the best and worst schedules over the first six Gameweeks of 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League.
With 2025/26 Fantasy now LIVE, FPL managers can see all the player prices and start to think about who might offer the best value for money.
But when picking a squad for the start of the campaign, it is also important to consider which players have the fixtures to make a strong start to the season, and who might initially struggle due to tough early matches.
This is where the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) are useful. The FDR is a tool based on a complex algorithm developed by FPL experts, where the difficulty of each fixture is ranked from one to five, with one being the easiest possible match and five being the hardest.
Who has the best schedule?
Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur have the best schedules in Fantasy over the first six Gameweeks of the season.
Both clubs' average FDR score is only 2.67 in that spell, with each having three matches which score only two.
Clubs with best Gameweeks 1-6 fixtures in FDR
| Club | No. of matches scoring 2 in FDR | FDR average |
| Nott'm Forest, Spurs | 3 | 2.67 |
|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | 2 | 2.67 |
| Aston Villa, Brentford, Chelsea, West Ham | 1 | 2.83 |
Forest are the only club to face two promoted opponents across this period, with back-to-back contests against Burnley and Sunderland in Gameweeks 5 and 6.
Home matches against Brentford and West Ham United further lift their appeal at both ends of the pitch.
After helping Forest to 13 clean sheets last season - second only to the 14 of Liverpool - there's no real surprise that the main draw here is at the back. Goalkeeper Matz Sels (£5.0m) and full-back Ola Aina (£5.0m) are the most-popular Forest assets, found in 17 and 16 per cent of squads respectively.
But if you're willing to fork out £0.5m more on Nikola Milenkovic or Murillo - both priced at £5.5m - they could be worth the extra outlay. The centre-backs would have finished first and second among all defenders in Fantasy last season with the addition of the new defensive contribution points.
Chris Wood (£7.5m) is the only other Forest player whose ownership isn't at differential levels, with 13 per cent of FPL managers owning the forward. The New Zealand forward finished last season on 200 points, fifth among all players.
It's worth noting that only three per cent currently own Morgan Gibbs-White (£7.5m), who has been linked in the media with a move to Spurs. If the midfielder's future is sorted before the season starts, this could make him a great differential whether he stays at Forest or does sign for Spurs, with both clubs facing a kind schedule.
Spurs, meanwhile, have an extended run of favourable opponents which can reward mid-term investment in their first season under Thomas Frank.
Only ONE of their first 11 matches scores more than three in the FDR, and they start the season with a Gameweek 1 home match against Burnley.
Spurs' first 12 fixtures 25/26
| GW | Opp | FDR* |
| 1 | BUR (H) | 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | MCI (A) | 4 |
| 3 | BOU (H) | 3 |
| 4 | WHU (A) | 2 |
| 5 | BHA (A) | 3 |
| 6 | WOL (H) | 2 |
| 7 | LEE (A) | 2 |
| 8 | AVL (H) | 3 |
| 9 | EVE (A) | 3 |
| 10 | CHE (H) | 3 |
| 11 | MUN (H) | 3 |
| 12 | ARS (A) | 4 |
*1 = easiest, 5 = hardest
Spurs' new winger Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m) is a major target for managers in Fantasy. He is owned by 27 per cent, making him the fourth most-popular player in his position and the go-to midfielder under £7.0m.
Dominic Solanke (£7.5m) could be on penalties if, as media reports suggest, Son Heung-min (£8.5m) leaves Spurs, with speculation on the latter's future growing over the summer.
In defence, while Pedro Porro (£5.5m) offers the greatest upside for goals and assists, Micky van de Ven's more palatable £4.5m price tag should appeal to those looking for a budget rotation option.
Favourable fixtures for four alternatives
Aston Villa, Brentford, Chelsea and West Ham are all worth considering from the outset thanks to their favourable runs of opponents. According to the FDR, NONE of their first six matches score more than three.
Chelsea's schedule, in particular, has made a huge impact on managers' plans. New signing Joao Pedro (£7.5m) is the most-owned player in Fantasy, found in a huge 60 per cent of squads after scoring three goals in their recent FIFA Club World Championship success.
Cole Palmer's (£10.5m) summer performances have earned him an ownership of 49.3 per cent, the third-highest figure in the 48 hours since Fantasy launched. The midfielder's potential for huge captaincy hauls has to be a big factor here, as Chelsea will avoid ALL of last season's top seven clubs in the first six Gameweeks.
Left-back Marc Cucurella (£6.0m) is the best asset for attacking returns in defence and has been snapped up by 21.4 per cent of managers. Nonetheless, it's worth noting that at £5.0m, centre-backs Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill cost less and look secure starters.
Villa's Morgan Rogers (£7.0m) and West Ham's Jarrod Bowen (£8.0m) have emerged as popular picks, with backings of 20 and 21 per cent respectively.
Midfielder Rogers finished on 161 points last season, just 25 behind his team-mate Ollie Watkins, who is £2.0m more expensive at £9.0m.
West Ham talisman Bowen has been reclassified from a midfielder to a forward this season. He was the fourth top-scoring player in Fantasy after Graham Potter was appointed manager in Gameweek 20 last season, producing eight goals, five assists and 103 points.
Crucially, both Villa and West Ham offer strong budget defender options in the shape of Ezri Konsa and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (both £4.5m). The latter certainly has the greater upside for attacking returns - his five assists after Potter's appointment ranked top among ALL defenders in Fantasy.
Similarly, Brentford's new No 1 Caoimhin Kelleher (£4.5m) has established himself as the go-to goalkeeper in Fantasy due to a very favourable schedule.
According to the FDR, just ONE of the Bees’ first eight matches score more than three, which has persuaded over 30 per cent of managers to bring in the summer signing from Liverpool.
Brentford's' first eight fixtures 25/26
| GW | Opp | FDR |
| 1 | NFO (A) | 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | AVL (H) | 3 |
| 3 | SUN (A) | 2 |
| 4 | CHE (H) | 3 |
| 5 | FUL (A) | 3 |
| 6 | MUN (H) | 3 |
| 7 | MCI (H) | 4 |
| 8 | WHU (A) | 2 |
Who has the worst fixtures?
Arsenal's tough start to the new season is highlighted in the table below. Indeed, their FDR average of 3.5 in the first six Gameweeks is the WORST of any side.
Five of their first six matches are against Manchester United, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle United, a run which surely diminishes the appeal of bringing in their pricey key players.
That certainly goes some way to explaining Bukayo Saka's (£10.0m) lowly 16 per cent ownership. With Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (£14.5m) a must-have for many and Chelsea's Palmer boasting a far kinder run of opponents, Arsenal winger Saka is struggling to stay in the conversation for premium midfielders right now.
Clubs with toughest Gameweeks 1-6 fixtures in FDR
| Club | No of matches scoring 2 in FDR | FDR average |
| Arsenal | 1 | 3.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton | 0 | 3.3 |
| Burnley, Fulham, Man Utd | 1 | 3.2 |
| Crystal Palace, Newcastle | 2 | 3.2 |
The same can be said for Man Utd midfielders Bruno Fernandes (£9.0m), Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo (both £8.0m). In addition to their Gameweek 1 match against Arsenal, Ruben Amorim's side face Man City and Chelsea in their first five fixtures.
Fernandes' potential for defensive contribution points could, however, allow him to keep ticking over against tough opponents. He would have collected 22 of them last season, more than any premium midfielder.
Similarly, Brighton & Hove Albion's Carlos Beleba (£5.0m) is likely to be rewarded for his actions in the new scoring metric. Beleba would have ranked fifth among midfielders for defensive contribution points last season, with a total of 30.
Newcastle are another club who have a relatively tricky opening six matches, with encounters with Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal included in that run.
That hasn't deterred managers from rushing to Alexander Isak (£10.5m). Last season's top-scoring forward is found in 39 per cent of squads, making him the fourth most-popular player in 2025/26 Fantasy.
Eddie Howe's side also face Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and AFC Bournemouth in that run, giving Isak every opportunity to deliver big hauls as captain.