The Scout's panel of Fantasy Premier League experts share their thoughts on what to do with Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins (£8.9m), who has blanked in five of the last seven Gameweeks.
What the FPL experts say
Lee Bonfield (@FPLFamily)
The return of Youri Tielemans (£5.6m) to the team and playing just off Watkins should mean Villa's main man rediscovers some form. And he has the fixtures to do it, with four of his next six matches scoring two in the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR).
Advice: Hold
Villa's next six Gameweeks
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | NEW (H) | 3 |
| 23 | SHU (A) | 2 |
| 24 | MUN (H) | 3 |
| 25 | FUL (A) | 2 |
| 26 | NFO (H) | 2 |
| 27 | LUT (A) | 2 |
Gianni Buttice (@GianniButtice)
Having looked ahead at the sort of team I want to have for Double Gameweek 25, I know I will have to sacrifice either Watkins or Bukayo Saka (£9.1m).
It is too early to know which one I will likely drop, but both are far from essential for me at the moment as I concentrate on recruiting Liverpool and Manchester City assets.
Advice: Possible sell
Utkarsh Dalmia (@ZopharFPL)
Villa's tough fixtures are behind them now, so keep faith in Watkins.
Advice: Hold
Ben Crabtree (@FC_CrabDogg)
Looking at Villa's fixtures, there's potentially a lot of pain in removing Watkins. Like a lot of strikers, one goal can turn his form around.
Advice: Hold
Sam Bonfield (@FPLFamily)
I'm torn on Watkins. He was so good earlier this season, however his form has dropped off. He returned eight goals and nine assists between Gameweeks 1 and 14, but only one goal and two assists from Gameweeks 15 to 21.
His Expected Goals (xG) has also dropped from 7.91 to 1.47 in the same period. Not owning Watkins also makes it easier to budget for the likes of Kevin De Bruyne (£10.4m).
Advice: Sell if you need to free-up funds
Az Phillips (@FPLBlackBox_Az)
Watkins' total of three attacking returns in seven matches does worry me, but the next four fixtures look great for Villa as they continue their push for a top-four place.
Joao Pedro (£5.5m), Alexander Isak (£7.6m), Matheus Cunha (£5.8m) and maybe even Ivan Toney (£7.9m) are definitely all knocking on the door as potential replacements.
Advice: Hold
Pras (@Pras_FPL)
Given the other bigger issues with Son Heung-min (£9.7m), Erling Haaland (£13.9m), Trent Alexander-Arnold (£8.5m) and Mohamed Salah (£13.1m), I am not really considering selling Watkins.
Most importantly his match against Nottingham Forest in Gameweek 26, where teams who make the EFL Cup final may blank, makes him a good captaincy option in that week.
Advice: Hold
