Fantasy Premier League 2026/27 Matchday 10: players to pick, fixtures to target and injury watch

Premier League Audit · 2026/27 Matchday 10 · Fantasy

If you only make one decision this week, make it the captaincy call, and start from E. Haaland. Manchester City travel to Nottingham Forest, who allow 1.3 per game, and Haaland arrives with 28 shots, 16 on goal and 9 goals through Matchday 9. The matchup rating for City is 0.9, among the best on the list. It's not the loudest number in the column, but the volume behind it is the loudest. Haaland gets more looks than anyone in the data, and that's the profile you want when you're picking a captain. Brighton's attackers are the next stop, and I'll get to them below.

Matchups to target

The strongest matchup on the list belongs to Brighton at home to Brentford. The rating is 1.7, well clear of everyone else, against a Brentford side that allows 1 per game. That isn't the leakiest defence in the Premier League, but the gap between what Brighton do and what Brentford concede is the widest this week. That points you toward P. Groß, who has 4 assists, and M. De Cuyper, who has 3. If you want Brighton exposure without paying for a headline name, those two are the cheapest ways in, and the creative numbers back them up.

Brentford away at Brighton also rates positively at 1, and Brighton allow 0.8 per game. I'd treat that as a quiet signal rather than a green light. There are no Brentford player numbers in front of me, so I can't tell you who to pick, and I'm not going to invent a recommendation.

Arsenal at home to Hull City rate at 0.4, with Hull allowing 1.1. It's a modest edge, but it comes with strong individual numbers. D. Rice has 5 assists and B. Saka has 10 shots on goal. Hull at Arsenal rate at 0.7, but Arsenal allow only 0.6 per game, so I'd keep my Hull expectations in check and favour the home side's attackers.

Chelsea at Sunderland is the other fixture to lean into. Sunderland allow 1.9 per game and Chelsea's rating is 0.2. That's small, but the leaky defence plus Chelsea's depth of options makes it appealing.

Players in form

Haaland is the obvious headline, but the Chelsea group deserves attention. C. Palmer has 21 shots and 3 assists. João Pedro has 5 goals and 3 assists. M. Rogers has 5 goals, and Pedro Neto has 12 shots on goal. Four relevant names in one away fixture is a lot to sort through. My preference is Palmer and João Pedro, because they combine shot volume or goal threat with assists, which gives you more routes to points. Rogers and Pedro Neto are fine if your squad needs them, but they feel like the second layer.

Away at Ipswich, Bournemouth's M. Tavernier has 5 goals and 13 shots on goal, and Evanilson has 4 assists. Ipswich allow 2 per game, which is a leaky defence on paper, though Bournemouth's matchup rating is -0.4. I like Tavernier as a differential, with the caveat that the rating says this isn't a smooth fixture. J. Enciso is the other side of that game. He has 23 shots, with Bournemouth allowing 1.4 and a rating of 0.1. He's a volume shooter in a neutral spot, which is a perfectly decent floor.

T. Barry deserves a mention too. Everton's midfielder has 22 shots and 13 on goal, both strong numbers, but his fixture is trickier than it looks, which I'll cover below.

Injury watch

The injury report was available at publish time, and it lists no injuries for any club in this week's fixtures. That's one less thing to worry about, though it's worth re-checking before the deadline. Team news can change quickly, and a clean report on paper doesn't guarantee a clean lineup. For now, you can pick without working around absences.

Proceed with caution

The biggest caution flag is Liverpool at Crystal Palace. Palace allow 2.3 per game, which looks tempting, and A. Isak has 6 goals. But Liverpool's matchup rating is -1.1, the worst on this week's list. A leaky defence is the lure, and the rating is the warning. I wouldn't bench Isak outright if he's central to your squad, but I wouldn't pay up for him this week or chase his points.

Everton at home to Coventry is a similar trap. Coventry allow 1.8, and Barry's numbers are strong, but Everton's rating is -0.8. Barry's shot volume gives him a floor, so he isn't a fade. I'd just hold rather than buy.

Sunderland at home to Chelsea carry a rating of -0.9, with Chelsea allowing 1.7. Fulham at home to Newcastle sit at -0.7, with Newcastle allowing 1.7. If you own attackers from either club, check your alternatives.

Manchester United's B. Mbeumo has 20 shots and 12 on goal, and N. Jackson has 19 shots and 5 goals for Aston Villa. Their meeting is a mixed picture. Mbeumo's rating is -0.3 at home against Villa's 1.4 allowed, and Jackson's is -0.6 away with United allowing 1.7. Both are good players in an unfriendly setup, so they're holds rather than captaincy picks.

Back Haaland, lean on Brighton's creators and the Chelsea attackers, and be selective with Liverpool and Everton.

Players to know

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Data attribution: Stats for informational analysis only. Verify figures against official league sources.