Rosenborg’s Stefano Vecchia has returned in every game since his return from injury in GW15. With a match against Sandefjord, who haven’t kept a clean sheet since early July, he is tipster Jacob Silkstone’s choice for the captain’s armband in gameweek 23 of Eliteserien Fantasy ahead of premium forwards.

How Did Our GW22 Picks Do?

Another week, another low overall average in Fantasy Eliteserien. Ohi was the most popular captain choice by an overwhelming margin, and he rewarded the thousands of teams that backed him with the armband by missing an open goal at home to Tromsø. Although Molde scored three times, Ohi wasn’t involved at all as a run of 12 goals in 6 home games came to an abrupt end.

Unexpectedly, Haugesund delivered the performance of the round in a 7-0 rout of Mjøndalen. We backed Niklas Sandberg in our picks last week, but he had to be content with just a solitary assist while team-mate Alioune Ndour scored a hat-trick. Of our other picks, Erik Botheim and Stefano Vecchia both scored; Sheriff Sinyan registered our only clean sheet of the round, while Fredrik Andre Bjørkan chipped in with an assist.

Fantasy Eliteserien GW23 Picks

Goalkeeper

Mjøndalen are dangling precariously through the relegation trapdoor after last week’s 7-0 thrashing at the hands (or feet, technically?) of Haugesund. They’ve blanked in two of their last three away games, while Tromsø kept out Haugesund in their last home game. Jacob Karlstrøm (4.6M) gets the nod as our goalkeeper.

Defence

Despite being overshadowed by his central defensive colleague Martin Bjørnbak last time out, Sheriff Sinyan (5.4M) remains a temptingly cost-effective option in one of the league’s best defences. It’s perhaps worth noting that Molde haven’t kept a clean sheet away from home since Gameweek 9, but Stabæk aren’t the most daunting of opponents, and Sinyan does offer a reasonable amount of attacking threat too.

Kristiansund don’t concede many goals at home, shutting out title-chasing Molde and Rosenborg in two of their last three. Snorre Strand Nilsen is the popular pick, but Christoffer Aasbak (5.5M) offers similar underlying numbers for a much kinder price. Opponents Sarpsborg are on a run of seven consecutive away defeats, and any result other than a comfortable Kristiansund win would be something of a shock.

Rosenborg need a run of wins to have any hope of staying in the title race, and they’ll be expecting a relatively straightforward game against Sandefjord this week. Erlend Dahl Reitan (6.0M) carries more attacking threat than any other Rosenborg defender, and the majority of his attacking returns have come at home.

Midfield

In-form Stefano Vecchia (9.7M) leads our midfield picks. He hasn’t blanked at home since returning from injury back in GW15, and his last four home games have delivered a total of 43 fantasy points. Sandefjord haven’t kept an away clean sheet since the first week of July, and we’re backing Vecchia with our captain’s armband ahead of any of the premium strikers.

We’re putting most of our budget into the front three this gameweek, so Patrick Berg (6.1M) is our chosen route into the Bodø/Glimt midfield. The stand-in club captain set the tone for an epic win over Jose Mourinho’s Roma in midweek with a thumping long-range strike, and he tends to mop up the bonus points whenever he performs well. If you can afford a pricier Glimt midfield option, then we recommend winger Ole Solbakken for 9.8M. Solbakken is showing signs of returning to top form after injury, and his fantasy ownership is still a meagre 3%.

Agon Mucolli (6.2M) has gone under the radar for Kristiansund this season. Despite having returned in all of his last four home games (two goals, four assists, five bonus points), his overall ownership is under 1%. If you’re looking for a differential this week, he might well be the one to go with…

Tromsø prodigy August Mikkelsen (4.9M) celebrates his 21st birthday on the day of their game against Mjøndalen, and what better way to mark the occasion than with a sixth goal of the season? Two of those goals have arrived in the last three matches, indicating a player who’s hitting top form just when relegation-threatened Tromsø need him most.

Attack

As mentioned above, our picks are a little top-heavy this week. Ohi Omoijuanfo (12.4M) is the first of our three premium strikers ahead of a meeting with his old club, Stabæk. He remains the most reliable goalscorer in the league, and he’s likely to be the default captain option again for many of the top-ranked teams.

Erik Botheim (10.2M) produced the performance of a lifetime on Thursday evening to inspire Bodø/Glimt to a scarcely believable win over Roma: the first time any Mourinho-managed team has conceded six goals in a game. If he gets the full 90 minutes against Strømsgodset, expect him to be on the scoresheet again.

Viking’s Veton Berisha (10.8M) completes our attack. Lillestrøm are tough opponents, but Berisha hasn’t blanked when starting a home game since GW5 and has five goals in his last five matches. Alongside Ohi, he’s one of the most dependable sources of attacking returns in the league.

Fantasy Eliteserien Team of the Week Gameweek 23

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

While Omoijaunfo is an easy play for this week, Fantasy Tipster Jacob Silkstone thinks that Amahl Pellegrino is also worth considering for the captain’s armband in his Fantasy Eliteserien player picks for gameweek 22.

How Did Our GW21 Picks Do?

Three players stood out as our selection scored a total of 80 points, comfortably above the overall average of 53. Despite his team being reduced to ten men early on, Veton Berisha proved to be a solid captain pick — scoring twice and earning maximum bonus points as Viking battled past Sandefjord. In defence, Fredrik Andre Bjørkan finally delivered the monster haul he’s been threatening since the beginning of the season: a goal, an assist, a clean sheet and three bonus points for a total of 18. Between the posts, we were slightly lucky to get a penalty save from Julian Faye Lund but unlucky not to receive a single bonus point: the “man in the stands” system continues to produce some mystifying outcomes.

Fantasy Eliteserien GW22 Picks

Goalkeeper

Brann may still be strong relegation candidates, but they’re unbeaten since German goalkeeper Lennart Grill (5.0M) joined on loan from Bayer Leverkusen during the summer transfer window. With Stabæk (scoreless in their last two games) visiting this weekend, Brann find themselves in the rare position of being favourites to win. With several budget goalkeepers facing tough fixtures in Gameweek 22, Grill is our best tip for a surprise clean sheet.

Defence

Fredrik Andre Bjørkan (now 6.3M) is close to an automatic pick as Bodø/Glimt attempt to stretch their three-point lead at the top of the table. Glimt have the best defence in the league, conceding just 19 goals so far this season, and opponents Sarpsborg have just two goals in their last five away games. Bjørkan has racked up 27 fantasy points over the previous two gameweeks, making him officially the most in-form player in any position.

Centre-back Sheriff Sinyan (5.4M) remains the most budget-friendly route into Molde’s defence as the title challengers face struggling Tromsø. Molde manager Erling Moe might not be compared to Pep Guardiola all that often, but one thing they have in common is a punishingly unpredictable rotation policy: Sinyan, though, is as close to “nailed on” status as it gets. He has now played the full 90 minutes in each of Molde’s last 11 league games, notching a goal and two assists along the way.

This week’s relegation six-pointer in Bergen is expected to be a tight game with goalscoring opportunities at a premium. Stabæk’s defensive form has picked up recently, and double gameweek hero Simen Wangberg (4.4M) will be key to their hopes of coming away with a crucial point. He also poses a significant threat at set-pieces, with three goals already this season.

Midfield

Sarpsborg were hammered 5-0 by midtable Strømsgodset in their last away game, so it’s fair to say they’re unlikely to be relishing a trip to face league leaders Bodø/Glimt. Amahl Pellegrino (12.1M) retains his place in our selection and is a strong contender for the captaincy. Although Pellegrino failed to produce any fantasy points last gameweek, he was applauded off the pitch by the Glimt fans after another scintillating performance.

Rosenborg’s Stefano Vecchia (9.6M) finally blanked last gameweek after a run of seven goals in his five games (unsurprisingly, the blank coincided with his overdue arrival in my own fantasy team). We’re backing him to bounce back in a crucial home game against Vålerenga: Vecchia’s previous three matches in front of his own fans have produced five goals and eight fantasy bonus points.

Haugesund’s Niklas Sandberg (7.5M) has had an underwhelming season so far, but a home game against bottom-of-the-table Mjøndalen provides the perfect opportunity to add to his current total of three goals and five assists. Mjøndalen have conceded seven times in their last two away games.

Kristoffer Normann Hansen (6.0M) is back from injury, and his return might be exactly what Sandefjord need. One win in their last eight games has left them looking nervously over their shoulders towards the drop zone, but Normann Hansen has produced returns in three of his last five and remains crucial to their hopes of securing safety. Odd, this week’s opponents, have shipped seven goals in their last three matches.

Attack

Ohi Omoijuanfo (12.4M) will be bidding to extend an extraordinary home goalscoring record when Molde face Tromsø. He has twelve goals in his last six home games, and the last time he started in front of his own fans and didn’t produce a fantasy return was back in Gameweek 1 (when he had a penalty saved against Kristiansund). Every run has to come to an end at some point, but we’re backing him with our captain’s armband again this gameweek.

Erik Botheim (10.2M) provides another route into the Bodø/Glimt attack for their fixture against Sarpsborg. Botheim started his Glimt career by scoring in each of his first five league games, but his form dropped off in mid-season. A quick glance at his record shows he’s the kind of player fantasy managers love to describe as ‘streaky’, and he’s currently on a run of three goals in three games. If you’re in the mood for a differential captain, Botheim could be your best bet.

Brann’s Aune Selland Heggebø (6.2M) returns to our selection as a cut-price third striker. Heggebø has attacking returns in six out of seven games since securing a regular starting spot in GW15, and he’s sure to be up for the challenge as Brann face a must-win clash in front of their own supporters.

Fantasy Eliteserien Team of the Week Gameweek 22

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

Molde’s Ohi Omoijuanfo might be the top goal-scorer in the league currently but his away form has been far from impressive, forcing Fantasy Tipster Jacob Silkstone to get creative with his Eliteserien Fantasy captain pick for gameweek 21.

How Did Our GW20 Picks Do?

Few would have predicted that Stabæk defenders would emerge as the heroes of the season’s final (probably) double gameweek. Having not kept a single clean sheet since Gameweek 5, the relegation candidates kept out both Sandefjord and Strømsgodset when it mattered most for their fantasy owners. With Strømsgodset also keeping two clean sheets, it was a profitable double gameweek for anyone who went big at the back.

In last week’s article, Simen Wangberg and Lars-Christopher Vilsvik, our two defensive picks returned a handy 27 points between them — although ignoring the underlying stats and going with Valsvik over Vilsvik would have left us nine points better off. All three of our strikers returned at least six points, while Stefano Vecchia produced a fifteen-point haul (his third in the last five matches) at home to Mjøndalen. Our team returned a total of 80 points, well ahead of the gameweek average of 45.

Eliteserien Fantasy Chip Strategies

With all the scheduled double and blank gameweeks behind us, we’re now into the final stretch of the season. Every Eliteserien team has ten games remaining, and the title race is still too close to call. Defending champions Bodø/Glimt have opened up a narrow lead, three points ahead of pre-season title favourites Molde. Rosenborg, meanwhile, have won seven of their last eight games to put themselves firmly in contention.

At the other end of the table, Brann climbed out of the relegation places for the first time all season after an impressive win over Kristiansund. Stabæk and Mjøndalen are now the two teams anxiously contemplating a season in Division One, and Brann face them both over the next couple of gameweeks.

If you loaded your team with Stabæk and Strømsgodset assets for the double, it’s worth noting that both sides have tough fixtures this week. GW21 could provide a good opportunity to use the second wildcard —  focusing mainly on the teams involved in the title race. The best weeks to play the Rich Uncle and Two Captain chips have probably passed already: if you still have those, the ideal strategy is probably to hold until the end of the season in the hope that Norway’s notoriously inclement autumn weather leads to one or two postponements and an extra double gameweek.

Fantasy Eliteserien GW21 Picks

Goalkeeper

An unfortunate injury to national team keeper André Hansen has opened a relatively cheap route into one of the league’s stronger defences. Understudy Julian Faye Lund (5.0M) has said he wants to be Rosenborg’s number one next season, and now he finally has a chance to show he has exactly what it takes to be Hansen’s long-term replacement. He’s currently owned by just 0.4% of Eliteserien fantasy teams. Opponents Kristiansund have failed to score in any of their last four games against Rosenborg.

Defence

Despite a hard-fought European draw on Thursday evening, Bodø/Glimt are unlikely to rest key players ahead of the international break. They’re pushing to extend their narrow lead at the top of the table, and Fredrik Andre Bjørkan (6.2M) is a key man at both ends of the pitch. His underlying stats suggest he’s been unlucky to record only four assists so far this season; even without attacking returns, he secured three bonus points last gameweek.

With Normann Hansen missing through injury, Sandefjord looked toothless in attack last week. Opponents Viking are pushing for a European place, and Viljar Vevatne (4.7M) has started every game but one this season at the heart of their defence. He scored three times last season, indicating his consistent attacking threat from set-pieces.

Mjøndalen host Brann in a relegation six-pointer this week, and a glance at their head-to-head record suggests only one result is likely. Since returning to the top tier in 2015, Mjøndalen haven’t lost a single game against Brann, winning each of their last four at home. Nikolas Walstad (4.5M) offers a cheap route into their defence, and scored in the reverse fixture.

Midfield

Although he recorded a rare blank last week, Amahl Pellegrino (12.1M) retains his place in our Team of the Week. Surely Stabæk’s new-found defensive resilience won’t produce a third consecutive clean sheet as they face free-scoring Glimt?

Molde’s Ola Brynhildsen (7.8M) has now started each of the last five games, and remains their highest-scoring midfielder in Fantasy Eliteserien. A win away at Odd this week will be crucial if they’re to have any chance of narrowing the gap to Glimt at the top of the table.

Stefano Vecchia (9.4M) is the most in-form player in Eliteserien right now, and a crucial part of Rosenborg’s title challenge. In his last five games, he’s returned an astonishing 53 fantasy points (despite only starting in four of them).

The precocious Harald Nilsen Tangen (4.8M) is an exciting budget pick this week. The Norwegian under-19 international has won a regular place in the Viking first eleven on the strength of his performances this season, and faces a Sandefjord side with only one away clean sheet all season.

Attack

Only one player in the league has a higher xGI number than Viking’s Veton Berisha (10.5M). Berisha is hitting top form again after returning from injury: he has three goals and an assist from his last three games, and is our pick for the captain’s armband against Sandefjord.

That one player is, of course, top scorer Ohi. As always, he’s a strong pick this week, but after four consecutive away blanks we’re choosing to leave him out in favour of Zdeněk Ondrášek (7.3M). The Tromsø striker is back in training again after missing last week with a rib injury. He faces a Haugesund defence that have now gone eleven consecutive games without a clean sheet.

Thomas Lehne Olsen (9.7M) takes the final place in our attack. He has five goals in his last four games, and his last away blank came way back in GW6. Opponents Sarpsborg conceded five against Strømsgodset last week.

Fantasy Eliteserien Team of the Week for Gameweek 21

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

Molde’s Ohi Omoijuanfo boasts of an incredible goal-scoring record at home but Strømsgodset’s Fred Friday who was the hero in the previous double gameweek is tipster Jacob Silkstone’s pick for the captain’s armband with games against Sarpsborg and Stabæk in gameweek 20 of Fantasy Eliteserien.

How Did Our GW19 Picks Do?

While captain Cobra (Zdeněk Ondrášek) proved disappointingly venomless, blanking at home to Brann, there were a few hauls elsewhere in our Gameweek 19 team. Kristiansund full-back Snorre Strand Nilsen was, unexpectedly, the star of the show: he delivered on some enticing underlying stats to post a goal, an assist and three bonus points. Amahl Pellegrino also contributed a goal and three bonus points, and he looks like the most reliable pick in the league at the moment. Ohi Omoijuanfo continued his struggles away from home: he now has 12 goals in his last 6 home games, but 5 consecutive blanks away. For anyone wondering, he’s back at home this week…

Double or Nothing…

This is the last scheduled double gameweek of the season, so a good point to think about deploying any remaining chips. Rich Uncle gives you a chance to stack up on three players each from Strømsgodset and Stabæk, if you want to go all-in on the two teams with double fixtures. All seasoned fantasy players will need no reminder that “All that glitters is not gold”, a line first penned by William Shakespeare during the disappointing 1597/98 fantasy season (disappointing in the sense that there were no double gameweeks at all back then). Double gameweeks and crushing disappointment go together like Ohi and home goals (or like Ohi and away blanks).

If you’re willing to risk it, here are our three recommendations from each of the teams.

Interestingly, they faced each other in the Norwegian Cup earlier this week and Strømsgodset won by an emphatic 5-1 margin. The teams weren’t quite at full strength, but the size of the defeat doesn’t bode well for bottom of the table Stabæk.

Strømsgodset handed a rest to key man Fred Friday (now priced at a discount 8.2M after a series of recent drops). Friday returned 17 points in his last double gameweek and will be a popular choice for the captain’s armband this week.

To complicate things, his replacement in the cup scored a hat-trick and is now pushing for a regular starting role. Nigerian striker Jordan Attah Kadiri (6.0M) arrived from Belgium in the summer transfer window and has played just ten minutes in the league so far, but his cup performance suggests he could be a potential fantasy bargain. His ownership is currently 0.1%.

With midfielder Johan Hove currently an injury doubt, we’re looking at the Strømsgodset defence for our final pick. Lars-Christopher Vilsvik (4.6M) is head and shoulders above his teammates (and most other defenders in the league) when it comes to underlying stats, and we’re hoping this is the week he finally delivers.

Stabæk players are understandably less of a priority to transfer in right now, but they have two decent fixtures and it’s now or never if they’re going to start climbing away from the foot of the table. Centre-back Simen Wangberg (4.4M) offers plenty of attacking threat at a bargain price, and rest in the cup is encouraging for his prospects of starting both games in the double.

Surprisingly, Kornelius Normann Hansen (6.5M) is top of the Stabæk pile when it comes to xGI stats, and was also rested for the cup game. One goal and two assists in his last six starts is a decent record compared to many of his teammates.

Oliver Edvardsen (7.0M) would have been our top Stabæk pick, but questions remain over his injury status. A thigh problem, initially assumed not to be serious, has kept him out for more than a month and there’s no confirmation yet that he’ll be back for either of the upcoming games.

Fantasy Eliteserien GW20 Picks

Goalkeeper

After all that, we’ll begin our Team of the Week by betting against the DGW sides. Jacob Storevik (5.0M) hasn’t missed a minute for Sandefjord this season and should be between the posts as they face struggling Stabæk. Sandefjord have conceded just three goals in their last seven games at home, and will start this one as favourites for another win.

Defence

As mentioned above, Lars-Christopher Vilsvik (4.6M) is top of the DGW defenders when it comes to underlying stats. He hasn’t quite fulfilled that promise yet, but he’s our top defensive pick for this week.

Simen Wangberg (4.4M) was a Fantasy Eliteserien DGW hero back in his Tromsø days, and his xG stats suggest that he’ll be one of Stabæk’s key attacking threats from set-pieces.

Martin Linnes (6.0M) has produced bonus points in both games he’s started for Molde since arriving in the summer transfer window. Molde have kept cleansheets in three of their last four home games, and Linnes also possesses plenty of attacking threat.

Vetle Winger Dragsnes (4.9M) has two assists in his last four starts. Lillestrøm’s defence has been slightly disappointing recently, shipping five goals over the last two games, but they have a solid home record and will expect to win reasonably comfortably against Tromsø.

Midfield

We’ve chosen to ignore injury doubts Edvardsen and Hove, meaning that Kornelius Normann Hansen (6.5M) is our DGW midfielder over choice. The reasons behind that pick are outlined above.

Amahl Pellegrino (12.1M) is close to being an automatic pick at the moment. Having regained the top spot in the league table, Bodø/Glimt play host to a Vålerenga side that were heavily beaten by Sandefjord on their last away trip. Despite having started just three times for his new club, Pellegrino already boasts five goals, one assist and seven bonus points so far.

Stefano Vecchia (9.3M) has been in red-hot form for Rosenborg recently, with five goals in his last four league games. The Trondheim team still have an outside shot at the league title, and will be expecting to brush aside Mjøndalen this week.

Attack

With some slight reservations after Kadiri’s pyrotechnics in the cup game, Fred Friday (8.2M), takes our captain’s armband ahead of Strømsgodset’s two favourable fixtures. He remains their most likely source of attacking points, and his overall ownership should be very high among the top Fantasy Eliteserien teams this week.

Ohi Omoijuanfo (12.4M) will look to continue his astonishing home form against Viking’s less-than-astonishing defence. The Stavanger-based side haven’t kept a single cleansheet in the league this season, and an away game against title contenders Molde doesn’t look like the place to start.

A punt on Kadiri for the final attacking spot was tempting, but we’re giving the nod to Lillestrøm’s Thomas Lehne Olsen (9.6M). Lehne Olsen is pursuing Ohi in the golden boot race, and faces one of the league’s weakest defences this week.

Fantasy Eliteserien Team of the Week for Gameweek 20

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

Zdeněk Ondrášek almost inspired a famous comeback against Rosenborg last week in his return to Tromsø IL after five years with a goal and an assist and tipster Jacob Silkstone believes that he is the best captain choice this week in Fantasy Eliteserien against their relegation-threatened counterparts SK Brann.

How Did Our GW18 Picks Do?

Last week’s article pointed out that Ohi Omoijuanfo had 10 goals in his last 5 home games. That stat can now be updated to 12 goals in his last 6 home games. Anyone who followed our recommendation to captain him last week should have seen a healthy rise up the rankings.

Our other picks were more of a mixed bunch: Thomas Lehne Olsen and Ibrahima Koné provided one goal each, while Martin Linnes recorded his first clean sheet since returning to Molde and added a bonus point. Bodø/Glimt’s Amahl Pellegrino was a major disappointment, with his first blank since his summer transfer. An average of over 21 points per 90 minutes was never going to be sustainable, but we might have hoped for at least one attacking return at home against Odd’s porous defence. Ultimately, Lillestrøm’s Gjermund Åsen was the only one of our four midfield picks to contribute a goal or an assist.

One Last Blank, One Last Double…

Barring any postponements related to weather (always a possibility in Norway) or illness, GW19 is set to be the final blank gameweek of the season. Midtable Strømsgodset and relegation-battling Stabæk won’t play this week, but both have a double in GW20. If you’re not using a chip to cover the double gameweek, ideally you’d want to bank a transfer this week and have one or two players from those clubs already waiting on the bench. Friday, Vilsvik and Hove are popular picks from Strømsgodset (all part of the template team for the top 1K), but only one Stabæk player (Edvardsen) has an ownership anywhere near 10% and he’s been out injured for almost a month.

Hold any Strømsgodset and Stabæk assets you already have, but don’t tear up your team to get anyone in for the double.

Fantasy Eliteserien GW19 Picks

Goalkeeper

It seems strange to be recommending a goalkeeper who hasn’t kept a clean sheet in any of his last eight games, but Mjøndalen have conceded far fewer goals than any of the teams around them and only four keepers can better Sosha Makani (5.0M)’s total of 53 saves this season. Opponents Sandefjord have failed to score in three of their last six away games.

Defence

Snorre Strand Nilsen (5.6M) is in the top five defenders for xGI (expected goal involvements) over the past month, and already has three goals this season. Kristiansund are tough to break down at home, conceding just once in their last three in front of their own fans and shutting out league leaders Molde in GW17. A good chance of points at both ends of the pitch here.

The xGI stats also look very good for both of Rosenborg’s full-backs ahead of a trip to Sarpsborg. While Dahl Reitan is an excellent pick, we’ll keep backing Adam Andersson (5.9M). Andersson is slightly cheaper and has a much lower overall ownership, and he could be a key differential for a resurgent Rosenborg side.

Vålerenga’s recent form has been indifferent, to put it kindly, while Molde are looking extremely likely to record a fifth consecutive top-two finish. Sheriff Sinyan (5.3M) is the cheapest route into the Molde backline, and demonstrated his attacking threat with two assists in the 4-0 thumping of Mjøndalen last gameweek.

Midfield

Amahl Pellegrino (now 12.1M after a long-overdue price rise) may have recorded his first blank in a Glimt shirt last week, but he remains the focal point for the best attack in the lead. An away game against Viking isn’t the best fixture, but we’re not willing to bet against him: this is a must-win for Glimt if they want to maintain their title challenge.

Danish midfielder Agon Mucolli (6.2M) was touted as Pellegrino’s replacement when he joined Kristiansund at the beginning of the season. He had a slow start at his new club, but has showed signs of discovering his best form recently. All six of his attacking returns this season have come on his home ground, and Haugesund’s struggling defence should be obliging opponents this week. With an ownership of around 0.5%, he’s a huge differential.

After a season riddled with scandals, Brann are finally showing some much-needed fight in the relegation battle. They climbed away from the foot of the table with an impressive win away at Lillestrøm, and now they face the proverbial relegation six-pointer away at Tromsø. Finnish international Robert Taylor (7.3M) has been their main creative threat all season: he may not be particularly good at taking penalties, but he provides plenty of assist potential.

Iceland’s Vidar Ari Jónsson continues to provide unbelievable value, even at his recently-increased price of 5.7M. If Sandefjord manage to break down Mjøndalen, there’s a high chance of him being involved. In his last six games, he’s scored four goals and provided two assists.

Attack

On his return to Norwegian football, the Cobra struck a week earlier than expected. Czech international Zdeněk Ondrášek (7.5M) started on the bench for Tromsø away at Rosenborg, but was introduced before half-time and ended with one goal, one assist, and three bonus points against one of the best defences in the league. At home to Brann (definitely not one of the best defences in the league), he could run riot… He takes the captain’s armband for our GW19 team.

By this point, Ohi Omoijuanfo (12.3M) is a predictable pick. It’s worth mentioning the discrepancy in his scoring record at home (12 in his last 6, as mentioned earlier) versus away (no goals in any of his last four), but that’s more of a statistical anomaly than an indication that he’s unlikely to score away at Vålerenga this week.

Noah Jean Holm (8.3M) has been in sensational form since signing for Rosenborg, scoring twice in the league and twice in Europe. His overall ownership is still well under 10%, but expect that to change very soon.

Fantasy Eliteserien Team of the Week for Gameweek 19

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

With the transfer window now closed, Tipster Jacob Silkstone analyzes the best new signings to consider and shares his player picks for gameweek 18 in Fantasy Eliteserien.

How Did Our GW17 Picks Do?

After a couple of below-par weeks (blame laid squarely at the feet of Fred Friday), we finally managed to nail the captaincy call: Amahl Pellegrino chipped in with a goal, an assist and a bonus point (and a yellow card) in the North Norwegian derby, for a total of 20 captain points. Budget forward Aune Heggebø and mid-price midfielder Kristoffer Velde both provided attacking returns; we correctly backed Sarpsborg to keep a clean sheet at home to Sandefjord, but unfortunately, our pick (Joachim Thomassen) missed out with a late injury. One result we really didn’t see coming was Molde’s 2-0 defeat away to Kristiansund, which throws the title race wide open. Defending champions Bodø/Glimt have retaken the lead, with newly-promoted Lillestrøm now just one win off top spot.

Five New Signings To Watch (Or Buy Now?)

Transfer deadline day fell just after the end of GW17: while the eyes of the world were on Ronaldo’s move to Manchester, Fantasy Eliteserien players will be more concerned about whether Zdeněk Ondrášek (7.5M) can rediscover anything resembling his previous form as he begins a second spell at Tromsø. Ondrášek is a club legend, and a potential fantasy bargain. With an away game against Rosenborg first up, we can probably afford to wait a week before bringing him into our squads. In the meantime, here are five summer transfer window arrivals you should be considering right away:

Amahl Pellegrino (still available for 12.0M, but surely not for much longer) is the obvious first pick, if you don’t have him in your squad already. He was close to winning the Eliteserien golden boot at unfashionable Kristiansund, and he’s now the spearhead of Norway’s most potent attack. Even though he’s one of the most expensive players in the game, it would be dangerous to bet against him.

Martin Linnes (6.0M) is classified as a defender in the game, but can also play on the wing. In his last spell at Molde, he contributed 14 goals and 26 assists in 153 games. Similar numbers this time around would make his price look like a bargain.

Mikkel Maigaard (7.9M) finds himself in the midst of a relegation battle at Sarpsborg. His new team are beginning to show some signs of hitting top form, at last, putting five goals past Sandefjord in GW17, and Maigaard is likely to play a key role in their attack. He was second in the division for key passes last season, finishing with nine assists.

Moses Mawa (7.3M) has scored ten goals across the last two Eliteserien seasons, but only one this time out. That goal game on his home debut for new club Kristiansund, illustrating his role as the focal point of their attack. If you’re looking for a mid-priced striker with low ownership and high potential, he could be the one…

Finally, ex-Brann and Sogndal midfielder Gilbert Koomson could make his 9.5M price tag look cheap if he can secure a regular starting spot for Bodø/Glimt. Even with limited minutes in his last Eliteserien season, he provided eight goals in a struggling Brann side.

Fantasy Eliteserien GW18 Picks

Goalkeeper

After regular custodian Mads Hedenstad Christiansen broke his wrist while training with the under-21 national team, Knut-André Skjærstein (4.5M) is ready for his Lillestrøm debut at home to relegation candidates Brann. Having conceded just three in their last five home games, Lillestrøm provide keeper clean sheet potential at a bargain price this week.

Defence

Molde are out of Europe and able to focus solely on regaining the lead in the title race, so we’re backing them to emerge victorious against a Mjøndalen side that haven’t won away since GW3. Martin Linnes (6.0M) is the most attack-minded route into their defence.

We’re bringing Rosenborg’s Adam Andersson (5.9M) back into our selection ahead of a home game with relegation-threatened Tromsø. Rosenborg are also free to focus solely on the league now, and Andersson returned two assists and maximum bonus points in the reverse fixture.

First-choice centre-back Brede Moe (4.9M) offers a cut-price route into the league’s strongest defence as Bodø/Glimt prepare to host Odd. The visitors have failed to score in either of their last two games, and it’s also worth noting that Moe has never gone through an Eliteserien season without providing at least one attacking return… We’re still waiting this year. Unfortunately, the depth of Glimt’s defensive options means he isn’t a nailed-on starter every week. His centre-back partner Marius Lode is available at exactly the same price, with pretty much exactly the same rotation risk.

Midfield

Just the 29 fantasy points for Amahl Pellegrino (12.0M) from his first one and a half appearances in a Bodø/Glimt shirt… At the moment, he’s averaging a shade over 21 points per 90 minutes. While no one’s suggesting he can maintain that implausible ratio, he’s close to an automatic choice against a defence that shipped five goals in their last away game.

Gjermund Åsen (8.1M) is the second of our three Lillestrøm picks as the surprise title challengers prepare for a very winnable game against scandal-hit Brann. The ex-Rosenborg midfielder has ticked along with one goal and three assists from his last five home games, and has more bonus points this season than the rest of Lillestrøm’s midfielders (all twelve of them) put together.

We’re keeping our faith in Ole Brynhildsen (7.9M) as a mid-priced route into the Molde midfield. Opponents Mjøndalen have now gone seven games without a win, and Brynhildsen remains Molde’s highest-scoring midfielder so far this season.

Rosenborg’s summer signing Olaus Skarsem (5.9M) may be an unfashionable budget midfield pick, owned by just over 1%, but he already has a goal and an assist for his new side and could add to his total in what should be a relatively straightforward home game against Tromsø. At his price, he’s worth a punt.

Attack

We start our three-man strikeforce with a classic piece of points chasing. We’re probably recommending Sarpsborg’s Ibrahima Koné (7.6M) a week too late: his four-goal haul against Sandefjord last time out will almost definitely remain the highest fantasy points score of his entire career. But… it seems unwise to ignore the league’s most in-form striker against a Haugesund defence that have conceded an eye-watering 13 goals in their last 4 games.

In stark contrast to Koné, Ohi Omoijuanfo (12.2M) blanked last gameweek. That was a rare off-day for the league’s top scorer: he has a frankly intimidating total of ten goals in his last five home games, and it’s unlikely that the Mjøndalen defence will be able to keep him out. He takes the captain’s armband for us this week.

Finally, Thomas Lehne Olsen (9.6M) completes our trio of Lillestrøm players. With five goals and two assists in his last six games, he remains one of the most in-form players in the league. Meanwhile, Brann have kept just one away clean sheet all season.

Fantasy Eliteserien Team of the Week for Gameweek 18

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