Should I sell Ollie Watkins?

Should I sell Ollie Watkins? It is a question that many are asking themselves as they look to plan for the schedule ahead. Using the Fantasy Football Scout Members Area we take a look at all of the factors involved to come to a conclusion.

With Double and Blank Gameweeks ahead, FPL managers are debating lots of different moves to try and get ahead of other managers. Here we discuss one of the biggest questions amongst the community. So, should we sell Ollie Watkins?

Aston Villa

First we should focus on Aston Villa. So far it has been a wonderful campaign for them overall – advancing in Europe and sitting fourth in the Premier League.

In terms of their attacking data this season Aston Villa rank in the top four teams for both goals scored and expected goals.

As we dig deeper into their attacking data we can see that Aston Villa also rank amongst the top five teams for offensive metrics like total attempts on goal, shots in the box total and total big chances.

The stats back Aston Villa, but what of their schedule?

Below we can see the Fantasy Football Scout Fixture Ticker has ordered the teams at the top of the ticker with the best fixtures, all of the way down to the teams at the bottom with the worst fixtures.

What we can see is that Aston Villa rank third worst from now until the end of the season. What is even more significant is that Aston Villa do not a Double Gameweek in the same period either, when at least 11 other teams likely will.

Ollie Watkins

Now with more of a focus on the man himself. Watkins has been absolutely fantastic this season. The Aston Villa striker sits nine points clear of second place and above every other player in the game going into the international break. His 187 points come from a relentless 16 goals and 10 assists in 29 matches.

When looking at his underlying data this season compared to every other player we can see that Watkins ranks:

Second best for non-penalty expected goal involvement.
Joint best for assists.
Second best for goals.

Further investigation shows that Watkins also sits:

Second best for total attempts on goal.
Second best for shots in the box.
Third best for big chances total.

Effective Ownership

Ownership can also be an important factor factor. As we can see, In the top 10k ranked managers Watkins has an effective ownership of 95%. This means that Watkins is one of the highest owned players in the game.

Should I sell Ollie Watkins?

From what we know Watkins is one of the most consistent assets in the game. Not only does he top every other player for points but he is also maintaining some of the best underlying offensive data in the division. Watkins could also cause huge damage to your rank and mini-league position based on his ownership.

However, Aston Villa fixtures are tough. They also do not have a Double Gameweek for the rest of the season. There could be huge reward for those that choose to back against Watkins.

Those that choose to back against Watkins could do so in the period below. The fact that Aston Villa do not have a Double Gameweek in Gameweek 34 also gives other strikers who do an extra fixture.

In conclusion, there is scope to go without Watkins for the next several Gameweeks, especially for those looking to gain rank. However, for those looking to consolidate their position, it could be safer to stick with Watkins for the remainder of the season.