B.Fernandes leads the captain rankings with a projected 13.35 points, though his ownership of 48.6% means many managers share the pick. Chelsea's João Pedro and Palmer both face Arsenal away, a difficult fixture. Arsenal's defensive assets feature prominently, with Calafiori, Saka and Gabriel all projecting well at home to Chelsea. Haaland's ownership reaches 70.9% despite lower recent form.

Captain options for Gameweek 3
Player Team Opponent Form Projected Owned Price Why
B.Fernandes Man Utd Everton (A) 12.5 13.4 48.6% £12.0m B.Fernandes projects 13.35 points with form of 12.5. Man Utd travel to Everton, a fixture where the away side faces difficulty 3. His 48.6% ownership means widespread exposure.
João Pedro Chelsea Arsenal (A) 10.0 9.1 69.8% £7.7m João Pedro projects 9.13 points from form of 10.0. Chelsea face Arsenal away, a difficulty 5 fixture. His 69.8% ownership makes him a consensus play despite the challenging matchup.
Palmer Chelsea Arsenal (A) 10.0 9.0 18.3% £9.6m Palmer projects 8.95 points with form of 10.0 and ownership of 18.3%. He offers differential appeal among Chelsea's attacking options facing Arsenal away.
Calafiori Arsenal Chelsea (H) 10.0 8.9 43.6% £5.6m Calafiori projects 8.86 points from form of 10.0. Arsenal host Chelsea at home, a difficulty 4 fixture. His 43.6% ownership reflects strong recent returns from the defender.
Saka Arsenal Chelsea (H) 10.0 8.0 10.6% £9.5m Saka projects 8.03 points with form of 10.0. Arsenal host Chelsea, where the home side faces difficulty 4. His 10.6% ownership remains relatively low for a premium attacking asset.
Haaland Man City Coventry City (H) 7.5 7.9 70.9% £15.5m Haaland projects 7.88 points despite form of only 7.5. Man City host Coventry City at difficulty 2, the easiest matchup available. His 70.9% ownership reflects captaincy popularity.
Mbeumo Man Utd Everton (A) 6.5 7.7 29.8% £8.0m Mbeumo projects 7.73 points from form of 6.5. Man Utd travel to Everton at difficulty 3. His 29.8% ownership sits between the consensus and differential options.
Gabriel Arsenal Chelsea (H) 6.5 7.5 26.4% £8.0m Gabriel projects 7.53 points with form of 6.5. Arsenal host Chelsea at difficulty 4 for the home side. His 26.4% ownership reflects steady defensive returns.

B.Fernandes leads the projections

Projected 13.4 Everton (A)
Form 12.5
Owned 48.6%
Differential captains
Player Team Opponent Projected Owned Why
White Arsenal Chelsea (H) 7.4 7.2% White projects 7.41 points from form of 9.0. Arsenal host Chelsea at difficulty 4. His 7.2% ownership offers significant differentiation from the consensus defensive picks.
Hall Newcastle Bournemouth (H) 7.1 8.6% Hall projects 7.08 points with form of 7.0. Newcastle host Bournemouth at difficulty 3 for both sides. His 8.6% ownership provides a left-field option.
Tzolakis Hull City Aston Villa (H) 6.7 7.0% Tzolakis projects 6.67 points from form of 10.0. Hull City host Aston Villa at difficulty 3 for the home side. His 7.0% ownership makes him a rare goalkeeper differential.
Stach Leeds Brighton (A) 6.6 2.8% Stach projects 6.56 points with form of 8.5. Leeds travel to Brighton at difficulty 3 away. His 2.8% ownership represents the lowest-owned option available.
Gameweek 3 fixtures
Kick-off Home Away
Fri 4 Sept, 19:00 Ipswich Town 4 Liverpool 2
Sat 5 Sept, 11:30 Newcastle 3 Bournemouth 3
Sat 5 Sept, 14:00 Brentford 2 Sunderland 3
Sat 5 Sept, 14:00 Brighton 2 Leeds 3
Sat 5 Sept, 14:00 Fulham 3 Crystal Palace 3
Sat 5 Sept, 14:00 Man City 2 Coventry City 5
Sat 5 Sept, 14:00 Nott'm Forest 3 Spurs 3
Sat 5 Sept, 16:30 Hull City 3 Aston Villa 2
Sun 6 Sept, 13:00 Everton 4 Man Utd 3
Sun 6 Sept, 15:30 Arsenal 4 Chelsea 5

Common questions

Who is the best captain for Gameweek 3?

B.Fernandes projects the highest points at 13.35, combining strong form of 12.5 with a favourable away fixture at Everton. However, his 48.6% ownership means most managers share this choice.

Should I captain a differential in Gameweek 3?

White projects 7.41 points with form of 9.0 and only 7.2% ownership, offering differential appeal. Stach at 2.8% ownership projects 6.56 points but carries greater risk.

Read next