Is Watkins a short-term must-have in FPL?

Ollie Watkins (£7.5m) has the form and fixtures to be a must-have forward as we enter the Fantasy Premier League run-in.

Watkins scored the opening goal in Aston Villa’s 2-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday, rewarding his 16 per cent owners with eight points. 

He has now scored in five successive road trips and still has to visit Leicester City in the second match of his Double Gameweek 29 in midweek. 

He has proven a very handy replacement for managers who have temporarily sold Erling Haaland (£12.0m). The Norwegian had a Blank Gameweek 28 and also missed Manchester City’s win over Liverpool this weekend due to a groin problem. 

If Haaland is available to face Southampton next weekend, many of his former owners will be rushing back to the Man City star.

However, they should think twice before deciding on Watkins as the forward to make way.

He has produced eight goals and three assists since the season resumed in Gameweek 17. That total of 11 goal involvements is only two fewer than Haaland and one fewer than Harry Kane (£11.8m). 

Top-scoring forwards since GW17

Villa’s upcoming schedule also strengthens the appeal of Watkins for managers seeking a short-term solution.

They have three home matches in the next four Gameweeks, hosting Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Fulham, and visit Brentford in Blank Gameweek 32.

Wait on Toney first

Those who are considering Watkins should monitor Ivan Toney (£7.9m) in Brentford’s match against Manchester United in midweek.

The Brentford forward is one booking away from a two-match ban and would miss Gameweeks 30 and 31 if he is cautioned at Old Trafford, making the switch a straightforward one.

See: Who is suspended or close to a ban?

Alternatively, Kane backers could consider a move to Watkins in order to free up cash for Mohamed Salah (£12.8m) in midfield ahead of Liverpool’s favourable schedule.

The Egyptian’s opener against Man City took his tally to five goals, three assists and 55 points in his last seven matches. 

Similar to Haaland, Salah has a Double Gameweek 34 to come and is likely to grow in popularity for the run-in. 

After hosting Arsenal in Gameweek 30, each of Liverpool's remaining nine matches score a maximum of three in the Fixture Difficulty Ratings.

Also in this series

Part 1: DGW29 FPL bonus points
Part 2: DGW29 FPL stats: Record number hit Bench Boost button
Part 3: DGW29 FPL stats: Fernandes frustrates new owners