Welcome to the next in my series of Fantasy Bundesliga articles summarising the stats from the previous few Bundesliga Matchdays (MDs), where we take a look at MD8 – MD11. Let’s see which teams and players could help you bring home the points after this round of unlimited transfers…

Bundesliga Team Stats

First, let’s take a look at some team-based stats to give us an idea of which teams have performed well over the last few MDs.

Attacking

Goals

1. Bayern Munich | 16
2. Borussia Dortmund | 9
3. Mainz 05, RB Leipzig | 8
4. SC Freiburg, Hoffenheim, Union Berlin | 7
5. VfL Bochum, FC Augsburg | 6

xG (G – xG)

1. Bayern Munich | 13.08 (+2.92)
2. RB Leipzig | 10.44 (-2.44)
3. Mainz 05 | 8.67 (-0.67)
4. VfL Bochum | 7.71 (-1.71)
5. Borussia Dortmund | 7.44 (+1.56)

Big chances created (MD8 – MD11)

1. Bayern Munich | 15
2. VfL Bochum | 14
3. Mainz 05 | 12
4. Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig | 10
5. Wolfsburg, FC Augsburg | 7

xA (MD8 – MD11)

1. Bayern Munich | 8.4
2. RB Leipzig | 6.8
3. Mainz 05 | 5.6
4. VfL Bochum | 4.8
5. Borussia Dortmund | 4.7

Another four MDs, another huge amount of goals, and xG racked up by Bayern Munich. They’ve been particularly clinical in this period, overperforming their xG by +2.92 to net 16 times and outscore the next best teams by at least seven goals. They also led the way for both big chance creation and xA over the last four MDs. These haven’t exactly come against weak opponents, either – Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim, Union Berlin, and Freiburg were those that fell to the sword. With Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld up next, good coverage of their attack is all but essential. There’s always a worry of some rotation with a couple of Champions League games coming up, but they are safely top of their group and may even use those fixtures over BL games to rest some players.

Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are the other regulars among the top attacking teams. Dortmund managed to outscore Leipzig in this period despite the latter’s notably higher xG: Leipzig’s high xG of 10.44 represented a -2.44 underperformance, while Dortmund overperformed their xG of 7.44 by +1.56. While the teams were level on big chances created (10), Leipzig were also more generally creative, accruing a higher xA during these games. This suggests they are more likely to continue to hit these levels, but Dortmund have been serial xG overperformers all season – 28 goals so far from an xG of 21.87.

Along with the regulars, there are a few surprises in terms of attacking threat in recent games. Over the last few MDs, Mainz 05 have added to their impressive defensive start to the campaign by upping their attacking prowess and placing third in terms of each goals, big chances, xG, and xA. This has largely been due to the emergence of a fruitful striking partnership between Karim Onisiwo and Jonathan Burkardt (more on this below).

VfL Bochum are the other surprise entry, netting six goals over the last 4 MDs and creating 14 big chances in the process, second behind Bayern’s 15. Their goal tally actually represents a notable underperformance of -1.71 relative to their xG of 7.71, which placed them at 4th in the xG table, above even Dortmund. Both Mainz and Bochum have underperformed their xG in these games, suggesting their promising goal threat could continue.

A special mention for the sharp attacking decline of VfB Stuttgart here to finish off, who have created just one big chance since MD3…

Defensive

Clean sheets

1. VfL Bochum | 3
2. Hoffenheim, Wolfsburg | 2
3. Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, SC Freiburg, Hertha BSC, Union Berlin | 1

Goals conceded

1. VfL Bochum | 2
2. Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, SC Freiburg, Wolfsburg, Hertha BSC | 4
3. Mainz 05, Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt, Arminia Bielefeld | 6

Best xGA (xGA – GC)

1. Bayern Munich |  2.83 (-1.17)
2. Borussia Mönchengladbach |  3.80 (-0.20)
3. Hertha BSC | 3.81 (-0.19)
4. VfL Bochum | 4.68 (+2.68)
5. RB Leipzig | 4.91 (+0.91)

In addition to turning things around offensively, VfL Bochum really upped their game defensively over the last few MDs. The former occupants of the worst xGA top spot (MD4-MD7) placed best for clean sheets and goals conceded in this period. While they did overperform their xGA by +2.68 to achieve this (including a Manuel Riemann penalty save), they still rank fourth best on the xGA list. Therefore, they have been the surprise form team in terms of both attack and defense since the last international break.

As expected from the way they control their games, Bayern Munich again top the xGA list, despite only managing one clean sheet in the last four MDs. Similarly, Borussia Mönchengladbach also had promising xGA stats but failed to keep a clean sheet. Hertha Berlin followed Bochum in switching from the worst xGA list to the third best for xGA despite facing Frankfurt, Gladbach, Hoffenheim, and Leverkusen in the last four, with a slight underperformance of -0.19 relative to goals conceded. With good fixtures on the horizon for Hertha (Augsburg, Stuttgart, and Arminia Bielefeld in the next four), some of their defenders could be great value picks going forward – the often OOP Maximilian Mittelstädt (7.1M) is one to keep an eye on, in particular.

Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg managed a joint second highest two clean sheets out of four despite being fairly middle of the road for xGA: 5.68 and 6.39, respectively. This was a notable overperformance of +1.68 for Wolfsburg, but only a slight overperformance of +0.39 for Hoffenheim. The latter racked up little xGA in their wins (Augsburg and Hertha, both at home) and a large amount in their losses (Bayern and Bochum, both away), suggesting a significant disparity between their home and away form.

Worst xGA (xGA – GC)

1. Eintracht Frankfurt | 11.78 (+5.78)
2. FC Köln | 8.87 (-2.13)
3. Bayer Leverkusen | 7.93 (-2.07)
4. Arminia Bielefeld | 7.59 (+1.59)
5. VfB Stuttgart |  7.45 (+0.45)

Despite having several seemingly favorable fixtures in the last four MDs, Eintracht Frankfurt were very underwhelming, as those of you who have owned their players Bundesliga Fantasy will know. They aggregated a whopping xGA of 11.78 in these fixtures, a rate of 2.95 per game! Conceding an xGA of over two in games against each Hertha, Bochum, and Fürth tells you how poor they have been defensively. They seem to have been incredibly lucky to have overperformed their xGA by a huge +5.78 and come away with four points and just six goals conceded. This was certainly not expected when Glasner took over, and he will surely work on tightening up their defence soon.

After Frankfurt, it’s FC Köln who had the second-worst xGA since the last international break, conceding 11 goals from an xGA of 8.87. Bayer Leverkusen have also performed poorly defensively in this period, although 3.45 of their xGA came from their 5-1 loss to Bayern in MD8. VfB Stuttgart’s defensive numbers don’t make much better reading than their attacking numbers, with them now lying amongst the worst teams for xGA in these recent games. SG Fürth again manage to stay out of the five worst teams for xGA, but have still conceded a joint second most 10 goals over the last few games.

Fantasy Bundesliga Player Stats

Now let’s focus on the individual players that have been posting good statistics in the last four fixtures, who could thus be good picks for the next few MDs.

Goals, Expected Goals (xG) and Shots

Goals

1. Robert Lewandowski (FCB) | 6
2. Anthony Modeste (KOE), Jonathan Burkardt (M05) | 4
3. Serge Gnabry (FCB), Yussuf Poulsen (RBL) | 3

xG (G – xG)

1. Robert Lewandowski (FCB) | 4.38 (+1.62)
2. Karim Onisiwo (M05) | 3.31 (-2.31)
3. Leroy Sané (FCB) | 3.28 (-2.28)
4. Yussuf Poulsen (RBL) |  3.17 (-0.17)
5. Jonathan Burkardt (M05) |  2.73 (+1.27)

Shots (MD1 – MD11)

1. Robert Lewandowski (FCB) | 46
2. Anthony Modeste (KOE)  | 43
3. Andrej Kramaric (TSG) | 39
4. Leroy Sané (FCB) | 34
5. Christopher Nkunku (RBL) | 32

Robert Lewandowski (FOR, 19.4M) continues his reign at the top of the xG charts, also returning to the top of the goalscorer list for this latest period of MDs. He also maintains his position as the top shot taker in the league. It’s clear why he’s the one you can’t go without in Bundesliga Fantasy.

This being said, however, it’s important not to overlook the other members of the Bayern attack, who also consistently post good stats and bring in huge points hauls. Since the last international break, one of the standouts has been Leroy Sané (FOR, 15.6M). The lethal winger was 3rd for xG in this period despite only starting three games, in which he managed 16 pts, 10 pts, and 14 pts. He is a keen shot taker – 16 of the aforementioned points came from goal attempts – which has now brought him to place amongst the top five shot takers in the league over the season. He has been more consistent than Serge Gnabry (FOR, 15.6M) this season, despite the latter having netted two more goals in the recent games.

After writing in the last article about a possible focal point switch to Sebastian Andersson for the Köln attack, Anthony Modeste (FOR, 8.4M) has re-emerged as the go-to man for the Billy Goats. He has proved himself to be a consistently good bet for goals and shots, ranking amongst the top scorers and shot takers in the league throughout the season so far. He placed just outside the top five for xG in the last four MDs with 2.66 (+1.34 overperformance). Köln have only failed to score in two games this season, and the main man Modeste should be a relatively safe pick, especially given his affordable price.

The above stats also showcase the main reason for Mainz’s notable attacking improvement in this period: the strong striking partnership formed between Jonathan Burkardt (FOR, 7.2M) and Karim Onisiwo (FOR, 7.8M). In their five games since the last international break (including a cup game vs. Arminia Bielefeld), the pair have passed through a particularly fruitful period in which they have scored seven goals (five for Burkardt, two for Onisiwo) and produced five assists (two for Burkardt, three for Onisiwo), with four of the latter being for each other.

While Onisiwo accrued a larger xG, Burkardt managed more goals and thus appears to be more clinical. On the other hand, Onisiwo also performed better in terms of expected and actual assists (an xA of 1.66 in the league, compared to Burkardt’s 0.78). With little to separate them in terms of value and points earned in this period (53 pts for Burkardt and 45 pts for Onisiwo), you shouldn’t go too far wrong bringing in either of the two.

The numbers also show that Yussuf Poulsen (FOR, 11.4M) has had a promising last few games, but the news of a torn muscle fiber will sadly put him out for several weeks.

Assists and Expected Assists (xA)

Assists

1. Thomas Müller (FCB) | 6
2. Dayot Upamecano (FCB) | 4
3. Genki Haraguchi (FCU) | 3
4. Karim Onisiwo (M05), Christopher Nkunku (RBL), Vincenzo Grifo (SCF), Andrej Kramaric (TSG), Jude Bellingham (BVB), Maximillian Mittelstädt (BSC) | 2

xA (A – xA)

1. Thomas Müller (FCB) | 3.72 (+2.28)
2. Dominik Szoboszlai (RBL) | 2.04 (-1.04)
3. Dayot Upamecano (FCB) | 1.68 (+2.32)
4. Karim Onisiwo (M05) | 1.66 (+0.34)
5. Filip Kostić (SGE) | 1.50 (-0.50)

The assist-based stats shine a light on another key and consistent member of the lethal Bayern Munich attack, Thomas Müller (FOR, 17M), a modern master in the art of playing behind the striker. Müller was comfortably highest for xA in the last four MDs, which brought him a total of 6 assists in these four games, thanks to his clinical teammates. He’s the third-highest point scorer in Bundesliga Fantasy so far and the second-highest for forwards behind Lewandowski, but is only owned by 15% of players. It’s strange to think that such a player can be somewhat of a differential, and he is definitely worth considering with Bayern’s (extra) favorable upcoming fixtures.

Müller’s defensive teammate Dayot Upamecano (DEF, 12.5M) is a much more unusual player to appear on top creators lists. While one of his four assists was a lucky deflection from a poor clearance, the remainder were genuine: a set-piece routine, a defence splitting pass from deep, and a layoff after a surging run forward. Despite this, it’s probably worth taking this with a pinch of salt, given that Upamecano had an xA of zero before this set of MDs…

Dominik Szoboszlai (MID, 11.9M) is really starting to solidify his name as one of the top players for Bundesliga Fantasy potential. His creative prowess is highlighted here, with him aggregating an xA of 2.04 and 52 pts over the last four MDs from just three starts and 276 minutes played. While minutes are a bit of a worry for him, the biggest of his points hauls in this period came from a 27-minute cameo off the bench against Fürth, which shows what he can do even with limited game time. Note he is also the second-highest point scorer among midfielders so far, behind only his teammate Christopher Nkunku. He looks to be capable of matching some of the typical highest scorers in the game for a more agreeable price, so he should definitely be on your radar for the weeks ahead.

As mentioned above, Karim Onisiwo (FOR, 7.8M) has performed well creatively in recent games, placing fourth for xA in this period. Despite somewhat underwhelming points hauls by his standards, Filip Kostić (MID, 15.2M) has still managed to make the top five for xA in this period, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

Shots Saved

Aside from clean sheets and goals conceded, the crucial statistic for Fantasy Bundesliga goalkeepers is shots saved. Below are the top shot-stoppers in the league for the last four MDs. Their points earned through saves are listed in brackets (goalkeepers gain three pts per two shots kept, but there are mismatches due to individual game totals).

1. Mark Flekken (SCF) | 20 (27 pts)
2. Lukáš Hrádecky (B04), Fabian Bredlow (VFB) | 19 (27 pts, 30 pts)
3. Kevin Trapp (SGE) | 16 (21 pts)
4. Stefan Ortega (DSC), Gregor Kobel (BVB), Yann Sommer (BMG) | 14 (18 pts, 21 pts, 15 pts)
5. Manuel Riemann (VFL), Manuel Neuer (FCB), Robin Zentner (M05) | 12 (15 pts, 15 pts, 15 pts)

Mark Flekken (7.4M) has been Mr. Consistent amongst Bundesliga Fantasy goalkeepers this season, this time topping the leaderboard for shots saved over the last four MDs. He has now also usurped Lukáš Hrádecky (9.1M) also to top the save percentage list for the season, stopping 83.0% of shots on target faced. While also consistent and capable of high points hauls, Hrádecky’s price makes Flekken the better value option. He is behind only Manuel Riemann (5.5M) for Points/Value amongst regularly starting keepers – if you’re struggling to choose, you likely won’t go too far wrong with one of this latter pair.

In his short spell in the first team, Fabian Bredlow (1.5M) has racked up a large save tally that places him amongst the top shot-stoppers in the league over the last four games (thanks in part to VfB Stuttgart’s poor form). However, his opportunity only came as a result of Florian Müller (7.6M) being struck with COVID, and the latter is expected to return to the first team after the current international break. Sadly, Bredlow’s time as a brilliant value pick is likely up, and thus his (underwhelming) low-priced counterpart Marius Funk (1M) is now the cheapest starting Bundesliga Fantasy keeper.

Duels Won

Finally, let’s take a look at the current Duels Won leaderboard from the Official Bundesliga website (unfortunately, there’s little more info than this available from them). The total points they have earned from these exploits are included in brackets, which consider their in-game positions (note that these are aggregated points from the individual games, so they may mismatch the total duels won).

1. Lucas Höler (SCF) | 158 (26 pts)
2. Danilo Soares (VFL) | 148 (50 pts)
3. Wataru Endo (VFB) |  142 (25 pts)
4. Nico Schlotterbeck (SCF) | 141 (48 pts)
5. Jude Bellingham (BVB) | 137 (23 pts)

Lucas Höler (FOR, 7.8M) storms to the top of the duel-winning leaderboard after not appearing in any previous top fives, thanks largely to an amazing 33 duels won in MD11 vs Bayern – note this huge tally only resulted in 6pts, due to the low points earned by midfielders/forwards from duel wins.

As mentioned earlier, the stats suggest that VfL Bochum have been in decent form both offensively and defensively as of late, and Danilo Soares (DEF, 6.8M) has again shown his prowess as a consistent top duel winner. Therefore, he could be a good value option if you’re looking to punt on a defender in the coming MDs (Bochum play FC Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld in MDs 14 and 16). Wataru Endo (MID, 9.1M) and Nico Schlotterbeck (DEF, 8.2M) remain amongst the top five duel winners, while former leader Mohamed Simakan (DEF, 9.8M) now drops out and Jude Bellingham (MID, 12.4M) enters.

In summary

Good coverage of Bayern Munich’s attack is close to essential for at least the next couple of games, and a double or triple up on the most threatening attack in the league could be a sensible play. Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are the other teams posting consistently good attacking statistics, but Mainz 05’s recent movement from strong defence to more promising attack is also worth noting.

However, it’s VfL Bochum who have provided the biggest surprise since the last international break, placing amongst the top teams for both offensive and defensive stats. Hertha Berlin and Borussia Mönchengladbach performed well for xGA in this period, with the former having particularly good fixtures coming up. In contrast, Eintracht Frankfurt performed very poorly defensively despite their seemingly favorable fixtures (worst for xGA). Despite this, it was FC Köln who had the leakiest defence in recent games.

It’s no surprise to see that Robert Lewandowski leads the way again for goal threat, but teammates Leroy Sané and Thomas Müller should not be overlooked given their capability of also bringing home big points hauls from attacking returns. Anthony Modeste is back to being Köln’s leading man in attack and is a great pick for his price. The strong striking partnership that has formed between Jonathan Burkardt and Karim Onisiwo has been largely responsible for the notable improvements in Mainz’s attack mentioned above. Both of the pair are good value, in-form options for forward spots.

Dominik Szoboszlai has shown his potential to be one of the top players for Bundesliga Fantasy in recent games, racking up significant points hauls at a reduced price relative to the usual best performers. Despite Frankfurt being underwhelming, Filip Kostić still placed in the top five for xA over the last four games.

Mark Flekken continues to be Mr. Consistent in Bundesliga Fantasy amongst goalkeepers with the highest save percentage in the league, and he and Manuel Riemann have the highest points/value amongst the regular starters. Lukáš Hrádecky is another good option, but his higher price reduces his appeal. Fabian Bredlow was a brilliant value option in this period, but Florian Müller’s return means Marius Funk is the only cheap playing goalkeeper left. Lucas Höler’s recent exploits caused him to storm to the top of the duel-winning leaderboard, but second-placed Danilo Soares could be a savvy pick to capitalize on Bochum’s recent defensive improvements.

Duels won, shots and shots saved stats taken from the BL website. The remainder from Understat or FB Ref.

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

Welcome to the next in my series of articles summarizing the stats from the previous few Fantasy Bundesliga Matchdays (MDs), this time for MD4 – MD7. I hope it provides some assistance for your unlimited transfer selections and helps you to bring home the points!

Bundesliga Team Stats

Again, before looking at the stats for individual players, let’s first take a look at some team-based stats to give us an idea of which teams have been performing the best over the last few MDs.

Attacking

Goals

1. Bayern Munich | 15
2. Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig | 11
3. Borussia Dortmund | 10
4. Borussia Mönchengladbach | 7
5. SC Freiburg, FC Köln, Hertha Berlin | 6

xG (G – xG)

1. Bayern Munich | 14.04 (+0.96)
2. RB Leipzig | 9.10 (+1.90)
3. Borussia Mönchengladbach | 8.05 (-1.05)
4. FC Köln | 7.17 (-1.17)
5. Borussia Dortmund | 6.68 (+3.32)

Bayern Munich retain their place at the top of both the goals and xG lists, aggregating another whopping xG sum of 14.04 over the last four fixtures, an xG per game of 3.51. Their xG underperformance from the first three fixtures swung to an xG overperformance of +0.96 over these four games, thus moving them closer to being on track with their xG overall. As expected from their dominance over many years, they are again the attacking team of choice this season.

RB Leipzig have significantly upped their game since the first few fixtures and sit second for goals over the last four games. While their 11 goals represented a notable xG overperformance of +1.90 that could suggest some regression is due, they are still placed second for xG over this period (no doubt helped by fixtures against Hertha and Bochum).

On the other hand, Bayer Leverkusen’s 11 goals came as a whopping overperformance of +4.52, such that their xG of 6.48 doesn’t even place in the xG top five for the fixtures in this period. Leverkusen are hence going through a period of sustained xG overperformance (+8.66 over the season so far!). While I’m thus tempted to say again they are due some regression, their top attacking performers’ confidence and clinical finishing (Patrik Schick, Florian Wirtz, and Moussa Diaby) is definitely a factor.

Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and FC Köln are the other teams to place in both top fives. Dortmund again overperformed their xG, this time more significantly (G – xG of +3.32), thus indicating a similar situation to Leverkusen (though their season overperformance is less dramatic, at +4.58). In contrast, Gladbach and Köln underperformed their xG in this period. This moves Köln closer to an agreement with their xG, but it is interesting to note that they have placed in the top five for xG both from MD1 – MD3 and from MD4 – MD7.

This has come with mixed fixture difficulty, including games against Bayern and RB Leipzig, and shows their consistent attacking quality this season. Gladbach are a new entry in both lists, and their attacking improvement has come at a good time, with them arguably having the best fixtures over the next four MDs – who’s ready for Stindl to troll us again?

One final thing to note is that VfB Stuttgart, who were third for both goals and xG from MD1 – MD3, have shown a significant drop-off in their attacking numbers, aggregating an xG of only 3.10 from MD4 – MD7 and scoring only five goals in this period.

Big chances created (MD1 – MD7)

1. Bayern Munich | 28
2. RB Leipzig | 17
3. FC Köln, Hoffenheim | 15
4. Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart | 14
5. Borussia Mönchengladbach, SC Freiburg | 12

xA per 90 (MD1 – MD7)

1. Bayern Munich | 2.23
2. Borussia Dortmund | 1.47
3. RB Leipzig | 1.36
4. Hoffenheim | 1.23
5. FC Köln | 1.19

Again, there are few surprises in the top fives for big chances created and xA per 90 (note these are MD1 – MD7, in this case). Bayern have overtaken Stuttgart and Dortmund, respectively, to now top the rankings for both stats. Stuttgart’s attacking drop-off is once more highlighted here, with them moving out of the xA per 90 top-five and having created only one big chance in the last four MDs. On the other hand, while Hoffenheim maintain their presence in both lists, they have only created 5 big chances from MD4 – MD7 and their xA per 90 has fallen (from 1.51 in MD1 – MD3). After a poor start in the first three MDs, RB Leipzig are now present in both lists, in line with their recent upturn in form.

Defensive

Clean sheets

1. FC Augsburg, Bayer Leverkusen, SC Freiburg, RB Leipzig, Mainz 05, Union Berlin | 2
2. Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Munich, VfL Bochum, Hoffenheim, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfB Stuttgart, Wolfsburg | 1
3. Borussia Dortmund, SG Fürth, Hertha BSC, FC Köln, Eintracht Frankfurt | 0

Goals conceded

1. SC Freiburg | 2
2. Borussia Mönchengladbach, Mainz 05 | 3
3. Bayern Munich, FC Köln, Eintracht Frankfurt | 4
4. Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig, Union Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, FC Augsburg | 5
5. Hoffenheim | 6

Best xGA (xGA – GC)

1. Bayern Munich |  2.63 (-1.37)
2. Hoffenheim |  3.21 (-2.79)
3. Mainz 05 | 3.43 (+0.43)
4. Union Berlin | 3.62 (-1.38)
5. Borussia Mönchengladbach | 3.82 (+0.82)

Over the last few fixtures, it’s SC Freiburg that have the lowest goals conceded and are joint top of the clean sheet list. Their xGA of 3.87 places them just outside of the top five best in this case, however, with a notable overperformance of +1.87 relative to goals conceded. This has certainly been helped by strong performances from Mark Flekken (GK, 6.8M), whose high save percentage (80.8%; second highest in the league) has made him one of the most reliable Fantasy Bundesliga keepers this season.

Bayern Munich accrued the lowest xGA from MD4 – MD7 at 2.63, though only managed one clean sheet in this period and conceded 4 goals, constituting an underperformance of -1.37. However, this is a notable improvement on the xGA of 3.52 they accumulated after the first three fixtures and is thus an indication that Julian Nagelsmann is starting to sure up their defence. Mainz 05 retain places near the top of all three lists, exhibiting their continued defensive solidity.

Union Berlin again performed well for xGA, but also continued to concede more than expected during this period. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg has managed only one clean sheet in the last four games and no longer place amongst the best teams for goals conceded and xGA (for which they are now placed 7th worst), showing a significant downturn in their defensive performances.

With six goals conceded, Hoffenheim are a surprise inclusion at second-best for xGA, but their xGA – G underperformance of -2.79 suggests they may have been unlucky. This is a significant improvement relative to the first three MDs, where they placed 4th bottom for xGA. Borussia Mönchengladbach have done well to keep to a low number of goals, and xG conceded given the difficulty of their last two fixtures against Dortmund and Wolfsburg. Their defenders could be worth keeping an eye on with their excellent upcoming fixtures, especially with them currently having two very cheap starters in Joe Scally (2.5M) and Jordan Beyer (1.8M).

Worst xGA (xGA – GC)

1. VfL Bochum | 10.25 (-2.75)
2. FC Augsburg | 9.15 (+4.15)
3. Arminia Bielefeld | 7.89 (-0.11)
4. RB Leipzig | 7.85 (+2.85)
5. Hertha BSC |  7.69 (-2.31)

There are few surprises in terms of teams to target for attacking returns, with most of the usual suspects appearing in the worst xGA list. FC Augsburg may have kept two clean sheets and conceded only five goals, but their xGA of 9.15 suggests they have been lucky not to concede more. However, SG Fürth, one of the teams most of us have been targeting since MD1, has shown a strong improvement in their defensive capabilities and now place outside the five worst teams for xGA. This is particularly impressive given that their last two fixtures have were against Bayern and FC Köln, two of the stronger attacking sides in the league this season. RB Leipzig’s attacking improvements appear to have come at the cost of weaker defensive performances, and they are the surprise inclusion as 4th worst for xGA (4.30 did come from their game against Bayern, however).

Fantasy Bundesliga Player Stats

Now let’s hone in on the individual players that have been posting good statistics in the last four fixtures and thus could be good picks in Bundesliga Fantasy for the next few MDs.

Goals, Expected Goals (xG) and Shots

Goals

1. Patrik Schick (B04), Erling Haaland (BVB), Christopher Nkunku (RBL) | 4
2. Joshua Kimmich (FCB), Ellyes Shkiri (KOE), Raphael Guerreiro (BVB), Florian Wirtz (B04) | 3
3. Robert Lewandowski (FCB), Anthony Modeste (KOE), Filip Kostić (SGE) + 11 players | 2

xG (G – xG)

1. Robert Lewandowski (FCB) | 3.84 (-1.84)
2. Christopher Nkunku (RBL) | 2.67 (+1.33)
3. Sebastian Andersson (KOE) | 2.55 (-1.55)
4. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (FCB) |  2.44 (-0.44)
5. Wout Weghorst (WOB) |  2.43 (-0.43)

Shots (MD1 – MD7)

1. Robert Lewandowski (FCB) | 30
2. Andrej Kramaric (TSG) | 28
3. Erling Haaland (BVB), Anthony Modeste (KOE) | 26
4. Patrik Schick (B04) | 25
5. Leon Goretzka (FCB) | 22

For the second period in a row, Robert Lewandowski (FOR, 18.4M) tops the xG list and holds the top spot for shots over the season so far. Unusually for him, he has, however, significantly underperformed his xG in the last four MDs, grabbing only two goals from an xG of 3.84. Don’t worry, though; this indicates that the chances are still coming, and this underperformance is not likely to last for long – “It’s Lewandowski!”

On the other hand, Christopher Nkunku (MID, 15.3M) is enjoying a rich vein of form (including an impressive Champions League hat trick against Man City), netting a joint-high four league goals and overperforming his xG by +1.33 in the last four MDs. Even without the overperformance, he has accrued the 2nd highest xG in the league in this period, suggesting he should be good to continue his goalscoring exploits going forward.

Nkunku is joined at the top of the goalscoring list by Patrik Schick (FOR, 14.6M) and Erling Haaland (FOR, 17.6M). Both of the pair remain amongst the top shot takers in the league so far but neither lies in the top five for xG in the last four games, with them significantly overperforming their xG by +1.74 and +2.14 respectively in this period. Both have looked clinical and in top form throughout the season, and Schick in particular still appears to be riding on a high from the Euros. However, while reading this, it is important to remember that Haaland only played 2 of the four games between MD3 and MD7, highlighting how impressive a player he is.

There appears to have been a shift in attacking focal point for Köln, with Sebastian Andersson (FOR, 8.8M) placing at 3rd in the league for xG from MD4 – MD7, while MD1 – MD3’s 6th-placed Anthony Modeste (FOR, 7.5M) has now dropped down to 33rd for this period, with an xG of 0.96. While Modeste still outscored Andersson over these MDs, the latter may still be the Köln striker of choice if he sharpens up his finishing. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s (FOR, 6.9M) placing at 4th acts as a showcase for Bayern’s attacking prowess, with him incredibly having accumulated this while playing only 59 minutes during the last four games. Wout Weghorst (FOR, 15.3M) has his second top-five placing in the xG charts but continues to underperform his xG.

Two of the joint second-highest goalscorers, Ellyes Shkiri (MID, 7.6M) and Raphael Guerreiro (DEF, 15M), are unfortunately now injured and set to miss at least the next MD. The other two, Joshua Kimmich (MID, 16.4M) and Florian Wirtz (MID, 12.4M), have been key players for their respective teams in terms of goal and assist threat and are likely to remain to be two of the best midfield picks in Fantasy Bundesliga. Andrej Kramaric (FOR, 15.4M) has shifted from creator to shot taker in the last few MDs, moving out of the assists/xA top fives (below) and up to be the second-highest shot taker in the league so far. He and Leon Goretzka (MID, 15.1M) are the new entries in the top shot takers list for MD1 – MD7.

Assists and Expected Assists (xA)

Assists

1. Florian Wirtz (B04), Filip Kostić (SGE) | 3
2. Leroy Sané (FCB), Dominik Szoboszlai (RBL), Patrick Hermann (BMG) + 7 players | 2

xA (A – xA)

1. Florian Wirtz (B04) | 1.98 (+1.02)
2. Joshua Kimmich (FCB) | 1.81 (-0.81)
3. Jonas Hector (KOE)  | 1.58 (+0.42)
4. Leon Goretzka (FCB) | 1.56 (-0.56)
5. Leroy Sané (FCB) | 1.55 (+0.45)

Two of last season’s Fantasy Bundesliga favourites, Florian Wirtz (MID, 12.4M) and Filip Kostić (MID, 15.2M), led the way for assists over the last four fixtures. 18-year-old starlet Wirtz has risen rapidly to become one of the league’s top players and is now central to Leverkusen’s exciting attack. Three goals, three assists, and a league-high xA of 1.98 in the last four games tell you the kind of form he’s in. He’s currently the fourth highest scorer in Bundesliga Fantasy on 85 pts, despite playing only 368 minutes of the season so far, certifying him as one of the top picks in the game.

In a similar vein, I mentioned in my pre-season article on Eintracht Frankfurt how an in-form Kostić is close to essential for Fantasy Bundesliga. He looks to be settled and committed now that his transfer debacle has been resolved, and he has picked up where he left off with two goals, three assists, and 12.5 pts per game in the last four matchdays – note that this includes a goal, assist and 17-point haul against Bayern in MD7.

Bayern trio Joshua Kimmich (MID, 16.4M), Leroy Sané (FOR, 14.8M), and Leon Goretzka (MID, 15.1M) have all been key contributors to the most threatening attack in the league in the last four games, with their creativeness highlighted here in their xA numbers. Despite playing at left-back, Jonas Hector (MID, 9.8M) has proven to be a very creative member of the Köln attack and ranks 3rd for xA over this period.

Shots Saved

Aside from clean sheets and goals conceded, the crucial statistic for Fantasy Bundesliga goalkeepers is shots saved. Below are the top shot-stoppers in the league for the last four MDs. Their points earned through saves are listed in brackets (goalkeepers gain three pts per two shots kept, but there are mismatches due to individual game totals).

1. Kevin Trapp (SGE), Lukáš Hrádecky (B04) | 18 (24 pts, 21 pts)
2. Manuel Riemann (VFL) | 17 (21 pts)
3. Timo Horn (KOE) | 15 (21 pts)
4. Alexander Schwolow (BSC) | 14 (18 pts)
5. Rafał Gikiewicz (FCA) | 13 (15 pts)

There’s a surprise at the top of the list, with Kevin Trapp (8.8M) joint-leading the way for shots saved over the last few MDs, a keeper who is not usually known for aggregating large numbers of saves. However, this has been heavily skewed by his heroics in previous MD’s fixture against Bayern, in which he racked up 10 saves to help Frankfurt see out a memorable win. Lukáš Hrádecky (9.1M) has been in strong form in recent weeks (including a strong performance vs. Celtic outside of the Bundesliga) and has the highest save percentage in the league (81.8%). However, despite their recent exploits, both him and Trapp are still likely too expensive to justify a place in our teams.

Sascha Burchert (4.6M) is no longer present on the list due partly to the noticeable improvement in Fürth’s defense and to him losing his place to Marius Funk (1.3M) in the last MD. Funk is likely to be a popular pick in this current round of unlimited transfers, with the chance of a 1.3m starting keeper being hard to pass up. On the other hand, Manuel Riemann (5.2M) has remained close to the top of the saves list in this period. Bochum have conceded the most goals in the league over the last four MDs (13), however; a potentially worrying sign, even if Bayern were responsible for seven of these.

Of the remaining three, it’s worth noting that Köln and Hertha are yet to keep a clean sheet in the league, whereas Augsburg have managed 3. Rafał Gikiewicz (7M) may therefore be a safer pick than both Timo Horn (5.9M) and Alexander Schwolow (6.1M), but it’s Horn who has racked up the most points so far (37 pts, with Gikiewicz and Schwolow on 34 pts and 10 pts, respectively).

Duels Won

Finally, let’s take a look at the current Duels Won leaderboard from the Official Bundesliga website (unfortunately, there’s little more info than this available from them). The total points they have earned from these exploits are included in brackets, which take into account their in-game positions (note that these are aggregated points from the individual games, so may mismatch the total duels won).

1. Mohamed Simakan (RBL) | 102 (36 pts)
2. Wataru Endo (VFB) |  101 (18 pts)
3. Nico Schlotterbeck (SCF) | 95 (32 pts)
4. Danilo Soares (VFL) | 94 (30 pts)
5. Kevin Mbabu (WOL) | 93 (30 pts)

Mohamed Simakan (DEF, 9.8M) and Wataru Endo (MID, 9M) retain their places for total duels won at the top of the list. Simakan remains to be relatively cheap and represents a good value route to points for this reason. Endo is less so due to the lower points totals gained for duels won by midfielders. Nico Schlotterbeck (DEF, 7.9M) is a new entry in the top five, and it is interesting to note that he is 3rd and 4th for Freiburg in terms of npxG and npxG+xA, respectively, so far this season. Freiburg do face RB Leipzig and Bayern in the next four BL games, but he could still represent a good value defensive option.

Bochum may have had a tough time on their return to the Bundesliga, but it can be seen that Danilo Soares (DEF, 6M) has managed to accumulate a large number of duels won in the process. However, a competitive fixture against Fürth (MD8) is their only favourable fixture in the next four MDs. Despite Wolfsburg’s recent downturn in form, Kevin Mbabu (DEF, 10.9M) has also kept his place in the top five.

In summary

The top attacking team in the league by far is again, unsurprisingly, Bayern Munich, who have also performed best for xGA in the last four MDs – certainly consider their players, if you didn’t know to already! Borussia Dortmund and FC Köln have also continued to post strong attacking stats, but RB Leipzig’s recent upsurge in form has brought them strongly into the picture as well. Borussia Mönchengladbach have been posting good attacking stats and reasonable defensive stats, and their players are well worth consideration ahead of some very favourable fixtures. This season, Mainz 05 and Union Berlin have established themselves as decent defensive teams, though Hoffenheim have shown recent signs of improvement based on their xGA numbers.

Robert Lewandowski continues to lead the way in terms of xG, though is going through a patch of underperformance relative to goals scored. In-form Christopher Nkunku follows him in the xG charts, whose four goals over the last four MDs placed him as a joint-top goalscorer in this period with fellow premiums Patrik Schick and Erling Haaland — note that Haaland only played in two of those four games, however! If Köln’s Sebastian Andersson finds his shooting boots soon and performs close to his xG he could become a good value forward in Bundesliga Fantasy.

Florian Wirtz and Filip Kostić have been both key creators and goalscorers for their respective teams over the last few MDs, racking up many points in the process, and both should be strongly considered as fixture-proof options for your Fantasy Bundesliga teams. Some of the typical suspects from Bayern – Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Leroy Sané – have also performed highly for expected and actual goal involvement in this period and should remain to be good options going forward.

For once more expensive goalkeepers occupy the top spot in the shots saved list, though Kevin Trapp and Lukáš Hrádecky are probably too expensive to justify taking up Fantasy Bundesliga keeper spots. The much cheaper Manuel Riemann remains close to the top of the list, but the negative effects of Bochum’s defensive leakiness are worth considering, given the presence of more steady keeper options such as Mark Flekken. Mohamed Simakan continues his reign at the top of the duels won charts, but cheaper defensive options Nico Schlotterbeck and Danilo Soares have now worked themselves into the top five.

Duels won, shots and shots saved stats taken from the BL website. The remainder from Understat or FB Ref.

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

During the 2021/22 season, I will be aiming to write a (roughly) monthly article summarizing the stats from the previous few Bundesliga Matchdays (MDs), with a bias towards the key numbers that should translate to points for your Fantasy Bundesliga players.

Fantasy Bundesliga | Shy’s Stats | MD1 – MD3

The Fantasy Bundesliga scoring rules are highly stats based, going beyond the simple goal/assist/clean sheet formula used by other fantasy games such as FPL. They are designed to reward the players in various positions on the pitch for their contributions to the game (e.g. defensive midfielders via duels won), and can even result in players on losing teams obtaining large points hauls — Manuel Riemann’s 17-pointer from Bochum’s 1-0 loss on the first MD of the season is a prime example, with 12 pts earned from shots saved!

Routes to Points

Before looking at the stats, it’s good to have a refresher on what your players can score points for in BL Fantasy. Note that this has already been covered in detail in our Bundesliga Fantasy Beginner’s Guide.

Shying away (ha) from the more standard point-scoring methods (goals, assists, appearance points, etc), there are a few key extras to note. You’ll find that three of the more common sources of additional points in the game are Passes leading to shots, Duels won, and Shots on goal (note that these don’t have to be on target). Only 2 shots on goal from your player get you 2, 3, or 4 pts for those listed as FOR, MID, DEF (5 for GKs), and if they set up only 2 shots, they will get you 2, 2, or 3 pts, respectively (again 5 for GKs). Every 5 duels won then gets you 1, 1, or 2 pts, for the same respective positions (0 for GKs). This combination of additional point sources made attacking defenders like Angeliño or Raphäel Guerreiro invaluable last season, with them typically being amongst the largest points haulers in the game. On the goalkeeping side, the important stat is Shots saved, with goalkeepers being awarded 3 pts for every 2 shots kept (notably more generous than e.g. Fantasy Premier League).

Now, we’ll take a look at who’s topping the charts for some of the key stats, both on a team-wise basis and for individual players. Note that in this article I concentrate on stats-based performance (i.e. just one aspect) and don’t focus so much on past and upcoming fixtures. The latter are still worth considering as they are also an important factor to weigh up when selecting players, but remember that Bundesliga seasons are frequently full of surprises — well, and Bayern Munich — and form can often win out.

Team Stats

Before looking at the stats for individual players, let’s first take a look at some team-based stats. While we end up choosing individual players from each team, these are useful to look at to get an idea of the teams in good general form and the regular, and irregular, player choices that may benefit from that. They are also useful when considering how a new player entering the starting XI might fare, if going for a brave differential punt in Fantasy Bundesliga – e.g. if Sam Lammers jumps straight in upfront for Frankfurt in the next MD, with Rafael Borré returning late from international duty.

Attacking

Goals

1. Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund | 9
2. Hoffenheim | 8
3. FC Köln, VfB Stuttgart | 7
4. Freiburg, Union Berlin | 5
5. Wolfsburg, Mainz 05 | 4

xG (G – xG)

1. Bayern Munich | 10.25 (-1.25)
2. Borussia Dortmund | 7.74 (+1.26)
3. VfB Stuttgart | 7.50 (-0.50)
4. Hoffenheim | 6.84 (+1.16)
5. FC Köln | 5.49 (+1.51)

To little surprise, Bayern Munich is the team that appears at the top of both the Goals and xG lists, aggregating a whopping xG of 10.25 within the first three fixtures (BMG, KOE, BSC). Unusually for Bayern due to their plethora of top finishers, this actually constitutes an xG underperformance of -1.25. Therefore, there is no reason to expect that their goalscoring exploits are unsustainable (if you had any doubts), and they actually have the potential to score more frequently going forward.

Borussia Dortmund, Hoffenheim, VfB Stuttgart and FC Köln are the other teams that place in both top fives. Of these, the only one underperforming their xG is VfB Stuttgart (by -0.50), suggesting they are good value for continuing their goal threat — Al Ghaddioui (FOR, 4.4m) could be a great value pick because of this (see below). Of the others, FC Köln have exhibited the largest overperformance at +1.51 — their 2 goals against Bayern in MD2 came from an xG of just 0.8, hence making up a large part of this. Köln are looking much more promising this season in an attacking sense especially with the return of Mark Uth, but some regression would not come as a surprise.

While Dortmund and Hoffenheim have so far also overperformed, they are blessed with some top-quality finishers, including their respective talisman (Erling Haaland and Andrej Kramarić), which could suggest they are less likely to regress so strongly towards their xG. However, while for Dortmund this is supported by the overperformance their total accrued xG from last season by +6.4, Hoffenheim almost exactly matched theirs (a G – xG of +0.2), so regression seems more likely in the latter’s case.

Bayer Leverkusen’s 9 goals represent a huge overperformance of 4.14 relative to their xG, and so they are the top candidates for some goalscoring regression. While not appearing in either of the above top fives, it is worth mentioning that Borussia Mönchengladbach’s meagre 2 goals represent a huge underperformance of -3.18 relative to their xG, and so an increase in their scoring is expected soon.

Big chances created

1. VfB Stuttgart | 13
2. Bayern Munich | 11
3. Hoffenheim | 10
4. FC Köln | 8
5. Borussia Dortmund, SC Freiburg | 7

xA per 90

1. Borussia Dortmund | 2.23
2. Bayern Munich | 1.97
3. VfB Stuttgart | 1.82
4. Hoffenheim | 1.51
5. FC Köln | 1.31

On the chance creation side of things, it’s not too surprising to see the teams in the goal-based top-fives again. Stuttgart’s attacking potential is in particular highlighted here, with them having created the highest number of big chances in the league so far. Dortmund place top for xA but joint 5th for big chances created, suggesting they tend to accrue the former by creating a large number of smaller chances.

Defensive

Clean sheets

1. Mainz 05, Wolfsburg | 2
2. Arminia Bielefeld, Augsburg, Bayern Munich + 6 teams | 1
3. Borussia Dortmund, SG Fürth, Hertha BSC + 4 teams | 0

Goals conceded

1. Wolfsburg | 1
2. RB Leipzig, Mainz 05, Bayer Leverkusen, Arminia Bielefeld | 2
3. Bayern Munich, Freiburg, VfL Bochum | 3
4. Union Berlin | 4
5. Hoffenheim, FC Köln | 5

Good xGA (xGA – GC)

1. Mainz 05 | 2.20 (+0.20)
2. Wolfsburg | 2.91 (+1.91)
3. Union Berlin | 3.29 (-0.71)
4. RB Leipzig | 3.34 (+1.34)
5. Bayern Munich | 3.52 (+0.52)

At the other end of the pitch, the defensive surprise package is Mainz, who are top for both clean sheets and have performed best in terms of xGA. In this case, however, the fixtures could have played an important role, with Mainz having faced both of the two promoted sides in their first three games. The presence of the two best defensive teams from last season, Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig, is much less of a surprise, and it’s good to see that their defenders should still be reliable picks this time around.

Another of last season’s solid defences, Union Berlin, could consider themselves unlucky in terms of goals conceded, being the only team in the best five for xGA to have conceded more than expected so far. Bielefeld have continued their xGA defiance from the previous season (just the 92.3% save percentage for Mr. Ortega so far), having conceded only two goals from an xGA of 6.00 (+4.0 overperformance)!

Poor xGA (xGA – GC)

1. SG Fürth | 7.82 (-1.18)
2. FC Augsburg | 6.89 (-1.11)
3. VfL Bochum | 6.52 (+3.52)
4. Hoffenheim | 6.49 (+1.49)
5. Hertha BSC | 6.44 (-3.56)

In BL Fantasy, it is also useful to know the teams that are good to target for attacking returns for your players, and so above are listed the five sides with the worst xGA in the league. Fürth are clear in terms of having the poorest xGA and are also conceding more goals than expected, so they are currently the team to target. Augsburg, who are second poorest, have also “over-conceded”, although they were let down by 2 own goals in the last MD that included Iago’s sensational chip (worth a watch) — note this also helps to explain Leverkusen’s significant xG overperformance. Bochum, Hoffenheim and Hertha have all drawn a similar xGA, but Riemann (VFL) and Baumann (TSG) have been keeping well so far, while Schwolow (BSC) has typically not (comfortably bottom in the league for save percentage, at only 33.3%).

Fantasy Bundesliga Player Stats

Now, let’s turn our attention to the players that have been posting good statistics in the first three fixtures. They’re who you pick for your teams, after all, and choosing the best possible players from in-form teams is often key to Fantasy Bundesliga success.

Goals, Expected Goals (xG) and Shots

Goals

1. Robert Lewandowski (FCB) | 5
2. Taiwo Awoniyi (FCU), Erling Haaland (BVB) | 3
3. Anthony Modeste (KOE), Serge Gnabry (FCB), Patrik Schick (B04) + 10 players | 2

xG (G – xG)

1. Robert Lewandowski (FCB) | 5.15 (-0.15)
2. Erling Haaland (BVB) | 2.97 (+0.03)
3. Patrik Schick (B04) | 2.95 (-0.95)
4. Wout Weghorst (WOB) | 1.98 (-0.98)
5. Hamadi Al Ghaddioui (VFB) | 1.95 (+0.05)

Shots

1. Erling Haaland (BVB) | 18 
2. Robert Lewandowski (FCB) | 16
3. Patrik Schick (B04) | 15
4. Anthony Modeste (KOE) | 14
5. Rafael Borré (SGE) | 12

Two very unsurprising players currently lead the way in terms of goals, expected goals and total shots, with Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland appearing in the top two for each of these statistics. Patrik Schick (13.8M) places third on all three lists, and is currently underperforming his xG by -0.95, so is definitely worth keeping an eye on. He seems to have carried his Euros form into the BL season. Wout Weghorst (14.7M) is also highly underperforming his xG, and should be strongly considered for Wolfsburg’s upcoming game against Fürth, the current ‘whipping boys’.

In terms of value options, Taiwo Awoniyi is a surprise inclusion as the joint second top goalscorer given his accrued xG of only 1.71 (+1.29 overperformance), but has looked red hot so far thanks to his link-up with Max Kruse. He faces lowly Augsburg next, and could represent a great value differential at just 7.4M if he can keep this overperformance up. Anthony Modeste (6.8M) is similarly representing a good value route into Köln’s promising attack, and places 6th for xG on 1.93, just behind Hamadi Al Ghaddioui. The latter could represent the best value of the lot at a very cheap price of 4.4M in Fantasy Bundesliga, with Saša Kalajdžić out long term and Stuttgart posting top attacking numbers.

Assists and Chance Creation

Assists

1. Andrej Kramarić (TSG) | 4
2. Borna Sosa (VFB) | 3
3. Erling Haaland (BVB), Marco Reus (BVB), Simon Zoller (BOC), Florian Wirtz (B04), Max Kruse (FCU), Joshua Kimmich (FCB) | 2

xA

1. Andrej Kramarić (TSG) | 1.76
2. Max Kruse (FCU) | 1.49
3. Vincenzo Grifo (SCF) | 1.47
4. Alphonso Davies (FCB) | 1.17
5. Jamal Musiala (FCB) | 1.15

Big chances created

1. Andrej Kramarić (TSG) | 4
2. Florian Kainz (KOE), Vincenzo Grifo (SCF) | 3
3. Borna Sosa (VFB), Erling Haaland (BVB), Max Kruse (FCU) + 10 players  | 2

Andrej Kramarić (FOR, 14.6M) has been the most creative player in the league so far, who is usually a BL Fantasy favourite because of his goalscoring and shot taking exploits. If he can add the latter to his current creativity, he could be a very good premium option. However, it is worth noting that his 4 assists represent a particularly large overperformance of +2.24, so there may well be some regression due in this sense. Vincenzo Grifo (MID, 12.4M) has so far posted good big chance creation and xA numbers, although these have so far transpired into 0 assists. Max Kruse (FOR, 11.5M) appears on all three lists, and has looked in hot form in the first 3 MDs and is linking up with Taiwo Awoniyi well. Grifo and Kruse both have penalty responsibilities for their respective teams as well, which is worth bearing in mind.

Despite not appearing in the top five for xA, Borna Sosa (DEF, 11M) has created 2 big chances and earned himself 3 assists, continuing his attacking form from the previous season. Alphonso Davies (DEF, 13.7M) is another interesting inclusion on the xA list, since, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, defenders with good attacking numbers are a promising route to points hauls in BL Fantasy.

Duels Won

Next, we show the top duel winners in the league so far. The total points they have earned from these exploits are included in brackets, which take into account their in-game positions (note that these are aggregated points from the individual games, so may mismatch the total duels won).

1. Wataru Endo (VFB), Mohamed Simakan (RBL) | 49 (9 pts, 18 pts)
2. Jude Bellingham (BVB) | 45 (8 pts)
3. Kevin Mbabu (WOB) | 44 (16 pts)
4. Manuel Prietl (DSC), Alphonso Davies (FCB) | 43 (7 pts, 14 pts)
5. Marc-Oliver Kempf (VFB), Florian Neuhaus (BMG) | 42 (14 pts, 7 pts)

While duel-winning midfielders can provide a decent flow of points (e.g. Wataru Endo), the points tally highlight the importance of having duel-winning defenders. At 9.6M, Mohamed Simakan looks like he will provide a good value route into RB Leipzig’s tough defence with his ability to accumulate duels won points. Kevin Mbabu (10.8M) and Alphonso Davies (13.7M) may have steeper price tags, but their attacking prowess justifies their value. Mbabu in particular has so far provided great value for money as the joint-highest points scorer, and his currently even better value compatriot, Marc-Oliver Kempf (7.2M), also makes an appearance as one of the top five duel-winners.

Shots Saved

Aside from clean sheets and goals conceded, the crucial statistic for Fantasy Bundesliga goalkeepers is shots saved. Listed below are the top shot-stoppers in the league in the first three matchdays. Note that since goalkeepers gain 3 pts per 2 shots saved, the corresponding points earned are listed in brackets (note there are mismatches due to individual game totals).

1. Sascha Burchert (SGF) | 17 (24 pts)
2. Oliver Baumann (TSG) | 16 (24 pts)
3. Manuel Riemann (VFL), Florian Müller (VFB), Yann Sommer (BMG) | 14 (18 pts)
4. Lukáš Hrádecky (B04) | 13 (18 pts)
5. Stefan Ortega (DSC), Rafal Gikiewicz (FCA), Mark Flekken (SCF) | 12 (18 pts, 15 pts, 15 pts)

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two GKs from the newly promoted sides (Sascha Burchert and Manuel Riemann) are amongst those that have made the most saves so far; Burchert in particular has faced a league-high 26 shots on target. Added to their cheapness (5.1M and 5.4M, respectively), this makes them ideal GK choices, but the total goals conceded by Fürth makes Burchert a less attractive choice. Bochum, meanwhile, have only conceded three goals in the first three MDs, which makes Riemann the stand-out keeper at the moment. Second-placed Oliver Baumann’s numbers are a little inflated by his huge 15-point tally from 10 shots saved in last MD’s game against Dortmund, heroics that almost allowed Hoffenheim to come away with a draw.

In summary

From an attacking perspective, the current teams to look out for seem to be VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund, Hoffenheim, FC Köln and, of course, Bayern Munich, who have all posted good goal threat and chance creation stats in the first three MDs. Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig have continued their defensive form from last season and still appear to be the stand-out defences in the league. Union Berlin have also posted good defensive numbers, and their xGA underperformance suggests that they may have been a little unlucky in terms of goals conceded so far.

Amongst the premium forwards in Fantasy Bundesliga, there’s little surprise at the top of the player-based goal threat stats lists, with Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland leading the way and justifying their high price tags. Patrik Schick and Wout Weghorst are also posting good xG numbers and are currently both underperforming, so are definitely worth considering. Taiwo Awoniyi, Anthony Modeste, and Hamadi Al Ghaddioui all currently seem to provide great value options in this sense.

Andrej Kramarić has so far been the most creative player in the league, topping each of the assists, xA and big chances created lists. If he can add his usual goalscoring and shot taking exploits to this, he has the potential to be a particularly promising player for points hauls. Such hauls could also come from attacking defenders Borna Sosa and Alphonso Davies due to their strong creative stats. Vincenzo Grifo and Max Kruse have also been posting promising numbers in this sense, and are worth keeping an eye on.

Mohamed Simakan looks to be a good value route into the strong RB Leipzig defence with his duel-winning capabilities, but Stuttgart’s Marc-Oliver Kempf has so far emerged as another great value option. Manuel Riemann’s cheap price, high save count and relatively low goals conceded make him a strong candidate for the keeper to have at the moment.

Duels won, shots and shots saved stats taken from the BL website. Rest from Understat or FB Ref.

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