🎯 Gameweek 02–07 January 2026 Preview: POTW Contenders

Gameweek: 02–07 January 2026 • POTW Focus

Double gameweeks in England + Italy = a huge edge for Player of the Week hunting.

Fixture volume is the biggest edge this week

This gameweek sets up really well for Player of the Week hunting. All major leagues are back in action except Germany, while AFCON moves into the knockout phase.

The biggest edge comes from double gameweeks in England and Italy. With POTW calculated on total points, players with two strong fixtures immediately move to the front of the queue.

🇬🇧 Premier League: Fixture Volume Is King

Several English sides stand out with very favourable doubles. If you're hunting POTW, start here.

Manchester City

Double: Chelsea (H) + Brighton (H)

Strong favourites in both games — attackers, creators, and defenders all in play.

Everton

Double: Brentford (H) + Wolves (H)

Two winnable fixtures — clean-sheet potential plus upside for midfield contributors.

Aston Villa

Double: Forest (H) + Palace (A)

Villa's form & fixture profile make their attackers & full-backs interesting POTW options.

Newcastle

Double: Palace (H) + Leeds (H)

Two home matches is a big boost — attacking players could rack up points quickly.

West Ham

Double: Wolves (A) + Forest (H)

A nice balance of fixtures — midfielders with goal involvements are ones to watch.

Manchester United

Double: Leeds (A) + Burnley (A)

Winnable fixtures gives them a path into POTW contention if performances click.

🇮🇹 Serie A: Quietly Strong POTW Angles

Italy also offers excellent double gameweek opportunities — often with lower ownership.

Como

Double: Udinese (H) + Pisa (A)

A solid spot for minutes-heavy players who can grind out steady points.

Juventus

Double: Lecce (H) + Sassuolo (A)

Juventus defenders and midfielders stand out here — two favourable matchups.

Inter Milan

Double: Bologna (H) + Parma (A)

One of the stronger doubles of the week — Inter players are prime POTW candidates.

🇪🇸 La Liga: A Sneaky Double

Rayo Vallecano

Double: Getafe (H) + Granada (A)

A useful double that could fly under the radar — ideal for traders looking for lower-ownership POTW upside.

🔦 Spotlight – Top Contenders

Here's a quick shortlist of standout POTW candidates based on fixtures, recent points, and price.

Rank	Player	Pos	Club	Fixture 1	Fixture 2	Price	Pts L3G	# Payouts
1	E. Haaland	FWD	Man City	Chelsea	Brighton	€4.46	97	2
2	R. Cherki	MID	Man City	Chelsea	Brighton	€1.68	66	2
3	M. Di Gregorio	GKP	Juventus	Lecce	Sassuolo (A)	€1.87	64	0
4	J. Timber	DEF	Arsenal	Bournemouth (A)	Liverpool	€2.16	52	1
5	D. Raya	GKP	Arsenal	Bournemouth (A)	Liverpool	€3.14	51	1
6	O. Watkins	FWD	Aston Villa	Forest	Palace (A)	€1.91	48	1
7	L. Martinez	FWD	Inter Milan	Bologna	Parma (A)	€2.53	48	1
8	J. Pickford	GKP	Everton	Brentford	Wolves	€1.94	38	1
9	A. Ratiu	FWD	Rayo Vallecano	Getafe	Granada (A)	€0.76	37	0
10	F. Lejeune	DEF	Rayo Vallecano	Getafe	Granada (A)	€0.71	36	0
11	B. Guimaraes	MID	Newcastle	Palace	Leeds	€1.44	22	0
12	M. Vojvoda	MID	Como	Udinese	Pisa (A)	€0.71	26	0
13	N. Woltemade	FWD	Newcastle	Palace	Leeds	€1.66	25	1
14	M. Rogers	MID	Aston Villa	Forest	Palace (A)	€2.35	24	2
15	T. Douvikas	FWD	Como	Udinese	Pisa (A)	€0.82	11	0
16	M. Cunha	MID	Man Utd	Leeds (A)	Burnley (A)	€0.90	20	0
17	D. Dalot	DEF	Man Utd	Leeds (A)	Burnley (A)	€0.61	8	0
18	J. Bowen	MID	West Ham	Wolves (A)	Forest	€0.93	-17	0
19	L. Openda	FWD	Juventus	Lecce	Sassuolo (A)	€0.70	41	0
20	Y. Bisseck	DEF	Inter Milan	Bologna	Parma (A)	€1.02	37	0

🧠 Final Thought

This gameweek is all about minutes, match volume, and team strength. Players with two starts — especially for teams expected to win both fixtures — have a major edge in the POTW race.

If you're positioning for POTW:

• Prioritise double gameweek players
• Look for strong favourites
• Don't ignore defenders and goalkeepers — two clean sheets can be decisive

We'll see who takes advantage — and who lifts the payouts this week. ⚽📈