Fanteam £20k EPL Final Sprint: A New Fantasy Season for the Run-In

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For some Fantasy EPL managers, the final weeks of the Premier League season are when the drama really begins. Title races, European qualification battles and relegation fights combine to create unpredictable but exciting football. Many Fantasy Managers however will have lost interest during the season as their team(s) lag further behind the overall leaders so will be looking for ways to keep their interest high.

That is exactly the idea behind the Fanteam EPL Final Sprint, a mini-season fantasy contest covering the last nine Premier League Gameweeks (GW30–GW38) of the 2025/26 campaign. With a £20,000 minimum guaranteed prize pool, the Final Sprint effectively gives managers a brand-new season starting in Gameweek 30 on 14th March 2026. Even if your season-long fantasy teams have faded, this format offers a fresh opportunity to compete. FanTeam’s game is 18+ BeGambleAware T&Cs apply.

Check out our next FanTeam EPL Sprint article looking at a team selection process and transfer planning.

How the Final Sprint Works

The format is designed to keep the game fast-moving and tactical across the nine Gameweeks.

Key rules include:

  • £85M Budget to pick 11 players
  • Maximum 3 players per Premier League club
  • 3 transfers per Gameweek (extra transfers cost 4 points)
  • 1 Wildcard available at any point
  • Captain scores 2x points
  • Safety Net system replaces non-starting players automatically

The Safety Net feature is particularly useful during the chaotic end of the season when rotation becomes common. If one of your players does not start, they will be automatically replaced by a player from the same club and position of equal or lower value (assuming there is one playing).

With nine Gameweeks only, aggressive transfer strategies and fixture targeting become crucial.

Fixture Planning: Target the Run-In

The final stretch of the season often rewards managers who plan ahead. Looking at the fixture difficulty ratings from GW30 to GW38, several of the Premier League’s biggest clubs stand out as key targets.

Below are the run-ins for the current top six sides — Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool — with the more favourable fixtures highlighted.

Arsenal

GW30: Everton (H)
GW31: —
GW32: Bournemouth (H)
GW33: Manchester City (A)
GW34: Newcastle (H)
GW35: Fulham (H)
GW36: West Ham (A)
GW37: Burnley (H)
GW38: Crystal Palace (A)

Arsenal’s run-in becomes particularly attractive from GW35 onwards.

Key easier fixtures

  • Everton (H)
  • Bournemouth (H)
  • Fulham (H)
  • West Ham (A)
  • Burnley (H)
  • Crystal Palace (A)

The late sequence of Fulham, West Ham, Burnley and Palace could be particularly profitable for Arsenal attackers.

Manchester City

GW30: West Ham (A)
GW31: —
GW32: Chelsea (A)
GW33: Arsenal (H)
GW34: Burnley (A)
GW35: Everton (A)
GW36: Brentford (H)
GW37: Bournemouth (A)
GW38: Aston Villa (H)

City’s fixtures are mixed early but open up significantly in the middle of the run-in.

Key easier fixtures

  • West Ham (A)
  • Burnley (A)
  • Everton (A)
  • Brentford (H)
  • Bournemouth (A)

Those five fixtures could produce strong attacking returns, particularly for City’s forwards and attacking midfielders.

Manchester United

GW30: Aston Villa (H)
GW31: Bournemouth (A)
GW32: Leeds (H)
GW33: Chelsea (A)
GW34: Brentford (H)
GW35: Liverpool (H)
GW36: Sunderland (A)
GW37: Nottingham Forest (H)
GW38: Brighton (A)

United’s run-in contains several favourable attacking fixtures.

Key easier fixtures

  • Bournemouth (A)
  • Leeds (H)
  • Brentford (H)
  • Sunderland (A)
  • Nottingham Forest (H)

The late double of Sunderland and Forest could be especially appealing for managers chasing points.

Aston Villa

GW30: Manchester United (A)
GW31: West Ham (H)
GW32: Nottingham Forest (A)
GW33: Sunderland (H)
GW34: Fulham (A)
GW35: Tottenham (H)
GW36: Burnley (A)
GW37: Liverpool (H)
GW38: Manchester City (A)

Villa have several favourable home fixtures and a key stretch in the middle of the run-in.

Key easier fixtures

  • West Ham (H)
  • Nottingham Forest (A)
  • Sunderland (H)
  • Fulham (A)
  • Burnley (A)

The Forest–Sunderland sequence around GW32–33 stands out as a particularly strong opportunity.

Chelsea

GW30: Newcastle (H)
GW31: Everton (A)
GW32: Manchester City (H)
GW33: Manchester United (H)
GW34: Brighton (A)
GW35: Nottingham Forest (H)
GW36: Liverpool (A)
GW37: Tottenham (H)
GW38: Sunderland (A)

Chelsea’s run includes a few difficult matches, but also some standout opportunities.

Key easier fixtures

  • Everton (A)
  • Brighton (A)
  • Nottingham Forest (H)
  • Sunderland (A)

The GW35–GW38 stretch could reward Chelsea attacking investments.

Liverpool

GW30: Tottenham (H)
GW31: Brighton (A)
GW32: Fulham (H)
GW33: Everton (A)
GW34: Crystal Palace (H)
GW35: Manchester United (A)
GW36: Chelsea (H)
GW37: Aston Villa (A)
GW38: Brentford (H)

Liverpool’s mid-run sequence looks particularly appealing.

Key easier fixtures

  • Fulham (H)
  • Everton (A)
  • Crystal Palace (H)
  • Brentford (H)

The Fulham–Everton–Palace stretch could be one of the best three-Gameweek runs for attacking returns.

Why the Final Sprint Is Different

The EPL Final Sprint rewards aggressive planning.

Because the game only lasts nine Gameweeks, the usual long-term caution of season-long fantasy football disappears. Managers can:

  • target short fixture runs
  • rotate players quickly
  • use the Wildcard strategically
  • attack captaincy opportunities

With only 11 players in the squad, each decision carries more impact.

The Perfect Fantasy Run-In

The closing weeks of the Premier League season are famous for drama. Teams fighting for the title, Champions League places or survival often produce open, high-scoring games.

That volatility is exactly what makes the Fanteam EPL Final Sprint exciting.

Instead of simply watching the run-in unfold, managers can build a brand-new fantasy team and compete for a share of the £20,000 prize pool.

Nine Gameweeks.
A fresh squad.
And the Premier League run-in still to play.

For fantasy managers, the season isn’t over yet — it’s just starting again. For more discussion go to FISO’s FanTeam Forum. FISO was founded over 25 years ago in 2000 and is the longest-running UK fantasy sports online community – Independent, community-driven fantasy football analysis since before FPL existed!