Foden to earn another perfect 10 at Newcastle? The best FPL picks for gameweek 18

Who are the best transfers for FPL gameweek 18? 4-time top 1k and 5-time top 5k finisher Abdul Rehman uses stats, fixtures and the eye test to find the best Fantasy Premier League players with the potential to pick up big points and help shoot you up the rankings. 

Matty Cash (£5.0m) – Aston Villa 

Fixture: Burnley (H) 

Aston Villa have seen a big improvement in their results since the arrival of Steven Gerrard. They have won four of the last six with the only losses coming to Manchester City and Liverpool. They have also kept two clean sheets in that time. 

Matty Cash is the only Villa defender to have started every single game and is nailed on as can be. He has had 13 shots in the box with an xG of 0.99 and created nine goalscoring chances with a an xA of 1.58. He does possess some attacking threat, but I am more confident in his clean sheet chances going forward. 

The Villans welcome a Burnley side in gameweek 18 that haven’t been prolific going forward. They have only scored 14 goals (18th) with an xG of 16.1 (20th). They have really struggled for goals this season and with their talisman and top scorer Chris Wood not banging in the goals this season, it's not helping. 

Aston Villa are also third favourites to keep a clean sheet this week (42%) according to the bookmakers and they have a decent run of fixtures on the horizon also. 

Phil Foden (£8.1m) – Manchester City 

Fixture: Newcastle United (A) 

Phil Foden registered a goal and an assist in the 7-0 demolition of Leeds United in midweek. In only nine starts he has four goals and three assists to his name from 17 shots in the box and an xG of 3.70. He has also created 20 Chances with an xA of 4.15 (5th). 

Manchester City travel to St. James Park' in gameweek 18 to take on Newcastle United. This looks like another fixture in which City could just run away with it. The Magpies have conceded 37 goals (20th) with an xGC of 33.5 (20th).  

The Cityzens really turned it on on Tuesday night and showed just how clinical and deadly they can be. And with City up against the worst defence in the league this week, you have to fancy them to do similar here. 

They have scored 40 goals (2nd) with an xG of 39.5 (2nd) and both these metrics are likely to increase a fair bit. The bookmakers also have Pep Guardiola’s team as the favourites to score 2.5+ goals (54%) in gameweek 18 and Foden is also at a healthy 43% to score anytime. 

Foden has proven himself to be one of Pep Guardiola’s most important players and although he wont start every game, I think he will be among the attackers who play the most minutes. 

Ollie Watkins (£7.7m) – Aston Villa 

Fixture: Burnley (H) 

Ollie Watkins registered his first double digit haul with a goal and assist at Norwich on Tuesday, which now takes him to five goals and one assist. He has had 30 shots in the box with an xG of 5.26 while also creating 16 chances with an xA of 1.61.

Aston Villa host Burnley in gameweek 18, which looks another decent fixture for Steven Gerrard’s team. The Clarets have conceded 21 goals (8th) with an xGC of 24.8 (11th). Although they haven’t been the worst defensively, I think Villa will have too much for them going forward.

The Villans have scored 23 goals (7th) with an xG of 18.5 (17th) over the season, but we have seen a big improvement since the arrival for Gerrard. Ollie Watkins was Villa’s top scorer last season and will likely repeat the feat. He had a goal involvement of 42% last season and has a 37% involvement this season, and I can only see this increasing over their good run of fixtures.

The forward has played 90 minutes in the last 14 gameweeks, so is absolutely nailed on to start and is a vital part in Villa’s attack. As I have reiterated before, this is a big advantage for FPL managers at this time of the season.