Fixture pivot encourages Dream Team bosses to back in-form bagsman Alexander Isak

RIGHT-MINDED Dream Team managers don't need much of an excuse to back Alexander Isak (£5.2m).

Despite a handful of injury setbacks, Newcastle's No14 has proven himself to be one of the Premier League's best strikers since his arrival on English shores in the summer of 2022.

The Sweden international has scored 37 goals in 65 league appearances for the Magpies at an impressive strike rate of one every 131 minutes.

More relevantly, he's in great form right now having scored six goals in his last eight outings; and that includes when he was forced off with a knock midway through the first half against Crystal Palace at the end of November.

Isak's prolific spell in front of goal has yielded 68 points since the start of Gameweek 9, making him one of Dream Team's most in-form players.

Aside from a concerning availability record, the main reason gaffers have been reluctant to select the 25 year-old forward is his comparatively relaxed schedule.

Eddie Howe's side narrowly missed out on European qualification last season meaning Isak simply doesn't have as many point-scoring opportunities as the likes of Kai Havertz (£4.7m), Dominic Solanke (£4.1m), Ollie Watkins (£5.5m), etc.

However, the fixture list is about to pivot.

From the start of Gameweek 15 (which gets underway this Saturday) until the end of Gameweek 19 in mid-January, no team will play more games than Newcastle.

And it will stay that way if the Toon get past Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-final at St James' Park.