Aston Villa are once again teaming up with the No.1 independent fantasy football site in 2021/22.
Fantasy Football Scout will be providing regular reports packed with hints and tips to help you, hopefully, move into the top tier of fantasy football management.
If you need some guidance ahead of GW12, sit back and take their advice on board…
With the dawning of a new era at Villa Park, you can almost hear the excitement of Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers scrolling through the Villa team list looking for investment ahead of the much talked about new manager bounce.
Steven Gerrard’s arrival will undoubtedly be an attractive prospect for FPL managers, especially as a result of his defensive record whilst manager at Rangers. He inherited a defence that had conceded 44 and 50 goals respectively in the two seasons prior to his arrival and reduced those numbers to 27 and 19 in his first two campaigns. Then, when Rangers won the Scottish Premier League last season, they conceded just 13 goals. This could be great news for FPL managers, looking to invest in Villa defensively.
In Glasgow, Gerrard played his full-backs almost as wide midfielders. If he chooses to repeat this at Villa, it could be excellent for Matt Targett (£4.7m) and Matty Cash (£5.1m). Cash has performed well so far this season and leads defenders for penalty box touches, whilst Targett’s attacking potential as well as his cheaper price tag looks likely to make him an attractive option to managers on the opposite flank.
Further forward on the pitch, the inside forwards could be key. If Gerrard’s tactics at Rangers are replicated then Emiliano Buendia (£6.2m) could be an excellent investment. Buendia naturally drifts into more central areas from the right and therefore he seems the perfect option for both FPL managers and Gerrard’s managerial style, as does teammate Leon Bailey (£6.4m).
Up top both Ollie Watkins (£7.3m) and Danny Ings (£7.7m) look very exciting, especially given the lack of in-form forwards currently available in FPL. In Watkins and Ings, Gerrard has two pedigree strikers who are both great differentials owned by 2.3% and 10.5% of the game.
Watkins has registered 114 touches in the opponent’s half throughout the last four gameweeks, ranked joint-seventh amongst forwards. He is also sixth-best for passes received passes in the final third (48) during this period, suggesting imminent attacking returns in upcoming matches.
