As Newcastle United fans, we are some of the longest-suffering supporters in English football. Back in the Premier League since 2016, it’s hard to believe that Mike Ashley is still the owner of the club. We’ve witnessed failed Saudi-led takeover bids amongst other things. Steve Bruce is still trying to keep us in the top flight year after year.
At the time of writing, we are without a win from our opening six games, teetering above the relegation zone. Where is the fun, we ask? Well, may we suggest you get stuck into a season in Fantasy Premier League (FPL)? It’s one of the best ways to keep your love for the beautiful game intact. And who knows, you may even opt to pick some Newcastle stars for your selection!
A Saint Among Sinners
When it comes to FPL stars at Newcastle United, there’s not much farther to look than the fantastic Allan Saint-Maximin. Let’s refer to him as ASM from here. That name, while memorable, is tough to continue typing!
A quick summary of ASM’s FPL performance so far (first six gameweeks) shows this:
- ASM has only blanked once in the opening six games of the season – returning 35 points in that period (2G, 3A).
- Over the last three gameweeks, he has landed 10 shots with four of those being on target. Only Cristiano Ronaldo can better that stat among FPL forwards.
ASM must be one of the first names on Steve Bruce’s team-sheet for every match. He has played every minute of every game so far this season. His performances have earned him seven FPL bonus points in his six games.
Whenever you are unsure about what lineup your beloved Magpies are expected to go with in any given fixture, just check the EPL predicted lineups.
Not only will you get a taste of Newcastle’s potential starting eleven for their next game, you will see some detailed fixture analysis, showing how the next few games on the calendar are looking. This is in terms of difficulty, plus the likelihood of individual Newcastle players scoring in each specific match, the potential for a clean sheet, and the likelihood of over or under 2.5 goals.
The Magpies Who Could Come Good
Apart from the inspiring performances of Allan Saint-Maximin, it has been a case of slim pickings among Newcastle players so far in terms of FPL heroes. ASM 35 FPL points from six rounds. That’s an average of 5.8 points per gameweek. He is currently the fourth-highest scoring forward in FPL – behind Michail Antonio (West Ham) on 47 points, Jamie Vardy (Leicester) with 40, and Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) on 36.
It’s worth taking a closer look through the Newcastle squad then for those who may be considered ‘hidden gems’ of the FPL game.
Goalkeeper Freddie Woodman was a decent option early on at 4.5 million – mainly due to the amount of saves everyone knew he would be having to make – but he got injured and is out for another couple of weeks.
Is Karl Darlow solid enough to make that number one spot his own in the meantime? In two appearances, Darlow has already scored more FPL points (10) than what Woodman had accumulated in four games (nine points). Darlow also costs 4.5 million so if you are opting for a Newcastle goalkeeper, you will have to view the Premier League injury list ahead of each gameweek to see who may start. The predicted lineups pages will also help with this, of course.
Callum Wilson is always a strong option but he is also out injured. The two fit Newcastle players who are joint-second in terms of FPL scores for Magpies right now are Jacob Murphy and Sean Longstaff. Both midfielders, Murphy started the first three Newcastle games but has been on the bench for rounds 4, 5, and 6. Like Longstaff, Murphy has 16 points. Longstaff was on the bench for the first two gameweeks but started the four most-recent rounds. Murphy costs 5.0 million with Longstaff priced at 4.5 at the moment.
Gather All the Information You Need
Use the most reliable sites to find out everything you need before each gameweek deadline. Online resources such as the official FPL site are the way to go. You’ll always be able to check which Newcastle players are unavailable, either through injury or suspension.
Try to have some fun with FPL as it could be another hard slog of a campaign for us Newcastle fans!