Free Hit, Triple Captain or Wildcard? Gameweek 3 has divided our Elite XI managers, with several proven FPL experts preparing to activate a chip.
Manchester City’s home meeting with Coventry is driving many of the decisions, but there are some significant differences in how the managers plan to attack it.
👉 See the latest FPL Gameweek 3 team reveals
Dan Bennett, one of only five managers to have recorded 10 top-10k finishes, plans to use his Free Hit as expected.
Manchester City are central to his draft:
“Triple attack with Haaland, Cherki and Foden should hopefully yield plenty of points.”
Dan is also considering three Liverpool players against Ipswich, while Brentford, Aston Villa and Brighton assets are on his radar. Maxim De Cuyper looks particularly likely to feature after starting the season on the wing.
Former world No. 1 Tom Dollimore has also activated his Free Hit, although he is placing greater emphasis on expected playing time:
“Man City is particularly difficult but the upside is huge if I get it right.”
Tom’s key teams are Manchester City, Brentford, Liverpool, Brighton and Aston Villa—the same five clubs featuring prominently in Dan’s thinking. Newcastle, Arsenal and Crystal Palace players are also under consideration.
He has currently opted for a front three of Haaland, Isak and Wissa. However, this could change before the 18:30 BST deadline, so make sure you turn on notifications to be alerted to any team changes.
Mark Mansfield, who has seven top-10k finishes, initially took a four-point hit to keep his options open but has now activated his Free Hit.
“My squad is in an absolute state mainly due to a very bad GW1 selection.”
While Dan and Tom are primarily chasing this week’s best fixtures, Mark’s decision also represents early corrective action. A Gameweek 4 Wildcard could follow for Mark.
After scoring 105 points in Gameweek 2, Copenhagen Wednesday is preparing to take a longer-term approach.
“Assuming everyone comes through the press conferences fit, I’ll activate the Wildcard.”
The six-time top-10k finisher is currently trying to catch price rises before committing. Haaland, Cherki, Palmer, Szoboszlai, João Pedro, Wissa, De Cuyper and Gvardiol are among those shortlisted.
He currently has a stacked five-man midfield of Sangaré, Szoboszlai, Cherki, Bruno Fernandes and Wirtz. It will be interesting to see whether he sticks with all five or finds a way to bring in Palmer.
With the final press conference scheduled for 14:00 BST, this draft will almost certainly change. Expect some intense tinkering from the expert manager this afternoon, so turning on notifications for his team is highly recommended.
The main decisions concern his goalkeeper combination and which midfield punts make the final squad. One player is unlikely to feature:
“Saka still holds no interest.”
If the press conferences bring unexpected injury news, Copenhagen Wednesday says he could switch to the Free Hit instead.
Matt Corbidge, who has six top-10k finishes, has already made his decision:
“My Triple Captain is active on Haaland.”
Matt likes that Haaland is at home to promoted opposition, fully fit and playing without fixture congestion. He believes Manchester City’s meeting with Coventry offers the main alternative, but accepts plenty could change before then.
Despite looking at Cherki “with envy”, Matt currently finds the prospect of rolling three free transfers into Gameweek 4 appealing.
Tarek Balbaa is also considering the Triple Captain:
“I am leaning towards playing the TC on Haaland this week.”
Hit the like button if you’ll be using the Triple Captain chip on Haaland in Gameweek 3! 👊 pic.twitter.com/m3h478a229
— Fantasy Football Fix (@FantasyFootyFix) August 29, 2026
Unlike Matt, the 10-time top-10k finisher has already sold Bruno Fernandes for Cherki, despite Fernandes scoring 23 points in Gameweek 2.
Tarek is debating whether to replace Ndiaye with Szoboszlai, Foden or Gakpo. However, he is wary of placing everything on Manchester City and could instead add a Liverpool attacker before potentially Wildcarding in Gameweek 5 or 6.
Manchester City are the dominant theme. Haaland is the leading Triple Captain candidate, while Cherki features in the thinking of Dan, Tarek, Matt and Copenhagen Wednesday.
Liverpool, Brentford, Brighton and Aston Villa are the other clubs attracting considerable Free Hit interest.
However, these plans remain subject to team news and late changes before the deadline.
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