FPL Fixtures: The Teams With The Easiest Run — 12 Aug

Charting the Opening Terrain: The Kindest Routes Through GW1–6

Survey the map for the first six gameweeks and two roads stand out as broad, flat and well-paved: Arsenal and Manchester City. Everyone else is climbing at some point. These two barely leave the valley floor.

Arsenal open with Coventry (H), Aston Villa (A), Chelsea (H), Sunderland (A), Brighton (A) and Leeds (H) — kind terrain at both ends of the pitch. The pick here is Gabriel (£8.0m, ~3 in 10 own him), projected for around 23 points across the window, with clean-sheet ground to hold in four of the six. Raya (£6.0m) walks the same route a pound cheaper. Gyökeres (£7.5m) is the quieter path — only about 1 in 10 own him, and roughly 18 points projected makes him a genuine route around the crowd.

Manchester City's road runs Bournemouth (H), Palace (A), Coventry (H), United (A), Sunderland (H), Liverpool (A) — the toll only comes due at GW6. Haaland (£15.5m) leads our entire map at roughly 31 points projected, and with ~7 in 10 already owning him, he's less a pick than a border crossing you must make. Gvardiol (£5.5m, ~1 in 10) is the value pass: clean-sheet potential at a defender's price most managers haven't spotted.

Manchester United deserve a marker too. Hull (A), Ipswich (H), Everton (A) opens gently, and Bruno Fernandes (£12.0m) matches Haaland's projection at around 31 points — the strongest midfield route on the board, owned by about 5 in 10. Mbeumo (£8.0m) sits behind him at roughly 27 projected. The caveat is written on the map: United's clean-sheet ground is only average, so travel with their attackers, not their defence.

Honest cartography on the rest: Liverpool and Chelsea have attacking daylight but defensive fog — Isak and Palmer are live routes, their defenders are not. Brighton's fixtures flatter their forwards while their backline crosses hostile country.

The call for GW1–6: build your spine on this high ground — Haaland captained from GW1, Gabriel as your premium defensive anchor, and Fernandes as the midfield route if the budget allows. If it doesn't stretch, Gvardiol in for Gabriel keeps you on the same road for £2.5m less. Buy before the crowd finishes reading the map.