RSL Fantasy 2026/2027 Round 3 Preview

RSL Fantasy Round 3 preview: captain picks, best buys and differentials

RSL Fantasy Round 3 is a short round. Only eight matches are scheduled between Monday 24 and Wednesday 26 August, and the two biggest squads in the Saudi Pro League are not in any of them: Al Hilal and Al Ahli both blank. Both then play twice in Round 4. The deadline is Monday 24 August at 16:35.

That means the round is not decided by who owns the obvious premium. It is decided by how you fill the two or three holes the blank leaves, and whether you take the cheap defenders in the best clean-sheet fixtures instead of reaching for another 8.0m midfielder. The picks below come straight from our model's projected points for Round 3, cross-checked against last season's underlying numbers.

Round 3 fixtures that matter

Four teams stand out. Al Nassr travel to Al-Ettifaq as heavy favourites, Al Ittihad get the softest home game of the round, and Al-Taawoun combine a winnable home fixture with the joint-best clean-sheet odds on the card.

Al Qadasiya are the other team worth targeting: 49% at Neom SC with 1.90 expected goals, off the back of a season in which they averaged 2.09 xG per game and a +1.00 non-penalty expected goal difference. Full round-by-round odds are on the RSL market probabilities page, and the fixture run for every club is on the RSL schedule.

Best captaincy picks for Round 3

Joao Felix (10.5m, Al Nassr) is the captain. He tops the round at 9.2 projected points, he takes Al Nassr's penalties with a 93% share, and his side are 69% favourites with 2.61 expected goals against an Al-Ettifaq defence that shipped 1.85 expected goals per game last season. Felix produced 14.88 xG and 11.38 xA in 2,908 minutes last term - a 0.81 xGI/90 return from a player who is also on spot-kicks.

Julian Quinones (12.0m, Al Qadasiya) is the alternative and the better long-term captain. He is second this round on 8.5, but he has the highest six-round weighted score in the game at 29.3, and his 1.07 xGI/90 last season (27.46 xG plus 5.00 xA in 2,724 minutes) was the best of any player in this preview. If you only want one 10m-plus midfielder for the next month, it is him.

Moussa Diaby (8.5m, Al Ittihad) is third at 7.5 in the round's easiest home fixture, with a 76% penalty share. Sadio Mane (9.0m, Al Nassr) is fourth on 7.4 and the cheaper route into the same fixture as Felix. The full captaincy ranking for the round is on the RSL player picks page.

Best buys by position

Goalkeeper

Mailson (5.0m, Al-Taawoun) is the pick at 4.7 projected points, on the joint-best clean-sheet odds of the round at 33%. He played 2,970 minutes last season, so rotation is not a concern.

On a budget, Mohammed Al-Mahasneh (4.0m, Al Shabab) returns 4.1 at the lowest price of any starting keeper - 1.02 points per million, the best ratio in the position - with Al Shabab 51% favourites at home. Fernando Pacheco (4.5m, Al-Faisaly) is the third route in at 4.4, behind a side with 30% clean-sheet odds against Al Fateh.

Defenders

Shaquille Pinas (5.0m, Al Kholood) is the standout pick of the entire round. He projects 6.8 points - more than every forward and every other defender in the game - because he takes Al Kholood's penalties with a 98% share. At 5.0m that is 1.36 points per million, and his six-round weighted score of 21.3 is the highest of any defender. Al Kholood travel to Al Diriyah with 29% clean-sheet odds, so there is a respectable defensive floor underneath the attacking upside.

Marin Petkov (5.0m, Al-Taawoun) is the second-best defender at 6.3, pairing an attacking role with those 33% clean-sheet odds. Stacking him with Mailson doubles up on the same clean sheet, which is the correlated bet the fixture supports.

Inigo Martinez (5.5m, Al Nassr) is the premium-adjacent option at 5.1 this round and 18.2 weighted, and he is the way to hold Al Nassr defensive coverage through their excellent Round 6 and Round 8 home games. Abdoulaye Seck (4.5m, Al-Faisaly) is the cheapest good defender on the card at 5.1 points and 1.13 points per million.

One more worth naming: Mohammed Abu Al Shamat (6.5m, Al Qadasiya) registered 8.33 xA last season from defence, a 0.45 xGI/90 that is forward-level creativity from a defensive slot. He projects 5.1 this round and holds up across the horizon at 17.2 weighted.

Midfielders

Beyond Felix and Quinones, the value sits in the 5m to 6m bracket. Musa Barrow (6.0m, Al Khaleej) projects 6.2 at Abha - 1.03 points per million, the best of any midfielder above 6m. Josh Brownhill (5.5m, Al Shabab) returns 5.9 in a 51% home fixture at 1.07 per million, and his team-mate Hammam Al-Hammami (5.0m, Al Shabab) is right behind him at 5.6 and 1.12 per million, the best ratio of any midfielder in the game this round. Owning one of those two Al Shabab midfielders instead of a fourth premium is where Round 3 is actually won.

Kingsley Coman (8.5m, Al Nassr) is the third Al Nassr midfielder at 6.3, and worth remembering the cap: you can only hold three players from any one club, so Felix, Mane and Coman is a full Al Nassr allocation with no room for Inigo Martinez or Bento Krepski.

Diaby is a two-round buy rather than an investment. His projection reads 7.5, 5.8, 4.1, 5.6, 4.5, 2.9 across Rounds 3 to 8 as Al Ittihad's programme hardens into trips to Al Fateh, Al-Faisaly and Al Hilal. Take the Round 3 fixture, then plan the exit.

Looking one round ahead, Fashion Sakala (7.0m, Al-Fayha) is the sharpest riser: 5.3 this round, then 7.6 at home to Abha in Round 4, for a 21.1 weighted score that beats every midfielder priced under 8.0m.

Forwards

Abderrazak Hamdallah (8.0m, Al-Taawoun) leads the position at 6.4. He takes 96% of Al-Taawoun's penalties and produced 0.87 xGI/90 last season, which is elite-striker output on a mid-price tag.

Joshua King (7.5m, Al Khaleej) is next at 6.0 with a 93% penalty share and 14.22 xG last season. For the budget slot, Abdullah Al Hamddan (5.0m, Al Nassr) is the standout: 5.5 projected points at 1.10 per million, starting in the best attack in the league.

Alexandre Lacazette (7.0m, Neom SC) is the best hold of the group rather than the best Round 3 score - 5.4 now, but a 19.7 weighted total that never dips below 3.4 across six rounds. Afimico Pululu (5.5m, Al Hazem) is a Round 4 buy more than a Round 3 one: 5.0 this week, then 6.2.

Hidden gems and differentials

The template in this game is still forming, so the edge comes from price rather than ownership. Four names carry a clearly better points-per-million profile than anything above 8.0m:

All four are cheap enough that you can hold two of them and still afford both Felix and Quinones. Compare them against the full pool on the RSL player picks page, and let the solver build the exact best squad for your budget on the RSL optimal teams page.

Who to sell and who to avoid

Steven Bergwijn (8.0m) and Houssem Aouar (7.5m), both Al Ittihad. Bergwijn projects 6.1 this round and then 4.2, 2.8, 3.3, 2.3, 1.7. Aouar follows the same collapse. They score in Round 3 and then become dead money at premium prices - if you are paying 7.5m or more for Al Ittihad midfield exposure, Diaby is the only one worth it.

Julien Domingues (6.0m, Al Kholood). A 4.7 this round decaying to 0.7 by Round 8. If you want Al Kholood exposure, take Pinas at 5.0m instead.

Mateo Retegui (9.0m, Al Qadasiya). Only 4.0 projected in Round 3, less than four defenders priced at half his cost. His 18.2 weighted score is fine but not 9.0m fine when his own team-mate Quinones is the better route into the same attack.

The Al Hilal and Al Ahli blank: hold, do not sell

Every Al Hilal and Al Ahli asset scores zero in Round 3. That is not a reason to sell them, because both clubs play twice in Round 4 and the projections are enormous:

Al Hilal go to Al Khaleej with 66% win odds and 40% clean-sheet odds, then host Al Ahli. Benzema managed 1.05 xGI/90 last season, and Al Hilal conceded just 0.73 expected goals per game across their 34 matches with 16 clean sheets. Mahzari at 5.0m and Bounou at 5.5m are the cheapest ways to bank that double, and the three-per-club cap applies here too.

One separate note on Cristiano Ronaldo (12.5m, Al Nassr): the model has no Round 3 projection for him, so he scores nothing this week even though Al Nassr play. His Round 4 to Round 8 line reads 8.3, 7.6, 10.1, 7.4, 10.1, including home games against Abha at 84% and Al Diriyah at 85% win probability. He is a Round 4 asset, not a Round 3 one - check the RSL predicted lineups before the deadline if you are choosing between him and Felix.

Round 3 summary

Captain Joao Felix. Take Al Nassr and Al Ittihad attacking exposure for the round, but spend the savings on Pinas and Petkov rather than a fourth midfielder - the cheap defenders are where the value is. Hold your Al Hilal and Al Ahli players through the blank and let the Round 4 double pay for it.

More rounds and more analysis: our RSL Fantasy preview hub, the Round 2 preview, the season-opening Round 1 preview, and our fantasy football guides if you are new to the game.

FAQ

Who should I captain in RSL Fantasy Round 3?

Joao Felix (10.5m, Al Nassr) is the model's top captain at 9.2 projected points. He takes 93% of Al Nassr's penalties, his side are 69% favourites at Al-Ettifaq with 2.61 expected goals, and he produced 14.88 xG plus 11.38 xA last season. Julian Quinones (12.0m, Al Qadasiya) is the closest alternative at 8.5 and the stronger pick if you want one captain to keep for the next month.

Should I sell my Al Hilal and Al Ahli players before Round 3?

No. Both clubs blank in Round 3 but play twice in Round 4, and the Round 4 projections are the biggest scores anywhere in the next six rounds: Benzema 14.9, Milinkovic-Savic 12.6, Summerville 12.2, Toney 12.0. Selling to cover one blank round and buying back in for Round 4 costs transfer hits and almost certainly loses points. Hold, and if you have a spare transfer, bring in Mohammed Mahzari at 5.0m or Yassine Bounou at 5.5m to add cheap double-round coverage.

Which budget defenders are best for RSL Fantasy Round 3?

Shaquille Pinas (5.0m, Al Kholood) is the best defender at any price this round on 6.8 projected points, because he takes 98% of his club's penalties. Marin Petkov (5.0m, Al-Taawoun) is next at 6.3 with 33% clean-sheet odds, and Abdoulaye Seck (4.5m, Al-Faisaly) is the cheapest good option at 5.1. Pinas and Petkov both beat every forward in the game for Round 3 points while costing half as much.

Which players should I avoid buying in RSL Fantasy Round 3?

Steven Bergwijn (8.0m) and Houssem Aouar (7.5m) both score well in Round 3 and then fall away sharply as Al Ittihad's fixtures harden, with Bergwijn dropping to 1.7 by Round 8. Julien Domingues (6.0m, Al Kholood) decays from 4.7 to 0.7 over the same span, and Mateo Retegui (9.0m) only projects 4.0 this round despite his price. Cristiano Ronaldo (12.5m) has no Round 3 projection at all, so he is a Round 4 buy rather than a Round 3 one.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI - verified by Nicolai @ TheFantasyTool