Key Fixture Swings: Fantasy Turning Points in 2025/26

StatrDraft’s Strategic Guide to Timing Your Draft Picks and Transfers

Not all fixtures are created equal. We’ve pinpointed the most significant fixture swings throughout the 2025/26 season to help you plan rotations, picks and problems. Some weeks flip the script entirely. We’ve flagged the big ones, fixture swings that change everything. Get your team ready, prep your benches, and know when to jump off the hype trains.

Gameweek 7: Time to Jump on Spurs, Brighton, Brentford

• Teams to Target: Spurs, Brighton, Brentford

• Fixtures Soften For: Crystal Palace, Fulham

• Tottenham enter a golden run: WOL, NEW, CRY, AVL
• Brighton go on a run of: FUL, LUT, WHU, SHU
• Brentford finally face teams outside the top 8

Strategy: Use this point as a pivot if you went heavy on early hard-run teams like Arsenal, United or Newcastle.

• Drop: Arsenal, Man United, Newcastle
  Why It Matters: It’s the perfect time to rotate out early heavy hitters and into reliable mid-tier performers. Rotation becomes real by now — get ahead of it.

Gameweek 11-14: Chelsea, Man City, Palace Soften Up

• Chelsea: BOU, WAT, SOU, BHA
• City: BUR, BOU, FUL, EVE (finally breathes)
• Palace: LEE, WHU, LUT, BRE

Strategy: A great time to reintroduce premiums or double up on teams with high possession and lower variance risk.Double or even triple up. Haaland, Foden, Palmer, Jackson — all viable. Prioritise nailed starters with low rotation risk.

Gameweek 16-18: Arsenal Go Cold

• Arsenal face: MUN (A), NEW (A), FUL (A)

Strategy: Time to ditch Arsenal players unless you see consistent returns. Tough travel + European distractions will bite. This is where you bench attackers. Avoid defensive cover.

December 27-30: Holiday Rotation Carnage

• 3-day turnaround. Expect mass benchings. Most teams play twice
• Watch clubs with thin squads or congested Europe schedules
• Target nailed starters from lower-rotation teams: Fulham, Wolves, Palace

Strategy: Avoid fringe assets. Have 2 sub-ready players.

• Key Tip: Fade fringe players. Prioritise players with low risk of rest (e.g. midfield enablers from mid-table teams)

Gameweek 26+: The Final Sprint Begins

• Tight Clusters: Easier to predict lineups post-Europe exits. Clubs like Villa, Brighton and Forest may push hard or fold fast
• Rotation and motivation will be everything

Strategy: Draft for hunger, not hype. Get ahead of the curve before April hits.

• High Stakes: Relegation battlers fight tooth and nail — West Ham, Leeds, Forest become relevant. Look for form > fixtures. The run-in is about desire, not spreadsheets.

Bonus Tip

Pair this guide with our Fixture Difficulty Rankings and Full Season Preview to dominate your draft room.

We’ll update these swing zones monthly as form, injuries and European progress shift the picture. These swings are your ladder out of mid-table fantasy obscurity. Play them right, and you’re laughing all the way to draft glory.