Gameweek 3 Preview: Fantasy Premier League 2024-25 Tips and Captaincy Picks

The FPL Manual presents a comprehensive overview of Gameweek 3, highlighting top captain picks and outstanding picks for the weekly FPL Challenge game.

A seventh Premier League hat-trick for Manchester City's Erling Haaland against Ipswich Town, a 17-point haul return for Chelsea's talisman - Cole Palmer, while Liverpool's attacking trio - Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Mohamed Salah all contributed attacking returns.

Gameweek 2 was a high-scoring gameweek, especially for those managers who triggered the Triple Captain chip. But what does Gameweek 3 have in store? Stay tuned for more insights.

The FPL Challenge 5-a-side event continues; next week's challenge is tagged 'Promoted Punt,' where only players from the promoted teams, Ipswich, Southampton, and Leicester City. We'll provide weekly breakdowns on five essential assets to watch ahead of the weekend.

The Gameweek 3 deadline of the 2024/25 Fantasy Premier League season is Saturday, August 31 at 6:00 a.m. EDT, when Arsenal entertains Brighton. Also, check out the rest of our excellent soccer coverage as the squad gets you all set for every English Premier League slate and UEFA Champions League game with our EPL DFS lineup picks and betting picks.

Where is your team? 🫵 pic.twitter.com/vw3fgQlYng

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 25, 2024

Gameweek 3 Tips

Target Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal Attack

According to statistics, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City are anticipated to generate 2.15, 2.45, and 2.45 xG, respectively, against their opponents in Gameweek 3. Additionally, these clubs have been projected to earn clean sheets in their upcoming encounters, with a likelihood of 24% for Liverpool, 38% for Manchester City, and 42% for Arsenal.

Meanwhile, Brentford, Aston Villa, Newcastle, Spurs, and Chelsea are expected to produce at least 1.85 xG (expected goals) against their opponents in Gameweek 3.

Recommended players for FPL returns this week include Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz; Manchester City's Erling Haaland, Josko Gvardiol, and Savinho; and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, with a defensive pairing of William Saliba and David Raya.

💹 PL GW3 matchups

First, look at projected goals and clean sheet odds for the upcoming round of Premier League games via spread betting markets pic.twitter.com/9a31YXfwTb

— Rob T (@robtFPL) August 28, 2024

Chelsea's New Found Form: The Rise of Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke Lethal Duo

Starting off the season with a 2-0 defeat to reigning Champions - Manchester City in Gameweek 1. The Blues surged back to form in the previous matchup against Wolves, scoring six goals and securing the first Premier League win under Enzo Maresca.

Two players that largely impressed FPL managers were Cole Palmer (£10.5m), who contributed a goal and three assists, and Noni Madueke (£6.5m), who scored a hat-trick. Combined, the duo tallied 37 FPL points in a single Gameweek.

Cole Palmer seems to benefit more from playing centrally, while Noni Madueke is an attacking talent on the right flank. With Chelsea's fixtures looking favorable (no top-six opposition until Gameweek 8), Gameweek 3 presents an excellent opportunity to bring in these rising stars, especially for those considering activating their wildcard chip before the deadline.

Cole Palmer vs. Wolves:

77% pass accuracy
47 touches
5 crosses
5 shots
4 chances created
3 assists
1 goal

Noni Madueke vs. Wolves:

78% pass accuracy
31 touches
6 shots
3 goals
2 crosses
2 fouls won

Talk about Dynamic Duos… 😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/1uWeeQi3FN

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 25, 2024

Cole Palmer (£10.5M) - Chelsea

Despite scoring just once in Gameweek 2 against Wolves, Cole Palmer's blend of creativity and direct threat earned him more FPL points than Erling Haaland, who bagged a hat-trick against Ipswich in the same gameweek.

As Chelsea gears up to face Crystal Palace, a team still winless and struggling after losing key players in the transfer window, the Englishman is projected to have a 44% chance of scoring against the Eagles, which makes Palmer stand out as a prime candidate for the captaincy in Gameweek 3.

Cole Palmer is the only player to be directly involved in 25+ goals in the Premier League in 2024.

◉ 19 games
◉ 15 goals
◉ 10 assists

Cold numbers. 🧊@bet365 | #Ad pic.twitter.com/42D0R3e924

— Squawka (@Squawka) August 25, 2024

Erling Haaland (£15.0M) - Manchester City

Improving his goal tally to 94 goals in 101 appearances for Manchester City, Erling Haaland will relish the challenge of facing West Ham, this time away from the Etihad Stadium.

The 24-year-old Norwegian has scored four goals in his last four games against the Hammers and is currently projected to have a 55% chance of finding the net in Gameweek 3. With these odds in his favor, the Premier League's top scorer is a prime candidate for the captaincy this weekend.

New season, same Erling Haaland 🤖

The @ManCity striker scored his SEVENTH Premier League hat-trick on the weekend... pic.twitter.com/z5vFegvkJo

— Premier League (@premierleague) August 27, 2024

Mohamed Salah (£12.5m) - Liverpool

With 24 FPL points in his last two games, the 32-year-old experienced forward has begun the season well under Arne Slot. However, we cannot ignore his numbers in the upcoming matchup, as the Egyptian international has 14 goals and four assists in his last 15 appearances against the Red Devils.

With the Northwest Derby approaching this weekend and a 44% chance of scoring in Gameweek 3, Mohamed Salah will be eager to be on the scoresheet for Liverpool against league rivals Manchester United.

Mohamed Salah has now been directly involved in 128 goals in 128 Premier League games at Anfield for Liverpool.

◉ 93 goals
◉ 35 assists

No other player has 100+ home goal contributions in the PL since he joined the Reds in 2017. 🏹 pic.twitter.com/CyM1Af2st8

— Squawka (@Squawka) August 25, 2024

FPL Challenge: 5-a-side

The FPL Challenge section for the 2024-25 season is back, and RotoBaller remains your go-to source for valuable insights on selecting the right assets for any challenge. The second challenge, 'All Out Attack,' focused on selecting one goalkeeper and four forwards in Gameweek 2 with a limited budget of £35m.

Now, it's time to focus on the next challenge - Promoted Teams. However, before we dive in, here's a recap of the FPL Challenge: 5-a-side event.

Fantasy Challenge is LIVE for 2024/25 🚨

Build your squad for Gameweek 1 now 👇#FPLChallengeAccepted

— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 24, 2024

The 5-a-side Event is a four-gameweek run where managers can only select five players in their team. Here’s a breakdown of each gameweek:

• Gameweek 1: Debut - Unlimited budget, and you can use any formation.
• Gameweek 2: All Out Attack - Goals are worth double points. The budget is £35.0m, and you must pick one goalkeeper and four forwards.
• Gameweek 3: Promoted Punt - Only players from promoted clubs are available. The budget is £24.0m, and you can choose any formation.
• Gameweek 4: Too Big at the Back - Clean sheets are worth double points. The budget is £30.0m, and you must pick two goalkeepers and three defenders.

5-a-side FPL Challenge: Promoted Teams - Players To Target

In Week Three of the FPL Challenge, the spotlight shines on players from the promoted teams—Ipswich, Southampton, and Leicester City. As part of the 5-a-side event, managers must select at least one goalkeeper and either one or two defenders, midfielders, or forwards to form a team of five, all within a limited budget of £24m.

Let’s carefully examine the underlying statistics of five top assets to target for this week’s task:

Adam Armstrong (£5.5m) - Southampton (Forward)

Southampton has suffered two defeats in their opening two matches and failed to score a goal, despite having attempted 24 shot attempts in those games, with 2.5 on target per game.

According to our Gameweek 3 rankings among forwards, Adam Armstrong has a 32% goal projection of scoring against Brentford. Given the number of opportunities produced by the Saints, the odds favor the English forward this week to get an attacking return, and I will give Armstrong the armband.

Abdul Fatawu (£5.5m) - Leicester City (Midfielder)

The 2024-25 season seems to be where players with many progressive carries completed, like Arsenal's skipper Martin Ødegaard and Aston Villa's Morgan Rodgers, would shine more in our fantasy teams.

Putting this into perspective, I believe Leicester City's Abdul Fatawu is an excellent fit in this category. He has also made 13 interceptions and clearances. This might be an excellent addition for more bonus points, and Gameweek 3 could be a good time to bet on the 20-year-old Ghanaian international.

James Justin (£4.5m) - Leicester City (Defender)

Fully rested for the EFL Cup game against Tranmere Rovers, I prefer the choice of attacking wingback James Justin as opposed to his teammate, Wout Faes (£4.1m), who played 72 minutes in that fixture. The English defender is a top asset for interception, defensive recoveries, and clearances for Leicester and can produce an attacking return going forward.

Jacob Greaves (£4.0m) - Ipswich (Defender)

The Tractor Boys' comeback to the Premier League has not gone well, but they will face Fulham at home next. Ipswich Town will want to win their first league game in front of their home crowd.

Defender Jacob Greaves, who averages 1.0 shot per game for the Tractor Boys, might be an aerial threat from set-pieces. He is also a strong recommendation based on secure minutes and a cheap budget enabler.

Alex McCarthy (£5.5m) - Southampton (Goalkeeper)

Although I doubt he could keep a clean sheet against Brentford in Gameweek 3, McCarthy appears to be a decent goalkeeper to consider based on his saves made. Alex McCarthy is ranked joint fourth among goalkeepers in the league for saves, having made seven in their first two opening games, and appears to be a valuable asset to consider for this week's challenge.

As I've indicated in previous FPL challenge posts, this is a chance to test out players who might be deemed non-essential in the main game. Therefore, feel free to select any other promoted team player option not mentioned above. Good luck to everyone taking part in the FPL challenge this week.

Join the RotoBaller FPL League

Fancy pitting your wits against fellow RotoBallers? Then, join our free league to compete against the team and our dedicated FPL fans. Head to the official FPL site, click the Leagues and Cups tab, and enter the RotoBaller league code: b278pa.

Go head-to-head against your friends and family in mini-leagues 🏆

Pick your squad and compete for #FPL glory now! ⬇️

— Fantasy Premier League (@OfficialFPL) July 18, 2024

Stick around for more 2024-2025 Fantasy Premier League content coming soon. Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!