The Scout helps managers in Fantasy Premier League to plan ahead for Gameweek 3 and beyond. Remember, you can now save up to FIVE free transfers.
Aston Villa
A favourable turn in Aston Villa's fixtures from Gameweek 3 is likely to make Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) a key pick for managers’ forward lines in Fantasy.
Unai Emery’s side have a hugely promising run of fixtures that can reward managers at both ends of the pitch.
Villa visit promoted pair Leicester City and Ipswich Town, in addition to hosting Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. That is reflected in the Fixture Difficulty Ratings (FDR), with each of those four matches scoring only two.
Villa's schedule from Gameweek 3
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Leicester (A) | 2 |
| 4 | Everton (H) | 2 |
| 5 | Wolves (H) | 2 |
| 6 | Ipswich (A) | 2 |
Watkins’ output against promoted sides last season played a big part in helping him top the forward standings on 228 points. He averaged 12 points per match in away matches against such opponents, including hauls of 18 points at Sheffield United and 13 points at Luton Town.
A move to Watkins in Fantasy could be particularly tempting for owners of Tottenham Hotspur’s Dominic Solanke (£7.5m), who missed Gameweek 2 due to an injury and has two difficult fixtures against Newcastle United and Arsenal in Gameweeks 3 and 4, if he is even fit to play.
In Villa's midfield, Leon Bailey’s (£6.5m) 10 goals and 11 assists in 2023/24 underline his all-round contribution, while budget asset Morgan Rogers (£5.0m) boasted strong form in pre-season and could provide excellent value if he retains his starting role.
At the back, meanwhile, Pau Torres (£4.5m) boasts a strong threat from set-pieces and looks the best option in the £4.5m price bracket for Villa.
Ipswich Town
Leif Davis (£4.5m) has a long run of favourable fixtures coming up and can stake a strong claim for becoming managers’ go-to budget asset in Fantasy.
The left-back scored twice and supplied 18 assists in the Championship last season, with his dominance of set-piece duties helping him make an eye-catching 125 key passes.
According to the FDR, as many as SEVEN of Ipswich’s matches from Gameweek 3 to 10 score only two.
Ipswich's schedule from Gameweek 3
| GW | Opp. | FDR |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Fulham (H) | 2 |
| 4 | Brighton (A) | 2 |
| 5 | Southampton (A) | 2 |
| 6 | Aston Villa (H) | 3 |
| 7 | West Ham (A) | 2 |
| 8 | Everton (H) | 2 |
| 9 | Brentford (A) | 2 |
| 10 | Leicester (H) | 2 |
Davis’s huge potential for attacking returns can help him mirror the output of Luton’s Alfie Doughty last season. Doughty was involved in 12 goals in 2023/24 – more than any other defender in Fantasy – as he scored two and assisted 10.
While Davis certainly offers far more upside than any other defender for Kieran McKenna’s side, Ipswich also appear to have £4.0m starters who can offer a direct replacement for Valentin Barco (£4.0m), who has left Brighton & Hove Albion on loan.
Barco was the most-owned £4.0m defender in Gameweek 1, found in 23 per cent of squads after impressing during pre-season.
See: Most-bought and most-sold players for Gameweek 2
Jacob Greaves (£4.0m), a centre-back signed from Hull City over the summer, had two shots from set-pieces against Liverpool in Gameweek 1. Another new arrival, Ben Johnson (£4.0m), started at right-back in Gameweek 2 after Wes Burns (£4.9m) suffered a hamstring injury on the opening weekend.
Further up the pitch, it’s a case of “wait and see” for now, with midfield pair Conor Chaplin and Omari Hutchinson (both £5.5m) players to monitor based on their output last season.
Chaplin scored 13 goals and supplied eight assists in 2023/24, with Hutchinson had 10 goals and five assists in almost 1,200 fewer minutes.