3 in, 3 Out: Our Fantasy Football Picks - Gameweek 3

Many people’s third-choice pick in the striker position, Ivan Toney has struggled to acclimatise to life in the Premier League in terms of goals, with better options currently available on the market.

Missing a number of big chances in Brentford’s 0-0 draw away to Crystal Palace, the record holder for the most goals in a Championship season has endured a frustrating return to the top-flight and may be forced to wait even longer for his first goal of the campaign.

Facing a difficult trip to Aston Villa in the Bees’ next fixture, Toney could be heading into the international break without a goal under his belt and with cheaper options available elsewhere, the best move might be to get rid of Brentford’s talisman, at least for now.

'Never fall in love with cheap defenders', that’s the saying, right? Well for many fantasy managers, Liverpool backup left-back, Konstantinos Tsimikas, has impressed during his short stint in the side, but the time has now come to replace him.

Kicking the season off with a clean sheet against Norwich, Tsimikas marked his first start at Anfield with another shutout, even adding an assist for Liverpool’s opener as he crossed into Diogo Jota.

Yet, with first-choice Andrew Robertson set to return ahead of the visit of Chelsea, the former Olympiacos man is no longer a worthwhile pick. Unlikely to even pick up minutes off the bench, now is the time to cash in on the 25-year-old and remember the good times whilst they lasted.

A tip for Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad before picking up an injury last season, big things were expected from Harvey Barnes at the start of the 2021/22 campaign, yet the Leicester City midfielder has struggled to get going so far.

Substituted in each of the Foxes opening matches, Barnes may be taking some time to get back up to speed with the Premier League, but it may also be eating into a chunk of precious fantasy points for some managers.

Brendan Rodgers’ side do travel to bottom-placed Norwich City in their next fixture, giving Barnes the opportunity to find his feet, but with other midfielders at similar prices already raking in the points, it’s probably best to look elsewhere.

At just 21-years-old, Illan Meslier is tipped to become one of Europe’s hottest shot-stoppers and the French U21 international has shown signs of being a big point-scorer in this season’s fantasy football.

Whilst Meslier may not have kept a clean sheet yet, the Leeds United number one could pick up his first shutout when early season strugglers, Burnley travel to Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

The former FC Lorient goalkeeper didn’t concede in his two encounters against Sean Dyche’s men last year, suggesting points could be picked up this weekend.

As one of the middle-of-the-range goalkeepers in terms of pricing, Meslier isn’t the cheapest option on the market, yet won’t set you back too much either, making him a solid pick for your spot between the sticks.

Looking for a cheap defender to replace Tsimikas? Then look no further than Brighton & Hove Albion centre-half, Shane Duffy.

Scoring and keeping a clean sheet in the seagulls 2-0 victory over Watford, Duffy has bounced back from a torrid loan spell at Celtic, starting the season superbly. Whilst the 29-year-old’s minutes may be reduced when the likes of Joel Veltman, Tariq Lamptey and Dan Burn come back into the fold, Duffy is set to continue as a starter for Graham Potter’s side and who knows, he may even pop up with another goal.

Hosting Everton in their next match, who haven’t exactly impressed defensively since Rafa Benitez returned to Merseyside, Duffy could add to his bumper points haul from GW2 at the Amex Stadium this week.

There’s every chance he could be a Tottenham Hotspur player by the time GW3 rolls around, but whether or not Adama Traore is playing in white or orange, you’re going to want to get him in your team soon.

After a disappointing 2020/21 campaign, the Spanish winger has bounced back at the start of the 2021/22 season and looks back to his devastating best. Only missing a goal to cap off a splendid performance against Spurs in GW2, Traore could find himself amongst the action this week.

Wolves host Manchester United whilst Spurs travel to relegation contenders Watford, meaning there’s a point-scoring possibility for Traore whichever team he’s playing for.