The Scout looks at the best way to invest in Newcastle United assets in Fantasy Premier League ahead of their Double Gameweek 32 (DGW32) home matches against Manchester United and Crystal Palace.
Alexander Isak (£9.5m) is enjoying his best ever season in Fantasy, scoring 20 goals and supplying five assists to collect 179 points. The Swede's average of 6.6 points per start (pps) has made him the must-have Newcastle pick, with a hefty 60 per cent ownership.
Jacob Murphy (£5.1m) has been offering far greater value than his fellow winger Anthony Gordon (£7.4m), who has missed Newcastle's last four matches in all competitions due to suspension and then injury.
Murphy has 16 goal involvements, scoring seven and assisting nine, whereas Gordon has six goals and six assists to his name. Murphy has smashed his previous personal best by 40 points and has averaged 4.9pps to the 4.5 of Gordon.
In terms of pps, Kieran Trippier's (£5.6m) average of 3.7 is more than any other Newcastle defender, aside from the 4.1 of the injured Lewis Hall (£4.8m).
Newcastle's top-scoring players, 24/25
| Player | G + A | Clean sheets | Pts | Pts per start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isak | 25 | N/A | 179 | 6.6 |
| Murphy | 17 | 8 | 122 | 4.9 |
| Gordon | 12 | 9 | 113 | 4.5 |
| Trippier | 0 | 4 | 42 | 3.7 |
| Guimaraes | 9 | 10 | 108 | 3.6 |
Who has had the greatest goal threat?
The underlying statistics show Isak's importance to Newcastle's attack.
His 75 shots and 62 shots in the box are both team-leading totals, with the Swede converting an impressive 26.7 per cent of his attempts.
Isak's total of 28 big chances, which are situations where the player is expected to score, is a major factor here. That's almost twice the total of his nearest rival Gordon, who has had 15 of them.
Gordon has a clear advantage over Murphy by 40 shots in the box to 22, but his finishing has let him down. Gordon has scored just 11.1 per cent of his attempts, compared with Murphy's 18.9 per cent.
In the event that Gordon fails to recover from injury, Harvey Barnes' (£5.9m) 37 shots in the box and 14.0 per cent goal conversion suggests he could be an alternative.
Elsewhere, Dan Burn (£4.5m) leads the way among the defenders for shots in the box, with his total of 15 ahead of Fabian Schar's (£5.4m) 10. By contrast, full-backs Trippier and Tino Livramento (£4.6m) have only had one shot in the box each.
Newcastle's most attacking players, 24/25
| Player | Shots | Shots in box | Goal conversion | Big chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isak | 75 | 62 | 26.7% | 28 |
| Gordon | 54 | 40 | 11.1% | 15 |
| Murphy | 37 | 22 | 18.9% | 10 |
| Barnes | 43 | 37 | 14.0% | 7 |
| Joelinton | 43 | 33 | 9.3% | 5 |
| Burn | 15 | 15 | 0% | 3 |
| Guimaraes | 31 | 17 | 9.7% | 2 |
Who has been the most creative?
The numbers show why Gordon's share of set-pieces lift his potential for assists.
He has taken 50 corners and supplied 13 crosses from free-kicks, giving him a combined total of 63.
That has helped him created a team-high 49 chances, although what's noticeable here is that only six of them have been big chances.
Instead, it's Bruno Guimaraes (£6.2m) and Murphy who lead the way for big chances created, with 11 apiece, while Isak's total of 10 - combined with 37 chances created - showcase his huge all-round attacking potential.
Among the current crop of available defenders, Livramento ranks top with 18 chances created and four big chances created. Nonetheless, it's worth noting Trippier's set-piece duties here - he's taken 31 corners and supplied five crosses from free-kicks.
Newcastle's most creative players, 24/25
| Player | Corners + free-kicks | Chances created | Big chances created |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guimaraes | 9 | 40 | 11 |
| Murphy | 10 | 30 | 11 |
| Isak | 3 | 37 | 10 |
| Gordon | 63 | 49 | 6 |
| Barnes | 1 | 17 | 5 |
| Livramento | 1 | 18 | 4 |
So, who are the best Newcastle picks?
The underlying numbers show just why Isak should be the first Newcastle player in your line-up. The Magpies’ two home matches means the Swede will very likely be the top captain pick for DGW32, while he will also be a popular option for those with their Triple Captain chip remaining.
Elsewhere, it’s hard to look beyond the value of Murphy in midfield. He heads into DGW32 on the back of his season-high haul of 16 points against Leicester City in Gameweek 31 and is a steal at just £5.1m.
In defence, Burn offers the greatest goal threat, but Livramento has the assist potential. If you don’t mind shopping in the premium bracket, Trippier’s set-pieces could reward you.
For managers using their Assistant Manager chip, it’s worth noting that Eddie Howe (£1.5m) is unable to earn table-bonus points in any of his upcoming matches as Newcastle currently sit in fifth position.
Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner (£0.8m) offers a better solution, as he has back-to-back Double Gameweeks and can earn table-bonus points in three of those four matches, against Manchester City, Newcastle and Arsenal.
