Only 2 weeks in and already we're beginning to see which players look like key assets during this first part of the season and which big money buys might turn out to be expensive flops.
Injuries too are beginning to stack up amongst some popular early season picks meaning that those managers who risked it all on a smaller group of players might soon find themselves short on resources.
That being said, this week also sees some of the popular sides for FPL selections playing at home against weaker opposition so managers will be hoping for a decent points haul following what was a tougher GW2.
This is a must win game for Chelsea against the minnows of the division. Given that Luton didn't play last week you might argue that they have an advantage in having been able to prepare for this game for 2 weeks but at this early stage of the season, I'd suggest they would also have liked the opportunity to get more minutes into their legs instead.
The unfortunate injury to Chukwuemeka (MID) means that managers might have to splash a bit more cash if they want to bring in an attacking asset from the home team. Nico Jackson (FWD) has looked lively upfront but not quite had the final ball to give him the kind of chances he'd like to open his EPL account. Despite the poor result at West Ham, Raheem Sterling (MID) looked very dangerous for the Blues who certainly need a few of their big names to step up.
Of course Chelsea have yet to keep a clean sheet and are still experimenting with their defensive shape and personnel so it's difficult to imagine that Luton won't have chances in this game. Jacob Brown (FWD) was probably their most lively looking player in GW1 and contributed an assist on his EPL debut.
Bournemouth took an early lead at Anfield but faded in the second half while Spurs come into this game full of confidence following the home win against United. Both sides have new managers and a lot of new faces so it's difficult to know exactly what you're going to get!
Antoine Semenyo (FWD) was the man who caused Liverpool those early problems, almost scoring twice in the first 5 minutes and having watched him play for Bristol City in previous seasons, I can confirm he is certainly a handful for defenders. His time at Bournemouth has been disrupted by injury but he's definitely one to keep an eye on as far as budget forwards go.
For Spurs too there are plenty of very affordable players who are making an early impression. Pape Sarr (MID) scored in the win last weekend and his goal came as no great surprise given the number of attacking runs he made into the box. He's currently ranked 5th for threat on the ICT amongst midfielders despite having only started 1 game. Destiny Udogie (DEF) is similarly ranked high on that metric as far as defenders go and is certainly being given license to join attacks on a regular basis.
Arsenal ground out a victory at Palace on Monday and have yet to really hit their stride as an attacking force. Fulham are likely to be organised and tough to break down too but can they carry enough threat at the other end to really challenge the home team? Expected goals of just 1.99 in their 2 matches so far and the impending transfer out of Mitrovic suggests they might struggle.
Arsenal have Timber (DEF) injured and Tomiyasu (DEF) suspended for this match so they may yet return to Gabriel (DEF) in defence which would be a relief for many FPL managers who assumed he'd be an automatic pick for the Gunners early on.
In the more advanced positions, any of Arsenal's usual midfield suspects look like decent picks for this fixture while Eddie Nketiah (FWD) has remained bright upfront without really taking the number of chances you'd hope for from a number 9. Could this be the match the floodgates open?
With Mitrovic out it continues to be a surprise favourite from last season in Andreas Pereira (MID) who looks like the best option if you did want to pick a Fulham player although with this match and then a game against City to come, it might be best to hold off for now...
My theory on Brentford is that they are a very dangerous team in the early part of the season and then around November time they begin to run out of steam and player resources to really push on up the table. Meanwhile Palace will rue a couple of missed opportunities in their home match against Arsenal but they continue to look a far better side under Roy Hodgson than they did for much of last season.
This game sees a couple of players who are currently ranking very high for threat (ICT) go head to head. Brian Mbeumo (MID) has started as a forward in both games so far and that plus his penalty duties mean that he's contributed 3 goals in the opening fortnight. Alongside him Yoane Wissa (FWD) has also scored in both games to date and with a favourable run of fixtures, it's no surprise to see ownership of these 2 players increasing.
For Palace, Odsonne Edouard (FWD) is certainly the focal point of their attack. He's scored once and has expected goals of 1.87 suggesting that he'll get plenty of chances to add to that tally as the season progresses.
Is it too early to call this a relegation six-pointer? Probably, but these are certainly 2 sides desperate for the points following defeats in their opening 2 matches in which they've both conceded 5 goals and scored just once between them. It's fair to say that the quality of football on show in this fixture might not match some of the other games this weekend but as far as tension and passion go it could be right up there.
For Everton, it's another season and another injury to Calvert-Lewin (FWD) who left the field with what looked like a fractured cheek bone against Villa. With Dwight McNeil (MID) and Alex Iwobi (MID) also struggling for fitness, Everton's already thin options in attack look very stretched indeed. The main threat from them is likely to come from set-pieces and getting a few of their bigger units into the box.
Wolves too though continue to struggle to perform a fundamental requirement for winning football matches and put the ball in the back of the net! Some of their play through midfield in particular has looked very good but until they find personnel who finish that off, it's probably not worth investing in any of those assets.
United have looked very poor in their opening 2 games of the season but perhaps the most worrying aspect of their performance at Spurs was the attitude of the players who didn't really seem to turn up in the 2nd half.
We know that Marcus Rashford (FWD) prefers playing off the left but as a senior player in this United squad, you'd expect to see a little more enthusiasm and application to the CF role - certainly the many FPL managers who have him in their squad will be hoping for that. Another popular pick in Bruno Fernandes (MID) missed a guilt edged chance to put United ahead and then offered very little in terms of creativity, while United's wide players in their first 2 matches don't really look like they're up to the required level.
In some ways Mason Mount's (MID) injury may be a blessing in disguise, forcing United to add a bit more man power to a midfield that has been overrun all too regularly so far.
Forest weren't 100% convincing at home to Sheffield United last week but they got the job done and they look a significantly more settled squad than last season when they attempted to do a Chelsea and buy more players than they could possibly need. Taiwo Awoniyi (FWD) has scored in both games so far and his physicality and pace will certainly keep United's defence on their toes.
Brighton continue to look will a dream team for FPL managers with the number attacking opportunities and shots they create, particularly for their midfield players.
Kiro Mitoma (MID), Solly March (MID) and Pervis Estupiñán (DEF) are ranked 1, 2 and 3 on the ICT and most decent looking FPL squads have at least 2 of them in their team.
The only slight concern for picking Brighton players remains rotation. De Zerbi has made it clear that he plans to challenge on all fronts this season and that means that a few of Brigthon's attractive attacking options will find themselves in and out of the starting XI.
West Ham meanwhile gave a masterclass of counter-attacking football against Chelsea last weekend. I thought Michail Antonio (FWD) in particular was brilliant in his loan striker role, consistently getting his team up the field and winning free-kicks which of course is a massive advantage for any team that has James Ward-Prowse (MID) in it. 9 points on his Hammers debut means that a few managers might look to him as a good differential following his return to the EPL.
Again, the postponed fixture hasn't really done Burnley any good as they look to get some momentum going in their season. By contrast, this will be Villa's 4th competitive match of the season as they return from their European exploits in midweek.
Villa tore apart a sorry looking Everton side last weekend and in the process banished the memories of their own humiliation at Newcastle in GW1. They've been unlucky with a couple of long-term injuries in the early part of the season but their work in the transfer market is already beginning to look good with Moussa Diaby (MID) playing in a very advanced role alongside Ollie Watkins (FWD) which should see him get plenty of goal involvements in his debut season in the EPL.
As for Burnley, at least they can point to the fact that they're not playing Man City this time. They had their moments against the Champions but it's no great surprise to see the gulf in quality and experience. Home games will be crucial for them and so expect to see a motivated XI take to the pitch.
Man City have arguably started the season in better shape than many would have predicted. It hasn't been an easy summer for the treble winners with a couple of key players leaving and question marks over the futures of other. However, they've finally tied the likes of Walker and Silva down to new contracts and have belatedly begun to flex their muscles in the transfer market.
They are however without a couple of key components to their success for the trip over to Sheffield not least of all due to the injury of KDB and Pep who will miss City's next 2 games following back surgery. Will that have an impact on the team?
Certainly as far as KDB's injury goes, many FPL managers are getting excited about the prospect of seeing Phil Foden (MID) being given a chance in a more central role. He was brilliant against Newcastle but there have been false dawns before. Can he string a consistent run of performances together and does Pep trust him to be the heir to the ageing Belgian?
Sheffield United are yet to record a point on their return to the Premier League and you'd imagine that this could be a long 90mins+ for them in a game where City will almost certainly dominate possession for large parts.
This fixture always evokes memories of some classic Premier League matches through the years and there's no reason to suspect this game will be any different.
Certainly Liverpool's best form of defence right now seems to be via attack and we've already seen Newcastle hit 5 on their opening game at St James' Park. While it's still early days in the league, a win here would certainly lay a marker for both clubs as they look to close the gap on last season's top 2.
For Newcastle, perhaps the biggest surprise so far is their failure to keep a clean sheet which they achieved more than any other club last season. Opportunities to do that look more likely as the season progresses and their fixture list eases but for now, there are plenty of attacking options in their squad who could prove useful against a Liverpool side who have also failed to shut a team out this season.
As for Liverpool, the key players in their side in the early part of this season have been Diogo Jota (MID) and Luis Díaz (MID). Both players will be keen to make up for lost time following their injury ravaged 22/23 campaigns but in a side that has no shortage of options for the attacking births, these 2 appear to be Klopp's first choice picks for now and they are relatively affordable too.
