UCL Fantasy Guide: Rules, Tips and Set-Piece Takers for Each Team

August 31, 2021 Trevor Baretto 1 Comment

UCL Fantasy is back for the 21/22 season and we have created a comprehensive guide containing rules, tips and set-piece takers for each team to help you get started.

UCL Fantasy Rules

In UCL Fantasy, you will have a squad of 15 players in your team with a set number of free transfers each week to replace any player in your squad with a player who plays in the same position within the budget constraints. A maximum of one unused transfer can be carried over to the next Matchday and any additional transfer beyond the quota of free transfers will incur a -4 point deduction for the week.

Breakdown of your 15 man squad

2 goalkeepers
5 defenders
5 midfielders
3 forwards

Budget

For the start of the Champions League tournament, you will have €100 million in virtual money to spend on your squad which rises to €105 million from the round of 16 onwards.

Formations

For each gameweek, you must have one starting keeper and 10 outfield players. You can choose any formation, as long as you’ve picked one goalkeeper, at least three defenders, at least three midfielders and at least one forward in your starting XI. Formations can also be changed midweek as you make substitutions and bring in players off the bench. The valid formations in the game are:

3-4-3
3-5-2
4-4-2
4-5-1
5-2-3
5-3-2
5-4-1

Price Changes

There won’t be any changes in the player’s prices until the end of Matchday 2. From Matchday 3 onwards, there will be an update for the player prices based on their performances in the first two games after which the prices will fluctuate based on how many points a player scores until the end of the season.

Matchdays

UCL has 13 matchdays in total that consists of six rounds of games in the group stages and two-legs or the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals before the final. The deadline for each matchday is the first match’s kick-off after which you won’t be able to make any transfers for the week but you will be able to make substitutions throughout the matchday.

Matchday	Deadline
Matchday 1	Tuesday, 14th September, time TBC
Matchday 2	Tuesday, 28th September, time TBC
Matchday 3	Tuesday, 19th October, time TBC
Matchday 4	Tuesday, 2nd November, time TBC
Matchday 5	Tuesday, 23rd November, time TBC
Matchday 6	Tuesday, 7th December, time TBC
Matchday 7 (round of 16 1st leg)	Tuesday, 15th February, time TBC
Matchday 8 (round of 16 2nd leg)	Tuesday, 8th March, time TBC
Matchday 9 (quarter-finals 1st leg)	Tuesday, 5th April, time TBC
Matchday 10 (quarter-finals 2nd leg)	Tuesday, 12th April, time TBC
Matchday 11 (semi-finals 1st leg)	Tuesday, 26th April, time TBC
Matchday 12 (semi-finals 2nd leg)	Tuesday, 3rd May, time TBC
Matchday 13 (final)	Saturday, 28th May, time TBC

Tip: It is a good idea to have players who play across different days on a matchday so that you have plenty of captaincy options to choose from.

Fantasy UCL Substitutions

Manual Substitutions

You can make as many substitutions as you would like during the matchday and after the matches on a single day are finished and before the matches on the next day kick-off, you can sub out a maximum of four players unless they have been sent off and change your captain to another player who is yet to play. Any points scored by the player who has been subbed off will be lost just like the captaincy bonus if you change the player with the armband.

Note:

You can’t sub players into your starting XI, or change to a captain, who have already played in that matchday.
Once you confirm your subs or change of captain after they have played, those changes can’t be reversed.
Once the matches on the final day of the matchday have kicked off, you can’t make changes to your team. Any changes you make will only be applied to the next matchday.
You’ll need to save your changes before the matchday kicks off for them to take effect. If you start adjusting your squad just before the deadline, but you save your changes after it’s already passed, your changes won’t apply to that day’s matches.

Automatic Substitutions

If you don’t make any substitutions, change the order of your bench or change your captain once the matchday has begun, the players who haven’t played in your starting XI will be subbed on according to the priority of your bench from left to right.

In case your goalkeeper doesn’t play in a matchday, your replacement goalkeeper will be subbed in, as long as he has played (and as long as you haven’t made any other manual changes to your squad during that matchday).
If any of your starting outfield players don’t play in a matchday, they’ll be automatically subbed out. The player subbed in will be the highest-priority substitute who has played in the matchday, and whose substitution doesn’t break formation rules.
If you switch the priority order of your subs once a matchday has started, that will count as a manual substitution and no automatic substitutions will kick in for the remainder of that matchday.
If you save any changes to your captain or starting XI during a matchday, that will count as a manual substitution and no automatic substitutions will kick in for the remainder of that matchday. That includes changing your captain, saving, then changing back to your previous captain once the matchday has begun.

Auto substitutions will only trigger if you haven’t made any single change to your squad after the first game of the matchday has started. You can check whether it is still enabled above your line-up on the pitch.

UCL Fantasy Captain

Just like how you can substitute players off the bench for each day of the matchday, you can also change your captain pick. A player that has been selected as captain will double his points for the matchday and if you aren’t satisfied with your captain’s score then you can twist the armband to another player who is playing on a later day within the same matchday.

If your captain does not play on a particular matchday and your team is still on auto subs, he will be subbed out for a player off the bench but that player will not receive the captain’s double bonus points. All captain changes have to be done manually.

Tip: If you have plenty of captaincy options for a matchday, you can try punting on differential captains with a high ceiling for the first two days or so in hopes of getting a high score. Usually, 10+ points are considered a good score but anything above 6 is considered a decent score for a captain as well.

Fantasy UCL Scoring Rules

Players will score points based on their performances throughout the season according to the table below:

	Action	Points
All players	Appearance	1
	60 minutes on the pitch	1
	Goal from outside the box	1
	Assist	3
	Every 3 balls recovered	1
	Player of the match award	3
	Winning penalty*	2
	Conceding penalty*	-1
	Missing penalty	-2
	Yellow card	-1
	Red card	-3
	Own goal	-2
Goalkeepers	Scoring a goal	6
	Scoring a penalty	5
	Clean sheet*	4
	Every 3 saves	1
	Every 2 goals conceded	-1
	Scoring a goal	6
	Clean sheet*	1
	Every 2 goals conceded	-1
Defenders	Scoring a goal	6
	Clean sheet*	4
	Every 2 goals conceded	-1
Midfielders	Scoring a goal	5
	Clean sheet*	1
Forwards	Scoring a goal	4

*When a penalty is awarded for handball, no points are awarded or deducted.

Minutes Played

A player is awarded one point for making an appearance and gains an extra point when he plays 60 minutes in a game excluding injury time. This means that extra time added to the end of each half isn’t added to a player’s total but added extra time is in case a knockout game cannot be settled in regulation time.

Assists

A player gets points for an assist whenever he plays the final pass, cross, header or shot which leads to a goal. This also applies to set plays (corners, free-kicks and throw-ins).

Players also get points for an assist if a goal is scored on the rebound when they’ve shot against the post or bar.

When an attempt on goal is blocked on the goal line by an opposing player, the player who takes that shot will get points for an assist. They’ll also get points for an assist when their pass, shot or cross leads to an own goal.

Players that win a penalty don’t get points for an assist – instead, they get two points for winning the penalty (except when the penalty is awarded for handball).

When a goal is scored from a solo run or dribble, no player is credited with the assist.

Clean sheets

Players get points for a clean sheet when they play at least 60 minutes excluding added time at the end of both halves and their team doesn’t concede a goal while they are on the pitch. If a player has already been subbed off when their team concedes a goal, that player’s clean sheet bonus won’t be affected.

Player of the Match award

One new introduction for this season is the player of the match award. At the end of every Champions League match, one player is given the Player of the Match award. This award is decided by UEFA’s technical observer panel. When a player wins this award, he’ll score an extra 3 points for that matchday.

Red cards

If a player gets a red card, they’ll continue to be penalised for goals conceded by their team after they’ve been sent off. In case a player gets a yellow card and then a red card, they’ll only be penalised for the red card.

If your captain gets a red card, you can transfer the captaincy to one of your other starting XI, as long as your new captain hasn’t already played yet within the matchday but you can’t sub off players who get a red card.

Extra time and penalties

Players will keep scoring points throughout extra time. However, players who play 120 minutes can’t get double appearance or clean sheet points (2 x 60 minutes) and won’t score any points during penalty shoot-outs.

Tip: Ball recoveries might not seem too fancy but players who are good at it such as Mats Hummels (BVB), Joe Gomez (LFC) and Marquinhos (PSG), etc, offer a great floor as they can generate 1-3 points just for recovering balls in every game.

Transfers

Transfers help you maximize your team’s points throughout the season and before the UEFA Champions League kicks off, you can make as many transfers as you like as long as you stay within the budget. You can also make as many transfers as you like between the group stage and round of 16.

Throughout the competition, you get free transfers each matchday, where no points will be deducted from your score. The number of free transfers you can make depends on the stage of the competition as per the table below.

For every transfer you make beyond your quota of free transfers, you’ll have four points deducted from your total. Because of the way points are calculated, this will be deducted from your overall score rather than your matchday score.

Matchday	Number of free transfers
Before group stage	Unlimited
During group stage	2 per matchday
Round of 16	Unlimited
Round of 16 second leg	3
Quarter-finals	5
Quarter-finals 2nd leg	3
Semi-finals	5
Semi-finals second-leg	3
Final	5

If you don’t use your full allowance of free transfers for a matchday then you will only be able to carry forward a maximum of one free transfer to the next matchday. If you use a wildcard or limitless chip then you cannot carry forward any free transfers and once the knockout phase starts you cannot carry forward any free transfers between matchdays.

Fantasy UCL Chips

UCL Fantasy features a variety of chips that if used right, can help you score more points and boost your rank. There are two chips – Wildcard and limitless – that managers can use once throughout the competition on any matchday except 1 and 7 when everyone receives unlimited free transfers.

	Wildcard	Limitless
Unlimited transfers	Yes	Yes
Unlimited budget	No	Yes
Team resets once matchday is over	No	Yes

Wildcard

The wildcard chips allow you to make multiple changes to your squad for the upcoming matchdays without taking a hit. It enables you to make unlimited free transfers and any changes that you make to your squad will be permanent once that matchday is over. Rules regarding automatic and manual substitutions still apply in addition to other rules for captaincy changes, formation constraints and the number of players you can select from each club.

If you’ve already made transfers ahead of a matchday and activate your wildcard, the transfers you’ve made previously will be cancelled, along with any points deductions.

Limitless

Limitless allows you to make unlimited transfers just like wildcard but without any budget constraints. Once the matchday has finished, your squad will return to how it was before you played your Limitless chip.

The normal rules for automatic substitutions, manual substitutions and captain changes still apply when playing limitless, as well as formation constraints and the number of players you can pick from one team.

If you’ve already made transfers ahead of a matchday and you then play limitless, the transfers you’ve made previously will be cancelled, along with any points deductions.

Tip: Try to include some differentials in your squad when you activate limitless rather than selecting players only based on their price.

Champions League Set-piece Takers

The set-piece takers for each club have been sorted according to the first to the fourth choice from left to right.

Team	Penalties	Direct free-kicks	Corners and indirect free-kicks
AC Milan	Kessié (MID, €5.5M), Ibrahimović (FWD, €8M), Giroud (FWD, €7M)	Ibrahimović (FWD, €8M), Hernandez (DEF, €5.5M), Díaz (MID, €6M)	Tonali (MID, €5.5M), Bennacer (MID, €6M), Díaz (MID, €6M)
Ajax	Tadić (FWD, €8.5M), Labyad (MID, €6M), Klaassen (MID, €6.5M)	Tadić (FWD, €8.5M), Labyad (MID, €6M), Gravenberch (MID, €6M)	Tadić (FWD, €8.5M), Labyad (MID, €6M), Gravenberch (MID, €6M)
Atalanta	Muriel (FWD, €8.5M), Iličić (MID, €9M)	Iličić (MID, €9M), Malinovskyi (MID, €7.5M)	Iličić (MID, €9M), Malinovskyi (MID, €7.5M)
Atlético Madrid	Suárez (FWD, €9.5M), Griezmann (FWD, €10M), Félix (MID, €9M)	Trippier (DEF, €5M), Koke (MID, €6.5M), Félix (MID, €9M)	Lemar (MID, €7M), Trippier (DEF, €5M), Carrasco (MID, €7M), De Paul (MID, €7.5M)
Barcelona	Depay (FWD, €8.5M), Braithwaite (FWD, €6M)	Depay (FWD, €8.5M), Coutinho (MID, €8.5M)	Depay (FWD, €8.5M), Coutinho (MID, €8.5M)
Bayern Munich	Lewandowski (FWD, €11.5M), Müller (FWD, €9.5M), Sabitzer (MID, €8M)	Lewandowski (FWD, €11.5M), Sané (MID, €6M), Sabitzer (MID, €8M)	Kimmich (DEF, €6.5M), Sané (MID, €6M), Gnabry (MID, €10M)
Beşiktaş J.K.	Ghezzal (MID, €5.5M , Batshuayi (FWD, €5.5M), Nkoudou (MID, €6.5M)	Pjanić (MID, €7M), Ghezzal (MID, €5.5M), Teixeira (MID, €6.5M)	Pjanić (MID, €7M), Ghezzal (MID, €5.5M), Teixeira (MID, €6.5M), Özyakup (MID, €6.5M)
Borussia Dortmund	Haaland (FWD, €11M), Reus (MID, €8M)	Guerreiro (DEF, €6M), Reus (MID, €8M), Hazard (MID, €8M)	Reyna (MID, €7M), Reus (MID, €8M), Guerreiro (DEF, €6M)
BSC Young Boys	Nsame (FWD, €6M), Siebatcheu (FWD, €6.5M), Sierro (MID, €5.5M)	Sierro (MID, €5.5M)	Sierro (MID, €5.5M), Garcia (DEF, €4.5M), Aebischer (MID, €6M)
Chelsea	Jorginho (MID, €6M), Lukaku (FWD, €10.5M), Mount (MID, €7.5M)	Mount (MID, €7.5M), Alonso (DEF, €5M), Havertz (MID, €9M)	Mount (MID, €7.5M), Chilwell (DEF, €5.5M), Ziyech (MID, €8.5M)
Club Brugge	Vanaken (MID, €7M), Dost (FWD, €6.5M), Lang (MID, €6.5M)	Vormer (MID, €6M), Vanaken (MID, €7M), De Ketelaere (MID, €6M)	Vormer (MID, €6M), Lang (MID, €6.5M), De Ketelaere (MID, €6M)
Dynamo Kyiv	Tsygankov (MID, €7.5M), De Pena (MID, €7.5M), Rodrigues (FWD, €6M)	Tsygankov (MID, €7.5M), De Pena (MID, €7.5M), Shaparenko (MID, €6M)	Tsygankov (MID, €7.5M), De Pena (MID, €7.5M), Shaparenko (MID, €6M)
FC Porto	Oliveira (MID, €8M), Taremi (FWD, €7.5M), Martínez (FWD, €6.5M)	Oliveira (MID, €8M), Costa (MID, €5.5M), Vieira (MID, €6M)	Oliveira (MID, €8M), Costa (MID, €5.5M), Vieira (MID, €6M)
FC Sheriff Tiraspol	Castañeda (MID, €6M), Thill (MID, €5.5M), Bizjak (FWD, €5.5M)	Thill (MID, €5.5M), Dulanto (DEF, €4.5M), Castañeda (MID, €6M)	Thill (MID, €5.5M), Dulanto (DEF, €4.5M), Castañeda (MID, €6M)
FC Zenit	Azmoun (FWD, €8M), Sutormin (MID, €5.5M), Dzyuba (FWD, €8M)	Malcom (FWD, €6.5M), Santos (DEF, €4M), Rakitskyi (DEF €4.5M)	Santos (DEF, €4M), Claudinho (MID, €6M)
Inter Milan	Martínez (FWD, €10M), Džeko (FWD, €7.5M), Sánchez (FWD, €8M)	Çalhanoğlu (MID, €8.5M), Dimarco (DEF, €4.5M), Brozović (MID, €6.5M)	Çalhanoğlu (MID, €8.5M), Perišić (MID, €8M), Dimarco (DEF, €4.5M)
Juventus	Morata (FWD, €9.5M), Cuadrado (MID, €8M)	Dybala (FWD, €9M), Cuadrado (MID, €8M)	Cuadrado (MID, €8M), Dybala (FWD, €9M), Kulusevski (MID, €8M)
Liverpool	Milner (MID, €5.5M), Salah (MID, €10.5M), Mané (MID, €10M)	Alexander-Arnold (DEF, €6.5M), Salah (MID, €10.5M), Fabinho (MID, €5.5M)	Robertson (DEF, €6.5M), Alexander-Arnold (DEF, €6.5M), Tsimikas (DEF, €4.5M)
LOSC Lille	Yılmaz (FWD, €8M), Ikoné (MID, €7M)	Ikoné (MID, €7M), André (MID, €5.5M), Yazıcı (FWD, €7.5M)	Yazıcı (FWD, €7.5M), André (MID, €5.5M)
Malmö FF	Christiansen (MID, €6M), Čolak (FWD, €6.5M), Jo Inge Berget (MID, €5.5M)	Christiansen (MID, €6M), Birmančević (MID, €6M)	Christiansen (MID, €6M)
Manchester City	Mahrez (MID, €9M), De Bruyne (MID, €11M), Rodri (MID, €5.5M)	De Bruyne (MID, €11M), Gündogan (MID, €7M), Mahrez (MID, €9M)	De Bruyne (MID, €11M), Gündogan (MID, €7M), Mahrez (MID, €9M)
Manchester United	Ronaldo (FWD, €11M), Fernandes (MID, €10.5M), Rashford (MID, €9M)	Ronaldo (FWD, €11M), Fernandes (MID, €10.5M), Rashford (MID, €9M)	Shaw (DEF, €6M), Greenwood (FWD, €8M), Fernandes (MID, €10.5M)
PSG	Messi (FWD, €11M), Neymar (FWD, €10.5M), Mbappé (FWD, 10.5M)	Messi (FWD, €11M), Neymar (FWD, €10.5M), Di Maria (MID, €9M)	Messi (FWD, €11M), Neymar (FWD, €10.5M), Di Maria (MID, €9M)
RB Leipzig	Silva (FWD, €9M), Forsberg (MID, €7M)	Szoboszlai (MID, €7M), Nkunku (MID, €7.5M)	Angeliño (DEF, €5.5M), Szoboszlai (MID, €7M)
RB Salzburg	Adeyemi (FWD, €7M), Koita	Ulmer (DEF, €4.5M), Camara	Ulmer (DEF, €4.5M), Seiwald (MID, €4.5M), Aaronson (MID, €5.5M)
Real Madrid	Benzema (FWD, €10M), Hazard (MID, €9.5M)	Kroos (MID, €8M), Modric (MID, €7.5M), Isco (MID, €7M)	Kroos (MID, €8M), Modric (MID, €7.5M), Isco (MID, €7M)
Sevilla	Ocampos (MID, €8M), Rakitić (MID, €7M), En-Nesyri (FWD, €8.5M)	Jordan (MID, €6.5M), Gómez (MID, €8M)	Jordan (MID, €6.5M), Gómez (MID, €8M), Navas (DEF, €5M)
Shakhtar Donetsk	Traoré (FWD, €6.5M), Tetê (MID, €6.5M), Moraes (FWD, €6.5M)	Patrick (MID, €6.5M), Solomon (MID, €6M), Marlos (MID, €6M)	Maycon (MID, €5.5M), Solomon (MID, €6M)
S.L. Benfica	Pizzi (MID, €7M), Seferovic (FWD, €6.5M)	Grimaldo (DEF, €4.5M), Weigl (MID, €5.5M), Mário (MID, €6M)	Pizzi (MID, €7M), Everton (MID, €6.5M), Grimaldo (DEF, €4.5M)
Sporting CP	Gonçalves (MID, €8M), Cabral (FWD, €5.5M)	Cabral (FWD, €5.5M), Gonçalves (MID, €8M), Porro (DEF, €4.5M)	Mendes (DEF, €4.5M), Porro (DEF, €4.5M), Cabral (FWD, €5.5M), Vinagre (DEF, €5M)
Villareal	Moreno (FWD, €8.5M), Alcácer (FWD, €7.5M), Gómez (MID, €6M)	Parejo (MID, €6.5M), Trigueros (MID, €6M), Gómez (MID, €6M)	Parejo (MID, €6.5M), Trigueros (MID, €6M), Gómez (MID, €6M)
VfL Wolfsburg	Weghorst (FWD, €8M), Arnold (MID, €6.5M)	Arnold (MID, €6.5M)	Arnold (MID, €6.5M), Phillip (FWD, €6.5M), Mehmedi (FWD, €5.5M)

Note: A few players such as Karim Adeyemi and Rachid Ghezzal haven’t been added to the game yet and the Villareal vs Atalanta fixture for Matchday 1 is missing as well so an update is pending for UCL Fantasy.

You can find additional UCL Fantasy resources for the 21/22 season here.

Eliteserien Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Eliteserien: Gameweek 17 Preview

August 28, 2021 Jacob Silkstone Leave a comment

Amahl Pellegrino announced his return with a 17-minute hattrick off the bench last week and is one of the best captaincy options for gameweek 17 in Fantasy Eliteserien according to tipster Jacob Silkstone.

How Did Our GW16 Picks Do?

As is now traditional, we’ll begin with a quick glance back at the previous gameweek. For the second consecutive round, our picks didn’t quite live up to expectations. Again, the overall average was atypically low (just 35 points) and again nobody from our team of the week managed to get on the scoresheet. Hove and Normann Hansen both provided assists, while Andersson registered a clean sheet in a dominant Rosenborg performance.

We did highlight Amahl Pellegrino as a player to watch, but added that “there’s a risk he makes his home debut from the bench.” He did make his home debut from the bench, getting just half an hour on the pitch against former club Kristiansund, but that didn’t really matter: in that half an hour, he scored two tap-ins and a slightly dubious penalty (if you detect a note of bitterness, you’re not wrong…) to finish as the gameweek’s highest-scoring player.

The Bigger Picture

Molde have been the league leaders since GW8, but Bodø/Glimt have closed the gap to just two points and we can expect an exciting title race. With Molde out of Europe, they can afford to focus fully on the league, whereas Bodø/Glimt also have the group stages of the new Europa Conference League to negotiate. Rosenborg have had a quietly impressive summer transfer window and could still be dark horses for the title — after all, they’ve won Eliteserien in four of the past six seasons.

If you’re setting up your Fantasy Eliteserien team for the long run (on the second wildcard, for example) it’s worth remembering that Stabæk and Strømsgodset have a blank in GW19 followed by a double in GW20. Although no further doubles are scheduled at the moment, don’t rule out some additional changes to the fixture list between now and the end of the season.

Fantasy Eliteserien GW17 Picks

Goalkeeper

After Kristoffer Klaesson left for Leeds in the summer transfer window, Christian Kjetil Haug (4.9M) has been the preferred alternative between the posts for Vålerenga. He’s already picked up a couple of save points from his previous home game, while opponents Stabæk drew a blank last time they faced Vålerenga in the league. It’s far from a guaranteed clean sheet, but probably worth a punt.

Defence

Sarpsborg return to action after a blank gameweek, and we’re backing captain Joachim Thomassen (5.6M) as a possible source of points at both ends of the pitch. Sarspborg have four clean sheets in eight home games so far this season, and Thomassen has chipped in with a couple of goals from left-back. Opponents Sandefjord have failed to score in two of their last five away games.

Fredrik Bjørkan (6.1M) is now fully fit again, and is our way into the Bodø/Glimt defence as they travel to relegation-battling Tromsø. Bjørkan offers a consistent attacking threat and has been slightly unlucky to register only four assists so far this season (still an impressive haul for a defender); Tromsø haven’t won at home all season, scoring just three times in their last five games in front of their own fans.

We’re ready for another punt on Alexander Stølås (6.3M) as Haugesund travel to face a Brann side still firmly rooted to the bottom of the table. Stølås has yet to recapture his best form since returning from a long-term injury, but a screamer against Molde a couple of gameweeks ago was a reminder of what he’s capable of. In his last injury-free season, he contributed four goals and eight assists.

Midfield

After hesitating over whether to back Amahl Pellegrino (12.0M) in last week’s picks, there’ll be no hesitation this time. Pellegrino came off the bench again in Glimt’s Conference League play-off victory on Thursday evening, but he should be ready for his first start in the North Norwegian derby against Tromsø. Even if he doesn’t get the full game, he’s one of the most lethal finishers in the league and represents a genuine captain option in Fantasy Eliteserien.

Great things were expected of Stefano Vecchia (9.2M) when he arrived at Rosenborg, only for his season to be disrupted by injury. He’s now back to top form, adding a European goal to the two he scored against Odd in the last Eliteserien gameweek. If he can stay fit, expect his fantasy ownership (currently just 2.9%) to rocket upwards.

League leaders Molde are back in action against Kristiansund, and Ola Brynhildsen (7.9M) has been their most consistent midfield option so far this season. After scoring twice in the opening two gameweeks, he’s ticked over with seven assists since, and his rotation risk has been diminished by Molde’s exit from Europe.

Kristoffer Velde (8.8M) is our Haugesund attacker of choice ahead of the game with Brann. His last six games have yielded two goals and four assists, and Brann have only managed a single clean sheet at home all season.

Lastly, we’ll keep our faith in Vidar Ari Jónsson (5.5M) as a budget midfield option. He was unlucky to register only a single attacking return last gameweek, and if Sandefjord are to score away at Sarpsborg then there’s a strong chance he’ll be involved.

Forward

Ohi Omoijuanfo (12.2M) has towered head and shoulders over the other forwards in Eliteserien this season, with 18 goals so far. Kristiansund away isn’t the easiest fixture, but it would take a brave fantasy manager to bet against him adding to his points total (the highest in the game by a considerable margin).

With budget constraints steering us away from the more obvious options (Thomas Lehne Olsen and Erik Botheim), Brann’s Aune Heggebø represents good value at just 6.0M. Heggebø had an impressive record at the youth level, and has stepped up ever since Daouda Bamba left the club during the summer transfer window. With two goals in his last two games, he’ll be key to any hopes Brann have of climbing out of the relegation zone.

Fantasy Eliteserien Team of the Week for Gameweek 17

You can find Fantasy Eliteserien resources for the 21/22 season here.

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Bundesliga Fantasy Player Rankings for Matchday 3

August 27, 2021 Trevor Baretto Leave a comment

Bundesliga Fantasy is back for Matchday 3 and we look at the best players for the final week before the International Break for which we will be receiving unlimited transfers.

Forwards

Rank	Name	Team	Opponent	Value	Comments
1	Robert Lewandowski	FCB	vs BSC	17.7M	You know that getting your star forward right isn't an issue when Lewandowski has an individual game. This is going to be another potential ceiling game for him and he even scored each of the four goals in a 4-3 win last time out.
2	Erling Haaland	BVB	vs TSG	16.6M	The games between BVB-TSG have always been open and I expect it to stay that way.
3	Andrej Kramarić	TSG	@BVB	14.5M	I don't want to be too reactionary but Kramarić is in great form, plays Dortmund who will force Witsel to play as a center-back and he also scored four goals the last time he faced BVB away.
4	Patrick Schick	B04	@FCA	13.5M	Although I would say Diaby is more likely to get multiple returns, Schick is hard to ignore when he is taking 5+ shots in every game and looks like a completely different player ever since the Euros.
5	Moussa Diaby	B04	@FCA	12.6M	Some extra motivation for Diaby now that he has been selected for the France national team?
6	Thomas Müller	FCB	vs BSC	15.1M	Although his record is not as impressive as Lewandowski or Kramarić, Müller has a goal or an assist in each of his last three games against Hertha.
7	André Silva	RBL	@WOB	15.3M	Penalties were his bread and butter but now that he is the third choice for spot-kicks on a team that does not have to rely on him for goals, I think Forsberg might soon become the better option.
8	Anthony Modeste	KOE	vs BOC	6.5M	A bit more goal reliant than Uth for me so I will pass.
9	Rafael Santos Borré	SGE	@DSC	7.3M	Despite having one of the better defences in the league and going up against the worst team in the division, Arminia conceded 20 shots against SGF. Borré though would be a much better pick if his finishing was better and if he doesn't shoot straight at the keeper every time.
10	Marco Reus	BVB	vs TSG	13.3M

Midfielders

Rank	Name	Team	Opponent	Value	Comments
1	Filip Kostić	SGE	@DSC	14.4M	4 shots, 3 key passes and 14 points without a single goal involvement is peak Kostić and he is set for another big score if Arminia concede shots like they did against SGF. However, pay attention to whether Lazio takes him away before the 31st of August deadline.
2	Dominik Szoboszlai	RBL	@WOB	11M	RB Leipzig have a superstar in their hands and I can't see why he won't replicate the same performance from last week against Van Bommel's Wolfsburg.
3	Jamal Musiala	FCB	vs BSC	12M	Don't let his age deter you. He was the most electric player on the pitch once he came on against Koln and is far better than players much older than him. I feel like this could be a breakout season for him. I must admit that Musiala is more of a differential pick that is more likely to get an attacking return but Kimmich is the safer floor pick.
4	Christopher Nkunku	RBL	@WOB	14.4M	Expecting fewer shots and goals in this game so he might not have a huge haul this week.
5	Rolland Sallai	SCF	@VFB	10.2M	Sallai has a habit of scoring against weak defences and is worth a shout as a differential. Grifo is also one to keep an eye on as he is on set-pieces against the team that has conceded the most shots so far after Greuther Fürth
6	Ondrej Duda	KOE	vs BOC	9M	Kainz is a great pick but now that Duda is starting he will play OOP as a striker where he thrived and he will also be the first choice for set-pieces including penalties and is a perfect one week punt before the wildcard.
7	Jean-Paul Boëtius	M05	vs SGF	6.9M	Boëtius doesn't have much going his way except the fact that he plays Greuther Fürth and he is the only Mainz midfielder worth even looking at.
8	Philipp Förster	VFB	vs SCF	6.3M	Both these teams are known for conceding lots of shots so if this game happens to turn into a shot fest then you can expect Förster to top the list.
9	Florian Wirtz	B04	@FCA	10.9M	Expected to get just around 60 minutes but it is enough for him to do more damage than Demirbay has done so far.
10	Lars Stindl	BMG	@FCU	13.1M	I don't really trust players against Union. Especially if they are coming off a 4-0 defeat.

Defenders

Rank	Name	Team	Opponent	Value	Comments
1	Raphaël Guerreiro	BVB	vs TSG	13.9M	Guerreiro is a must-have when fully fit and now that Sancho has left the team, I expect him to be a lot more involved in the attack and Marco Rose is the perfect coach to help him level up as he is known for involving his wing-backs in the attack.
2	Alphonso Davies	FCB	vs BSC	13.4M	Davies has been incredible so far with scores above 8 in both of his games. If he remains this consistent then he might be a must-have after the break (assuming that Stanišić loses his spot to Pavard).
3	Jeremie Frimpong	B04	@FCA	7.3M	50/50 between him and Bakker but I think that Frimpong is the better attacking player.
4	Borna Sosa	VFB	vs SCF	11.2M	Although Stuttgart are missing many key first-team players including Kalajdžić, I expect Sosa to get lots of attacking points like he did against Greuther Fürth on Matchday 1.
5	Josip Stanišić	FCB	vs BSC	3.2M
6	Joško Gvardiol	RBL	@WOB	9.3M	This 19-year-old is one of the most highly-rated prospects in the world and was very impressive in his debut registering 2 shots, 2 key passes and over 15 duels won. I still think he is in contention for plenty of bonus points in this game and it is more likely that Leipzig keep a clean sheet rather than Wolfsburg scoring.
7	Aarón Martín	M05	vs SGF	3.1M	It is anybody's guess if Martín will start this week or Lucoqui.
8	Christian Günter	SCF	@VFB	11.1M
9	Mitchell Bakker	B04	@FCA	7.3M	It looks like Augsburg might be without Caligiuri again and they are the only team yet to score a single goal so far. To make matters worse, they have never beaten Leverkusen in the Bundesliga before so a defender or two from the Werkself might be a safe bet for points. Fun fact: Bakker has had 10 touches inside the box so far.
10	Erik Durm	SGE	@DSC	8M	The Frankfurt defence looked much better last week against FCA and conceded the lowest xG for the matchday - 0.17. It was a similar story for Arminia who struggled to score against the worst defence in the league - Greuther Fürth. So Durm could potentially keep a clean sheet and also get some attacking bonus points over here.

Goalkeepers

Rank	Name	Team	Opponent	Value	Comments
1	Stefan Ortega	DSC	vs SGE	8.4M
2	Manuel Riemann	BOC	@KOE	5.5M	I can't wait to get him in the International Break already!
3	Florian Müller	VFB	vs SCF	8M	He led the league in shots saved last week with 8 and I am expecting more of the same again.
4	Mark Flekken	SCF	@VFB	6.2M
5	Robin Zentner	M05	vs SGF	6.2M	Depending on whether Greuther Fürth from MD2 or MD1 turn up against Mainz, Zentner might either have lots or close to no shots to save.

Value Rankings

Rank	Name	Position	Team	Opponent	Value	Comments
1	Jesper Lindstrøm	MID	SGE	@DSC	7.2M	Lindstrøm is Kostić 2.0 in the making averaging 2 shots per game and 4 key passes per game so far and is the next high floor player should Frankfurt improve and provides a solid alternative to Kostić at half the price.
2	Nico Schlotterbeck	DEF	SCF	@VFB	7.3M	His name is not often on the score sheet but with the number of shots he takes you might think that he is a midfielder.
3	Jonathan Burkardt	FWD	M05	vs SGF	5.9M	Burkardt is yet to prove his mettle after securing a first-team spot under Bo and this is the perfect game to show what he is capable of.
4	Taiwo Awoniyi	FWD	FCU	vs BMG	7.2M
5	Hamadi Al Ghaddioui	FWD	VFB	vs SCF	4M	Sosa+Al Ghaddioui is the new Sosa+Kalajdžić and although there is a big difference in both, I expect this duo to be involved in a few goals until Sasa is back.
6	Geritt Holtmann	MID	BOC	@KOE	5.2M
7	Niko Gießelmann	DEF	FCU	vs BMG	3.3M	10 and 6 points isn't too bad for a defender who costs 3.3M and is yet to keep a clean sheet.
8	Sascha Burchert	GKP	SGF	@M05	5M
9	Joe Scally	DEF	BMG	@FCU	2M
10	Georginio Rutter	FWD	TSG	@BVB	7M

You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 21/22 season here.

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Bundesliga Differential Picks for Matchday 3

August 27, 2021 Satrajeet Chatterjee Leave a comment

Fantasy Bundesliga Matchday 3 is right around the corner and this article covers players with less than 10% ownership who could turn out to be the highest points scorers in the matchday.

Fantasy Bundesliga Forward Picks

Marco Reus vs TSG Hoffenheim (H)

The Dortmund attacking playmaker and captain has been in very good form in this new Bundesliga season. He has scored one goal and is involved in all the freekicks and set plays for the team. His underlying stats for the season are below:

⚽ Goals: 1

🎯 Assists: 2

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.19

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.19

While many own Halaand, a double up with Reus who is only owned by 7% of the managers and has a standalone fixture against Hoffenheim may be a great way to gain ranks before the International Break.

Mark Uth vs VFL Bochum (H)

The FC Köln forward has been in great goalscoring form this season with a goal against Bayern last week along with his involvement in all of the attacking play for Koln makes him a vital asset for the team. His underlying stats for the season are below:

⚽ Goals: 1

🎯 Assists: 0

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.19

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.19

Uth is owned by just 2% of the Fantasy Bundesliga managers but is a slight doubt for the upcoming game due to back problems. In case he doesn’t, Striker Anthony Modeste is also worth a shout at 6.5M although he is a bit more goal reliant for points than Uth.

Ádám Szalai vs SpVgg Greuther Fürth(H)

The Mainz forward had a substitute appearance against Bochum as he was returning after quarantine and looked very lively and added a goal threat to the Mainz attack. His stats from the 2020-21 season are as below:

⚽ Goals: 1

🎯 Assists: 0

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.26

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.07

With ownership of 1% and a matchup against Greuther Fürth who have looked shaky defensively, he is expected to have a good game and possibly get some Fantasy points in the process.

Fantasy Bundesliga Midfielder Picks

Nadeem Amiri vs Augsburg (A)

The Leverkusen dynamic midfielder is having a good start to the Bundesliga campaign and has done well in the last match against Gladbach scoring one of their four goals. His underlying stats for the season are below:

⚽ Goals: 1

🎯 Assists: 0

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.23

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.03

With effective ownership of just 3% and a match against Augsburg who sit at 17th in the league table makes him an enticing prospect for the matchday.

Jean-Paul Boëtius vs SpVgg Greuther Fürth(H)

The Mainz midfielder was one of their best creative players last season with two goals and four assists and was linking up with the strikers from midfield. He is the pick of the Mainz attackers and his stats for the 2020-2021 season are below:

⚽ Goals: 2

🎯 Assists: 4

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.14

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.29

He is owned by 1% of the fantasy managers and a home game against the defensively weak Greuther Fürth team can be just perfect for a haul.

Florian Kainz vs VFL Bochum(H)

The FC Köln midfielder caught my eye in the opening matchday against Hertha Berlin scoring two goals and having three shots on target and was the team’s main attacking threat. His underlying stats for the season are:

⚽ Goals: 2

🎯 Assists: 0

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.39

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.18

With ownership of only 5% and an appealing home game against promoted side Bochum, it makes for a very good choice of this player in our fantasy teams.

Honourable mention: Jude Bellingham (Dortmund) vs TSG Hoffenheim (H)

Fantasy Bundesliga Defender Picks

Mitchel Bakker vs Augsburg (A)

The young attacking dutch left-back who has arrived from Paris St Germain impressed with his attacking display in the match against Gladbach, Bakker was a constant threat down the left and playing in dangerous crosses and also took shots from distance with one strike finding its way at the back of the net thanks to some assistance from Borussia keeper Yann Sommer. His underlying stats are:

⚽ Goals: 1

🎯 Assists: 1

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.05

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.07

Counterpart Jeremie Frimpong is also worth a shout as he has a similar attacking threat and also costs the same price – 7.3M.

Ramy Bensebaini vs Union Berlin (A)

The Algerian left-back had an outstanding season in the Bundesliga last year and was one of the best performers in the team. He is known to make attacking runs and provide crosses for attackers and has also taken a few penalty kicks for his team. His underlying stats are below from the 2020-21 season:

⚽ Goals: 4

🎯 Assists: 0

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.12

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.02

With ownership of 1% and a good fixture against Union Berlin, he can be a shrewd pick if Borussia are going to bounce back.

Kingsley Ehizibue vs Vs VFL Bochum(H)

The right-back from Koln has been involved in the attacking play of the team and making runs down the right flank and providing crosses for attackers His underlying stats are:

⚽ Goals: 0

🎯 Assists: 1

📈 Expected Goals (Per 90): 0.01

📊 Expected Assists (Per 90): 0.24

With a fixture against Bochum, we can expect a good return attacking as well as points for duels won along with a possible clean sheet.

Differential XI MD2

You can find additional Fantasy Bundesliga resources for the 21/22 season here.

Eliteserien Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Eliteserien: Gameweek 16 Preview

August 21, 2021 Jacob Silkstone Leave a comment

Fred Friday might’ve not had his best performance last time out but he boasts an impressive home record and is still the best captaincy choice for the week in Fantasy Eliteserien according to Fantasy Tipsters’ Jacob Silkstone.

How Did Our GW15 Picks Do?

After the 138-point high of GW14, our Tipsters Team of the Week came crashing down to earth last time around. It was a tough gameweek for just about everybody: the average score was only 39, and the five highest-owned players in the game scored just six points between them (not helped by Patrick Berg missing a penalty and Ohi Omoijuanfo missing out for baby-related reasons; congratulations to Ohi and commiserations to Berg).

Of our eleven picks, only Jónsson and Gjertsen contributed any attacking returns, with a meagre assist each. Rosenborg’s Adam Andersson was unlucky not to have a fantasy assist awarded, but did come away with a couple of bonus points in recognition of an outstanding performance.

With a blank from captain Fred Friday, our picks scored a disappointing 31 points. The pressure is on to bounce back in GW16, the first round of the fantasy cup.

New Arrivals

The Fantasy Eliteserien landscape has altered significantly in the space of a single week. With Molde’s defeat to Viking throwing the title race wide open, both of the two teams in serious contention have used the transfer window to strengthen their squads.

Reigning champions Bodø/Glimt’s key signing is Amahl Pellegrino. Pellegrino was a fantasy phenomenon during his time at Kristiansund, with hat-tricks in both of the last two seasons and a total of 25 goals last time out. After a short stint in Saudi Arabia, he’s back in Eliteserien and priced as a 12.0M midfielder in the fantasy game.

Current league leaders Molde have made two formidable signings, attack-minded right-back Martin Linnes (6.0M) from Galatasaray and winger Rafik Zekhnini (8.0M) from Fiorentina. Both are intriguing fantasy options, and Molde’s exit from the Europa Conference League lessens the rotation risk previously attached to their key assets. (Bodø/Glimt and Rosenborg, on the other hand, have crucial play-off matches in Europe coming up either side of their GW16 fixtures.) Don’t rush to buy them just yet, though: Molde have a blank gameweek coming up (their fixture with Sarpsborg was pushed forward to GW7 because of their European commitments, so Sarpsborg will also be blanking this week).

Fantasy Eliteserien GW16 Picks

Defence

Sandefjord’s Jacob Storevik (5.0M) is between the posts for us ahead of a home game against struggling Tromsø. Sandefjord have conceded just twice in their last five home games, and Tromsø have gone goalless in two of their previous four away games. The signs point to a Sandefjord win… but this is Eliteserien and form can be misleading, so don’t be too surprised if Tromsø suddenly transforms into prime Barcelona.

Stabæk’s defence have been hugely disappointing this season, with just two clean sheets so far. Having said that, their form has picked up after a managerial change and Sturla Ottesen (4.6M) offers a budget-friendly alternative at the back as they prepare to face relegation-threatened Mjøndalen.

Although Brann bounced back from a scandal-hit week to scrape a win against Sandefjord last time out, they remain rooted to the bottom of the table. Facing a side that hasn’t won away from home all season, we’ll be backing Strømsgodset’s Lars-Christopher Vilsvik (4.6M) to return points. He’s a regular set-piece taker too, and already has three assists this season.

Christian Borchgrevink (6.1M) returns from suspension needing five points to reclaim his spot as the highest-scoring defender in Fantasy Eliteserien this season. With three goals and four assists so far, he offers plenty of attacking potential even if Vålerenga fail to keep a clean sheet at home to midtable Viking.

Having been unlucky not to get any attacking returns from him last week, we’ll stick with Adam Andersson (still 5.9M) for Rosenborg’s home game against Odd. Rosenborg have kept clean sheets in both of their last two home games, while Odd failed to score in both of their previous two away games and lost their star striker in the transfer window.

Midfield

In midfield, it’s tempting to recommend Amahl Pellegrino right away. There’s a risk that he makes his home debut from the bench, though, so our Bodø/Glimt midfield pick is Ulrik Saltnes (10.7M). Saltnes has more fantasy points than any other Glimt player this season, and scored twice in their European game on Thursday evening.

Oliver Edvardsen (7.2M) blanked last week after four consecutive scores of 8 points or over, but he’ll be expecting to get back on the scoresheet in Stabæk’s home game against Mjøndalen. In his previous two home games, Edvardsen has returned a total of 27 fantasy points.

Sandefjord’s midfielders have been the surprise heroes of the current fantasy season, with both Vidar Ari Jónsson and Kristoffer Normann Hansen in the top three points scorers overall. It’s hard to choose between them, but we’re backing the in-form Normann Hansen (6.1M) to pick up where he left off last week.

Johan Hove (8.1M) is the second of our Strømsgodset trio ahead of the home game with Brann. xG fans will be pleased to hear that only title favourites Molde have a higher xG than Strømsgodset in home matches this season, and Hove is a key member of an attack that will expect to feast on one of the worst Eliteserien defences.

Forward

For similar reasons, Fred Friday (8.5M) lines up as the first of our two strikers. With four goals and two assists in his last four home games, he possesses an enviable record in front of his own fans.

There are a few question marks over Rosenborg’s willingness to put out a full-strength team between two crucial European games, but we’re willing to take a calculated risk on striker Dino Islamovic (10.5M), who’s finally hitting form after a slow start to the season. He has three goals in his last four games, together with five bonus points.

Eliteserien Fantasy Team of the Week for Gameweek 16

You can find Fantasy Eliteserien resources for the 21/22 season here.

Fantasy Football, Fantasy Premier League (FPL), FEATURED

Fantasy Premier League: GW1 Recap and GW2 Preview

August 21, 2021 Arturo Hernandez Leave a comment

It was a wild start to the Fantasy Premier League season! With Bruno Fernandes and Mohamed Salah as the highest scorers and two of the three most picked footballers, the average score was 69 points, which was pretty good for everyone. Let’s take a look at the most important stats from the first gameweek.

Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 1 Recap

Team of the Week for Gameweek 1

Lloris (TOT, 10 points)
Alonso (CHE, 15 points)
Chalobah (CHE, 14 points)
Pereira (LEI, 12 points)
Pinnock (BRE, 11 points)
Fernandes (MUN, 20 points)
Salah (LIV, 17 points)
Pogba (MUN, 16 points)
Benrahma (WHU, 12 points)
Antonio (WHU, 13 points)
Dennis (WAT, 12 points)

Double Chelsea defenders, double Man United midfielders and double West Ham attackers, with a nice touch of differentials from recently promoted teams Watford and Brentford.

– Paul Pogba is the most transferred in player this week: more than 500,000 managers decided to give a chance to the French midfielder after his 4 assists against Leeds. I am afraid he won’t be able to keep those numbers; because Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani are back on full training, United’s number 6 might have to go back to being a box to box rather than a winger.

– On the contrary, Harry Kane is the most transferred out player this week; the uncertainty on the future of Spurs’ captain has made more than 350,000 managers sell him for more attractive forwards at the moment. The English man might not feature again this weekend due to a lack of training.

Fantasy Premier League GW 2 Preview

Liverpool vs Burnley (Saturday 13:30 GMT +2)

After a solid start at Carrow Road, Liverpool has its first home match against an always difficult Burnley team.

Differential pick: Mané (LIV, £12M): only 3.8% of the players own him; Liverpool’s number 10 has a decent record against the Clarets (4 goals in 9 games) and had a slow start of the season, but it is a nice option in case you don’t want to join the Salah’s train of madness.

Liverpool team news: Thiago, Henderson and Fabinho are all doubtful, Robertson won’t feature tomorrow.

Burnley team news: Long and Stephens are out for tomorrow.

Aston Villa vs Newcastle (Saturday 16:00 GMT +2)

The Villains had a surprise defeat at Vicarage Road and will try to gain some confidence when they host Newcastle United.

Differential pick: Bailey (AVL, £6.5M): only 2.7% of the players own him; Leverkusen’s former star came off the bench against Watford and gave an assist on his first minutes. A home game against one of the most vulnerable teams seems like a good way to win a place in the starting lineup.

Aston Villa team news: Traoré and Watkins won’t feature tomorrow: same as Trezeguet, who will be out for a little longer.

Newcastle team news: Keepers Dubravka and Darlow are still out, which means Woodman will play his second game in the Premier League. Shelvey picked a knock and won’t play as well.

Crystal Palace vs Brentford (Saturday 16:00 GMT +2)

Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira will enjoy a home debut at Selhurst Park against recently promoted Brentford who will try to get their first-ever Premier League away win.

Differential pick: Mbeumo (BRE, £5.5M): only 1.3% of the players own him; in the Championship we saw him more as an exciting right-winger. On the Bees debut, he partnered with Ivan Toney in attack and was a huge threat for the Gunners, hitting the post once. He can provide many attacking returns in Fantasy Premier League.

Crystal Palace team news: Gallagher joins the team, with Milivojevic, Eze and Olise still out of the squad.

Brentford team news: no new injuries, only Dasilva and Jensen who won’t feature again.

Leeds United vs Everton (Saturday 16:00 GMT +2)

After conceding 5 goals in Old Trafford, Leeds United have a very good chance of getting back in winning ways when they host the Toffees.

Differential pick: Harrison (LEE, £6M): only 4.2% of the players own him. Most of the eyes are on Raphinha, but the former Manchester City player has a good record in England’s top tier division (last season, he had more than 15 attacking returns).

Leeds team news: Llorente won’t feature, with Phillips having good chances of entering the lineup.

Everton team news: still many absences in the Toffees (Rodriguez and Sigurdsson among the most important); Moise Kean will join the squad.

Manchester City vs Norwich City (Saturday 16:00 GMT +2)

Current league champions have a huge chance to throw away all the criticism received from their first game when they host the newly-promoted Norwich side.

Differential pick: Sterling (MCI, £11M): only 2.9% of the players own him. After a difficult season in his club, the English winger enjoyed a wonderful Euro tournament for his country and will try to punish the Canaries at home.

Manchester City team news: Gündogan will most likely feature, De Bruyne has a slight chance and Foden is out.

Norwich team news: Zimmermann is out, same as Placheta, who returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Brighton vs Watford (Saturday 18:30 GMT +2)

Both Seagulls and Hornets enjoyed important victories in their league debut and will try to maintain a perfect record when they face each other in the south of England.

Differential pick: Sarr (WAT, £6M): only 5.5% of the players own him. The Senegalese star already knows what it feels to play in the Premier League (more than 10 attacking returns in 2019/20) and already punished the Villains last week.

Brighton team news: Lamptey, Burn, Welbeck and Veltman are all out for tomorrow.

Watford team news: King and Femenia will most likely join the squad, Kucka is doubtful and Joao Pedro will miss the game.

Southampton vs Manchester United (Sunday 15:00 GMT +2)

The Red Devils will try to keep the leadership in their visit to St. Mary’s stadium on Sunday.

Differential pick: Greenwood (MUN, £7.5M): only 9.5% of the Fantasy Premier League managers own him. It´s unfair to call him a differential, but he is starting at the moment and is well known for his scoring abilities. For that price, you will not get much better options.

Southampton team news: no injuries, only Smallbone is out and will be for a long time.

Manchester United team news: Lingard, Varane and Cavani will most likely join the squad but will not start the game. Rashford and Telles are still injured.

Wolverhampton vs Tottenham (Sunday 15:00 GMT +2)

Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo travels back to his former home, now in charge of the Spurs. The Molineux will host a very passionate game.

Differential pick: Dele (TOT, £6.5M): only 1.5% of the players own him. The English man hasn’t been able to regain his form, but started the first game and didn’t feature in the Spurs’ European qualification match. He has a good chance of doing good against a struggling defence.

Wolves team news: Boly, Jonny, Neto and Podence won’t feature on the weekend.

Tottenham team news: Kane’s presence is still doubtful, same as Tanganga. Rodon picked an injury and won’t play.

Arsenal vs Chelsea (Sunday 17:30 GMT +2)

A London derby is always attractive for neutral fans. The Gunners had a poor start and will try to display a better image against current champions of Europe.

Differential pick: Werner (CHE, £8.9M): only 3.9% of the players own him. The former Leipzig star hasn’t been enjoying his game in London, but he has a chance to redeem himself against a team that have shown many weaknesses on their opening fixture.

Arsenal team news: Lacazette, Gabriel, Partey and Nketiah won’t feature. Aubameyang and Willian have a small chance, same as new signing Ødegaard.

Chelsea team news: Lukaku trained with the team and will be in the team squad, unlike Pulisic who tested positive for COVID-19 and has been ruled out.

Leicester City vs West Ham United (Monday 21:00 GMT +2)

The two English clubs who will feature in the Europa League face each other in the King Power Stadium. Many goals to be expected!

Differential pick: Maddison (LEI, £6.9M): only 8.5% of the players own him. He was one of the most transferred out players (more than 200,000 players sold him) and has a very nice chance of punishing those managers against a team that didn’t show those same defensive qualities from last season.

Leicester City team news: Bertrand won’t feature and joins Evans, Justin and Fofana in the Foxes’ absences.

West Ham United team news: only Masuaku is out for this game.

Thank you for reading this article! Don’t forget to follow Fantasy Tipsters on Twitter – @TipstersFantasy – and myself for all the news on FPL, @MisterArturo23.

You can find Fantasy Premier League (FPL) resources for the 21/22 season here.