Looking for the best FPL players for Gameweek 3?
Each week, we’ll highlight five key picks to help you make smarter decisions for your Fantasy Premier League team.
Our weekly FPL picks will include:
Bukayo Saka has started the season in fine form, scoring twice in as many games. The England international looks back to full fitness after an injury-disrupted campaign last season.
As shown in the image below from our Opta Stats Sandbox, he ranks top among Arsenal players over the opening two Gameweeks for shots (five), shots in the box (four), big chances (two) and Expected Goals (xG) (1.60).
Arsenal rank fifth for goals scored (four) over the opening two Gameweeks. The Gunners also rank eighth for shots (27) and ninth for xG (3.29).
Their visitors, Chelsea, have conceded five goals over the same period, with only Crystal Palace and Ipswich (six each) faring worse. The Blues rank 14th for shots conceded (30) and 10th for Expected Goals Conceded (xGC) (3.73).
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts that Bukayo Saka will score 5.1 FPL points in Gameweek 3.
Erling Haaland reminded FPL managers of his quality with a brace against Crystal Palace after blanking in the opening fixture.
No forward has attempted more shots (10) or shots in the box (nine) than the Norwegian international this season, while he is also joint-top for big chances (three).
As the image below from our Opta Player Heatmaps feature shows, Haaland averaged 7.1 FPL points per home appearance last season.
Manchester City have scored six goals over the opening two Gameweeks, with only Brighton and Chelsea (seven each) finding the net more often. City also rank fourth for big chances (nine) and fifth for xG (4.99).
Their visitors, Coventry, have lost both of their opening games and conceded four goals. The promoted side rank ninth for shots conceded (26) and sixth for xGC (2.55).
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts that Erling Haaland will score 6.7 FPL points in Gameweek 3.
Kevin Schade got his campaign up and running with a well-taken goal against Leeds. The 24-year-old is joint-top among midfielders for shots in the box (eight) over the opening two Gameweeks, alongside Bryan Mbeumo.
As shown in the image below from our Opta Stats Sandbox, no midfielder was afforded more big chances during the 2025/26 season than Schade (22). He also ranked fifth for xG (12.19), despite not taking any penalties.
Brentford are ranked fifth for goals scored (four) but have attempted more shots in the box (37) than any other side this season. The Bees are also ranked third for xG (5.40) with only Chelsea (6.54) and Manchester United (7.18) faring better.
Their visitors Sunderland kept only four clean sheets on their travels last season and were ranked 18th for shots conceded in away games (316) with only Everton (317) and Burnley (330) faring worse.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts 4.5 FPL points for Kevin Schade in Gameweek 3.
He also made it onto this week's FPL Gameweek 3 Differentials: Five Low-Owned Picks article.
Yoane Wissa has looked revitalised under new manager Matthias Jaissle after an injury curtailed 2025/26 campaign.
The DR Congo international is top amongst Newcastle players for shots (six), shots in the box (four), 'big chances' (three) and xG (1.26) in the opening two matches.
As the image below from our Transfer Analytics feature shows, Wissa has been bought by more than 600,000 FPL managers at the time of writing.
Newcastle have scored four goals over the opening two Gameweeks but have had difficult opponents in Liverpool and Spurs. The Magpies were ranked fifth for both goals scored in home matches last season (fifth) and xG (38.91).
Bournemouth have conceded three goals over the opening two matches and the Cherries struggled defensively on the road last season - no side allowed their opponents more shots in the box (229) in away matches than the Cherries. They were also ranked 20th for xGC in away games last season (42.46).
Our Player Points Projections tool currently predicts 3.8 FPL points for Yoane Wissa in Gameweek 3.
Nathan Collins found the back of the net only once last season but was ranked seventh amongst defenders for DEFCON (318).
He had a total of 19 shots in the box and five 'big chances' totaling 2.32 xG so the underlying numbers indicate that the goal threat is significant to go alongside the DEFCON potential.
Brentford have conceded just one goal over the opening two matches with only Arsenal and Hull City (zero each) faring better. The Bees are ranked second for shots in the box conceded (10) and third for xGC (1.62).
Their visitors Sunderland have started the 2026/27 season similar to the previous where they won at home and lost away in the opening two fixtures. The Black Cats scored just 17 goals on their travels last season with only relegated Wolves (eight) faring worse. The Magpies were also ranked 18th for xG (20.66) in away games.
Our Player Points Projections tool currently gives Brentford a 40% chance of keeping a clean sheet and predicts 5.1 FPL points for James Collins in Gameweek 3.
Bukayo Saka, Erling Haaland, Kevin Schade, Yoane Wissa and Nathan Collins offer a mixture of premium quality, budget value and defensive potential for Gameweek 3.
Remember to monitor the latest injury news and predicted lineups before finalising your Fantasy Premier League team.
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