With the next Fantasy Premier League (FPL) deadline on the way, we’re getting articles and team reveals from our panel of Hall of Famers and guest writers. Here, five-time top 1k finisher Tom Freeman talks through his team and the transfers he has lined up in Gameweek 12.
I’ve lined up three free transfers ahead of Saturday’s Gameweek 12 deadline. I’ll discuss each incoming player in this piece, starting with Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak (£8.5m).
ALEXANDER ISAK
After an inconsistent period, Newcastle seem to be finding some form, with successive wins over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.
Key to that turnaround has been Alexander Isak, who has 26 points in his last three outings, a run that has seen him rack up eight shots.
What’s immediately noticeable in the StatsBomb graphic below is that seven of those efforts were from good positions inside the penalty box.
Above: Alexander Isak’s shot map in Gameweeks 9-11, via StatsBomb
Isak then scored and assisted for Sweden last night, so he is clearly in a very good moment.
The 25-year-old leads the way at Newcastle for goal involvements (six) this season, and overall, he’s contributed to 60% of all their goals when on the pitch.
Only six players can better that figure:
| Player | Team | Goals and assists | FPL goal involvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liam Delap | Ipswich Town | 7 | 78% |
| Raul Jimenez | Fulham | 6 | 75% |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 14 | 67% |
| Dwight McNeil | Everton | 6 | 67% |
| Harvey Barnes | Newcastle United | 5 | 62% |
| Michail Antonio | West Ham United | 5 | 62% |
| Alexander Isak | Newcastle United | 6 | 60% |
| Cole Palmer | Chelsea | 12 | 57% |
| Alejandro Garnacho | Manchester United | 4 | 57% |
| Yoane Wissa | Brentford | 8 | 57% |
It’s worth noting Callum Wilson (£6.9m) ‘should’ be back in contention soon, but Newcastle are in the enviable position of playing just nine times in Gameweeks 12-19, so rotation should hopefully be kept to a minimum.
Meanwhile, the likes of Kai Havertz (£8.0m) and Dominic Solanke (£7.7m) have 11 fixtures.
The downside to this transfer is that I’d have to sell Erling Haaland (£15.2m), who faces a Tottenham Hotspur side potentially without Cristian Romero (£5.0m) and Micky van de Ven (£4.6m). It would, however, allow significant upgrades elsewhere, which is why I like the transfer.