FPL Gameweek 3 Tips – Premium Midfield Dilemmas

As Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers gear up for Gameweek 3, we have the tips that will help strengthen your team.

Budget constraints and player performance are the focal points of strategic decision-making, adding a layer of complexity to team selection. With surprising budget-friendly options emerging and key players not delivering as expected, managers are faced with the challenge of balancing cost efficiency with point maximisation.

In this article, we delve into various aspects of the current FPL landscape, from budget considerations and emerging stars to injury updates and captaincy choices. Join us as we gift you our FPL Gameweek 3 tips.

Top Talking Points

Phil Your Boots

There was lots of chat about how great Foden was in the number 10 role. I said earlier in the week I would give myself time to talk myself out of it.

Well. The signing of Jeremy Doku makes my life easier. Its not that I think Doku will take Foden’s place. It just means that Silva doesn’t need to play wide and can play through the middle. Which reduces Foden’s nailedness (is that a word?). Same goes for Alvarez.

First and foremost, I want nailed players. And City mids are not nailed. Even for FPL gameweek 3.

Plus, I don’t have faith that Foden will be pivotal in all games like he was in this one.

So, I’m out.

Let’s Not Be Rash

It was a disappointing result for Man United in the Spurs game. But, in terms of xG, Man United and Spurs were even (ish) on about 2-2.

For me, I am still happy to keep Rashford or Bruno. A game at home against Notts Forest in FPL gameweek 3 gives a pretty good chance for an attacking return from either.

Earlier in the week, I was more happy to sell Bruno, particularly if doubled up, but taking a look at the underlying stats, you can see he is the second highest player for expected goal involvement in the past two weeks, behind Mbeumo. Rashford is much further down at 35 but its still not terrible. He is ahead of Isak and Alvarez for example (who everybody wants to buy).

Yes, its a small sample size but its all we have to go on right now.

Rashford also has almost double the ownership of Bruno (44% to 23%). So, its worrying to let Rashford go because if he explodes or, god forbid, Erik Ten Hag notices that he NEEDS TO PLAY OUT WIDE! Then, we might regret selling him.

So, I think its up to your personal risk appetite if you have both. If you want to use them as a shield to protect your rank, then keep Rashford. If you want to use them as a sword to rise up the ranks, then keep Bruno.

Gabby Got to GO!

For the second time in a row, Gabriel missed out on a start thanks to tactical reasons. We know he is fit because he came off the bench. Arteta has said the rumours about Saudi are false and they want to keep him. So, we can just assume this is going to keep happening and he is going to keep getting benched.

Even if there is a chance that he might start thanks to Tomiyasu being sent off (which might prompt a tactical rethink with Zinchenko at left back and Partey on the bench) I think its time to call time on Gabriel. Well, at least this Gabriel. Gabriel Martinelli can stay. Gabriel Jesus is still injured.

Is Odegaard on Pens?

Well, not according to Arteta. According to Arteta, the players just decided on field who was going to take pens. So, Saka might take the next one. But he also might not.

Odegaard confirmed that he just asked if he could take it because of his good pre-season form.

A lack of penalties would make Saka a worse FPL asset for FPL gameweek 3 and going forward. But, we don’t know he is off them and he is still class and key to the Arsenal attack so I’m not particularly concerned.

Watkins (and other Villans) Watch

Sorry, Watkins Watch is just a better title…

Villa play in the Europa Conference League on Wednesday night. If Watkins gets injured its an easy switch to Jackson for his great run of fixtures. It might just be annoying for your squad management.

So, watch this space for any news ahead of the FPL gameweek 3 deadline.

Tactical Talk

What to Do with Two Transfers…

Traditionally, we like to hold a transfer in gameweek 1, get as much information from that and gameweek 2, and prepare ourselves for a mini wildcard going into FPL gameweek 3 (that’s three transfers for a -4). We like that because it allows you to make a good amount of changes and allows you to change team structure, not just move players in and out.

The trouble is, most of us have quite a good first 11 for this week. And, it feels a bit pointless to make big swinging changes. So, what can you do with that spare transfer?

You can just burn it. If you’re really happy with your squad, why not? Yes, we only get a limited number and it feels like a waste but what’s the point of making your squad worse.

If not, look at your goalkeepers or bench players. Perhaps you backed one you don’t like. I know I did. If you have two transfers you could just make an adjustment there and save your mini wildcard for next week.

Budget and Maximising Points

At the time of writing, the Team of the Season costs £63.7mn. You can fill out your bench with two 4.5s and two 4.0s to get to a full cost of £80.7mn.

Now, we might be reading too much into this too early. But, this season, we might have to get used to the idea that we don’t need to maximise our budget to get the most points.

At least double Brighton and at least double Brentford look like they will be key elements of the season for us if this is true (and probably even if this isn’t true). They offer such great value that the budget becomes a joke.

Of course, its probably too early to take conclusive evidence from this, particularly as Europe starts to take its toll on Brighton, but its one to watch.

IGNORE YOUR RANK!

Don’t stress about it too much. After the Arsenal Palace game, my rank dropped 400k. That’s huge considering there was only one goal. And, that’s because everyone in the game is so close together.

Rank gains and rank losses at this stage are meaningless. If you want to focus on a metric, look at the average score and just try to beat that every week. If you aren’t beating it, then maybe its time to consider a change.

We Were Right! And the Value of Re-adjusting Your Views

With Nketiah’s second return and Joao Pedro’s benching its worth remembering that just because lots of people say you’re an idiot, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re right.

Its nice to be right about these things. Sometimes we will be wrong though. Like with March. We were very down on him at the start of the season. We still think Mbeumo and Mitoma are better options for the price tag. But, we are re-evaluating our opinions based upon March’s returns so far this season.

4.5 Starting Forwards

Semenyo at Bournemouth has joined Osula at Sheffield United by becoming the second 4.5 forward. Perfect for a wildcard if you need to save money.

Don’t rely on Osula starting for the rest of the season though as Sheffield have millions of strikers out injured. Semenyo seems more likely to consistently play so I would take him.

Upcoming Fixture Ticker

This will be a regular stalwart of our pieces throughout the year. We will look at which teams have the best fixtures over the next five gameweeks to help you plan your transfers.

Teams in capitals are home fixtures and teams in lowercase are away fixtures.

Note that the international break is between gameweek 4 and 5. And, Champions League (and rotation) starts between gameweek 5 and 6.

As you can see, Chelsea sit top of our fixture ticker from FPL gameweek 3 to FPL gameweek 7. We are interested in doubling up on their attack through someone like Chillwell, Jackson and Sterling, in that order of preference.

We aren’t super trusting of their defence yet and wouldn’t consider doubling up on the defence. Having said that Gusto is an ideal handcuff for James in FPL draft if you own him.

Man City are incredible and have incredible fixtures but we are generally uninterested in them as we don’t know who will play each game. Haaland remains the standout captaincy option during these weeks.

Arsenal look good again and they also have good fixtures. We would be happy to be doubled up here.

As we say above. A Brentford double or triple up could be very profitable. I don’t think you need to rush them in ahead of Palace who are clearly the most defensive team in the league.

Luton are irrelevant in FPL at the moment. They’ve only had one game and we don’t know if they’re any good (and we think they probably aren’t good). So, we aren’t looking at them.

Injury/Red Card News

• At the time of writing, we still don’t know if Maddison is fit. Apparently he has a mild MCL sprain. We have no way of knowing how mild but this physio suggests 4-6 weeks recovery time. Of course, Maddo is a professional athlete so maybe he doesn’t need 4 weeks but if I were Spurs I wouldn’t risk him knowing the limited amount I do.
• We also don’t know if Alexander-Arnold is fit.
• Diaz at Liverpool may also have a hamstring problem.
• It looks like John Stones won’t be back until gameweek 4 or 5.
• As previously reported, Reece James is out, probably until mid-late September. Happens every year…
• Mount will miss the game against Forest.
• MacAllister’s red card was rescinded.

Transfer News

We already covered the Doku transfer above.

Zaniolo’s transfer to Villa went through and he has been added to the game at 5.5. We don’t think he starts yet. He was widely tipped as a youngster but at 24 has probably failed to meet expectations. He scored 5 goals in 10 games in the Turkish Super Lig last year so 5.5 feels fine to me.

Tyler Adams joined Bournemouth and came in at 5.0. He is a defensive midfielder with an ability to play right-back. He doesn’t seem FPL relevant.

Should I Buy?

In this section, we will look to answer the most basic question. Should I buy this player ahead of FPL gameweek 3?

Jackson – Yep. Great fixtures and a player that’s getting ready to haul.

Chilwell – Yep. As above.

Mbeumo – Yes. Great fixtures. Best sub 7.0 mid in the game right now. Would rather take him over Mitoma (who is next best) or March because Brentford fixtures are better and they don’t have European football coming up.

Estupinian – Yep. Get him. I’m less concerned about fixtures for defenders because I think all defenders suck.

Akanji/Walker/Gvardiol – I don’t love it. They have good fixtures but I just don’t understand who plays week in, week out. If you want to go there, then check out this very complicated thread about who the best options are.

Saliba – I’d rather have him than the City defenders.

Ward-Prowse – No. He won’t be getting two assists every game. Fine in draft.

Gusto – I like picking him up in the draft game but don’t see why you would bother getting him in regular FPL when you know you will have to transfer him out very soon.

Should I Sell?

In this section, we will look to answer the second most basic question. Should I sell this player ahead of FPL gameweek 3?

Watkins – This is a hard one. I wouldn’t sell him for Isak or Alvarez but a straight swap to Jackson is tempting.

Richarlison – He looks dreadful. But I would give him another game. Bournemouth at home in FPL gameweek 3 is a nice one.

Son – Yes. He’s not worth 9.0 at the moment.

Joao Pedro – Tough one. Apparently he didn’t work hard enough off the ball in gameweek 1 for De Zerbi’s tastes. Enciso replaced him and played very well in gameweek 2. I think I would sell him but only if I could get to someone else worthwhile. Bringing in another 5.5 forward seems foolish to me as they’re all crap.

Darwin – Yep. Didn’t like him to start the season and I don’t like him now. Not enough minutes.

Salah – Yeah, feels fine to sell him if you can spread the money. I’d probably hold another week if you couldn’t. His points potential is probably better than anyone else you can bring in.

Eze – if you really think he’s the biggest problem in your team then fine. He’s still a good player.

Shaw – As with Bruno and Rash, I wouldn’t sell him before Forest at home in FPL gameweek 3. I don’t love him as a pick though so if you need the money to make a mini-wildcard work then I don’t hate it.

Captaincy Corner

For FPL gameweek 3, we can’t look past Haaland as captain.

Sheffield United are bad. There is no other way to say it. Sorry Blades fans.

Haaland is amazing, as are Man City. It’s that easy.

My Moves

I have Alexander-Arnold and Maddison in my team with one transfer and 0.5 in the bank.

I’m tempted to hold my transfer if they’re both pronounced fit. I can’t see an obvious move that makes my team much better. And, having an extra transfer could be very useful next week for me.

If Maddo is injured it’s a straight swap to Mbeumo for me. That’s easy.

If Trent is injured then I’m looking at the likes of Saliba, Udogie. I don’t want the rotation headaches with City but I can’t deny that Akanji and Gvardiol haven’t featured in my thoughts.

If both are injured for a decent amount of time, I will probably take a hit and just fix it now.

That’s it

As FPL managers navigate the uncharted waters of Gameweek 3, the notion of budget maximization is being tested by emerging value players, while the reliability of big-name assets is being questioned.

This article has provided tips into the shifting landscape, from the tactical potential of budget-friendly options to the enigmatic world of injuries and captaincy choices.

Remember, FPL is a dynamic game that demands flexibility and an analytical eye. While the landscape may evolve, the core principles of thoughtful decision-making and strategic planning remain constant.

Watch out for our news piece on Friday for the latest information. And remember it’s a Friday deadline again!

Best of luck, and may your FPL journey be a rewarding one!