In this article, we have analyzed the fixtures for all 20 Premier League teams and have come up with the Best FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for the 2026/27 FPL season. Do bookmark the article and use it while making your drafts when the game goes live.
Link to all our 2026/27 Pre-Season articles including all team pre-season friendly updates, best drafts, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, differentials, players to target, budget enablers and more. Completely free to access as well!
2026/27 Season FPL Rotational Pairs & Combinations
- Note 1: Arsenal, City Defenders are not included in this article as they will are expensive and it will be difficult to bench them due to their price and FPL Points potential despite tough fixtures.
- Note 2: Green denotes the player to start, Grey Denotes the player to bench. The colours used in the images need not necessarily refer to the difficulty of the fixture.
- Note 3: We have mostly only included Defenders at 5.0 or less in the article. It is difficult to bench Defenders more than that price.
FPL Rotational Pairs & Combinations- Two Way Rotation
Play 1 Defender and Bench 1 Defender
Manchester United and Brighton (Till GW7):
🔵Vuskovic(5.0) / BHA Defender
🔴Shaw(£4.5) / Maguire(£5.0)/ MUN Defender
Brighton defenders should be value for money especially Vuskovic who has produced brilliant numbers at Bundesliga last season.
💎Vuskovic (£5.0)- Last season in Bundesliga:
28 Games
12.1 DEFCON/90
6 Goals, 2 Assists
5.68 xGI
💎Kadioglu (£4.5): Last season at Brigjhton
37 Apps
1 Goal, 2 Assists
28 Shots
21 Chances created
5.36 xGI
If you rotate them correctly till GW7, you will have-
0/7 games vs Last season Top 6✅
2/7 games vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
5/7 games vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Here is how the Rotation will be👇
🔵Vuskovic(4.5) / BHA Defender
🔴Shaw(£4.5) / Maguire(£5.0)/ MUN Defender
🔴GW1 vs HUL(A)
🔴GW2 vs IPS(H)
🔵GW3 vs LEE(H)
🔵GW4 vs COV(A)
🔴GW5 vs FUL(A)
🔵GW6 vs SUN(A)
🔴GW7 vs LEE(A)
Fantasy Football Hub(FFHUB) Free AI Team Rating Tool
Everton and Fulham (Till GW10):
🔵Mykolenko(4.5) / EVE Defender
⚪Andersen(5.0) / FUL Defender
If you rotate them correctly till GW10, you will have-
0/10 games vs Last season Top 6✅
2/10 games vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
8/10 games vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Here is how the Rotation will be👇
🔵- Everton Defender
⚪- Fulham Defender
🔵GW1 vs CRY(H)
⚪GW2 vs SUN(A)
⚪GW3 vs CRY(H)
🔵GW4 vs TOT(A)
🔵GW5 vs IPS(H)
🔵GW6 vs HUL(A)
⚪GW7 vs HUL(H)
⚪GW8 vs COV(A)
🔵GW9 vs NEW(A)
🔵GW10 vs COV(H)
Notes:
🔹Andersen is suspended for GW1 but available from GW2
🔹Watch out for Pre-season to confirm who will be the more nailed & better/cheaper picks from both teams. Andersen & Mykolenko are just placeholders at the moment.
Further Read: AK FPL’s First Draft & Team Reveal | 3x Top 5K Finishes
Liverpool and Nottingham Forest(Till GW8):
If you rotate them correctly till GW8 as per the image above, you will have-
0/8 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
2/8 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
6/8 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Aina(4.5)/Williams(5.0) will be the Forest defender. Jacquet(5.0) should be the starting Liverpool defender alongside Van Dijk and offers a cheap entry into Liverpool defense compared to Van Dijk(6.5) and Kerkez(5.5). Note- the article was written before the Araujo(5.5) signing for Liverpool which means that we need to wait and see who will regularly play along side Van Dijk.
Further Read: Best Premium FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season
Manchester United and Crystal Palace (Till GW7):
If you rotate them correctly till GW7 as per the image above, you will have-
0/7 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
1/7 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
6/7 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Shaw and Mitchell are just place holders here. If you are a fan of DEFCON, you can go Maguire and Canvot as well after scouting them in pre-season. Both of them are good for DEFCON.
Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest (Till GW14):
This is a slightly expensive rotation if you are willing to spend money in defense. Bournemouth defender can be Hill(if you favour DEFCON) or Truffert(if you favour attack threat) or even Diakite(if he is nailed).
If you rotate them correctly till GW14, you will have-
0/14 games vs Last season Top 6✅
4/14 games vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
10/14 games vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Here is how the Rotation will be👇
🌳- Forest Defender
🍒- Bournemouth Defender
🌳GW1 vs HUL(A)
🍒GW2 vs IPS(H)
🍒GW3 vs NFO(A)
🍒GW4 vs EVE(H)
🌳GW5 vs FUL(A)
🌳GW6 vs TOT(H)
🍒GW7 vs COV(H)
🌳GW8 vs BOU(H)
🍒GW9 vs CRY(H)
🍒GW10 vs LEE(A)
🍒GW11 vs IPS(H)
🍒GW12 vs BRE(H)
🌳GW13 vs FUL(H)
🍒GW14 vs COV(H)
Further Read: FPL Fixture Analysis for The 2026/27 FPL Season | PL Fixtures
Manchester United and Spurs (Till GW15):
Tottenham should have an improved defense with lots of new signings and new manager in De Zebri. Manchester United have improved under Carrick and have good fixtures too. Van Hecke & Shaw seems to be the safer picks at the moment from both these teams but Spence and Maguire should also be good picks if they are nailed. Watch out for Pre-season to confirm who will be the more nailed & value picks from both teams.
🔴Shaw(£4.5) / Maguire(£5.0)
⚪Van Hecke(£5.0) /Spence(£4.5)
If you rotate them correctly till GW15, you will have-
1/15 games vs Last season Top 6✅
3/15 games vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
11/15 games vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Here is how the Rotation will be👇
🔴- Shaw/Maguire
⚪- Van Hecke/Spence
🔴GW1 vs HUL(A)
🔴GW2 vs IPS(H)
⚪GW3 vs NFO(A)
⚪GW4 vs EVE(H)
🔴GW5 vs FUL(A)
🔴GW6 vs TOT(H)
⚪GW7 vs COV(H)
🔴GW8 vs BOU(H)
⚪GW9 vs CRY(H)
⚪GW10 vs LEE(A)
⚪GW11 vs IPS(H)
🔴GW12 vs BRE(H)
⚪GW13 vs FUL(H)
🔴GW14 vs COV(H)
⚪GW15 vs HUL(A)
Nottingham Forest and Coventry (Till GW13):
🔄💰🤩Ultra-Cheap Budget Defender Rotation–
This is a very cheap defender rotation if you are looking to find one. Spending just 8.5 million on your 4th and 5th defender can help to save funds. Coventry’s Milan van Ewijk is one of the Best 4.0 Million FPL Defenders. The attacking full-back picked up 8 assists last season in the Championship and featured in all 44 games and started in 43 of those games. Coventry won the Championship last season by a comfortable margin on the back of a strong defence, having conceded the fewest goals (45) and keeping the 2nd most clean sheets (17).
🌳Aina / Forest DEF
🐘Van Ewijk / Coventry DEF
If you rotate them correctly till GW13, you will have-
0/13 games vs Last season Top 6✅
2/13 games vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
11/13 games vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Here is how the Rotation will be👇
🌳- Forest Defender
🐘- Coventry Defender
🌳GW1 vs LEE(H)
🐘GW2 vs HUL(H)
🌳GW3 vs TOT(H)
🐘GW4 vs BHA(H)
🌳GW5 vs COV(H)
🌳GW6 vs CRY(A)
🐘GW7 vs TOT(A)
🌳GW8 vs IPS(A)
🌳GW9 vs BREA)
🐘GW10 vs EVE(A)
🐘GW11 vs CRY(H)
🐘GW12 vs LEE(A)
🐘GW13 vs IPS(H) / 🌳GW13 vs HUL(A)
Notes:
🔹Watch out for Pre-season to confirm who will be the more nailed & value pick among Neco/Aina/Milenkovic
🔹Coventry might not translate their Championship defense form here & keep lots of clean sheets but this is a good option to consider for your 4th & 5th Defenders.
Brighton and Coventry(Till GW10):
If you rotate them correctly till GW10, you will have-
1/10 games vs Last season Top 6✅
4/10 games vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
5/10 games vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Further Read: Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders for 2026/27 FPL Season
Best Rotating £4.5 FPL Million Goal Keepers:
Fulham and Spurs (Till GW16):
⚪Kinsky £4.5
🟢Leno £4.5
This is a good combination to consider if you are planning on a late Wildcard.
If you rotate them correctly till GW15, you will have-
2/15 games vs Last season Top 6✅
2/15 games vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
11/15 games vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Here is how the Rotation will be👇
⚪- Kinsky
🟢- Leno
⚪GW1 vs BRE(A)
🟢GW2 vs SUN(A)
⚪GW3 vs NFO(A)
⚪GW4 vs EVE(H)
⚪GW5 vs AVL(H)
🟢GW6 vs IPS(A)
⚪GW7 vs COV(H)
🟢GW8 vs COV(A)
⚪GW9 vs CRY(H)
⚪GW10 vs LEE(A)
⚪GW11 vs IPS(H)
🟢GW12 vs BOU(H)
⚪GW13 vs FUL(H)
🟢GW14 vs EVE(A)
⚪GW15 vs HUL(A)
🟢GW16 vs LEE(A)
Manchester United and Brighton(Till GW5 or Till GW7):
This is a good rotation combination if you are planning to use the Wildcard chip in GW6 which will be the one of the popular chip strategies.
🔴Lammens(£5.0)
🔵Verbruggen(£4.5)
If you rotate them correctly till GW7, you will have-
0/7 games vs Last season Top 6✅
1/7 games vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
6/7 games vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Here is how the Rotation will be👇
🔴- Lammens
🔵- Verbruggen
🔴GW1 vs BRE(A)
🔴GW2 vs SUN(A)
🔵GW3 vs NFO(A)
🔵GW4 vs EVE(H)
🔴GW5 vs AVL(H)
🔴GW6 vs IPS(A)
🔴GW7 vs COV(H)
🔹If you are a fan of rotating budget keepers, both these are good combination. The only caveat with rotating GKs is that GKs have higher upside in tougher games.
Further Read: AK FPL’s First Draft & Team Reveal | 3x Top 5K Finishes
FPL Rotational Pairs & Combinations- Three Way Rotation
Everton, Forest and Coventry Defender rotation: (GW1-GW8):
Play 2 Defenders and Bench 1 Defender
If you rotate them correctly till GW8 as per the image above, you will have-
2/16 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
3/16 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
11/16 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Tarkowski(6.0) is the Everton defender in this rotation. He is one of the DEFCON beasts and Everton are always defensively good. If you are looking for a budget option, Mylolenko(4.5) is an alternative. The only caveat is that Aznou(4.0) is having a good pre-season and could give Mykolenko a good fight for the starting LB spot.
Ola Aina(4.5)/Neco Williams(5.0) are the Forest defender options here considering Glasner is the new manager. Glasner’s full backs have always been attacking.
Van Ewijk and Bobby Thomas are Coventry Budget options at 4.0 million price point. Both of them have had good numbers in the Championship last season and are one of the Best 4.0 Million Defenders in FPL this season.
Further Read: Best & Funny FPL Team Names for 2026/27 PL Season
Everton, Forest and Fulham Defender rotation: (GW5-GW8)
For managers planning to use the GW5 Wildcard strategy, this is one of the combinations to remember. All three teams- Everton, Forest and Fulham have good fixtures from GW5-GW8.
If you rotate them correctly from GW5-GW8 as per the image above, you will have-
0/8 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
1/8 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
7/8 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Further Read: Best Premium FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season
Sunderland, Manchester United and Villa Defender rotation: (GW1-GW3):
This is a good Budget Defender rotation for managers planning the GW4 Wildcard strategy. Manchester United, Sunderland and Villa rotate well in the first 3 weeks.
If you rotate them correctly from GW1-GW3 as per the image above, you will have-
0/6 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
1/6 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
5/6 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Further Read: Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders for 2026/27 FPL Season
Budget Midfielder and Budget Defender Rotation
Brighton and Coventry(Till GW10):
If you rotate them correctly from GW1-GW10 as per the image above, you will have-
0/10 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
1/10 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
5/10 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
If you are looking to rotate your 4th or 5th midfielder and 5th defender, this is a good combination to consider. Gross is one of the best options at the 5.5 million midfielder price point. With Welbeck leaving Brighton, he could be on penalties as well. Gross has multiple routes to points- Goals, Assists and DEFCON.
Sunderland and Crystal Palace(Till GW12):
If you rotate them correctly from GW1-GW12 as per the image above, you will have-
1/12 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
3/12 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
8/12 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
This can be Xhaka + Palace defender or Le Fee +Palace Defender or even Ballard + Palace Defender combination based on your team structure.
4.0 Defenders and Budget Midfielders Rotation
Play 1, Bench 2
If you rotate them correctly from GW1-GW8 as per the image above, you will have-
0/8 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
3/8 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
5/8 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Diop/O’Shea/Leif Davis can be the 4.0 Million Defenders from Ipswich whereas Gross is the option from Brighton. Have an eye on Rutter as well in pre-season with Welbeck leaving to Chelsea. Thomas/Van Ewijk are the Coventry options at 4.0 million.
FPL Ultimate Rotation Combination- 5 Defenders
Play 4, Bench 1
Everton, Forest, Fulham, Man City and Arsenal(GW1- GW8)
If you rotate them correctly from GW1-GW8 as per the image above, you will have-
6/32 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
6/32 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
20/32 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
Mosquera(5.5) is the Arsenal defender in this rotation as he is likely to be a starter with Saliba injured and out for a while. There are rumors of Konsa joining. So Calafiori/White might be a slightly better alternative. Guehi/O’Reilly/Gvardiol will be the Man City defender pick based on Budget and risk appetite. Andersen/Robinson are the Fulham options to consider.
Further Read: 2026/27 FPL Season – New Rules & Changes | What’s New in FPL?
Arsenal, Man United, Man City, Forest, Coventry(GW1- GW5)
This is a rotation combination if you are planning to adopt the GW6 Wildcard strategy. Before GW6 there is a big international break which makes it an even better Wildcard window.
This is comparatively a cheaper rotation with Luke Shaw coming as the Manchester United pick as he is nailed to start whenever fit. Manchester United have an excellent fixture run to start the season. Van Ewijk/Thomas will be the cheap Coventry defender options for this rotation.
If you rotate them correctly from GW1-GW5 as per the image above, you will have-
4/20 fixtures vs Last season Top 6✅
6/20 fixtures vs Last Season 7th-12th placed teams✅
10/20 fixtures vs Promoted Teams & Last season 13th-17th placed teams✅
FPL Ultimate Rotation Combination- 5 Defenders + Budget Midfielder
In this rotation- Gross comes in as the Budget Midfielder at just 5.5 million and rotates well with these Defenders. You can comfortably play 4-5 players out of these 6 every single week. We are playing Pascall Gross only in GW3 vs LEE(H) and GW4 vs COV(A). He can be a handy first sub in other Gameweeks. Rodon(4.5) is the Budget Defender from Leeds. You can go Muharemovic(5.0) for more DEFCON points if you have the Budget.
Thanks for reading. Bookmark/Save the article for future references as we will keep on updating the articles after Budget gems will continue to arise in pre-season/ via transfers.
There are lots of rotations mentioned in the article. This is just to give you an overview of the combinations possible analysing the fixtures. Feel free to pick your own combination or make your own after reasding the article. Good luck all.
Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW1 of the 2026/27 FPL Season
FPL Basics:
2026/27 FPL Season – New Rules & Changes | What’s New in FPL?
What is Team ID in FPL? | How to Get a Low FPL Team ID for the 2026/27 Season
Best & Funny FPL Team Names for 2026/27 PL Season
Must Read Articles:
FPL Team Structure Guide with Drafts, AI Team Rating, Formations, Pros, Cons and Key Notes
Best FPL GW1 Drafts for the 26/27 FPL Season with Pros & Cons
FPL Chip Strategy Guide- Best Windows to Play Free Hit, Wildcard, Triple Captain and Bench Boost
Ultimate DEFCON Analysis: Top Players & Best Opponents to Target
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for 2026/27 FPL Season
Eight Simple FPL Tips to Secure a High Rank | 26/27 Season
FPL Fixture Analysis for 2026/27 Season- Teams with Best and Worst fixtures
Five Must Own Players in GW1 for FPL 2026/27 season
AK’s FPL First Draft & Team Reveal | 3x Top 5K Finishes
FPL Players To Avoid in Your GW1 Drafts | 2026/27 FPL Season
Position Analysis:
GKs and Defenders Series:
Best FPL Goalkeepers to Target based on Stats and Fixtures
Best £4.0 Million FPL Defenders for 2026/27 FPL Season
Best Premium Defenders for 2026/27 season based on Stats and Fixtures
Best £5.0-5.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season
FPL Rotational Pairs and Combinations for 2026/27 FPL Season
Best £4.5 Million FPL Defenders for the 2026/27 FPL Season
Best Value for Money Defenders and GKs for 2026/27 FPL season
Midfielders Series:
Best FPL Premium Midfielders(8.0-12.0) for 2026/27 FPL season
Best Mid-Price FPL Midfielders for the 26/27 Season | £6.5 to 7.5M
Best Value for Money Midfielders for 2026/27 season
Forwards Series:
Best FPL Budget Forwards (£4.5 – £6.0 Million) | 26/27 FPL Season
Best £6m Forwards Comparison for the 2026/27 FPL Season
Top Forwards at every price point for the 2026/27 FPL Season
If you’re new to FPL, here is a link to all our FPL Beginners Guide including FPL Beginner’s Guide- How to play?, Bench boost, Team value, Triple captain, Effective ownership, Price Changes, Free Hit, Bonus Points, and more.
Link to all our 2026/27 Pre-Season articles including all position-wise analysis, team previews, fixture analysis, position-wise analysis, and more. Completely free to access as well!
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