Are Dream Team managers sleeping on Ollie Watkins this season?

OLLIE WATKINS (£5.2m) was a top-tier Dream Team plus past season.

The Aston Villa striker was wide selected passim 2023/24 arsenic helium racked up 24 goals successful each competitions (27 including the Conference League qualifying play-off) but helium has not enjoyed the aforesaid level of popularity this season.

Watkins started the run dilatory having rejoined his nine team-mates precocious pursuing England's tally to the Euro 2024 final.

In fact, his minutes person dipped considerably this word due to the fact that of Jhon Duran's (£2.9m) playing clip push.

The England and Colombia forwards person played successful tandem from clip to clip but Unai Emery mostly replaces 1 with the different erstwhile making changes successful the 2nd half.

Dream Team managers are understandably hesitant to backmost players who often depart the transportation with fractional an hr remaining but it mightiness beryllium clip to reappraisal Watkins' viability.

The 29-year-old has banked 45 points successful his past 5 outings successful a productive spell that has featured 3 goals and 3 assists.

There's nary uncertainty helium benefited from Duran's caller suspension but Emery volition not person failed to announcement the affirmative interaction Watkins' performances person had connected the Villains' results.

Some Dream Team bosses whitethorn beryllium amazed to larn that Watkins really boasts a amended onslaught complaint this play compared to 2023/24 successful the Premier League.

Last season, helium averaged a extremity each 169.8 minutes whereas he's rattling on astatine a complaint of 1 each 154 minutes this term.

However, he's lagging successful presumption of European points this season, a reflection of the information Villa person upgraded from the Conference League to the Champions League.

Emery's broadside are presently 5th retired of 36 successful the Champions League array and truthful good placed to unafraid an automatic spot successful the circular of 16.

They're owed to look Monaco connected Tuesday earlier hosting Celtic successful Gameweek 21, with a Premier League fixture against West Ham sandwiched successful between.

While good down connected past season, Watkins' existent ownership of 12.9% is acold from negligible - he's the 4th astir fashionable guardant astatine the clip of writing.

But is helium inactive being overlooked by excessively many?

The quality of Dominic Solanke's (£4.3m) wounded has near a sizeable chunk of gaffers successful request of a replacement up top.

Elsewhere, Alexander Isak (£6.3m) has been successful prolific signifier of precocious but Newcastle's deficiency of European commitments means helium has conscionable 1 fixture to fulfil successful Gameweek 21.

Granted, it's a favourable match-up against Southampton but, mostly speaking, 2 fixtures are amended than one.

One imaginable maneuver is to backmost Watkins for Gameweek 21 (vs West Ham and Celtic) and past regenerate him for Isak successful Gameweek 22 (vs Fulham and Arsenal) to compression the docket for each its worth.

At the precise least, Watkins should beryllium monitored intimately amid a crisp upturn successful form.