Free Hit Time? FPL Tips for Gameweek 3

Fantasy Football Fix 29 Aug. 2025

FPL Gameweek 3 Tips: Free Hit Time?

The 2025/26 Fantasy Premier League season is heating up, and attention now shifts to Gameweek 3.

Some managers are already asking the big question: is this the right moment to play the Free Hit chip?

With two of each chip available this season, there may not be a better opportunity to use it in the first half of the campaign.

Before locking in your strategy, make sure to check out the latest Elite XI: Team Reveals. Between them, these managers hold 80× Top 10k finishes, sharing their transfers, captaincy picks, and tactical notes. Their insights can help you dodge early mistakes, spot hidden opportunities, and gain the edge in your mini-leagues.

Let’s get into the key FPL tips for Gameweek 3 👇

Top FPL Tips for Gameweek 3

⏰ Gameweek 3 Deadline

11:00, Saturday, August 30

📈 Most Popular FPL Transfers

1️⃣ Semenyo - 780,989
2️⃣ João Pedro - 741,549
3️⃣ Richarlison - 581,593
4️⃣ Wood - 573,062
5️⃣ Ekitiké - 547,376

👉Palmer OUT, Semenyo IN? The Biggest FPL Transfer Trends

🚩 High-Owned FPL Players Flagged

Palmer (42.5%) - groin injury unknown return date
Frimpong (11.8%) - hamstring injury expected back 14 Sept

👉 How the World’s Best Managers Are Handling Palmer

🧢 FPL Gameweek 3 Captaincy Candidates

1️⃣ Haaland - 5.8 predicted points
2️⃣ Salah - 5.5 predicted points
3️⃣ Wood - 5.4 predicted points

👉 Top 3 Captaincy Picks - Including a Differential

🤔 What’s the Best Free Hit FPL Team for Gameweek 3?

The Algorithm has crunched the numbers and revealed its optimal squad — built to maximise points in Gameweek 3.

You can also optimise your own team now using the Assistant Manager tool.

🔄 Are the Elite XI: Team Reveal Managers Using Their Free Hit?

Most of the Elite XI appear to be holding fire for now, but a couple are tempted:

James Cooper – “Palmer a doubt (subject to Maresca’s press conference). Salah v Arsenal. Verbruggen and De Cuyper v City, with De Cuyper at risk of losing his spot. Dubravka and Esteve at United (brace yourself for jokes about that being good). Andersen at Chelsea. Sarr at Villa. Evanilson at Spurs. It’s fine — I could limp through — but it feels like an opportunity to play the Free Hit chip.”
Corey Baker – “It’s possible I may use the Free Hit chip, as then I could target Man Utd and Forest attackers without being locked into them long term.”

You can view their full teams, see the transfers they’ve already made, and even sign up for notifications to get alerted if they do play their Free Hit chip — all inside the Elite XI: Team Reveal tool.