Premier League Fantasy Gameweek 3 Preview: Fixtures, suggested picks, tips, differentials, captain & more

The first two Gameweeks of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign have not been short of excitement, with fantasy football favourites Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland starting the season with a bang.

Norwegian sensation Haaland took his goals tally to four for the season already with a blistering hat-trick in City's 5-1 triumph over Ipswich Town last time out.

Attention now turns towards Gameweek 3, with a derby match between Manchester United and Liverpool the headline fixture.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Gameweek 3 of the fantasy football season.

Fantasy Gameweek 3 fixtures

Saturday 31st August 2024:

• 12:30 BST: Arsenal v Brighton
• 15:00 BST: Brentford v Southampton
• 15:00 BST: Everton v Bournemouth
• 15:00 BST: Ipswich v Fulham
• 15:00 BST: Leicester v Aston Villa
• 15:00 BST: Nottingham Forest v Wolves
• 17:30 BST: West Ham v Man City

Sunday 1st September 2024:

• 13:30 BST: Chelsea v Crystal Palace
• 13:30 BST: Newcastle v Tottenham
• 16:00 BST: Manchester United v Liverpool

Gameweek 3 suggested picks

Lining up in a 3-4-3 formation, the following XI should be firmly in your consideration as you assemble your Gameweek 3 squad:

Goalkeeper

Mark Flekken (Brentford)

Fixture - Southampton (H)
Price - 4.5M
Ownership - 15.03%

Defenders

Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)

Fixture - Brighton (H)
Price - 6M
Ownership - 17.35%

Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest)

Fixture - Wolves (H)
Price - 4.5M
Ownership - 2.22%

Kosta Nedeljkovic (Aston Villa)

Fixture - Leicester (A)
Price - 4.5M
Ownership - 0%

Midfielders

Cole Palmer (Chelsea)

Fixture - Crystal Palace (H)
Price - 10M
Ownership - 18.16%

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Fixture - Brighton (H)
Price - 10.5M
Ownership - 29.41%

Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)

Fixture - Southampton (H)
Price - 7M
Ownership - 4.20%

Callum Hudson-Odoi (Nottingham Forest)

Fixture - Wolves (H)
Price - 5.5M
Ownership - 4.44%

Forwards

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Fixture - West Ham (A)
Price - 14M
Ownership - 60.22%

Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)

Fixture - Leicester (A)
Price - 9.5M
Ownership - 14.39%

Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)

Fixture - Crystal Palace (H)
Price - 8M
Ownership - 1.31%

Gameweek 3 Differentials

The following three suggested picks are all currently owned by under 5% of EPL Fantasy Season Game managers:

DEF - Kosta Nedeljkovic - Aston Villa

Ownership - 0%

As big a differential as you could hope to find, with 0% of players currently documented as owning him in bet365's EPL Fantasy Season Game, Aston Villa right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic could be a shrewd selection ahead of Gameweek 3.

With the Villans' first choice right-back Matty Cash injured in a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal last time out, Serbian Nedeljkovic is tipped to get the nod to deputise in the starting XI in the Poland international's absence.

Villa have a favourable run of Premier League fixtures ahead of them, starting with a trip to newly promoted Leicester City in Gameweek 3.

MID - Bryan Mbeumo - Brentford

Ownership - 4.20%

A fantasy football hero of last season, Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo should be firmly on your radar ahead of the Bees' meeting with Southampton in Gameweek 3.

The Cameroonian has already got off the mark this season, finding the net in a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace on the first day of the season, with the visit of Southampton another presentable opportunity for points.

Russell Martin's newly promoted Saints are yet to pick up a point in the Premier League following defeats to Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, and with Mbeumo expected to be on penalties, he could prove a smart midfield pick.

FWD - Nicolas Jackson - Chelsea

Ownership - 1.31%

After registering a goal and an assist in Chelsea's 6-2 dismantling of Wolves at Molineux last time out, Nicolas Jackson should be full of confidence as the Blues host Crystal Palace in Gameweek 3.

Netting 14 Premier League goals in his maiden season at Chelsea last term, Jackson currently appears Chelsea's first choice striker under Enzo Maresca.

With a plethora of outstanding creative players behind him such as Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke, Jackson should receive plenty of ammunition when an unsettled Palace side make the trip across London.

Gameweek 3 Captain

Erling Haaland - Manchester City

There appears two outstanding captain candidates in Fantasy Gameweek 3 - Chelsea's Cole Palmer and Manchester City's Erling Haaland.

Taking all factors into account, including form and reliability, Haaland gets the nod ahead of City's trip to face West Ham.

The focal point of City's attacks and the talisman of Pep Guardiola's side, Haaland receives an abundance of chances in every match and there are few strikers more capable of taking them.

The Norwegian has previous against the West Ham, too, having bagged four goals in four games against the Hammers - three of which netted at the London Stadium.