This article is part of our Fantasy Premier League Tips series.
FPL GW18: Best Teams to Target for Goals (Attacking Fixtures – Next 5 GWs)
Predicting attacking returns is one of the most difficult but important skills in Fantasy Premier League. Goals, assists and bonus points are heavily influenced by fixture quality, making upcoming schedules a key part of transfer and chip planning.
This article highlights the best teams to target for attacking returns in FPL GW18, using fixture difficulty and recent form to identify clubs best positioned to score goals over the next five Gameweeks.
RotoWire's Fixture Difficulty Ranker
Below are the five teams with the best attacking fixtures in FPL GW18, ranked using RotoWire's Fixture Difficulty Ranker (FDR). The analysis focuses on goal potential over the next five Gameweeks, helping managers target attackers best positioned to deliver consistent returns.
Check out RotoWire's updated GW18 FPL rankings and FPL tips to improve your squad.
Our FPL GW18 cheat sheets include predicted lineups, team odds, goalscorer odds, set-piece stats, player stats and more.
How the Attacking Fixture Scores Are Calculated
The scores below are generated using RotoWire's FDR, which evaluates attacking fixture difficulty based on:
- Goals conceded by each opponent this season
- A 1–5 rating per opponent (1 = fewest conceded, 5 = most conceded)
- A cumulative score across the next five matches
Liverpool: Best Attacking Fixtures in FPL GW18 (17 Points)
Wolves, Leeds, @ Fulham, @ Arsenal, Burnley
Liverpool rank first for projected goals in Gameweek 18 by a wide margin. They're the fifth-highest scorers in the league this season with 28 goals. They've scored two or more goals in four of their last five matches following a fairly poor October and November.
There are four sides in the Premier League who have conceded 30 or more goals in the league this season, and Liverpool will play three of them, all at home, in this run. They also face Fulham, who have conceded 10 goals in their last five games.
In the FPL Gameweek 18 cheat sheet, Liverpool are highest for implied goals scored nearing 2.75.
Best FPL Attackers to Target
Hugo Ekitike is the main attacking threat in the Liverpool team for this run. The French striker is Liverpool's top scorer in FPL with 74 points and eight goals. He's secured 34 and five of the goals in the last five matches. Of his 15 shots in the last five matches, five of them have been big chances.
Manchester United: Best Attacking Fixtures in FPL GW18 (17 Points)
Newcastle, Wolves, @ Leeds, @ Burnley, Man City
In the Premier League this season, only Manchester City have scored more goals than Manchester United. United have scored four goals in two of their last three games and have hit four goals three times this season.
Like Liverpool, Manchester United play the same three of the four teams that have conceded more than 30 goals this season. While Leeds and Burnley away is a little more difficult, they aren't prohibitive.
Newcastle have also conceded in each of the last 10 games in all competitions and are facing a bit of an injury crisis in defence.
Best FPL Attackers to Target
Bruno Fernandes (hamstring) and Bryan Mbeumo (AFCON) are unavailable, which means the best remaining option from an FPL perspective is Matheus Cunha. The former Wolves attacker has had a goal involvement in each of his last three games, totaling two goals and one assist.
He's a high-frequency attacker with 22 shots in his last three games and while the players around him may be weaker, similar to his Wolves performances from last season, he's going to rip a lot of shots when he gets the ball.
Newcastle: Best Attacking Fixtures in FPL GW18 (16 Points)
@ Man United, @ Burnley, Crystal Palace, Leeds, @ Wolves
Newcastle have scored 23 goals across their 17 games this season. In addition to scoring more lately with 10 goals in their last five games, a favourable fixture run that includes Burnley, Leeds and Wolves should help matters.
Newcastle start this run against Manchester United at Old Trafford, which seems like a difficult game on paper, but realistically isn't as bad as it seems. Manchester United have conceded in each of their last 10 games, including the last four home matches where they have conceded nine goals. With 28 goals conceded, Manchester United join Burnley, Leeds and Wolves as one of the worst six defences in the league this season.
Crystal Palace are the best defence that Newcastle will face in their next five, but they've conceded seven of their 19 goals in the last two games.
Best FPL Attackers to Target
Nick Woltemade has scored seven goals this season, including a brace in Gameweek 17 against Chelsea. Anthony Gordon's minutes have been less secure, but in the last five games in the league and Europe, he's scored three goals and provided two assists. All three goals were from the penalty spot. Woltemade's minutes may start to be reduced as Yoane Wissa returns and gains fitness from his long-term injury.
West Ham: Best Attacking Fixtures in FPL GW18 (15 Points)
Fulham, Brighton, @ Wolves, Nottingham Forest, @ Spurs
West Ham have failed to score twice in their last nine games with those scoreless instances coming against Liverpool and Manchester City. While not considered an elite attack, they're still finding the back of the net in most contests, and that should remain the case going forward.
Wolves are the only team to concede more goals than West Ham in the league, while Brighton, Spurs, Fulham and Forest have all conceded 23 or more goals. Spurs have conceded two or more goals in all competitions in seven of their last nine games.
Best FPL Attackers to Target
Jarrod Bowen is the standout, consistent performer for West Ham. He's scored five goals this season, two of which have come in the last three games. Callum Wilson is the next highest scorer for West Ham in the league, though he hasn't started in the last three matches.
Everton: Best Attacking Fixtures in FPL GW18 (14 Points)
@ Burnley, @ Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Wolves, @ Aston Villa
Everton aren't known for scoring goals, as only Nottingham Forest and Wolves have scored fewer. Before their difficult fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal, they had won four of five games and scored in seven games in a row.
The home fixture to Wolves is the best in this run, but Burnley, Forest and Brentford have also conceded 25 or more goals this season.
Everton may not be a team to triple-up on, but one of their midfield options could be a cheap option to join one of their defenders in your team.
Best FPL Attackers to Target
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is tied with Iliman Ndiaye as Everton's top scorer this season, but Dewsbury-Hall is injured and Ndiaye is unavailable at AFCON. Jack Grealish has supplied four assists, while Thierno Barry has started eight-straight games, albeit with subpar results.
Brighton: Best Attacking Fixtures in FPL GW18 (14 Points)
@ Arsenal, @ West Ham, Burnley, @ Man City, Bournemouth
Brighton have scored 25 goals this season which is in the top half of Premier League teams. They have, however, failed to win any of their last four games. This includes the last two matches against Sunderland and Liverpool where they failed to score in both.
Brighton have two of the most difficult fixtures of the season in this run with away matches at Arsenal and Manchester City. If you can rest attacking players in those weeks, their other opponents are all iffy, as Bournemouth, Burnley and West Ham have all conceded at least 29 goals.
In the last five gameweeks, five teams have conceded 10 goals in the Premier League. Burnley and West Ham were two of these teams, while Bournemouth have conceded nine. If you can have rotation options on the bench for the Arsenal and Man City games, the other fixtures are great.
Best FPL Attackers to Target
With Danny Welbeck (back) recovering from an injury, he's set to be a late decision before the Arsenal game. With this being a tough fixture anyway, he could be the best option going forward in GW19. Jan Paul van Hecke has been Brighton's next top scorer with three, and after illness kept him out against Sunderland, he could also be a fantastic option for the GW19-22 run (minus City).
Final Thoughts: Best Attacking Fixtures in FPL GW18
Targeting teams with favourable attacking fixtures remains one of the most reliable ways to generate consistent returns in Fantasy Premier League. Liverpool and Manchester United headline the list for immediate upside, while Newcastle and West Ham offer strong mid-term value if rotation is managed correctly.
Use these fixture runs alongside ownership data, form, and lineup news to maximise attacking returns over the next five Gameweeks.
