FPL GW26 Ones to Watch: Best Fixture Picks & Arsenal Double Gameweek
FPL GW26 ones to watch - the best players with easy fixtures including Arsenal's double gameweek. Data-backed picks across every position with FDR 2 fixtures, form stats, and xG analysis.
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View Campaign OfferFPL GW26: Ones to Watch — Double Gameweek Special 👀
Gameweek 26 is different. Not only do we have four teams with FDR 2 fixtures (Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Man City, Nottingham Forest), but Arsenal play twice in a Double Gameweek after their fixture was brought forward. That's a lot of green on the fixture ticker.
Chelsea host Leeds at Stamford Bridge, Palace welcome Burnley, Man City face Fulham at the Etihad, and Forest take on Wolves at home. Meanwhile, Arsenal travel to Brentford before hosting Wolves — two games in one gameweek.
Here's your complete guide to the players you should be watching across every position, with Arsenal's double gameweek creating some truly elite options. Explore more picks with our gems finder.
🧤 Goalkeepers
Raya (Arsenal vs Brentford & Wolves, A & H) — £5.9m | 34.5% TSB
Form: 5.0 | PPG: 4.4 | EP: 12.0
The standout goalkeeper option this week isn't even close. Raya plays twice in GW26, doubling his clean sheet potential while everyone else plays once. Arsenal's defence has been elite this season with 106 points already banked — best among all keepers.
Even with one tricky away fixture at Brentford (FDR 3), Raya has the Wolves home game (FDR 2) as insurance. His 12.0 expected points for the double gameweek crushes any single-fixture alternative.
View Raya's full profile for detailed season stats and save percentages.
Others to Consider
| Player | Team | Price | Fixture | FDR | Form | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sánchez | CHE | £4.9m | vs LEE | 2 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Ederson | MCI | £5.3m | vs FUL | 2 | 3.8 | 3.5 |
| Henderson | CRY | £4.5m | vs BUR | 2 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| Sels | NFO | £4.6m | vs WOL | 2 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
Sánchez offers a budget route into Chelsea's defence with Leeds at home — they've kept 9 clean sheets this season. Ederson at City is always a solid shout for home fixtures against weaker opponents like Fulham.
🛡️ Defenders
Gabriel (Arsenal vs Brentford & Wolves, A & H) — £7.1m | 41.6% TSB
Form: 5.8 | PPG: 5.6 | EP: 13.6 | xGI: 2.55
Gabriel isn't just the best defender this week — he's arguably the best player in FPL for GW26. The double gameweek gives him 13.6 expected points, which is higher than most premium captains.
With 135 total points, 5.8 form, and 3 goals from set pieces this season, Gabriel combines clean sheet potential with genuine attacking threat across two fixtures. Even if Arsenal concede at Brentford, he's got Wolves at home to deliver.
See Gabriel's detailed stats for full defensive and attacking analytics.
J.Timber (Arsenal vs Brentford & Wolves, A & H) — £6.4m | 30.0% TSB
Form: 4.2 | PPG: 5.0 | EP: 10.4
The cheaper Arsenal defensive route with double gameweek upside. Timber's 4.2 form and 4.30 xG (remarkable for a defender) show he gets forward regularly from fullback.
At £6.4m with 10.4 expected points, Timber offers excellent value for managers who can't afford Gabriel but want Arsenal's DGW defensive coverage.
Check Timber's profile for position-specific analytics.
Chalobah (Chelsea vs Leeds, H) — £5.8m | 23.9% TSB
Form: 4.8 | PPG: 5.0 | EP: 4.8 | Clean Sheets: 9
Chelsea's defensive rock with 9 clean sheets in 23 starts faces Leeds at Stamford Bridge — one of the best single-gameweek fixtures available. His 5.0 PPG makes him elite value at just £5.8m.
Leeds have struggled for goals away from home, making this a prime clean sheet opportunity with attacking return potential from set pieces.
Others to Consider
| Player | Team | Price | Fixture | FDR | Form | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacroix | CRY | £5.1m | vs BUR | 2 | 3.8 | 4.7 |
| Matheus N. | MCI | £5.4m | vs FUL | 2 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
| Murillo | NFO | £4.6m | vs WOL | 2 | 3.5 | 3.8 |
Lacroix is a standout budget option at £5.1m with 113 points and a home fixture against Burnley. Matheus Nunes at City offers attacking threat from the back (1G, 6A this season).
🎯 Midfielders
Zubimendi (Arsenal vs Brentford & Wolves, A & H) — £5.2m | 3.6% TSB
Form: 6.0 | PPG: 4.2 | EP: 14.0 | 5 goals
🔥 This is the ones to watch pick of the gameweek. Zubimendi has the highest expected points in the entire game (14.0) thanks to Arsenal's double fixtures, while sitting at just 3.6% ownership. That's nuclear differential potential.
His 6.0 form is the best in the Arsenal squad, and he's already bagged 5 goals this season from a defensive midfield position. Two games means double the DEFCON potential, double the clean sheet points, and two chances for attacking returns.
At £5.2m, he's the ultimate budget enabler who could genuinely outscore premium options this week.
View Zubimendi's full profile.
Enzo (Chelsea vs Leeds, H) — £6.9m | 23.3% TSB
Form: 6.0 | PPG: 4.8 | EP: 6.0 | 8 goals, 3 assists | xGI: 13.07
Enzo has been Chelsea's engine room all season with 8 goals from midfield backed by elite underlying stats (13.07 xGI). His 6.0 form matches Zubimendi's, and Leeds at home (FDR 2) is the perfect fixture to continue his scoring run.
With 554 threat and 568 creativity scores, Enzo is involved in everything Chelsea create. At 23.3% owned, he's still a differential captain option with huge upside.
Rice (Arsenal vs Brentford & Wolves, A & H) — £7.5m | 34.2% TSB
Form: 3.0 | PPG: 5.6 | EP: 8.0 | 4 goals, 7 assists
The premium Arsenal midfield option for the double gameweek. Rice's 134 total points (2nd best midfielder) combine with his set-piece delivery (7 assists) and DEFCON potential across two games.
While his 3.0 form isn't spectacular, the double gameweek gives him 8.0 expected points with two chances to deliver attacking returns, clean sheet points, and DEFCON bonuses.
Use our transfer planner to fit Arsenal's double gameweek assets into your squad.
Bernardo Silva (Man City vs Fulham, H) — £6.2m | 0.5% TSB
Form: 5.0 | PPG: 2.8 | EP: 5.5 | 1 goal, 4 assists
The ultimate under-the-radar premium pick. Bernardo at 0.5% ownership with Man City hosting Fulham (FDR 2) at the Etihad is absurdly good value. His 4 assists show he's consistently involved in City's attacking play.
Pep rotation is the only concern, but if Bernardo starts, this fixture screams haul potential from a player nobody owns.
Others to Consider
| Player | Team | Price | Fixture | FDR | Form | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semenyo | MCI | £7.9m | vs FUL | 2 | 4.8 | 5.8 |
| Palmer | CHE | £10.4m | vs LEE | 2 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Hudson-Odoi | NFO | £5.7m | vs WOL | 2 | 2.2 | 2.6 |
Semenyo has been brilliant for City this season with 12 goals and 49.3% ownership making him template. Palmer offers Chelsea's premium route.
⚽ Forwards
João Pedro (Chelsea vs Leeds, H) — £7.6m | 43.2% TSB
Form: 9.5 | PPG: 4.8 | EP: 9.5 | 9 goals, 7 assists | xGI: 9.19
João Pedro is in outrageous form right now — the 9.5 form rating is the highest of any forward and matches his expected points for this gameweek. Leeds at home (FDR 2) couldn't be a better fixture to back him.
His 9 goals and 7 assists with a 0.48 xGI per 90 show he's consistently involved in Chelsea's attacks. With 23 bonus points (most among forwards), he's rewarded handsomely when Chelsea win.
See João Pedro's attacking stats.
Haaland (Man City vs Fulham, H) — £14.9m | 69.0% TSB
Form: 4.8 | PPG: 7.6 | EP: 5.3 | 21 goals
The FPL premium template option. While his 5.3 expected points pale in comparison to Arsenal's double gameweek players, Haaland at home is always dangerous. 21 goals from 20.23 xG shows he's clinical.
Fulham away (FDR 2 for City) is exactly the fixture Haaland feasts on. If you own him, he's a viable captain alternative to Arsenal's DGW picks — though Gabriel's 13.6 EP suggests otherwise.
Raúl Jiménez (Fulham @ Man City, A) — £6.2m | 1.9% TSB
Form: 3.8 | PPG: 3.4 | EP: 3.3 | 6 goals, 5 assists | xG: 7.45
A differential budget forward option. Raúl's 7.45 xG vs 6 goals scored means he's due a scoring burst — regression to the mean could trigger soon. The Man City away fixture isn't ideal (FDR 4), but at 1.9% ownership, even a single goal creates huge rank swings.
Better fixtures are ahead for Fulham, making this a potential early transfer target.
Others to Consider
| Player | Team | Price | Fixture | FDR | Form | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delap | CHE | £6.2m | vs LEE | 2 | 4.2 | 2.1 |
| Igor Jesus | NFO | £5.8m | vs WOL | 2 | 3.5 | 2.4 |
Delap offers a cheaper Chelsea attacking route than João Pedro, though rotation risk is significant (9 starts in 24 games). Igor Jesus at Forest is very budget-friendly at £5.8m with Wolves at home.
📊 The Big Picture: GW26 FDR 2 Fixtures + Arsenal DGW
| Home | Away | Home FDR | Away FDR | Key Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHE | LEE | 2 | 3 | João Pedro, Enzo, Chalobah |
| CRY | BUR | 2 | 3 | Lacroix, Henderson |
| MCI | FUL | 2 | 4 | Haaland, Semenyo, Bernardo |
| NFO | WOL | 2 | 3 | Murillo, Hudson-Odoi |
| BRE | ARS | 4 | 3 | - |
| ARS | WOL | 2 | 4 | Gabriel, Zubimendi, Rice, Raya |
Arsenal's double gameweek creates the best opportunities: Gabriel (13.6 EP), Zubimendi (14.0 EP), and Rice (8.0 EP) all have elite projections thanks to two fixtures.
Use our fixtures tool to plan beyond GW26 and identify favorable runs.
🏆 Top Picks Summary
| Category | Player | Price | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🧤 Best GK | Raya | £5.9m | DGW, 12.0 EP |
| 🛡️ Best DEF | Gabriel | £7.1m | DGW, 13.6 EP, 135 pts |
| 🎯 Best MID | Zubimendi | £5.2m | 14.0 EP, 3.6% owned |
| ⚽ Best FWD | João Pedro | £7.6m | 9.5 form, Leeds (H) |
| 💰 Best Budget | Zubimendi | £5.2m | £5.2m DGW enabler |
| 🔥 Best Differential | Bernardo | £6.2m | 0.5% owned, MCI (H) |
Discover more hidden gems in our player database.
🎯 Arsenal Double Gameweek Strategy
Should you prioritize the DGW or stick with FDR 2 single fixtures?
The math is clear: Gabriel's 13.6 EP and Zubimendi's 14.0 EP destroy single-gameweek alternatives. Even João Pedro's elite 9.5 EP can't match the double fixture advantage.
Recommended Arsenal Coverage:
- Essential: Gabriel (DEF) — captain option
- Budget: Zubimendi (MID) — best value DGW pick
- Premium Alt: Rice (MID) — safer than Saka for consistency
Arsenal players to avoid:
- Saka (£9.9m, 9.2% owned) — just 0.8 form and 1.8 EP despite DGW
- Martinelli — rotation risk and poor form
Plan your Arsenal strategy with our transfer planner to navigate the upcoming BGW31 when they blank.
⚠️ Fixtures to Proceed With Caution
Not all GW26 fixtures are equal:
Tough Fixtures (FDR 4-5):
- Fulham @ Man City (FDR 4) — avoid Fulham attackers
- Burnley @ Crystal Palace (FDR 3) — Burnley unlikely to score
- Wolves @ Nottingham Forest (FDR 3) — Wolves struggling for goals
Arsenal's Brentford away (FDR 3) is tricky but mitigated by having Wolves at home as backup.
Final Thoughts 💭
GW26 is all about Arsenal's double gameweek. While Chelsea, Man City, Palace, and Forest all offer FDR 2 fixtures, none can match the upside of Arsenal players playing twice.
Gabriel and Zubimendi are the standout picks — one gives you safe defensive returns with attacking threat (13.6 EP), the other gives you insane value and differential potential (14.0 EP at 3.6% owned).
For single-gameweek fixtures, João Pedro vs Leeds stands out with his 9.5 form meeting a perfect FDR 2 home fixture. Chelsea at Stamford Bridge should dominate.
Don't sleep on the budget differentials either: Bernardo Silva at 0.5% ownership with City hosting Fulham is a rank rocket waiting to launch.
Good luck this gameweek! 🍀
Who's on your GW26 watchlist? Let us know on X @fpl_lab1
Track your picks live during the gameweek with our live points tracker.
Data accurate as of February 9, 2026. All statistics sourced from FPL API. Form, expected points, and ownership figures verified from live bootstrap-static data.