All posts by Zahid

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Bundesliga Fantasy: Predictions and Player Picks for Gameweek 7

Leave a comment

Which are the best player picks and differential in Bundesliga Fantasy for the final gameweek before the wildcard? Tipster Zahid shares his insights.

As it’s the last game week before unlimited transfers, we should be highly focused on this week’s fixtures.



Mainz vs. Hertha Berlin

Mainz lost the match against TSG without showing any resistance, although they started the match well. Things went south when Hack received a red card, and the opponent dominated the rest of the game. Hertha, however, showed a solid performance against Bayer Leverkusen and were even close to getting 3 points, which was interrupted by Schick’s goal.

  • Karim Onisiwo [9.8M, 3%] – With the absence of Jonathan Burkardt, Onisiwo will be the main goal threat and is also the current top scorer of the team.
  • Aaron Martin [8.1M, 4%] – Gets points for goal attempts in almost every game.
  • Chidera Ejuke [8.2m, 0%] – Although Mainz is claimed to have a solid defence, we’ve seen some horrible mistakes from centre-backs in the last matches (e.g., Leverkusen, TSG). Ejuke is the most successful dribbler in the squad and constantly delivers from the wings. He can be considered as a differential pick as his ownership rate is 0%.

Augsburg vs. Bayern Munich

Enrico Maaßen’s side performed at a high level in the last match against Werder Bremen, where the starting lineup was offensive with three attackers up front. Bayern, on the other hand, couldn’t get a win at home against VFB Stuttgart, which was their third consecutive draw in the league.

  • Alphonso Davies [16M, 29%] – He got a total of 17 points in the last match despite the team conceding two goals, and he’s expected to start.
  • Jamal Musiala [13M, 40%] – Scoring only one goal in the last match isn’t the only reason for you to pick him. He has also shown in the UCL match against FC Barcelona that he’s constantly moving in the penalty box, searching for the opportunity for the lead, eventually leading him to be chosen as man of the match.
  • Rafal Gikiewicz [6.6M, 7%] – Being the last match’s hero and having a high possibility of getting plenty of shots should make you consider him in your starting eleven.


Bayer Leverkusen vs. Werder Bremen

Getting a point in the last minutes of the match against Hertha Berlin and a solid performance in UCL by beating Atletico Madrid should convince us that Seoane’s side is in the right direction. However, Werder didn’t perform well against Augsburg, despite few chances.

  • Jeremie Frimpong [11.2M, 12%] – Berisha’s assist against Werder showed that they leave significant spaces in the left half space. This can be a tremendous opportunity for Frimpong, who also had two assists against Atletico Madrid.
  • Niclas Füllkrug [6.2M, 19%] – He is always the destination of crosses and even scored one in the last match, which was ruled out. Also, after the penalty miss of Marvin Ducksch, there is almost no doubt he will take over on penalties.


Stuttgart vs. Frankfurt

Stuttgart showed how well they can perform in their last match in Allianz Arena. Frankfurt, on the other hand, lost the match against Wolfsburg after a glorious win over RB Leipzig. Even though they got an extremely important win over Marseille in UCL, the non-sufficient recovery period should be considered.

  • Serhou Guirassy [8.3M, 0%] – The newcomer who is hoped to be the successor of Kalajdzic had a good performance against FC Bayern with a goal from a penalty besides a number of chances, one of which met the crossbar.
  • Randal Kolo Muani [11.2M, 6%] – We were not the only ones who noticed his high-level performance and consistency as he was called up to France’s national team. Along with Daichi Kamada, he is the main goal threat of the squad.

Borrusia Dortmund vs Schalke

Revierderby is undoubtedly the central match of this game week as it returns after its one-year absence. After a terrible show up against RB Leipzig, BVB managed to perform well in UCL against Man. City, even though it wasn’t possible to grab any points. Schalke got their first win at home against Bochum with a dominant performance.

  • Marco Reus [15.3M, 34%] – The team’s top scorer and leads in the stats regarding expected goals on target (xGOT).
  • Giovanni Reyna [11.7M, 0%] – Always active in attack, and even in the last match in the league, he constantly tried to deliver crosses to Modeste, which can be dangerous in the derby, and he’s most probably in the starting lineup.
  • Thomas Ouwejan [5.1M, 2%] – Leads for highest expected assists in the squad, and he’s always active in the left corridor for crosses, which can give him spaces behind Meunier.


Borussia Mönchengladbach vs RB Leipzig

Although a point taken from the match against Freiburg can be considered favorable, the injury of Florian Neuhaus was the saddest part. Marco Rose, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate to dominate against his ex-team.

  • Yann Sommer [9.8M, 29%] – Got 17 points in the last match, which is much more than most of the strikers’ points, making him an obvious choice against the solid Leipzig attack.
  • Marcus Thuram [11.5M, 17%] – He leads in expected goals and is the team’s top scorer. Even in the match against Freiburg, he had chances that Flekken saved.

You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 22/23 season here.

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Bundesliga Fantasy: Predictions and Player Picks for Gameweek 5

Leave a comment

With lots of tricky fixtures to navigate in gameweek 5 of Bundesliga Fantasy, tipster Zahid shares his thoughts on the teams to target and players to consider for the upcoming matchday.

 

Dortmund vs. Hoffenheim

Even though BVB won against Hertha Berlin with only a one-goal difference, it was easy to observe that they missed plenty of chances, and this is proved by the xG rate of the black yellows, which was 2.97, quite high. Similarly, Hoffenheim fully dominated the game against Augsburg but could only score once in 90 minutes.

The safe choice to consider from the host side would be Marco Reus [15.1M], as he holds first place in the squad for chances created and is a penalty taker. From the attacking players, Anthony Modeste [12.2M] may be considered as he is always there waiting for crosses to score headers. Keep in mind though, that he missed lots of chances in the last matches. Although Gregor Kobel [10.5M] had a good performance in the previous match and helped the team to keep a clean sheet by making some key saves, it may be tricky to have him in your Bundesliga Fantasy squad because of his high price.

Your first choice from Hoffenheim’s side can be Andrej Kramarić [13.6M], as he possesses the highest expected goals rate (0.56) per 90 minutes. A cheaper alternative to him from the midfield can be Dennis Geiger [7.9M], as he’s highly involved in the attacks and even is the best in terms of chances created. Even though the first place in this stat belongs to ex-RB Leipzig wing back Angeliño [12.5M], I would prefer Ozan Kabak [7.8M] instead, as he is a goal threat from set-pieces and has quite accurate passes behind the defence, which can eventually get him assists and passes to shots.

Bochum vs. Werder Bremen

As expected, Bochum reacted well against Freiburg after a humiliating score against Bayern. However, it still wasn’t enough to get any points. Werder Bremen, on the other hand, put on a brilliant performance against Eintracht Frankfurt, despite a loss. Even though they were already two goals behind just after halftime, it wasn’t enough to make Ole Werner’s side give up, and they pushed till the last minute for a point.

Of course, Manuel Riemann [8.7M] would be the first choice from the team in Bundesliga Fantasy, who was also the last match’s hero. Additionally, with a constant search for a goal and the passes to the shots, Kevin Stöger [5.9M] is the player you may consider.

Your first choice from the guests may involve Niclas Füllkrug [5.7M], who is the team’s top scorer and is not expensive at all. Anthony Jung [2.9M], who has a chance of keeping a clean sheet in this match, can also be considered as he’s extremely cheap and as in the last match, involved in the scoreboard as well.


VfB Stuttgart vs. Schalke

Stuttgart performed well against Köln till they were 10 men on the pitch, and even after that, they showed great devotion to get a point. Schalke, on the opposite, still couldn’t get their first win since the promotion, and it was a horrible night at the Veltins-Arena.

With the departure of Saša Kalajdžić to the Premier League, your priority choice should be Silas Katompa Mvumpa [10.4M], as he’s constantly creating chances and is the one with highest xG (0.5) per 90 minutes from the club. The choice in the defence is really a tricky one, as Konstantinos Mavropanos [11.3M] is always a goal threat from set-pieces and even by his attempts from the long distance. Borna Sosa [11.8M], however, was the star in Bundesliga fantasy last season, and despite a slow start this season after his injury, he’s getting his form back quickly. Between these two choices, I’d go for Mavropanos because of the lack of player profile as Kalajdžić, who could easily convert Sosa’s crosses into goals.

From the guests, Thomas Ouwejan [5.2M] can be considered as he always contributes efficiently to the attacking play and has the highest expected assists (0.23) per 90 minutes in the squad. You may also buy Marius Bülter [4.3M], who holds first place in xG (0.54) per match for Schalke. Most importantly, he’s the penalty taker after Simon Terodde’s two consecutive misses from the penalty spot against Wolfsburg. His alternative in the midfield area would be Rodrigo Zalazar [5.0M], who is capable of powerful shots from outside the box. I’d also avoid buying Alexander Schwolow [6.2M] after his very poor play against Union Berlin.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. RB Leipzig

Europa League champions finally won their first match in the league after failing to do so in eleven matches. However, they didn’t look solid in defence which can be a problem against RB Leipzig. The Bulls, however, had a lot of chances (3.79 xG) against Wolfsburg and could only find the net twice.

One to watch in the Frankfurt squad is the newcomer Randal Kolo Muani [10.7M], who performed brilliantly in the last match, delivering a goal and an assist besides some created chances. Daichi Kamada [10.5M] would still be the safest choice because of his goal, assist contribution, and role in the set pieces.

When we look at the Leipzig side, David Raum [12.3M] may be your first choice, as, besides his accurate crosses, he also starts the corners. Timo Werner [14.1M] may also be considered. However, he still missed some chances in the last match, which is not bearable given his price range.

You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 22/23 season here.

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Bundesliga Fantasy: Predictions and Player Picks for Gameweek 4

Leave a comment

Now that we have data for the first three gameweeks, tipster Zahid takes a look at the best players in Bundesliga Fantasy so far and those that could come good in gameweek 4, along with the teams to target.

After a week full of emotions and so many goals, yet another adventurous game week awaits us. We observed lots of surprising moments such as Borussia Dortmund vs Werder Bremen, where we were expecting Dortmund to be the more dominant side. On the other hand, the goal-scoring machine of Bayern München didn’t hesitate to stop against VfL Bochum. In this week’s article, we’ll consider some of the matches in which we expect to gain a significant number of points from.

 

SC Freiburg vs. VfL Bochum

The opening game of this week attracts a lot of attention. After a disastrous start to the league, Bochum will once again clash for points, while SC Freiburg will definitely try to optimize their performance in front of its fans after a not-so-efficient game against VfB Stuttgart.

There are quite a few players in the home side’s squad that can be considered to be worth transferring. Without a doubt, in a match where Freiburg is considered to be an advantageous side, Vincenzo Grifo [13.8M] and Christian Günter [12.9M] are the two obvious additions if you still don’t own them. However, despite not having his best performance in the last match, I believe that Japanese newcomer Ritsu Doan [8.4M] should also be considered as a priority as he is available for a cheaper price and attributes efficiently to the attack. This is really a choice concerning budget, although one fact should be bear in mind that Grifo is also a set-piece taker which obviously puts him a few steps ahead in the offense. Kilian Sildillia can also be an alternative to Günter costing only 3.6M, while still delivering decent points.

Of course, it is almost impossible to make some observations from the latest game of the guests. At the same time, if we look at the last four Bundesliga away games for Bochum, they have conceded at least three goals in every single match, which makes them the underdog of this match. Manuel Riemann [8.3M] remains to be the best pick in Bundesliga Fantasy as he shares 1st place with Schwolow for saves per 90 minutes (6.3). It’s no secret that he is expected to receive a generous amount of shots at his goal once again.



FSV Mainz 05 vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen

This match is one of my favourites in this week’s fixture as we’re going to observe two sides with contrasting starts to the season. Mainz had the best start to the league in four years, winning their two games and drawing against a strong side in Union Berlin. On the other hand, things are definitely not going well for Bayer. Early elimination from the cup and on top of that, three consecutive losses for the red blacks made the situation quite stressful for Gerardo Seoane. Their motivation to escape from this downfall will surely be decisive.

It’s well known that Mainz has a solid defence from which Aarón Martín [8.2M] can be considered as the best pick in Bundesliga Fantasy as he played a good match against Augsburg except for his penalty miss which cost his owners three points. However, the most important addition to your team can be Karim Onisiwo [9.8M] who also had a great start to the season and is the league’s top scorer along with Musiala and Mané with three goals. Although Jonathan Burkardt [10.8M] returned from injury and got his first appearance in the league in the last match, it was clearly seen that Onisiwo is more attacking He is always active around the penalty area which can be even more dangerous for the fragile defence strength Bayer Leverkusen has shown in the last matches. He is also in first place in terms of shots on target since the start of the season.

A counterreaction to the horrible results is certainly expected from the guests. Nonetheless, it is still hard to make that addition to our teams as besides the dreadful defence, previous matches did not result in any good points for Leverkusen’s attack either. Meanwhile, I would personally prefer Patrick Schick [15.1M] over Moussa Diaby [13.3M] as he is the main goal threat of the team and was so close to scoring against Hoffenheim if his own teammate Azmoun didn’t interrupt. Diaby offers more mobility on the wings, which makes him dangerous against some teams, but I’m not so sure about this team being Mainz. The reason is that they have two solid wingbacks with both capable of good defensive play. I also brought Jeremie Frimpong [10.8M] two games weeks ago, which was in fact quite a disappointment and I believe that it’s linked with how the team cannot build the game from the defence that in my opinion is the result of the absence of playmaker midfield player. So, I’d avoid picking him considering his high price.

 

RB Leipzig vs. VfL Wolfsburg

This is one of the matches that I’m looking forward to as it’s interesting to see how Leipzig reacts to the defeat against Union berlin. On the other hand, although showing a significant performance against S04, Wolfsburg are still searching for their first win of the season. Both teams are not at their optimum level but match after match we’re starting to observe some major progress.

RBL experienced hardship passing through the defence of Union Berlin as they were perfectly positioned and left no space behind. Although, a few through balls targeted behind the defence gave some opportunities for newcomer Timo Werner. One of these chances was created by my favourite RB player of this season, Benjamin Henrichs [9.4M], which at the end met the post after Werner’s shot. Besides his defensive contribution as a wing-back, his offensive play will be needed in this match. Dani Olmo [12.6M] can also be considered as a solid alternative to Christopher Nkunku [15.8M] in Bundesliga Fantasy if you experience some problems with the budget, as he leads the Bundesliga in big chances created. But you should be aware that free kick duties will put the French star a few steps ahead.

Meanwhile, Niko Kovac tries to implement his ideas on the squad. The situation looks more optimistic with the return of Paulo Otávio [7.2M], who played his last match back in December and missed out due to a knee injury. Clearly, his contribution to the team was obvious in both defence and attack. He crossed lots of threatening balls to the penalty area which could’ve ended up as goals with better finishing. At the same time, he is well known from previous seasons for points gained from won duels, which were in fact six in the last match.



SV Werder Bremen vs. Eintracht Frankfurt

Newly promoted side Werder wrote history last weekend, winning the match against BVB despite being 2-0 in the 89th minute—the first team in the Bundesliga to ever do so. Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt on the other hand are looking for their first win of the season after failing to win in their last 11 Bundesliga matches.

It may sound strange but the people watching the game would agree that Werder was the stronger side since the start of the match at the Signal Iduna Park. Werder currently takes 1st place in total interceptions per match (16.3). In this case, Mitchell Weiser would be my first recommendation as despite only costing 3.4M, he has delivered 10+ points in the last two matches. You may also consider Leonardo Bittencourt [5.2M] as a differential, who is actively contributing to the attack.

My favourite pick from the guests would be Daichi Kamada [10.3M], as he has the highest xG+xA per 90 minutes after Thomas Müller in the league. He has also shown how talented he is with the free kicks after becoming one of the main set-piece takers with the departure of Filip Kostić. It should also be considered that Werder has conceded at least two goals in each match this season. Meanwhile, Luca Pellegrini [8.2M] also showed in the last match that he is a worthy addition to your Bundesliga Fantasy squad with his threatful shots. Although I find his price higher than average, he can still be picked as he has 0% ownership.

You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 22/23 season here.