FPL Gameweek 1 – head-to-head comparisons: Ollie Watkins vs Chris Wood
Two potent Premier League strikers who expect to be in among the goals and FPL points once again in 2025-26 come under the microscope leading up to Gameweek 1 as we use the data to compare Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins (£9.0m) to Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood (£7.5m).
One of the stories of last season from an FPL perspective, Chris Wood enjoyed his best ever Premier League season in front of goal, scoring 20 goals for Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest. Since joining Forest, New Zealand international Wood has racked up 34 goals in 67 Premier League appearances, an average of just better than a goal every two games.
Ollie Watkins boasted a higher xGI (expected goal involvement) of 17.2 last season compared to Wood’s 15.0. Both outperformed their metrics, with Watkins registering 16 goals and eight assists.
However, Wood’s BPS consuming was huge compared to Watkins and this is something that must be factored into the new campaign. Watkins accrued 32 bonus points, whilst Wood managed 41. Another key FPL point that must be taken into account are match minutes. Ollie Watkins is more vulnerable to an early substitution, but Wood is more likely to stay on the pitch for longer.
Both Aston Villa and Notts Forest are at home in Gameweek 1 to Newcastle and Brentford respectively. There is uncertainty surrounding Brentford at present with Keith Andrews now in charge following Thomas Frank’s departure for Spurs. This alone perhaps tips the scales narrowly in Wood’s favour, along with his significantly cheaper price-tag, bonus point consumption and the expectation that he will take penalties.
Verdict: Chris Wood (£7.5m)
