Staff Picks: Best Fantasy EPL Fixture, Week 3

Last week's marquee match between Manchester City and Chelsea was tipped by a few of our staff as the go-to fantasy match of the week, but they probably weren't expecting a 3-0 victory for the Citizens. Nevertheless, those who did invest in City players (particularly defenders) were handsomely rewarded with big points.

Which match will deliver the goods this weekend? Here's what our staff think ahead of Week 3:

Mo (EGYPT) - Manchester United vs. Newcastle

There should be loads of points in this game, especially from the United strikers/midfielders. Memphis just scored 2 goals and had an assist in the Champions League game against Club Brugge and will be fully confident to take on Newcastle. Wayne Rooney has been so quiet recently but he loves playing against Newcastle and he always fancies himself scoring against them. United's flying fullbacks (Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian) should also get plenty of points. This also might be the game for Juan Mata to finally score his first goal of the season.

Charles (the orphanage) - Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Ahhhh, yes. . . Arsenal had such high hopes to begin the season and lost 0-2 at home to West Ham United. The ship needs to be righted and all eyes are on this Monday match as Liverpool comes to town. Two teams with high hopes, always, long-time rivals competing to finish in a coveted top four spot.

Liverpool has yet to concede this year with clean sheets vs both Stoke City and AFC Bournemouth. This will be an acid test for both squads. Arsenal has a wealth of midfielders to choose from, but which do you choose? Alexis Sanchez has yet to heat up this season, but is tempting here.  For Liverpool, it's a similar question: Which stars will shine? Can Christian Benteke continue to deliver? Is a clean sheet a possibility for either side? Whatever happens, there should be plenty of entertainment and hopefully plenty of points to go around.

Chris (Chris_Manfredi) - Everton vs. Manchester City

These squads have each gotten off to high-flying starts with five and six goals scored, respectively, in the first two games. With the fixture coming at the underdogs' Goodison Park, hopes are high for an absolute barn-burner. While Vincent Kompany is the surprise scoring leader for City thus far with two goals, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero have expectedly split most of the remaining spoils with three goals and five assists between them and it's only a matter of time before Raheem Sterling gets in on the fun. As for the home side, Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and Arouna Kone have had a say in each of Everton's goals and all but one of the helpers.

I wouldn't be surprised by a 2-2 or 3-2 scoreline with plenty of offensive fantasy returns for both teams. Then again, given City's two clean sheets, a 3-0 or 2-0 Manchester City win could just as easily come into play, leaving Joe Hart, Aleksandar Kolarov, Eliaquim Mangala and Bacary Sagna continuing to offer a tidy return on investment.

Roberto (Roberto Rojas) - Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Liverpool has had a fine start, picking up six points in their first two games and not conceding any goals so far. Can they keep up that form against their top-four rivals? This feels like a must win for Arsenal, the pressure is on them a bit as they only have three points from two. Both teams will obviously be going all-out in this one.

This is a match where Petr Cech has to be in top shape despite conceding already three goals in the matches against West Ham and Crystal Palace. Anything short a top-class performance from the Gunners and the pressure will be piled on Arsene Wenger's side, especially given many pre-season predictions that this side can indeed win the Premier League.

Jason (jasonuk17) - Everton vs. Manchester City

After their 3-0 win over Chelsea, the blue side of Manchester travels to Everton this weekend in an intriguing matchup. With resurgence of Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany, it will be interesting to see if they can keep their form against an Everton side that has shown some firepower. Also, we will get a chance to see if Sergio Aguero can continue the torrid start he got off to on Sunday.

On the flip side, it will be a great opportunity for Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley to prove that they are worth investing in after their impressive starts to the season. It should not only be a great match to watch, but it should provide for some great fantasy options this weekend.

Gavin (Gavin Wright) - Leicester City vs. Tottenham Hotspur

If you had asked me at the beginning of the season, I would have been all about a Spurs win in this one, but Tottenham have been underwhelming so far and the Foxes are flying high. The confidence of players like Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and Marc Albrighton will be at an all-time high heading into this one, but Spurs have a lot of quality in their squad despite the fact it hasn't been on display so far this campaign. Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen have been disappointing so far, but we all know that can change in an instant.

I think this will be an open, all-action match between underdogs brimming with confidence and an underachieving squad desperate to get a result to kick start their season. Not expecting a clean sheet for either side in this one, but attacking midfielders and forwards from both sides should definitely be in your thoughts.

Which fixture do you think will result in the most fantasy points? Where will you be investing for your team? Did we skip your top choice? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!