FPL Gameweek 3 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy, Hold & Sell

In 2016/17 season, a certain die-hard Everton fan was playing FPL. Because of his love for the club, he vowed never to choose any Liverpool asset. Veterans will remember how Pool assets like Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane were scoring FPL points for fun. Yet the person I am talking about, stuck to his guts. He did okay. After all beating over 4.5million rivals (at that time this was the number of players) to the Fantasy Premier League title is no mean feat, but to do so without using a single Liverpool player all season is nothing short of remarkable. Yet that is exactly what that season’s winner Ben Crabtree did.

Why did I start the article with this story? Because there’s no fixed way to play FPL. All the hype going into GW2 was about whether we should Triple Captain Haaland. Yet he was not the highest scorer. To illustrate further, the current World No. 5 did play his TC chip this week. But not on Haaland. In fact, he doesn’t even have Haaland in his team. Below is his team: –

So in case you missed out on the big scoring GW, have faith in your instincts and be patient. There was considerable analysis and hard work which you had put in to choose your GW1 team. Often a player is in your team for a reason and if they blank one week, they can easily deliver the following match. If it doesn’t require a knee jerk reaction, which mostly it doesn’t, don’t use the unnecessary hits and the extremely valuable Wildcard. Imagine Madueke went down from £6.5m to £6.4m and came back to £6.5m in a matter of 2 days. Try to stay away from rage transfer calls. Let bygones be bygones and let us plan for the road ahead.

So, let’s start with our second BUY-HOLD-SELL article of the season, sponsored by …. Well, nobody. We are poor, but you can help here if you want 😊

Link to all our FPL GW3 blogs including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

FPL Gameweek 3 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Buy

Cole Palmer (£10.5m) – MID, Chelsea – 37.7% TSB

As we highlighted last week, Haaland should be your top priority. But assuming you already have him, the next player you should seriously consider is Cole Palmer. Palmer isn’t just on the radar because of his incredible 17-point haul; he was a HOLD last week and is a clear BUY this week.

Despite Chelsea’s deep squad under Maresca, Palmer is the one player whose spot seems secure. He’s the focal point of the team and takes penalties. In GW2, Palmer ranked among midfielders:

• 1^st for Goal Involvements
• 1^st for Big Chances Created
• 1^st for Assists
• 2^nd for Points
• 2^nd for BPS
• 3^rd for Shots
• 3^rd for Passes into the Opposition Penalty Area

In GW3, Palmer faces Crystal Palace, who have just lost key defenders Andersen and possibly Guéhi. Palace has yet to keep a clean sheet and ranks:

• 16^th for Shots in Box Conceded
• 17^th for Goals Conceded
• 0 Clean Sheets

Looking beyond GW3, Chelsea has an excellent short-term fixture list.

This makes Palmer a top priority to buy.

Further Read: FPL GW3 Wildcard Team & Drafts to Consider | Wildcard Guide

Emile Smith Rowe (£5.6m) – MID, Fulham – 21.9% TSB

Smith Rowe finally scored his first goal in over two years, rewarding his owners with a double-digit return. ESR has excellent fixtures coming up in the short term

His GW3 and GW4 opponents ranked:

Parameter	Ipswich	West Ham
Shots Conceded	16th	15th
Shots in Box Conceded	15th	13th
Big Chances Conceded	20th	15th
NPxGC	20th	16th
xGC	20th	15th
xCS	20th	17th
Goals conceded	18th	12th

Smith Rowe has demonstrated flashes of his potential in the limited chances he’s had over the past three seasons.

ESR over the years	Pts	Mins Played	Pts/ 90
2023/24	25	343	6.6
2022/23	18	161	10.1
2021/22	125	1909	5.9
2020/21	74	1438	4.6

If Smith Rowe can secure 2,500 minutes this season, he could easily deliver 175+ points. Therefore, he should be a top priority on your shopping list.

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FPL Gameweek 3 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Hold

Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) – FWD, Aston Villa – 29.3% TSB

Aston Villa’s fixtures take a favourable turn this week, with the Villains set to embark on a promising run of matches, all rated 2 on the FDR. 

Ollie Watkins is Villa’s key player. Although he missed preseason, which left him a bit rusty in the first two GWs, there were glimpses of the 23/24 version of Watkins against Arsenal. In GW2, Watkins ranked impressively among forwards:

• 1^st for Key Passes
• 2^nd for Big Chances
• 4th for xG
• 4^th for NPxG
• 4^th for xGI
• 4^th for xPts

It is wise to hold on to Watkins.

Further Read: FPL GW3 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats

Joško Gvardiol (£6.0m) – DEF, Man City – 32.8% TSB

Gvardiol is currently the most transferred-out defender this Gameweek, despite earning 7 points in GW1. Although City conceded a goal in GW2, it’s crucial to highlight that Ipswich had the second-lowest xG of the Gameweek (0.29). 

Gvardiol was outstanding last season, and he has favourable fixtures ahead. Man City’s defence ranks impressively in several key areas (with higher rankings being better):

• 20^th for Shots Conceded
• 20^th for Shots in Box Conceded
• 20^th for Shots on Target Conceded
• 19^th for NPxGC
• 19th for xGC
• 19^th for xCS
• 18th for Goals Conceded
• 18th for Clean Sheets

Lastly, City has an amazing run of fixtures in the long term.

Given these positive factors, it’s advisable to keep Gvardiol in your Fantasy Premier League squad.

Further Read: FPL GW3 Tips- Nkunku Problem, Budget Options, WC Plans, etc

FPL Gameweek 3 Transfer Tips: Two Players to Sell

Dean Henderson (£4.5m) – GKP, Crystal Palace – 16.0% TSB

Before GW1, Henderson was the most popular £4.5m GKP in the game after Palace demoted Johnstone from the No. 1 spot. But what changed in just 10 days? 

It seems Palace might have encountered a financial crisis, as it’s unusual to sell four first-team players—Olise, Ayew, Andersen, and possibly Guéhi — in a single transfer window. 

None of the Palace players have managed to score, and their defence is struggling, being ranked:

• 16^th for Shots in Box Conceded
• 17^th for Goals Conceded
• 0 Clean Sheets

It’s wise to move on from Henderson, in fact all Palace assets.

Further Read: FPL GW3 Tips- Nkunku Problem, Budget Options, WC Plans, etc

Ivan Toney (£7.3m) – FWD, Brentford – 5.2% TSB

Thomas Frank told Sky Sports: “A lot of things are going on with Ivan, especially with transfers – there’s a lot of transfer interest. Because of all that, we’ve decided not to include him in the squad. I can’t give too much away the day before. Of course, Ivan is a top player, we all know that. He has been fantastic for us for four years, but we showed last season we can cope without him.”

The Brentford boss was then asked if Toney had already played his last game for the club and responded: “Who knows”

“He could be here after August 30 and he could not be here. Basically, everything is up in the air.”

Frank acknowledged the possibility of Toney eventually departing from Brentford. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, when asked whether it was a matter of when, not if, Toney would leave, he responded, “Yes, I guess that’s fair.” 

The English striker hasn’t played a single minute, leading to two price drops already (highest in FPL this season). Therefore, it’s advisable to cut the losses and sell him.

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Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of FPL GW3

Premier League Penalty & Set Piece Takers | 2024/25 PL Season
FPL Gameweek 2 Stats Summary & Key Notes
FPL GW3 Wildcard Guide- Pros, Cons, Players to Target and Best Drafts
FPL GW3 Scout Selection Based on Stats, Analysis and Matchups
FPL GW3 Transfer Targets & Watchlist Based on Eye Test & Stats
FPL GW3 Tips- Haaland, Nkunku Problem, Best Budget Assets, Wildcard Planning, etc
FPL GW3 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials, Captaincy & More

Link to all our FPL GW3 blogs including buy, hold, sell analysis, differentials, captaincy metrics, transfer targets, and more. Completely free to access as well!

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