FPL 25/26 has already had an interesting start, and we're now at Week 3. With Gameweek 2 blowing expectations wide of the mark and tons of top managers falling behind, this may be one of the most volatile seasons of FPL. Going into Gameweek 3, we're a week away from the international break also, and so there's a lot to consider.
With this, I've made my own decision to Wildcard this week. As discussed previously, I had a few different options, but I'll go over these later. I feel as though there's a lot to discuss going into Gameweek 3, as it's going to be a decisive Gameweek that'll set the tone for the rest of the first half of the whole season.
In this article, we're going to go over FPL 25/26 Gameweek 3, as well as my Wildcard strategy and team selection, and other thoughts I have going into the week. We'll discuss how I feel the season has gone so far too, and take a look at the coming weeks and which players I'm looking at.
FPL 25/26 Gameweek 3 Team Selection - Wildcard Strategy
The wildcard is active, and we're going with a Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland draft. This is similar to the draft that I wanted to run in GW1 but chickened out of, but I've moved away from the midfield premiums like Cole Palmer and Florian Wirtz due to a very underwhelming yield from them.
Mohamed Salah is on thin ice, though, for me. He's played at a mediocre level in games, but he's managed to fit in a return in both gameweeks, and I feel as though he'll continue to do so going past Gameweek Three. Hugo Ekitiké is probably a bit of a gamble, but I wanted him in during Gameweek Four anyway, and I think that he's at a skill level where he can perform against Arsenal.
I didn't go for Cody Gakpo despite his incredible performance, as I didn't quite have the funds to make it work. However, if Mohamed Salah continues to have middling performances, I could see the downgrade. Florian Wirtz is taking a while to settle, but I do feel as though he might be better later in the season still.
Economically, this team is built to easily be able to transfer down to any player in two weeks by downgrading either Mohamed Salah or Erling Haaland, if I feel as though either of them aren't performing well enough. In that case, if Cole Palmer picks up, or if any other premium starts making waves, it's easy enough to move over.
Why Did I Wildcard?
To put it simply, I just didn't like where my team was going. With two Aston Villa players, and Cole Palmer out injured, it felt as though I had 'too many fires' to the point where not wildcarding would be hemorrhaging points. With the number of free transfers due to AFCON, I feel as though we'll be okay in the first half of the season.
The other option was taking a Free Hit and then waiting and seeing for later on after the international break, but I feel as though I'd have to Wildcard sooner than later anyway and it'd just be a waste of the chip. I also feel as though I need to be proactive as I'm already behind, rather than reactive as I have been. And, the injury in Gameweek 1 meant I had to burn a transfer to fix it. So, I'm seeing it as taking a mulligan to try to get back ahead.
Future Transfer Plans
There are a few players that I'm definitely looking at for the coming weeks. And, a few players that I want in the squad that I cannot make space for.
For me, the biggest omission (outside of Cody Gakpo, who we've discussed already) is Antoine Semenyo, who looks stellar. However, his price is already at £7.2m, and so I just cannot find the funds for him unless I do eventually downgrade one of the Saaland pair. It's a shame, as I think he looks good, but I can go without him this week as Tottenham have a tight defense.
Another part of this team is the glaring lack of defenders above £4.5m. And, that's by choice. I feel like £4.5m defenders are good, especially if I do want to make use of my Bench Boost chip sooner rather than later. But, once that's out of the way, I would take some money out of my bench (maybe downgrade one of my midfielders to a £4.5m) and upgrade to James Tarkowski, as he seems to be incredibly solid when it comes to earning consistent points.
Crystal Palace's fixtures seem to be very good, and so I've picked Ismaïla Sarr as a differential. However, I could easily see myself moving over to Mohammed Kudus in the near future, I have the extra funds in my pool and if Spurs continue to perform then he could be an option.
FPL 25/26 Gameweek 3 Captaincy
| Rank | Player | Matchup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Erling Haaland | Brighton | Brighton look very shaky, and Haaland could very much haul here. If you have him, this is where you captain him. |
| 2 | João Pedro Junqueira de Jesus | Fulham | With no Palmer, Pedro is the main man at Chelsea and Fulham look very shaky. This could be the pick. |
| 3 | Richarlison de Andrade | Bournemouth | Richarlison has been on fire, and Bournemouth is a decent matchup. If Spurs can perform against Man City, they can perform against a decent looking Bournemouth. |
| 4 | Chris Wood | West Ham United | West Ham United look absolutely abysmal, and so I feel as though Chris Wood could make a ton of attacking returns this week. If you have him, it may be worth captaining him. |
| 5 | Bruno Borges Fernandes | Burnley | This is a great matchup on paper, but Manchester United look terrible right now. Their loss to Grimsby Town shows that they could falter even against Burnley. So, I wouldn't pick any United players, but if you feel as though they can rebound it may be worth it. |
Important Notes
Importantly, there are no Liverpool assets in this list. I feel as though Liverpool players can perform, but it's far less safe than these picks. Arsenal are looking solid defensively, and there's a chance it's a game with a low scoreline. On the flip hand, Arsenal have lost a lot of their playmaking potential through the Bukayo Saka injury, and so I don't know if they'll be able to push through.
As said previously, Manchester United are falling apart terribly. It looks as though the team are not on the same page, and they're going to be obviously shaken after their loss to Grimsby Town. I was initially going to have Bruno Borges Fernandes in my Wildcard team, but I decided not to. With this, I wouldn't pick any for captaincy unless you want to gamble that they'll rebound against Burnley.
Closing TIme
Gameweek 3 is going to be an interesting time in FPL, as it feels as though we're starting to really roll full steam ahead. With the international break just a week away, there's going to be a lot to discuss, so keep an eye out.
FPLZone will be here all season, to make sure you can get your weekly FPL fix. With captaincy choices, team selections, and much more, we've got your back all season long. So, keep an eye out here, or on my twitter to keep in the know.
Otherwise, I'll see you next week for the Gameweek 3 review!
