The Hard Tackle lists the five best options to consider to bring into your team heading into FPL Gameweek 18 of the 2025/26 season.

Gameweek 18 feels like one of those crossroads in an FPL season where a few brave transfers can flip the script. Managers have had enough time to see which early-season bets were fool’s gold and which trends are real, but there is still plenty of time to climb mini‑league tables if you catch the right players just before their hot streaks. The fixture list helps, too.

With Manchester City facing a fragile Nottingham Forest, Fulham locking horns with a generous West Ham United defence, Aston Villa taking on a porous Chelsea, Arsenal facing unpredictable Brighton & Hove Albion, and Liverpool up against a struggling Wolves side, Gameweek 18 offers a rare cluster of fixtures that neatly line up with some under‑owned, high‑upside picks.

This is where the names Josko Gvardiol, Harry Wilson, Morgan Rogers, Viktor Gyokeres, and Hugo Ekitike come into focus. They are not all template stars, and a couple are still shaking off “wait and see” tags in FPL circles, but their situations for this particular gameweek are about as friendly as you could ask for.

Manchester City and Arsenal are among the best defences and attacks in the league, Fulham and Aston Villa have creative hubs who quietly rack up returns, and Liverpool’s attack remains relentless even when the supporting cast shifts. The trick is to balance form, fixtures, and role.

All five players tick at least two of those boxes, and in most cases, they tick all three. Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Brighton, West Ham, and Wolves have each mixed the odd impressive performance with long spells of sloppiness, lapses in concentration, or outright collapses, especially away from home.

That makes them exactly the type of teams FPL managers like to target: not hopeless enough that the match becomes a training exercise, but flaky enough that your assets have space to pile on points. So instead of spreading the net wide and naming a dozen vague “differentials”, this piece zooms in on five specific transfers that make sense right now.

The focus is not just on fixtures, but on how these players are being used, the stories their recent points tell, and what kind of ceiling they offer in Gameweek 18. Think of it as a guided shortlist: if you are rolling the dice this week, these are the names worth writing on the chip.

Josko Gvardiol: backing Manchester City’s shield

Manchester City come into Gameweek 18 with one of the stingiest defensive records in the division, conceding only a handful of goals more than leaders Arsenal and sitting comfortably among the top two rearguards in the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, arrive into Gameweek 18 with a negative goal difference and only 17 goals scored in 16 games, having lost half of their league fixtures and struggled to put together any sustained attacking rhythm. That combination alone – elite defence versus inconsistent attack – makes a City defender one of the smartest bets for a clean sheet this week.​

Gvardiol adds more than just the promise of six clean‑sheet points. The Croat has become a regular presence in Pep Guardiola’s backline, offering progressive passing and the ability to step into midfield, which FPL scoring often rewards through bonus points when City dominate matches.

His recent returns have quietly picked up: a steady run of appearances, a couple of games with defensive bonus, and the odd attacking contribution from set‑piece situations have turned him from a “rotation risk” narrative into a genuine, dependable pick. With Forest averaging more goals conceded than scored and lacking the cutting edge to consistently trouble top sides, Gvardiol looks set up for a solid floor and a realistic shot at a double‑digit haul if the bonus system leans in his favour.​

Harry Wilson: Fulham’s creative spark

Fulham’s Gameweek 18 meeting with West Ham United at the London Stadium puts Harry Wilson right in the FPL spotlight. West Ham have struggled without the defensive platform that carried them in previous seasons, sitting in the mid‑table pack but conceding well over a goal per game and ranking closer to the bottom half in defensive metrics such as goals against and shots allowed.

They have been particularly vulnerable when teams run at their back line and attack space between the lines, exactly the zones where Wilson likes to operate. Fulham have shown they can turn on the style in spells, and West Ham’s inability to shut games down late only increases the appeal of backing their creators.​

Wilson himself is becoming harder to ignore. The Welshman’s career numbers for Fulham are tidy enough, but this term he has stepped forward again, registering a solid run of appearances and chipping in with both goals and assists in the 2025/26 campaign.

His recent points tell the story: returns against Brentford and Wolves, steady minutes, and constant involvement from set pieces and open play have made him one of Fulham’s main attacking outlets. For Gameweek 18 specifically, a home fixture against a West Ham side that has lost its defensive edge puts Wilson in the sweet spot: good form, prominent role, and a defence that gives up chances in his favourite zones.

Morgan Rogers: Aston Villa’s upside play for FPL gains

Aston Villa’s attack under Unai Emery has been one of the Premier League’s most endearing stories, and Morgan Rogers is increasingly at the heart of it. The young midfielder has built on his breakthrough to become a regular in the 2025/26 Premier League season, contributing with goals, assists, and energetic performances between the lines. So, it is no wonder that the English international has emerged as a target for Premier League bigwigs like Chelsea and Liverpool.

His underlying numbers and eye test line up: he carries the ball, drifts into the box, and links well with Aston Villa’s forwards, making him more than just a peripheral wide player. In FPL terms, a midfielder who regularly gets into scoring positions in a high‑scoring team is exactly what managers look for when trying to break away from the template. The Gameweek 18 opponent makes Rogers even more appealing.

Chelsea have tightened up compared to their most chaotic days but still sit below Arsenal and City in the defensive rankings, conceding noticeably more goals than the two title-chasers and suffering from familiar lapses at the back. They are particularly vulnerable when pressed and forced to defend transitions, areas where Villa thrive at home.

Rogers’s recent points reflect that growing influence: a stretch of fixtures with consistent minutes, a couple of attacking returns, and involvement in key phases of play have turned him from a punt into a plausible starterVilla . With Chelsea’s defensive fragility and Villa’s willingness to attack aggressively, Rogers has genuine haul potential in Gameweek 18 rather than just a hopeful two‑pointer.​

Viktor Gyokeres: Arsenal’s battering ram

Arsenal go into Gameweek 18 as the Premier League’s best defence and one of its most dangerous attacks, and Viktor Gyokeres is fast becoming the focal point of that forward line. Since his arrival he has offered the blend of physicality, movement, and finishing that Mikel Arteta’s system craves at centre‑forward.

His recent displays show a player growing in confidence: strong hold‑up play, intelligent runs across the line, and a steady flow of shots have already translated into goals and FPL returns over the last few weeks. He may not yet be owned at Erling Haaland‑like levels, but his trajectory is clearly upward.

Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal’s Gameweek 18 opponents, have been one of the Premier League’s most unpredictable sides. They remain dangerous going forward but have struggled for consistency at the back, conceding far more goals than the top two and finding themselves closer to mid‑table defences than genuine contenders.

That volatility often leads to open games, and open games are exactly where a striker like Gyokeres thrives. His recent points haul shows both goals and bonus points when Arsenal assert control, and Brighton’s tendency to leave space in behind should suit his direct running. For managers looking to move funds into a premium‑ish forward who combines form and fixture, Gyokeres’s home tie against an inconsistent Brighton back line looks tailor‑made.

Hugo Ekitike: Liverpool’s emerging finisher

Liverpool’s attack rarely goes out of fashion in FPL, and Hugo Ekitike has quickly turned himself into one of the more intriguing options in that frontline since joining the club. The French striker has seized his opportunities, contributing goals and lively all‑round displays that fit neatly into Liverpool’s high‑energy, high‑press system.

The Frenchman’s movement across the frontline, willingness to attack the six‑yard box, and link‑up with creative teammates have already delivered a string of returns this season, marking him out as more than just squad depth. When Liverpool build momentum, Ekitike tends to be in the thick of it.

Wolverhampton Wanderers, Liverpool’s Gameweek 18 opponents, are exactly the kind of side that can be overwhelmed at Anfield. They have struggled for consistency and find themselves in the bottom half of the defensive table, conceding comfortably more goals than the league’s top back lines.

In tougher away fixtures, their defensive shape has often cracked under sustained pressure, leading to multiple goals conceded in a single match. That is music to the ears of anyone considering Ekitike: a home fixture against a side that struggles to keep clean sheets, combined with his current form and growing status within the attack, gives him genuine upside. For managers willing to bet on a slightly less‑owned Liverpool forward, this feels like the moment to strike.

FPL transfer recommendations at a glance

Honourable mentions

A handful of other names deserve a nod for Gameweek 18, even if they just miss out on the main list. Virgil van Dijk remains a rock at the back for Liverpool, combining clean‑sheet potential with threat from set pieces. Michael Keane offers a budget route into an Everton defence that can grind out low‑scoring battles, while Piero Hincapie has shown promise as a ball‑playing defender with an eye for interceptions and surging runs.​

Further forward, Antoine Semenyo brings pace and directness that can trouble tired defences, and Tijjani Reijnders offers box‑to‑box threat and the occasional long‑range strike from midfield. Dominic Calvert‑Lewin’s aerial dominance always makes him a candidate for goals when fit, and Nick Woltemade is emerging as an interesting differential pick with minutes and attacking involvement trending in the right direction. If managers want to go beyond the core five picks, these are the next names worth short‑listing as the festive schedule starts to bite.