Fantasy Premier League

FPL winter watchlist: Wilson can shine under Howe

12 Nov 2021

Run of favourable home matches makes Newcastle star a standout option among budget forwards

The Scout looks at the best players to target, per position and price, ahead of the busy winter period in Fantasy Premier League.

Forwards under £7.5m

Callum Wilson (NEW) £7.3m

The striker has the schedule to make a big impact under Newcastle United’s new head coach, Eddie Howe.

Wilson is reunited with Howe after scoring over 100 points in each of his last three seasons at AFC Bournemouth.

He now has three home matches in the next four Gameweeks, which according to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR) all score only two.

Wilson’s record at St James’ Park this season suggests he can take advantage of those encounters with Brentford, Norwich City and Burnley.

He has scored in three of his four home outings, his only blank coming against Chelsea.

Despite making only seven appearances in 2021/22, Wilson’s 12 shots in the box and five big chances are both more than any team-mate.

Owned by a mere 2.2 per cent, he could prove a powerful short-term differential for managers’ forward lines.

Hwang Hee-chan (WOL) £5.8m

The South Korean has proven a match for Cristiano Ronaldo (£12.4m) in Fantasy this season.

Both Hwang and the Manchester United star have produced 38 points since making their 2021/22 debuts in Gameweek 4.

The Wolverhampton Wanderers forward has scored four goals and earned eight bonus points in eight appearances.

Hwang's second goal v Newcastle

That has helped him average 4.8 points per match (ppm), compared with the 3.9ppm of Raul Jimenez (£7.7m), his more expensive team-mate.

Similar to Wilson, Hwang’s appeal is more short-term, with matches against Norwich and Burnley in the next three Gameweeks.

Joshua King (£5.6m) offers a strong replacement for Hwang owners from Gameweek 16, as each of Watford’s subsequent four matches score only two in the FDR.

Adam Armstrong (SOU) £5.9m

The Southampton striker has justified his recent return to the starting line-up with a goal and an assist over the last two Gameweeks.

Armstrong’s total of eight shots ranked second among all players in that period, suggesting he could offer strong value in Fantasy as a cut-price forward over the winter.

Saints’ schedule also lifts his prospects, with five of their next 11 matches scoring only two in the FDR.

Armstrong’s numbers certainly indicate he is the Southampton attacker most likely to take advantage of that schedule.

His 26 shots, 16 shots in the box and eight shots on target are all more than any team-mate.

Ollie Watkins (AVL) £7.3m

The appointment of Steven Gerrard as Aston Villa’s new head coach could be good news for the forward’s prospects.

While Watkins is likely to occupy a role on the left over the long-term, he looks set to feature as Villa’s lone striker while Danny Ings (£7.7m) is sidelined through injury.

Watkins has stepped up his output recently, with all of his attacking returns this season coming in the last five Gameweeks.

The Villa star has scored twice and also supplied an assist, blanking on only two occasions during that period.

The underlying numbers also show Watkins was among the standout forwards for goal threat over that run.

His 11 shots in the box were joint-top in his position in Fantasy, bettered only by four other players overall.