Our Fantasy EPL 22/23 Draft Kit promises to be the most comprehensive set of pre-season Draft Premier League articles ever produced! A key component of our Draft Kit will be the Team Preview articles which analyze key assets to sit alongside our all-important Draft Rankings. This article delves into the Best Fantrax Fantasy EPL Players from Aston Villa, as we take a deep dive into the prospects of their three best assets! Click here for details on how you can access our 22/23 Draft Kit.
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Aston Villa Best Fantasy Players
As noted above, these are the Best Aston Villa Players for the Fantrax Fantasy EPL platform. We analyze the Villans' top three prospects ahead of the new season, with a recommended draft pick for each player.
Ollie Watkins
Position: Forward
21/22 Points: 311 (13th best forward)
21/22 Points Per Start: 9.2 (33 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 9.7 (33 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 30-35 (12 Team League: Mid -Late Round 3)
Overview: Coming off a fairly underwhelming season, Watkins should slip down the draft board a bit. He should be nailed on & bounce back to regain top 15 status. If you can nab him in the 3rd or 4th, that's great value.
It was an odd campaign for the Villans: losing talisman Jack Grealish in the summer; signing impressive players such as Danny Ings, Leon Bailey, & Emi Buendia; sacking Dean Smith for Steven Gerrard after a rough start; and finishing a turbulent campaign in 14th place in the table. This rollercoaster impacted Villa assets, particularly Ollie Watkins. Moving on from the Grealish-led swashbuckling attack proved quite the challenge. The previous season, his first in the EPL, the young Englishman banged in 14 goals and dished out 5 assists. He was a top 10 fantasy scorer, averaging just under a dozen pts per start, which made him a target in late round 1/early round 2 in most drafts. But this season didn't go to plan. Ollie leveled off somewhat, only mustering 11 goals & 2 assists, with a pps of just over 9. His ghosties, although not really his game, also dropped from 7.5 to 6.3.
While he came down to earth last season, his trajectory should go back up. Watkins has a lot going for him as we head into the next campaign. First, he and Villa have nowhere to go but up. It's very unlikely they finish 14th again - a successful transfer window & full preseason with Stevie G should do wonders. And if he can still drop over 9 pps and be a top 40 player in a down season, Watkins will cook if/when Villa improve, and they will. Second, he is reliable. He rarely gets injured and has been a nailed on starter under both Smith & Gerrard (37 & 33 starts in the last 2 seasons, respectively). Fantasy managers never have to worry about him not being in the lineup. Third, he has no Europe or World Cup (likely), so he'll have more rest and less opportunity for injury than many of his peers. Finally, the recent disappointment should lead to Ollie being undervalued in the draft. You may be able to snag a top 15 scorer in the 3rd or 4th round - sign me up.
Philippe Coutinho
Position: Midfielder
21/22 Points: 188.5 (62nd best midfielder; 9th best midfielder since his first cameo on 1/15/22)
21/22 Points Per Start: 10.8 (16 starts)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 10.4 (28 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 32-36 (12 Team League: Mid-Late Round 3)
Overview: While he rolled back the years after his return, his scores petered out at the end of the season. Can he stay fit & firing for an entire campaign? Skeptics abound but the upside he showed makes him a 3rd rounder.
When Philippe Coutinho made his Premier League comeback in January 2022, after a long and fairly unsuccessful 4 year hiatus in Barcelona & Munich, he had a point to prove. He hit the ground running, delivering 4 goals/assists in his first 3 games with Villa, and confounded some doubters. He couldn't sustain this white hot form, following that up with 4 more attacking returns in the ensuing 14 starts. But Coutinho certainly did enough to warrant Villa ultimately turning his loan into a permanent move.
The 30 year old always had it in his locker, as many of us remember from his stellar time at Liverpool, but it's safe to say that even the most ardent of Coutinho supporters were at least a bit pleasantly surprised by his first few months back in the EPL. Can he make it last? Was the late-season drop-off more indicative of what to expect in the coming season rather than the initial purple patch? A lot of questions surrounding the Brazilian. The argument for Coutinho is that he immediately came into the side and balled. Eight attacking returns & three 20+ point games (tasty WAR) in just 16 starts is elite midfield play. Similar to Watkins, an improved Villa side and a preseason with the group can allow benefit Coutinho. The anti-Coutinho narrative is that he is getting on in years, is unlikely to stay fit, and those attacking returns aren't sustainable. With relatively few set pieces and surprisingly low ghost points (7 pps) for a creative midfielder, he'll be somewhat boom or bust. If you're a believer, he should be available before the end of round 3.
Lucas Digne
Position: Defender
21/22 Points: 250 (20th best defender; 9th best defender since joining Aston Villa in January 2022)
21/22 Points Per Start: 9.3 (27 starts, excluding early exits)
22/23 Projected Points Per Start: 9.8 (35 starts)
Recommended Draft Pick: 36-40 (12 Team League: Late Round 3/Early Round 4)
Overview: Coming in from the cold, we saw glimpses of the old Digne in a Villa shirt. His upside makes him a top 5 defender candidate. Well worth a 3rd round punt.
Lucas Digne had himself an interesting season. He began the campaign at Everton, was frozen out by Rafa Benitez, and then sold to Aston Villa in January shortly before Rafa got the sack. His performances were really a tale of two seasons - his time at Everton & his spell at Villa. Given the inherent challenges at Everton, let's solely focus on the post-transfer period. Digne immediately took over at LB - not difficult when your main competition is Ashley Young but I digress - and finished with160 points, 10 ppg, 4 assists, & over 10 ghost points per start in 16 starts for Villa. He was the ninth best defender during this time.
The Frenchman has proven to be a top defensive asset over the years - starting over 30 games and posting double digit points per start in each of the last 4 seasons (other than this season due to his turbulent time at Everton prior to his transfer to Villa). And now that his future is settled, Digne should crack on and repay the faith shown in him by Stevie G. Expect to see at least 10 pps with the likelihood of even more upside. An improved Villa defense (new signing Diego Carlos will help) should secure more cleansheets. And Digne will surely improve upon his attacking returns. If he can get on more set pieces this season, it's a wrap. If you want a top defender in Round 3, look no further. And if he falls to Round 4, pounce.
Honorable Mention(s):
This Villa squad is full of talent but Stevie G can't fit it all into a starting XI. Danny Ings, Leon Bailey, & Emi Buendia all deserve to start in an EPL side. But it's anybody's guess which of them will lock down a consistent starting role - whoever does will be a good fantasy asset and provide excellent value in the draft.
More Best Fantasy Players: Arsenal | Bournemouth | Brentford | Brighton | Chelsea | Crystal Palace | Everton | Fulham | Leeds | Leicester | Liverpool | Man City | Man United | Newcastle | Nottm Forest | Southampton | Tottenham | West Ham | Wolves
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