After UEFA Champions League and EFL Cup action in midweek, the Premier League returns for gameweek 4.
An action-packed Saturday afternoon will deliver five 3 o'clock kick-offs, with Liverpool looking to extend their unbeaten run when welcoming Fulham and Aston Villa seeking their first win of the Premier League season against Nottingham Forest.
Pride is at stake when Manchester United and Manchester City lock horns on Sunday afternoon, while Leeds United and Newcastle United will conclude this weekend's action at Elland Road on Monday night.
We've provided you with the best team, captaincy options and differentials before the FPL gameweek 4 deadline at 13:30 on Saturday 12th September.
Captaincy options
Cole Palmer - £9.7m (CHE)
Fixture: Hull City (H)
Ownership: 24.3%
There's rarely a gameweek where Manchester City's Erling Haaland isn't the optimal captaincy option, but you can make a strong case for Cole Palmer ahead of Hull City's visit to Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon.
While the Tigers have enjoyed an impressive return to the Premier League -- earning seven points from the nine on offer -- their defensive record is a little deceiving. Three clean sheets in as many games is a remarkable feat, but an xGC (expected goals conceded) tally of 5.06 screams an inevitable regression.
Palmer scored twice off the bench in Chelsea's 6-3 victory over Leeds United in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, and he'll be desperate to extend his productive start to the 2026/27 campaign at Stamford Bridge this weekend.
Joao Pedro - £7.7m (CHE)
Fixture: Hull City (H)
Ownership: 72.8%
Palmer arguably edges Joao Pedro in the captaincy pecking order due to his penalty responsibilities, but it's impossible to look past the Brazilian after his start to the season.
An unfortunate own goal against former club Brighton was the only thing stopping Pedro from recording back-to-back double digit hauls in the opening two gameweeks, flourishing in a front three alongside Palmer and Morgan Rogers.
He was an unused substitute at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night and should be renewed for Hull's visit on Saturday afternoon. While others may be looking in the direction of his £9.7m Chelsea teammate, Pedro could prove a shrewd captaincy pick in gameweek 4.
Alexander Isak - £9.1m (LIV)
Fixture: Fulham (H)
Ownership: 21.8%
After a stop-start debut campaign following his £125m switch from Newcastle United to Liverpool, Alexander Isak appears to have rediscovered the form that earned him the record-breaking move in the first place.
The uncertainty persisted when he failed to step up to the mark at a rowdy St James' Park in the first game of the season, but he's since found the net against Nottingham Forest, scored a quickfire brace against Ipswich Town and assisted Alexis Mac Allister's winner against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
Fulham have the highest xGC (6.79) of any team in the Premier League this campaign, making Liverpool's Swedish striker an enticing captaincy option ahead of the deadline.
Differentials
Tarik Muharemovic - £5.0m (LEE)
Fixture: Newcastle (H)
Ownership: 3.6%
While in years gone by attacking full-backs like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson have been the desirable defensive selections in FPL, the introduction of DEFCON points has undoubtedly altered the appeal of central defenders.
The likes of Gabriel, Virgil van Dijk and Marc Guehi are amongst the most selected defenders in the 2026/27 campaign and Leeds United's summer arrival Tarik Muharemovic is emerging as a magnet for defensive contributions in the early stages of the season.
Reaching the DEFCON threshold against both Brentford and Brighton, the Bosnian notched four points -- despite Leeds conceding in both games -- and he demonstrated his threat in the opposition's box when scoring against Chelsea in midweek. Priced at £5.0m with a DEFCON upside and an aerial threat, Muharemovic is worth monitoring.
Marcus Tavernier - £6.0m (BOU)
Fixture: Brentford (H)
Ownership: 3.4%
Marcus Tavernier has a knack for flying under the radar as an FPL pick, but he should be on your agenda if you're seeking a £6m midfielder.
Bournemouth have had a tough start to the Premier League season -- picking up two points from the opening three contests -- but Tavernier has still recorded 21 points, finding the net against Man City in gameweek 1 and Newcastle in gameweek 3.
The early signs suggest that the versatile wide-midfielder is nailed on in Marco Rose's Cherries side, making him a risk-free differential pick.
Nicolas Jackson - £6.5m (AST)
Fixtures: Nottingham Forest (H)
Ownership: 1.2%
As is frequently the case in the modern game, there was skepticism concerning the £65m fee that Aston Villa paid to secure Nicolas Jackson's from Chelsea, but he's made a positive start to life under Unai Emery.
The centre forward was Villa's brightest spark on his debut against Arsenal in gameweek 2, and he scored his first goal for the club against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening.
Emery will hope that their victory in Belgian in midweek marks a shift in the Villans' fortunes after a goalless start to the Premier League term, and Jackson should be at the forefront of the action when they welcome Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Best FPL gameweek 4 team
GK: Bart Verbruggen (BRI)
DEF: Riccardo Calafiori (ARS)
DEF: Maxim De Cuyper (BRI)
DEF: Tarik Muharemovic (LEE)
MID: Dominik Szoboszlai (LIV)
MID: Cole Palmer (CHE)
MID: Morgan Rogers (CHE)
MID: Marcus Tavernier (BOU)
FOR: Erling Haaland (MCI)
FOR: Alexander Isak (LIV)
FOR: Joao Pedro (CHE)
SUBS: Dubravka (TOT), Diop (IPS),Thomas (COV), Gomez (BRI).
