FPL Gameweek 3 Advice: Beware the Haaland Trap and Early Chip Use

I am 64 years old, my hair is white, but the fire of the craft still burns red. And when I saw an article advising you to use your Wildcard in Gameweek 3 just to get Erling Haaland, I knew I had to speak up. Don’t cover your ears – because the fire is still red, and there are traps only the experienced can see.

Imagine you’re sitting in front of your screen, your FPL squad is crying for help. Haaland just scored a hat-trick, his price jumped to £15.5 million – the most expensive in the game’s history. You panic. You think: ‘I must have him, at any cost.’ And then you read an article that says: ‘Use your Wildcard, it’s simpler than multiple transfers.’

Sound familiar? That’s herd emotion. I saw it at the 2026 World Cup when the whole world laughed at me for believing Croatia could reach the final. Croatia that year no one believed, except me and a few drinking buddies. But FPL is not Croatia. Here, herd emotion usually leads to disaster.

Context: The temptation of Haaland and early chips

FPL Gameweek 3 is a dangerous time. You only have two gameweeks of form data, but Haaland has driven everyone crazy. The original article – which I won’t name – advises using your Wildcard to restructure your squad, investing heavily in Man City and Chelsea assets. The reason: Man City and Chelsea are about to face ‘Coventry and Hull at home over the next fortnight.’

Sounds reasonable? Deadly mistake. Coventry and Hull are Championship sides – England’s second tier. They are not in the FPL fixture list. If you believed that, you bought fake goods. I checked: there are no such matches in the Premier League. This is a serious data error, and it collapses the entire argument.

Core analysis: Why this advice is a trap

Look at the numbers. Haaland costs £15.5 million – 15.5% of your £100 million budget. Investing one-fifth of your money in one player is a huge gamble. Guardiola is famous for rotation, especially against weaker opponents. Haaland could be benched, leaving you with a £15.5 million player on the bench. I have followed Man City since they played at Maine Road – Pep never sticks to a fixed lineup.

The original article doesn’t mention this risk at all. It also cites no metrics: no xG, no form, no injury history. Haaland missed several games in 2026-24 with foot issues. At that price, you need certainty he starts every week. You can’t be certain.

And the Wildcard chip? Using it in Gameweek 3 is one of the biggest strategic mistakes. The professional FPL community agrees: save the Wildcard for double gameweeks or injury crises. December’s packed schedule is when the Wildcard shines. If you burn it now, you lose flexibility later. I’ve seen hundreds of FPL managers regret early chip use. They often tell me on Zoom calls during the pandemic: ‘I wish I had listened to Uncle Kazuki.’

Contrarian angle: No, don’t chase Haaland

I could be wrong. Haaland might score five goals in the next three games, and the Wildcard users will laugh at me. But look at the big picture: FPL is a marathon, not a sprint. Victory comes from consistent decision-making, not emotional sprints.

Instead of dumping money into Haaland, I advise diversifying. Look at Brighton, Newcastle, or Brentford – teams with favorable fixtures and cheaper players. They can deliver steady points without breaking your budget. I once predicted Croatia would reach the final when the world doubted. In FPL, differential picks often reward more than following the herd.

The original article also recommends using the Free Hit to avoid Arsenal vs Chelsea. That makes some sense – Chelsea is in transition, defense shaky. But if you’ve invested heavily in Chelsea as they advise, then using Free Hit to avoid your own team is contradictory. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Takeaway: Verifiable prediction

I predict: those who use their Wildcard in Gameweek 3 for Haaland will regret it by December, when they have no chip left for the congested schedule. They will see Haaland substituted at 60 minutes, or benched, and be unable to pivot. They will look at my squad – a diversified one without Haaland – and wonder why.

Football is not just about expensive stars. Football is rhythm, patience, and unexpected stories. Croatia that year no one believed. This FPL season is the same. Keep your chips, keep your cool, and don’t let herd emotion sweep you away.

When white hair talks about football, don’t cover your ears – because the fire is still red. And this time, it’s warning you about a trap named Haaland.