The Scout pinpoints the clubs and players to target for the upcoming period in Fantasy Premier League.
Aston Villa
Villa's kind upcoming schedule can allow their key assets to continue bringing in returns at both ends of the pitch.
According to the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), five of their next six matches score only two.
See: Why Gameweek 10 will be a great time to Wildcard
That includes a run of three home outings in the next four Gameweeks, against West Ham United, Luton Town and Fulham.
Villa’s next six matches
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | WHU (H) | 2 |
| 10 | LUT (H) | 2 |
| 11 | NFO (A) | 2 |
| 12 | FUL (H) | 2 |
| 13 | TOT (A) | 3 |
| 14 | BOU (A) | 2 |
Ollie Watkins (£8.1m) has enjoyed his best ever start to a Fantasy campaign, sitting joint-top of the player standings on 59 points.
The Villa forward has been involved in a league-high 11 goals, scoring four and assisting seven, while he has also recorded a career-high 23 points against Brighton & Hove Albion in Gameweek 7.
The underlying goal threat statistics show why Watkins can be a key player to own in the coming period.
He is Villa’s top-ranked player for shots, shots in the box and shots on target, while his eight big chances are at least twice the total of any team-mate.
Villa’s top goal threats compared
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Big chances | Shots on target | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watkins | 25 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 4 |
| Diaby | 18 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| Cash | 16 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| Luiz | 16 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Who's most likely to get an assist?
Matty Cash (£5.0m) has also boasted a huge threat from right-back.
The Poland international’s totals of 13 shots in the box, eight shots on target and two goals have all matched Moussa Diaby (£6.7m).
Indeed, he is the top-ranked defender in Fantasy over the first eight Gameweeks for shots, shots in the box, big chances and shots on target.
See: FPL experts' plans for Aston Villa players
Douglas Luiz (£5.4m) has mirrored Cash’s 16 shots and the Brazilian’s role as Villa’s penalty-taker has helped him quietly accumulate attacking returns.
Douglas Luiz has amassed 34 points, one more than Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (£8.4m) and only eight behind the 42 of Diaby.
Watkins a standout
The creative numbers further enhance the appeal of Watkins as Villa’s go-to attacker.
He leads the way with 16 key passes, a total which places him second to the 19 of Julian Alvarez (£7.0m) among forwards in Fantasy.
Diaby again features in the top three Villa players here, underlining his all-round prospects.
The summer signing has created a team-high five big chances and been rewarded with four assists.
Lucas Digne’s (£4.7m) delivery from left-back has also been a prominent feature in the opening fixtures.
The Frenchman’s 15 key passes rank second for Unai Emery’s side and earn him fourth place among defenders in Fantasy. Cash, by contrast, has created only two scoring opportunities from the opposite flank.
Villa’s top creators compared
| Player | Key passes | Big chances created | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watkins | 16 | 3 | 7 |
| Digne | 15 | 0 | 3 |
| Diaby | 12 | 5 | 4 |
| McGinn | 11 | 3 | 1 |
So, what should managers do?
Watkins’ underlying numbers show why he should be the priority Villa pick for managers in Fantasy.
His potential for goals and assists has been crucial to his consistent start to the season, with just a single blank in his first eight outings.
Cash’s huge goal threat easily makes him the standout defender, with Villa also boasting strong potential for clean sheets in the coming run of matches.
While there’s no doubt that Diaby could prove a handy option too, a triple-up seems unnecessary at a time when a number of other midfielders in Fantasy also offer kind upcoming schedules.
View all the latest FPL tips ahead of Gameweek 9 in Fantasy Premier League
