The Triple Captain Window Is Open, and Two Long-Term Injuries Just Landed: Your Gameweek 3 Weekly Review
Gameweek 2 answered the question Gameweek 1 left hanging. Erling Haaland found his shooting boots at Crystal Palace, Bruno Fernandes silenced everyone who sold him after Hull with a hat-trick, and Hull City’s bargain-priced defenders kept doing what promoted sides aren’t supposed to do. Gameweek 3 brings the sharpest single-week decision of the season so far: whether this is the week to fire the Triple Captain.
The deadline is 18:30 BST on Friday, 4 September, ninety minutes before Ipswich Town host Liverpool. Below is the short version of everything we’ve covered this week, section by section, with a link through to the full breakdown wherever you want more than the headline.
Quick Take
Erling Haaland at home to Coventry is the week’s clearest Triple Captain window, and the case is strong enough that it’s the featured call across both the Captain Recommendations and Chip Strategy pieces this week. Elsewhere, two long-term injuries reshape the squad math: Joe Rodon’s hamstring rules him out for two months, and Habib Diarra’s absence hands Sunderland’s penalties to Enzo Le Fée. Rayan Cherki and Anthony Elanga are the two names actually worth transferring in, both already rising in price. Wildcard and Bench Boost should stay in the drawer for at least one more week.
Gameweek 3 deadline
Triple Captain Haaland owners
is now sidelined
Captain Recommendations
Haaland is the pick, at home to a Coventry side without a point or a goal after two matches, and the Triple Captain case is featured in full. Alexander Isak and Bruno Fernandes are the next-best options, while Cole Palmer is one to fade this week against the league’s tightest defence. Full captaincy breakdown →
Chip Strategy
Triple Captain is the one chip worth playing this week. Wildcard should wait for Gameweek 4 once fixture difficulty and form have properly settled, Bench Boost is better saved for straight after that rebuild, and Free Hit has no business being spent on a week this strong. Full chip strategy guide →
Differential Picks
Anthony Elanga leads the list on the back of goals in both opening matches and a three-fixture run worth attacking, with Brentford’s set-piece-ready Pascal Groß and Chelsea’s DefCon-floor midfielder Roméo Lavia rounding out three names still well under template ownership. Full differentials list →
Fixture Analysis
Crystal Palace, Liverpool and Newcastle share the softest six-gameweek run in the league, while Leeds, Ipswich and Bournemouth face the toughest. Keep an eye on Sunderland too: their opening two fixtures looked manageable, but Arsenal and Manchester City arrive in Gameweeks 4 and 5. Full fixture breakdown →
Injury Updates
Joe Rodon and Habib Diarra are both out long-term, Crystal Palace remain without Sarr, Riad and Mateta, and Liverpool are down five first-team names. On the positive side, Bradley Barcola trained well enough to be available, and Ipswich’s Jaden Philogene is closing in on a return. Full injury list →
Player Performance
Bruno Fernandes answered every doubter with a 23-point hat-trick, Haaland and Cherki turned Selhurst Park into a two-man City show, and Hull’s £4.0m defensive pair keeps outscoring names five times their price. João Pedro has quietly overtaken Haaland as the most-owned player in the game. Full performance review →
Predicted Lineups
The Cherki-versus-Foden question is the week’s biggest lineup dilemma, Liverpool look set to lean on Szoboszlai at right-back again, and Arsenal’s Konsa-Mosquera centre-back battle is genuinely live. Both Barcola and Newcastle’s Fernandez-Pardo look eased in as substitutes rather than started outright. Full lineup predictions →
Transfer Suggestions
Rayan Cherki and Anthony Elanga are both worth bringing in before their prices climb further, Enzo Le Fée is a buy-low play the market hasn’t caught up with yet, and Hull’s bargain defensive pair remains the budget enabler of choice. Leeds defenders and Jean-Philippe Mateta are the clearest hold-and-wait cases. Full transfer guide →
This Week’s Full Coverage
Captain Recommendations: Haaland’s Triple Captain Window
Chip Strategy: Is This Haaland’s Triple Captain Week, or Time to Wait?
Differential Picks: Three Names Still Flying Under the Radar
Fixture Analysis: Palace, Liverpool and Newcastle Have the Kindest Run
Injury Updates: Rodon and Diarra Out Long Term, Barcola Nears Debut
Player Performance: Bruno’s Hat-Trick, City’s Double Act, Hull’s Bargain Backline
Predicted Lineups: The Cherki-Foden Dilemma and Two Bench-Only New Signings
Transfer Suggestions: Cherki’s Rising, and the Le Fée Buy-Low Window
Set your squad, and your armband, before 18:30 BST on Friday. Everything above will still be here after the deadline if you need to check it twice.
