Fantasy Premier League 2016-17: Players to pick for gameweek 3

Before going into the player picks of gameweek 3, let’s take a look back at how our picks for the second gameweek had performed.

2. Zlatan Ibrahimović – 13 points

Midfielders

4. Eden Hazard – 4 points

6. Nathan Redmond – 2 points

7. Erik Lamela – 3 points

8. Toby Alderweireld – 6 points

9. Luke Shaw – 11 points

Goalkeeper

11. David de Gea – 6 points

* Goal scorers are in bold.

73 points from the 12 players we selected last week—not a bad gameweek for our readers. The strike force of Sergio Aguero and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have been on fire, and the duo have accumulated 44 points in total in the first two gameweeks. Add to that, Alvaro Negredo has proved that he can be equally good in creating goals as well. The Spaniard provided two assists in Middlesbrough's 2-1 win over Sunderland. Luke Shaw's 11 points was the biggest bonus, though. The Man United defender kept a clean sheet and also assisted United's second goal.

Gameweek 3 fixtures

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool

Crystal Palace v Bournemouth

Everton v Stoke City

Southampton v Sunderland

Watford v Arsenal

West Bromwich Albion v Middlesbrough

Manchester City v West Ham United

Most FPL managers will have a few injury problems this week, which will also force some changes to our side. However, we won't be making any changes to the strike force. Why fix something which isn’t broken?

Strikers

2. Zlatan Ibrahimović (11.7): The United star's value has already jumped up by 0.2, and he is currently the most owned player in the FPL—54.2% teams have him. He has already dismissed initial qualms about how he is likely to struggle to adjust to the Premier League—proving that world-class players can succeed anywhere. An away trip to Hull City is up next, which could be a tricky fixture, but except Zlatan and Mourinho to find a way to succeed.

3. Alvaro Negredo (6.7): His price is on the rise, but he still remains a bargain, especially considering Andre Gray might face a bigger suspension if he appeals and loses it. A visit to a West Brom, who are coming off the back of a poor loss against Everton, means Middlesbrough are likely to continue their good start to the season.

4. Ross Barkley (7.7): The 22-year-old is yet to fulfill his full potential as a footballer, but very few managers can get the best out of youngsters like Ronald Koeman can. They have a potent attack at their disposal, and Barkley seems to be at the heart of it. With 15 points from the opening two games, Barkley could be a good investment at this point, especially with Everton having an easy run of games.

5. Eden Hazard (10.1): The Chelsea star is back to the best this season and at 10.1, he could still prove to be a bargain. With matches against Burnley and Swansea coming up in the next two gameweeks, Hazard could be a good choice for captaincy as well.

7. Juan Mata (7.5): With Coutinho struggling with his fitness, a lot of managers will look for temporary replacements, and at 7.5, Juan Mata could be the perfect fit. The Spaniard is desperate to prove himself to Jose Mourinho, and he has made a decent start to the season. Mata is likely to be involved in a goal or two against Hull City, and then you can remove him next week ahead of the Manchester derby.

Defenders

9. Kyle Walker (5.6): While Toby Alderweireld is perhaps a safer bet, Walker has the ability to score or assist from time to time. It is very important to have a Tottenham defender in your team now as they look one of the best defensive sides in the league.

10. Adam Smith (4.5): Bournemouth have had a tough start to their season with a home match against Manchester United and an away game against West Ham. However, they face Crystal Palace and West Brom in their next two games and Adam Smith, who has already scored 9 points, can be a good temporary buy.

11. Tom Heaton (4.5): The Burnley goalkeeper had an impressive outing against Liverpool in his last match as his team kept an unlikely clean sheet. He has already made 12 saves this season, racking up 14 points along the way. Heaton is the perfect choice as your second goalkeeper at the moment.

12. David de Gea (5.5): The Spaniard had 15 clean sheets last season, and under Jose Mourinho, that is only likely to increase further. Arguably the best keeper in the league, DDG could churn out points consistently this season. An away fixture against Hull City is up next and six more points are probably on their way for de Gea.