Dugout Discussion

Watkins leads Villa line as Barkley benched for Leeds trip

Ollie Watkins (£6.5m) leads the Aston Villa attack for their first Double Gameweek 26 match: a trip to Leeds.

Any pre-deadline rumours about an injury for the forward were assuaged as he was named on the team-sheet this afternoon.

Dean Smith has still tweaked his Villa side though, moving to a 4-3-3 which involves a drop to the bench for Ross Barkley (£5.9m), who has failed to impress of late.

Anwar El Ghazi (£5.3m) and Bertrand Traoré (£5.9m) flank Watkins while Jacob Ramsey (£4.5m), Marvelous Nakamba (£4.3m) and John McGinn (£5.5m) comprise the central midfield trio.

Matt Targett (£4.9m) is the most fashionable member of Villa’s back-four with 13.4% ownership while the 0.4%-owned Ahmed El Mohamady (£4.3m) offers a differential route at right-back.

Leeds assets may only have one fixture in Double Gameweek 26 but they do come into the round full of confidence.

Marcelo Bielsa makes just one change from the win over Southampton, affording himself the line-up that won the second half 3-0 on Monday night.

Hélder Costa (£5.0m) comes in for Jack Harrison (£5.5m) on the left-hand side of midfield while Pascal Struijk (£4.0m) continues in the holding role.

Patrick Bamford (£6.9m) remains in 52.7% of Fantasy Premier League teams worldwide, Stuart Dallas (£5.0m) still backed by 21.0%.

Double Gameweek 26 Line-ups

Leeds United XI (4-1-4-1): Meslier; Dallas, Cooper, Llorente, Ayling; Struijk; Costa, Roberts, Klich, Raphinha; Bamford.

Aston Villa XI (4-3-3): Martínez; Targett, Mings, Konsa, Elmohamady; Ramsey, Nakamba, McGinn; El Ghazi, Watkins, B Traoré.

Double Gameweek 26 so far…

West Bromwich Albion recorded a much-needed second clean sheet of the campaign as they beat Brighton 1-0.

Crucially, it makes for back-to-back shutouts for the first time this season, good news for those who invested in either the out-of-position Ainsley Maitland-Niles (£4.6m) for Double Gameweek 26.

The Arsenal loanee was deployed on the right-hand flank of attacking midfield once again and enjoyed a decent chance to score in the first half.

Still, it was an interesting afternoon for Sam Johnstone (£4.5m) owners. They benefitted from the Baggies’ clean sheet and also secured a raft of extras, two for saves and two bonus (provisional).

However, his Double Gameweek 26 score could have already stood at close to 20 points had Brighton’s penalties gone a different way on Saturday.

Pascal Groß (£5.8m) and Danny Welbeck (£5.5m) both missed spot-kicks but each of them struck the woodwork, denying Johnstone the chance to earn a Fantasy reward in each instance.

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883 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Hulk Smash
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Get in Watkins!

  2. Free Hat
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    With their pitch its better to have Leeds players playing away from home

  3. Ginkapo FPL
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Marvelous

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Nakamba?

  4. Champions League Varane
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bamford and Raphina Acc do something please

  5. Ady87
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Raph/Ings > Watkins/Barnes so far so good

    1. Weak Become Heros
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Decent

  6. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Dallas cleanie gone but at least watkins assist

    Ah well will have to take it

    1. F_Ivanovic
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Nobody has Dallas for the CS

    2. Weak Become Heros
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Thats a plus in your situation

  7. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    This pitch is getting worse. So many slips in the first 10 minutes

    1. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Exactly. It's disgraceful ❗

    2. Weak Become Heros
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Cant see how Leeds signed this off lol, gets worse every game I watch.

    3. im1974
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Perfectly playable

  8. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez first save

    1. Egg noodle
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      And so it begins

  9. Scholes Out For Summer
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Pretty sure Watkins was shooting for that assist

    1. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He was. He slipped like Bammy.

    2. Amey
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He was.
      Not his fault he's playing on that pathetic pitch though

    3. Mr. O'Connell
      • 11 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Watkins has never got an intentional assist. Fact.

      1. Hulk Smash
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        I don't care how he gets 'em.

  10. g40steve
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    EMI save

  11. Hulk Smash
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Leeds v Villa screams goals. I fully expect my benched and trasferred-out Leeds players to punish me tbh. I hope Martinez can get some points.

  12. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Martinez seen Johnstones haul...

  13. N00B
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I have six players in this game: Martinez, Targett, Watkins, Dallas, Raphinha, Bamford.

    1. Hy liverpool
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      4-4 then

  14. Z
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Sooo...Targett and Grealish transfer out Watkins from thier teams? "Lets do the same"

    L O L

  15. pingissimus
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Could copy and paste this comment for the cricket

    This pitch is not up to standard

    1. Ginkapo FPL
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      They know. Getting fixed over the summer

      1. AC/DC AFC
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 8 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        It's not always so easy.

        They've paid Spurs the best part of £200k to lay this turf from their spare grow.

        Man Utd had to raise the surface at Old Trafford because with the stadium it didn't get sufficient light.

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Irony

  16. Esalman
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Villa looks more threatening when Ghazi plays, compared to when Grealish plays. Guy will shoot from anywhere.

  17. Matjes_taet
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Why is Barkley benched ffs...

    He was my differential-pick.

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Odd differential pick. Villa fans had been calling for him to get benched, et voila...

    2. Woy_is_back
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I got traore, el ghazi was the one

    3. Hulk Smash
      • 8 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      He's been poor.

    4. im1974
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      That’s one word for it

  18. Shark Team
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    El Ghazi is gonna have 15 shots if he keeps it up.

  19. MoSalad
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    El Ghazi always looks dangerous when he plays

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      El Ghazard (!)

      1. MoSalad
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Hahahaha

  20. Chucky
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Targett goal needed to save my season...

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I need an Elmo one to save mine!

      1. Mr. O'Connell
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        For someone who has spent 90% of the season in the top 5k rank, you post a lot about saving your season.

        1. Big boy Bowen
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 1 month ago

          Just don't want it to slip away Mr O'Connell, I peaked and climaxed too soon

          1. Mr. O'Connell
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 1 month ago

            Haha fair enough. What you happy with from here then?

            1. Big boy Bowen
              • 7 Years
              3 years, 1 month ago

              Just would like my GW38 rank to be the highest I have been, which is going to be difficult and basically be top 1k

      2. Chucky
        • 10 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Lol top 4K and still needs saving? 😛

  21. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Speculative effort from Dallas goes wide

  22. Sim Simma
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Lucky ElMohamdy

    1. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      What happened Sim?

      1. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Should have had a YC

  23. AzzaroMax99
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Matheus Pereira did anything useful today? Can I be optimisitic with him in the next few games?

    1. MoSalad
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Here’s hoping, if he turns up he’s great. I’ll hold him for next 2 and see.

      1. AzzaroMax99
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        Thx

  24. JONALDINHO
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Raphinha could get into any team in the league

    1. MoSalad
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      I don’t think he’s going to be at Leeds next season, unreal player.

    2. Big boy Bowen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      And I went against advice on here and sold him for Pereira, what was I thinking

    3. viciousrumour
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      so true. what a player.

    4. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Would be a great rotation option at City.

  25. HippY
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I went for Barnes instead of Watkins, can I sulk yet?

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      You just did.

    2. im1974
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Why?

  26. Gudjohnsen
    • 7 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Bamford and Raphinha gonna blank today.

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Leeds look draeadful. Toll of season finally catching up?

      1. Old Man
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        The half-time bollocking will sort them out.

      2. JONALDINHO
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 1 month ago

        This happens every week with them. Next week they’ll win 4-0

  27. Hulk Smash
    • 8 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    I don't feel great about benching Raphinha this week. I think he needs to be starting every week because he could haul at any time.

    1. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      2 pointer today confirmed

  28. viciousrumour
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 13 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Roberts – Where Leeds attacks go to die.

    1. Kane and Ablett
      • 3 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      It’s funny because it’s true..

    2. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 1 month ago

      Huh ; thought he was responsible for their last win ..

  29. Free Hat
    • 5 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    Tyler Roberts and Che Adams both didnt finish their accuracy degree.

  30. Bobby
    • 14 Years
    3 years, 1 month ago

    This gameweek is starting to look ominous. I'm not sure its going to go the way I thought it might