Fantasy Football Tips for Gameweek 3 in the Premier League

Predicting where the clean sheets will be hasn’t proved a problem for the tipster thus far after Michel Vorm secured maximum points against Crystal Palace last weekend. His teammate, Vincent Janssen, should also have been in the points, but he fluffed his lines on multiple occasions in a disappointing full league debut.

Raheem Sterling’s bright start to the season continued in Manchester City’s 4-1 win against Stoke, where he picked up his first assist of the season. Had Sergio Aguero not made a mess of a simple cross then Sterling would have also scored.

You would have been in a very small minority had you predicted Burnley would upstage Liverpool last weekend and it was particularly disappointing for Philippe Coutinho, who only tested Tom Heaton with one of eight attempts on goal.

As Gameweek 3 looms the tipster has scoured the weekend’s fixtures in search of some transfer picks that may not initially spring to mind.

ANDROS TOWNSEND - CRYSTAL PALACE

All of the attention at Selhurst Park on Saturday will be on new club-record signing Christian Benteke, who will make his league debut for Crystal Palace following his £30m switch from Liverpool. Benteke will rightly be the player to watch, but if he is going to score then he will need some service.

Having had his head turned by Tottenham's offer, Wilfried Zaha is still set to play on Saturday. With that in mind, the onus could be on on Andros Townsend to deliver the crosses to their new Belgium striker. While Benteke is much more than a striker who can simply head the ball, there is no denying that is one of his best assets.

Palace are the only team in the league without a goal but it hasn’t been from a lack of trying from Townsend. Only three players have had more shots on goal in the Premier League than Townsend thus far (8), while he has also created at least two more chances than any of his Palace teammates (5). His role is likely to be crucial in helping Benteke make it a debut to remember against a struggling Bournemouth.

ROBERT HUTH - LEICESTER CITY

The champions haven’t made the best start to the defence of their title. One point from their opening two games isn’t the inspiring start Claudio Ranieri was after, but they were very unfortunate not to take all three points from the welcome of Arsenal last weekend. Attentions now turn to Swansea, against whom they have a fantastic recent record. Ranieri will no doubt be targeting this match as the one to kickstart their season. 

Leicester have won each of their last three matches against Swansea without conceding a single goal. They’ve also managed to score nine goals in that period. Riyad Mahrez has scored four of those goals, if you are looking to strengthen in midfield ahead of Gameweek 3, but seeing as Leicester have failed to find their rhythm in the final third, it may be wise to turn to their defence and bank on them keeping a clean sheet. Robert Huth’s absence against Hull was very notable and his return unsurprisingly coincided with an immediate improvement at the back against Arsenal.

DUSAN TADIC - SOUTHAMPTON

It has been pretty bleak for Sunderland for some time now. Not least in the month of August, where they haven’t won a league game since 2010. Depleted of players in key positions, it’s hard to see how they’ll end that streak away to Southampton.

Claude Puel’s side haven’t exactly been in great form themselves, but a home fixture against a dismal Sunderland outfit represents the perfect opportunity to get back on track. Shane Long and Nathan Redmond’s strike partnership doesn’t look like a long-term as of yet, but Dusan Tadic has still been a beckon of creativity in behind the duo.

Only Wayne Rutledge (9) has made more key passes than Tadic (8) in the Premier League this season. The 27-year-old also has previous against Sunderland. In three league appearances against the Black Cats, Tadic has played a direct hand in six goals (two goals, four assists).

CURTIS DAVIES - HULL CITY

If you’re feeling brave this weekend then there could actually be some profit from Hull City’s performance against Manchester United. Bear with me on this one.

Hull’s start to the season has been miraculous. Without a manager and only 13 fit senior players, they looked destined for relegation. However, while the drop is still a possibility, they have won both of their opening matches and currently occupy a spot in the top four. This season’s Leicester? Unlikely. But they do have what it takes to cause some trouble to United on Saturday.

United, who also have a 100% record, have been very suspect at defending set pieces over the last 12 months. In fact, last season only Swansea (40%) conceded a greater proportion of their goals from dead ball situations than United (36.4%), and while Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic add a greater aerial presence, they are yet to be truly tested by a side set up to take full advantage of those situations.

No team has scored more goals from set pieces in the Premier League than Hull this season (2), with Curtis Davies, currently the fourth highest rated player in the Premier League (8.44), has been a constant threat from dead ball positions. The 31-year-old has one assist to his name and you can bet that Mike Phelan has been practicing set pieces all week, with chances from open play likely to be few and far between on Saturday.

Which players are you tipping for Gameweek 3 in the Premier League? Let us know your thoughts and how your fantasy football team is getting on in the comments below