Fantasy Premier League managers have been flirting with the idea of having a second striker in their team throughout the season, and despite Erling Haaland being almost a must-have for everyone, finding a second striker who justifies his price and consistently scores points has been a problematic position for most teams.
Joao Pedro has been the early favorite, scoring nine goals in two, but Jean-Philippe Mateta has yet to find the form we saw last season, Victor Gyokeres has as many attacking outputs as his center-back teammate Gabriel (five), and Nicklas Wlte Mead is now sharing minutes with Ian Wissa.
Setting up a second striker we can leave in our teams for the foreseeable future will be a welcome addition for most, and it seems that two main contenders are rising to the occasion in Ollie Watkins and Igor Gomes.
Watkins is the most in-form striker in the league right now, and after a slow start where he only scored one goal in his first 13, he now has six goals and two assists in his last seven league games. Experts will talk about confidence and hot streaks, and Watkins is not a better example of someone we can trust when he is in the purple patch.
Villa also have a great fixture list, and although a trip to Crystal Palace might look tough on paper, they are winless in seven games and have arguably had the toughest fixture list of any team during the festive period.
From Gameweek 22, Villa have four home games in six against Everton, Brentford, Brighton, and Leeds, all visiting Villa Park, where Watkins has a fantastic record.
Gomes was the most bought player of the last gameweek and will be one of the most bought this time after a 17-point gameweek.
With 14 goals, only Haaland has scored more than the Brazilian, and like the Norwegian, Gomes is the true talisman of his team. Goals against Brentford are not shared, and chances are very much directed towards Gomes. It often feels like the wide forwards and midfielders around him are only there to create big chances for their number.
Brentford have an impressive home record, and they host Sunderland and Nottingham Forest in their next three games. At a value of seven million pounds, Gomes is a fantastic value this season with 108 points.
Hugo Ekitik and Jårod Bown are also worth noting. Ekitik is doubtful for the trip to Arsenal on Thursday, but we have seen enough from him to think that if he stays fit, he will score many goals in the second half of this season, and Alexander Isak's injury only strengthens his place in the team.
Burnley come to Anfield in Gameweek 22, and Ekitik's owners will be very aware of this when deciding whether to sell him this week.
Bowen, on the other hand, is significantly more expensive than players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Danny Welbeck, and Gomes, but is third in the list of forwards by total points scored this season. Unfortunately for him, being classified as a forward this season means he will score fewer points than in previous seasons when he was considered a popular midfielder.
The entry barrier for many will not be Bowen, but rather the managers' confidence issues with West Ham and their ability to score and win games. Watkins, Gomes, and Ekitik feel more reliable, partly because we trust their team and those around them to provide.
