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With less than two weeks to go for the start of the 20/21 season of the Premier League, FPL managers have started their preparations for the upcoming FPL season.
With plenty of transfers taking place, FPL managers have had to make some changes to their plans. The postponement of Manchester United and City's fixtures in the opening week has caused some FPL managers to consider playing an early wildcard.
While the selection of premium-priced assets from the top teams is very important in an FPL team, it's the players from the clubs outside the top six who can make the difference. Selecting the right players from teams like Newcastle and Burnley have profited many FPL managers.
FPL managers should take a look at the fixtures of these sides with the help of Fixture Difficulty Rating(FDR) provided in the game.
So on that note, let's take a look at five non-top-six clubs who have the best opening fixtures.
#5 Fulham
Fulham have the best opening fixtures of the three promoted sides and FPL managers who invest in the right options in the team could benefit from it. Though they start their campaign with a challenging home game to Arsenal, their schedule eases post that. Fulham don't face any of the top six clubs of last season until Gameweek 10 when they go away to Leicester.
The reason why I've ranked them this low is that despite having plenty of opponents who rank just two on the FDR, the Cottagers themselves are a team which will rank two for others. They weren't a part of the PL last season and their performance in the 2018/19 season wasn't great.
Due to their sub-par defensive record, there aren't many options to choose from Fulham. Aleksandar Mitrovic(FWD)(£6.0 m), the side's main striker will however, be a great option to pick. He's a very popular FPL pick with close to 30% ownership and offers great points potential.
#4 Newcastle
Newcastle have one of the longest runs of great opening fixtures. The Magpies' good run of fixtures extends up to Gameweek 14 after which they take on Manchester City and Liverpool on consecutive gameweeks. While they do have two games with Manchester United and Tottenham in the middle, the rest of the fixtures are appealing to FPL managers.
They open their season with an away game against West Ham and that game is followed by a home game versus Brighton.
However, like Fulham, Newcastle isn't like say Burnley, and they can't be expected to win all their games ranking two or below in the FDR and that's why they're ranked fourth.
They have some great budget options for FPL managers to pick. Allan Saint-Maximin (MID) (£5.5 m) will be backed by many to carry on his end-of-season run into the new season. The likes of Andy Carroll (FWD)(£5.5 m) and Miguel Almiron (MID)(£6.0m) are ones to watch out for too.
#3 Burnley
Despite their postponed opening fixture, Burnley has a good set of opening fixtures and is a team that FPL managers should look at. They open their PL season with a Gameweek 2 fixture away to Leicester and have a good run of fixtures which extends up to Gameweek 9, after which they face Manchester City and Arsenal in quick succession.
They do have home fixtures against Spurs and Chelsea, but their defensive resilience can earn them points in those fixtures too.
Burnley are a side that have plenty of options for FPL managers to invest in. Their defense was especially very solid last season, and goalkeeper Nick Pope (GK)(£5.5m) is the most popular in the game.
Charlie Taylor (DEF)(£4.5 m), Phil Bardsley (DEF)(£4.5 m), and Ben Mee (DEF)(£5.0 m) are all solid FPL options. Jay Rodriguez (FWD)(£6.0 m), Chris Wood (FWD)(£6.5 m), and Dwight Mcneil (MID)(£6.0 m) are also options to consider.
#2 Southampton
Southampton have a great run of opening fixtures that go up to Gameweek 9. FPL managers seem to have observed this as the ownership of many Southampton players is pretty high. Ralph Hassenhuttl's side punched above their weight to finish 11th last season. The Saints take on Crystal Palace away from home to begin their campaign and have plenty of opponents ranking under two in the FDR.
Danny Ings (FWD)(£8.5m) had a stellar 22-goal season and was one of the best FPL options last season. Despite the rise in his price, the opening fixtures make him extremely attractive as an FPL pick. Goalkeeper Alex McCarthy offers great value at £4.5 m, as does right-back Kyle Walker-Peters at the same price.
James Ward-Prowse (MID)(£6.0 m) and Che Adams (FWD)(£6.0m) are also options to consider.
#1 Wolves
The Wolves are probably the best non-top-six club and, despite a couple of tricky fixtures at the start, they should be backed in the opening period of the season. They face Sheffield United and Manchester City in the first two games of the season post which they have plenty of winnable fixtures.
Their great run of fixtures extends till Gameweek 9 when they face Southampton, after which they face Arsenal and Liverpool in succession.
Ruben Vinagre (DEF)(£4.5 m) is a great budget option and should play as a left wing-back in the absence of Jonny. With Doherty signing for Spurs, another budget option could arise if the Wolves don't sign anyone else. The likes of Conor Coady and Romain Saiss offer good value at £5.0 m.
Daniel Podence (MID)(£5.5 m) could be a great budget option if he secures a starting spot in the team. Raul Jimenez (FWD)(£8.5 m) is undoubtedly the best option in the team. The striker recorded the highest threat last time around and is set for another record-breaking season.
