The Scout is using the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) to determine the sides with the most favourable opening schedules in 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League.
Chelsea
A kind run of early opponents gives new head coach Enzo Maresca the opportunity to get his tenure off to a successful start.
Although their Gameweek 1 home encounter with defending champions Manchester City is far from straightforward, Chelsea drew the corresponding match 4-4 last season, underlining their potential in attack.
The Blues then embark on a run of six successive matches that each score just two in the FDR, which lifts their prospects at both ends of the pitch.
They visit Wolverhampton Wanderers, AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United, while also hosting Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest.
Chelsea’s first seven matches
| GW | Opponent | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MCI (H) | 5 |
| 2 | WOL (A) | 2 |
| 3 | CRY (H) | 2 |
| 4 | BOU (A) | 2 |
| 5 | WHU (A) | 2 |
| 6 | BHA (H) | 2 |
| 7 | NFO (H) | 2 |
*1 = easiest possible fixture, 5 = hardest possible fixture
Here are three Chelsea players backed to make a flying start thanks to their fixtures.
Cole Palmer
Last season’s top-scoring player in Fantasy can quickly establish himself as the go-to midfielder in 2024/25.
After starting 2023/24 at a cost of only £5.0m, Palmer is expected to rise significantly in cost on the back of his 22 goals, 13 assists and 244 points. Yet his ridiculous consistency means the 22-year-old is very likely to be worth the extra outlay.
Palmer blanked only ONCE in his 13 starts at Stamford Bridge last season, while his 15 attacking returns in away matches were just two behind the league-high 17 of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
The Chelsea midfielder’s potential for huge hauls – he delivered 10 double-digit returns in 29 starts – shows why he will be among the very best captain picks in the opening Gameweeks.
Ben Chilwell
Maresca’s tactics at Leicester City, where Ricardo Pereira was used as an inverted right-back, may ultimately be good news for Reece James’s attacking potential this season.
However, with James suspended for the first three Gameweeks, managers may be best-served focusing on the left-back berth instead for the early stages of 2024/25.
Chilwell got off to a fast start under Mauricio Pochettino in 2023/24, supplying an assist and earning seven points against Liverpool in Gameweek 1.
The underlying numbers from the Blues’ opening four matches in 2023/24 – all of which Chilwell started – illustrate his major attacking potential. His nine key passes ranked second for Chelsea in that spell, while his five shots in the box placed joint-third.
Nicolas Jackson
After a slow start to his debut Fantasy campaign, the Senegalese forward established himself as a reliable source of returns.
Jackson started each of Chelsea’s final 14 matches of 2023/24, scoring seven of his 14 goals for the season in that spell as well as supplying four of his six assists.
He amassed 74 points in that period, a total bettered by only four other forwards in Fantasy.
Jackson’s role as the focal point of the Blues' attack meant he was supplied with a team-leading 15 big chances in that run, while his 29 shots in the box and 18 shots on target were both at least twice the total of any team-mate apart from Palmer.
