NEWCASTLE UNITED
Season Preview
The ability to avoid losses last season was a big reason behind Newcastle staying in the top flight. Having only conceded 48 goals all campaign, this ranked them highly on that aspect, with only 2 goals more conceded than fellow new comers Wolverhampton, who finished 7th. This resolute defending will need to be continued this season, spearheaded by Fabian Schär and Jamaal Lascelles. The loss of Solomon Rondón up front will be a big blow but if goals can come frequently from other sources, mid bottom-half finish can me maintained.
Key Player: Fabian Schär
Top Goal Scorer: Joelinton
Predicted Finish: 13th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow, Fred Woodman
Defenders
Matt Ritchie, Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schär, Paul Dummett, DeAndre Yedlin, Javier Manquillo, Federico Fernández, Ciaran Clark, Florian Lejeune, Rolando Aarons, Jetro Willems
Midfielders
Isaac Hayden, Christian Atsu, Jonjo Shelvey, Ki Sung-yeung, Miguel Almirón, Sean Longstaff, Jack Colback, Jacob Murphy, Allan Saint-Maximin
Forwards
Yoshinori Muto, Joelinton
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – M. Dubravka
CB – F. Schär, CB – J. Lascelles, CB – F. Fernández
RWB – J. Manquillo LWB – R. Aarons
CM – I. Hayden, CM – J. Shelvey, CM – S. Longstaff,
ST – Joelinton, ST – M. Almirón
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – M. Ritchie, A. Saint-Maximin, Joelinton
Free Kicks – J. Shelvey, M. Ritchie, F. Schär
Corners – M. Ritchie, J. Shelvey, K. Sung-yeung
Top Target
Joelinton | FWD | £6.0 | TSB 2.6%
No Newcastle player is very appealing, but Joelinton offers some potential in the cheap striker category. The Brazilian netted 11 goals and provided 9 assists for Hoffenheim last season, averaging 2 shots and 2 shot assists per game. He has had an immediate impact for the Magpies, scoring 2 goals in pre-season, and it looks like he’ll be the side’s top scorer this season.
Punts/Differentials
Miguel Almirón | MID | £6.0 | 1.0%
Almirón doesn’t have the best productivity in the final third, but he is a dangerous player. Last season, he averaged 2 shots and 2 shot assists per game, which is acceptable. For Paraguay in the Copa America, he shone, laying on 2 classy assists and terrorising defences. If he can do a bit more in direct attacking play, Almirón is a solid shout.
Be Wary Of
Martin Dubravka | GLK | £5.0 | TSB 1.1%
Dubravka is a really solid keeper, but it’s hard to justify forking out £5.0 for him with the budget constraints this season. He’s definitely not good enough to be a set and forget, but he’s too expensive to be part of a goalkeeper rotation.
Cheapie Watch
Jamaal Lascelles | DEF | £4.5 | TSB 8.9%
Lascelles has attacking potential from set pieces, and scores well on the BPS. However, we can’t recommend starting the season with a Newcastle defender.
Cheapie Rating: C
Isaac Hayden | MID | £4.5 | TSB 7.9%
Towards the backend of last season, Hayden cemented his at defensive midfield. His attacking stats weren’t very impressive, but he created 1 chance per game which is better than other CDMs.
Cheapie Rating: C
Jonjo Shelvey | MID | £5.0 | TSB 0.3%
As seen in the past, Shelvey has strong attacking capabilities. He was limited to just 943 minutes last season, but averaged 2 shots and 2 shot assists per 90 minutes. On free kick duty and taking his share of corners, Shelvey could be a good pick up at some stage this season.
Cheapie Rating: B
Additional Notes
- Although Matt Ritchie (£5.5) will most likely miss GW1 through injury, he will slot in at either left or right wing back for Newcastle this season. Ritchie enjoyed his time in these positions last season, delivering 70% of his attacking returns from the left back position last season. Also, Ritchie ranked 3rd in the league for complete crosses (68) in 2018/19, which bodes well for his FPL prospects.
- Miguel Almirón (£6.0) has spent much of pre-season up front alongside Joelinton.
- Allan Saint-Maximin (£?) will come into the side at some stage, but he may have to bide his time.
NORWICH
Season Preview
Despite winning the league title in the Championship last season, it will be a much harder test for Norwich in the top flight. Not having a load of proven players at the highest level will mean that squad bolstering is required. If a plan of ‘what got us there’ is the mentality then it is tough times ahead. Wolverhampton is a model to follow as they too were the winners of the Championship but then went out and spent big and brought in high end players. This led to a fantastic finish. Unfortunately, we don’t see Norwich doing the same thing.
Key Player: Tim Krul
Top Goal Scorer: Teemu Pukki
Predicted Finish: 20th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Tim Krul, Ralf Fahrmann, Michael McGovern
Defenders
Timm Klose, Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons, Christoph Zimmermann, Jamal Lewis, Grant Hanley, Sam Byram, Philip Heise
Midfielders
Mario Vrancic, Emiliano Buendía, Onel Hernández, Marco Stiepermann, Patrick Roberts, Kenny McLean, Todd Cantwell, Moritz Leitner, Alexander Tettey, Tom Trybull
Forwards
Teemu Pukki, Dennis Srbeny, Josip Drmic
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – T. Krul
RB – M. Aarons, CB – G. Hanley, CB – B. Godfrey, LB – J. Lewis
CDM – K. McLean, CDM – M. Vrancic
RW - E. Buendía, CAM – M. Stiepermann, LW – O. Hernández
ST – T. Pukki
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – M. Vrancic, T. Pukki, K. McLean
Free Kicks – M. Vrancic, E. Buendía, M. Stiepermann
Corners – E. Buendía, M. Leitner, M. Vrancic
Top Target
Teemu Pukki | FWD | £6.5 | TSB 3.7%
The Finnish striker went full beast mode last season, scoring 29 goals on his way to claiming the Championship Golden Boot award. His 144 shots and 108 shots inside the box placed Pukki 1st in the Championship in both of these categories. Don’t expect him to repeat these numbers this season, but Pukki is undoubtedly Norwich’s main man in attack.
Punts/Differentials
Emiliano Buendía | MID | £6.0 | 0.6%
The Argentine attacker was all class last season, scoring 8 goals and assisting 12. Creating 91 chances, Buendía ranked 1st at Norwich and 3rd in the Championship for chances created (91) last season. Buendía also had a high defensive work rate, making 64 tackles and 232 recoveries, which should see him do well in the BPS.
Be Wary Of
Max Aarons | DEF | £4.5 | TSB 3.9%
Firstly, Norwich’s defence was quite leaky even for Championship standards last season, conceding 57 goals and only keeping 13 clean sheets. Secondly, Aarons did record 2 goals and 6 assists last season, but his underlying statistics were mediocre. Out of all Championship defenders, Aarons ranked 12th for chances created (31) and 18th for shots inside the box (17). Norwich have a pretty horrendous opening 5 GWs, so it’s best to avoid Aarons and his fellow Norwich defenders.
Cheapie Watch
Grant Hanley | DEF | £4.0 | TSB 2.5%
Hanley was Norwich’s starting centre back until injuries and form saw him watch most of last season from the sidelines. Now, after playing 474 pre-season minutes (the 2nd most of any Norwich player), Hanley is set to return to the Norwich starting side from GW1 this season. Don’t expect many points, but he will be a rare £4.0 starter.
Cheapie Rating: A
Ben Godfrey | DEF | £4.5 | TSB 0.3%
Godfrey will be a starter at centre back this season. In his 26 starts last season, he netted 4 goals and chipped in 2 assists. Godfrey’s underlying stats in attack were impressive last season, taking 23 shots, 19 of which were in the box, and ranking 3rd for big chances at Norwich. Still, it’s hard to touch a Norwich defender.
Cheapie Rating: C
Alexander Tettey | MID | £4.5 | TSB 0.5%
There is only reason why one would select Tettey: nostalgia. Back in the 2015/16 season, as a basement price midfielder, he scored 2 goals in 4 games over the Christmas period, including the winner in a famous 2-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. However, it’s unlikely Tettey will start much this season, so he’s a pass.
Cheapie Rating: D
Marco Stiepermann | MID | £5.5 | TSB 0.2%
The German’s 9 goals and 6 assists last season could have been so much more. Norwich’s starting CAM, Stiepermann ranked 3rd at Norwich for shots in the box last season, and 1st for big chances created. He’s a solid cheapie, but the Canaries’ fixtures are a turn off.
Cheapie Rating: C
Additional Notes
- Tim Krul (£4.5) and Ralf Fahrmann (£4.5) split minutes in pre-season, so it’s unclear who will start in GW1
- Josip Drmic (£5.5) is a quality striker, and with 4 pre-season goals, may come into contention for a starting spot on the wing in GW1
SHEFFIELD UNITED
Season Preview
Just like their Championship promotion counterparts, bolstering the squad is required. Having only Phil Jagielka who has played any substantial minutes in the Premier League before, no one knows how each player will adapt. This uncertainty leaves the team in a bad spot. With no central leader to the squad either it appears that higher quality opponents will pick apart the team’s structure in games, leading to a whole load of losses and bringing their Premier League status to a holt after just one season.
Key Player: Phil Jagielka
Top Goal Scorer: David McGoldrick
Predicted Finish: 19th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Dean Henderson, Jakes Eastwood, Simon Moore
Defenders
Enda Stevens, Kieron Freeman, Jack O’Connell, George Baldock, John Egan, Chris Basham, Phil Jagielka, Richard Stearman, John Lundstram
Midfielders
Mark Duffy, Luke Freeman, John Fleck, Oliver Norwood, Ravel Morrison, Callum Robinson, Ben Osborn
Forwards
Billy Sharp, David McGoldrick, Lys Mousset
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – D. Henderson
CB – C. Basham, CB – J. Egan, CB – P. Jagielka
RWB – G. Baldock LWB – E. Stevens
CM – J. Fleck, CM – O. Norwood, CM – J. Lundstrum
ST – B. Sharp, ST – D. McGoldrick
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – D. McGoldrick, B. Sharp, O. Norwood
Free Kicks – O. Norwood, J. Fleck, M. Duffy
Corners – O. Norwood, J. Fleck, M. Duffy
Top Target
Billy Sharp | FWD | £6.0 | TSB 1.4%
Although Sharp is not a prolific shot taker, he is clinical in front of goal. Last season, he converted 30.7% of his shots in goals. This saw him top score for United, finishing the season with 23 goals. Shots will be hard to come by for his newly promoted side last season, so it might be a good move to select someone who it takes fewer opportunities to score.
Punts/Differentials
David McGoldrick | FWD | £5.5 | TSB 0.3%
McGoldrick scored 15 goals last season. Although he was not as clinical as Sharp, McGoldrick’s underlying stats actually bettered those of Sharp. While Sharp took 1 shot every 40.3 minutes and 1 shot inside the box every 42.6 minutes, McGoldrick fired off 1 shot every 27.6 minutes and 1 inside the box every 37.0 minutes.
Be Wary Of
Enda Stevens | DEF | £5.0 | TSB 0.5%
Stevens was excellent in attack last season from left wing back, netting 4 goals and laying on 7 assists. However, as exemplified by attacking fullbacks from promoted teams in the past such as Huddersfield’s Tommy Smith, you just can’t fork out £5.0 for a promoted defender.
Cheapie Watch
Richard Stearman | DEF | £4.0 | TSB 3.2%
Unless John Egan suffers an injury, Stearman won’t play much this season.
Cheapie Rating: C
John Lundstram | DEF | £4.0 | TSB 5.1%
Although classified as a defender in FPL, Lundstrum player more minutes at CM than any other player at the club in pre season.
Cheapie Rating: A
John Fleck | MID | £5.0 | TSB 0.4%
Last season, Fleck provided 10 assists, and created 13 big chances. He’s a solid option at £5.0.
Cheapie Rating: B
Luke Freeman | MID | £5.5 | TSB 0.2%
Over the past two seasons, Freeman has netted 13 goals and provided 19 assists. Freeman has good attacking threat, but he’s not as nailed as other options.
Cheapie Rating: C
Additional Notes
- Callum Robinson (£5.5) is classified as a midfielder, but started Sheffield’s last 4 pre-season games at striker, scoring 4 goals. This form saw Billy Sharp’s minutes drop.
SOUTHAMPTON
Season Preview
The Saints have been teetering for many seasons now. After the exit of almost every quality player they had over the course of the last half decade, continual slips down the league table have come thick and fast. There are players in the squad that can produce, with Danny Ings, Shane Long, Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse all grabbing 5+ goals last campaign. Charlie Austin can be a high scoring outlet if he stays fit, reaching 18 league goals in the 2014/15 campaign with QPR. Che Adams is also a scored 22 Championship goals last season. If Ings, Austin and Adams can each score 7-13 goals from scattered starts and bench appearances, in conjunction with James Ward-Prowse’s continual rise as a top midfielder, the Saints can again survive and remain in the Premier League.
Key Player: James Ward-Prowse
Top Goal Scorer: Danny Ings
Predicted Finish: 14th
2019 Squad
Goalkeepers
Angus Gunn, James McCarthy, Fraser Forster
Defenders
Jan Bednarek, Ryan Bertrand, Jannik Vestergaard, Yan Valery, Jack Stephens, Maya Yoshida, Kayne Ramsay, Cédric Soares, Wesley Hoedt
Midfielders
Nathan Redmond, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse, Mario Lemina, Stuart Armstrong, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Callum Slattery, Tyreke Johnson, Moussa Djenepo
Forwards
Danny Ings, Shane Long, Charlie Austin, Michael Obafembi, Sam Gallagher, Che Adams
Predicted GW1 Line Up
GK – A. Gunn
RB – Y. Valery, CB – J. Bednarek, CB – Y. Vestergaard, LB – R. Bertrand
CDM – P. E. Højbjerg, CDM – O. Romeu
RAM – J. Ward-Prowse, LAM – N. Redmond
ST – C. Adams, ST. D. Ings
Set Piece Takers
Penalties – D. Ings, C. Austin, J. Ward-Prowse
Free Kicks – J. Ward-Prowse, R. Bertrand, N. Redmond
Corners – J. Ward-Prowse, R. Bertrand, N. Redmond
Top Target
Danny Ings | FWD | £6.0 | 2.5%
Playing his most minutes in a season since his breakout year for Burnley back in 2014/15, Ings was solid last season. He scored 7 goals and provided 3 assists, shooting at a frequency of 1 every 37.5 minutes. Ings potential lies in his ability as a poacher. Scoring all of his goals from inside the box last season, he is a constant presence in the box and puts himself in a great position to score.
Punts/Differentials
Che Adams | FWD | £6.0 | 1.6%
The £15m signing from Birmingham enjoyed a terrific 2018/19 season, scoring 22 goals in the Championship. He averaged 3 shots per game (2 in the box) and could form a deadly duo up front with Ings. In pre-season, Adams scored 3 goals and provided 2 assists.
Be Wary Of
James Ward-Prowse | MID | £6.0 | TSB 1.2%
JWP is Southampton’s key player, but his FPL potential isn’t great. He has now played 6 seasons in the Premier League, but tends to be rotated and is yet to play over 2000 minutes in a season. The midfielder did net 7 goals last season, but 1 of these was from a penalty, and another 2 were from free kicks. Overall, he only took 19 shots in 1940 minutes, so less than 1 shot per 90 minutes played.
Nathan Redmond| MID | £6.5 | TSB 2.4%
Redmond is coming off the back of his career best FPL season, scoring 137 points. Despite this, he should be avoided. Redmond blanked in a massive 75% of games last season, meaning that he only returned in 9 games. His average of 4.7 PPG against bottom 6 sides was also less than impressive.
Cheapie Watch
Kayne Ramsay | DEF | £4.0 | TSB 1.3%
Ramsay only played 1 game last season, and with Yan Valery ahead of him for the right back position, he’s not going to be playing many minutes.
Cheapie Rating: D
Oriol Romeu | MID | £4.5 | TSB 1.3%
8 shot assists, 4 shots and 11 yellow cards in 2131 minutes. Not thanks!
Cheapie Rating: D
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg | MID | £5.0 | TSB 1.1%
After having a solid 2018/19 season, Højbjerg has been bumped up by £0.5 this season. His attacking potential is quite good for a defensive midfielder, taking 43 shots and making 28 key passes last season. There are better options available, but the former Bayern Munich player isn’t the worst cheapie.
Cheapie Rating: C
Shane Long | FWD | £5.0 | TSB 6.2%
Had it not been for a hot run of 4 goals in 5 games at the end of last season, Long’s 2018/19 numbers would have looked quite bad. He only made 12 starts last season, and the Saints have now added Che Adams to their striking books. Long’s minutes may be reduced this season.
Cheapie Rating: C
Michael Obafemi | FWD | £5.0 | TSB 0.3%
After scoring 4 goals in 8 games to start off the 2018/19 Premier League 2 season, Obafemi was promoted to the senior Southampton squad. In 6 appearances, he scored 1 goal and provided 1 assist, shooting at a frequency of 1 shot every 19.1 minutes. A torn hamstring then ruled him out long term. Now fit again, Hasenbuttl has big plans for Obafemi this season, and expect him to feature regularly
Cheapie Rating: B
Additional Notes
- Jan Valery (£5.0) was excellent in attack last season, but is too pricy for a Southampton defender
- Angus Gunn (£4.5) looks to have won the starting goalkeeper position