The beginning of the Fantasy Bundesliga season is getting closer by the day and Managers have already started discussions on which players are must-haves for the upcoming season and what is the template XI for the start of the season. We review the same in this article.

Must-have Forwards in Fantasy Bundesliga

Robert Lewandowski

At the start of every season, there is a debate about whether Lewandowski is essential or not and the answer is always a yes. Lewandowski has won the “Torjägerkanone” aka the Bundesliga golden boot for the past four consecutive seasons and while he might be growing older, he is ageing like fine wine. There is no bigger testament to that than his performance last season where he broke Gerd Müller’s record of most goals scored in a single Bundesliga season on the last kick of the campaign to finish on a tally of 41 goals. Lewandowski is the only player to have crossed the milestone of 400+ points in each of the last two seasons and with an ownership percentage of 72%, the phrase “It is better to be safe than sorry” fits perfectly over here.

André Silva

The player with the second-highest goals as well as points last season (374) after Lewandowski (463), Silva made the big jump from Frankfurt to runners up RB Leipzig this window for a meagre fee of 23M for someone who scored 28 goals last campaign. Those numbers would win him the golden boot in 15 out of the last 20 Bundesliga seasons and even though he will be missing Filip Kostić with whom he established a formidable duo, an even more star-studded cast awaits him in Leipzig with players such as Nkunku, Szoboszlai, Olmo and Forsberg to support him as the focal point in attack. It is undeniable that he is the most important forward in the game after Lewandowski with opening fixtures against Covid hit Mainz and Stuttgart within the first three weeks.

Erling Haaland

The 21-year-old Norwegian wonder-kid had the most productive season of his career last season with 27 goals and 6 assists in just 28 games but even the departure of Jadon Sancho to Manchester United has left the faith of Fantasy Managers unwavering with the striker still being the highest owned player in the game along with Lewandowski. If the absence of Sancho raises concerns about Haaland’s ability to score then it is worth noting that Haaland had 10 goals and 2 assists in the first 8 games in the previous campaign and only two of them were assisted by Sancho who was struggling for form at the start of the season and only had three assists in the same period. Haaland’s natural goal-scoring talent isn’t questionable and doubt him at your own risk with games against Freiburg and Hoffenheim – two teams known for conceding lots of shots – within the first three matchdays.

You can hardly go wrong with a frontline of the three top goal scorers from last season – Lewandowski, Silva and Haaland. Even though there are other options as well that might have more favourable fixtures and a better ceiling.

Must-have Midfielders in Fantasy Bundesliga

Filip Kostić

There is a huge shadow of doubt on whether he will stay with Frankfurt with Lazio seriously interested in the Serbian winger. However, if he does end up staying, there is no doubt that he will finish the season as one of the highest-scoring midfielders again as he is the most fixture proof player after Robert Lewandowski. Kostić had 4 goals and 14 assists in 30 games last season but his greatest quirk is that he has a large number of shots every game while also creating numerous chances which results in a generous amount of bonus points making Kostić the player with the highest floor in the game.

Lars Stindl

Borussia’s talismanic captain was a huge fan favourite among Fantasy Bundesliga Managers in 20/21 and this year there is an even bigger reason to cheer for him because he is expected to play Out of Position (OOP) as a striker under the new coach Adi Hütter for the season opener against Bayern Munich who are missing both full-backs and will be handing centre back Nianzou his first start for the club. It is yet to be seen if he will continue playing as a striker with the rest of the forwards either injured or out of form, but he still offers incredible value in fantasy as he is on all set-pieces including penalties and Stindl will still be a popular option even with games against Bayern and Leverkusen at the beginning.

Christopher Nkunku

Must-have Defenders in Fantasy Bundesliga

Borna Sosa

With Raphaël Guerreiro a doubt due to injury, Sosa is the pick of the premium defenders along with Angeliño as he has a home game against newly-promoted side Greuther Fürth to start the season who have lost key players such as their best creator David Raum, best defender Paul Jaeckel and midfielder Sebastian Ernst for free just before the start of the season. If striker Saša Kalajdžić starts for the team on Matchday 1 then that makes Borna Sosa an even better prospect in Fantasy Bundesliga.

Angeliño

Even though his free-scoring form came to an end towards the later stages of the previous campaign as he had just two assists in his last 12 Bundesliga games, Angeliño is still the best defender from the Bulls especially now that Nagelsmann isn’t there to torment him. Games against Mainz who might be missing quite a few key players for the season opener and Stuttgart means that the wing-back who had four goals and four assists in 26 games in the last campaign has a great run to reignite his early season form from last year again.

Teammate Nordi Mukiele is also worth a mention as he costs 4M less and offers a similar attacking threat even though the number of right-backs in the squad means that he is prone to rotation.

Jérôme Rousillon

If you are looking for that one budget gem to complete your team then Rousillon is the one. He might’ve lost his place to Otavio last year but has seemingly won the favour of new head coach Mark Van Bommel. Although there are some doubts about whether Wolfsburg will be as good defensively as they were last season, Rousillon is still a must-have at just 7M with Wolfsburg’s favourable run of fixtures at the start.

Jacob Barrett Laursen

Fitting all the premium players in your squad might leave you strapped for cash but there is still some value to be found in defenders that are priced at 5M or below and Laursen is one of them. He might not be the most attacking defender there is but Laursen plays for the team that had the third-highest number of clean sheets in 20/21 with 11 and is the best defender you can buy at just 4M with his clean sheet potential until you build more team value.

Must-have Goalkeeper for Fantasy Bundesliga

Florian Müller

It is no secret that the Stuttgart team is missing many key players such as Silas Katompa Mvumpa, Coulibaly, Mangala, Didavi, Führich and possibly even Kalajdžić. Many B team players are expected to fill in and with a squad that is far from full strength, it is expected that Stuttgart will concede a lot of shots even against weaker teams who will try to capitalize on the opportunity to secure three points. The club faces Greuther Fürth and RB Leipzig in their first two games, two teams that are known for taking a lot of shots and last season’s budget hero Florian Müller could be essential with two possible ceiling games at the beginning of the season.

The Fantasy Bundesliga Template XI

Bench and other alternatives:

• Goalkeepers: Phillip Pentke/Rafał Gikiewicz/Stefan Ortega
• Defenders: Danny Da Costa/Nico Schulz/Tymoteusz Puchacz
• Midfielders: Julian Green/Joshua Kimmich/Christoph Baumgartner
• Midfielders: Jan Thielmann/Vincenzo Grifo/Renato Steffen
• Forwards: Erling Haaland/Andrej Kramarić/Wout Weghorst

Team Value: 133M

Bench Value: 16M

Total Value: 149M

Note: The bench isn’t necessarily a template and you could replace the players in those spots with differentials instead.

The Fantasy Bundesliga Manager game is about to start in just two days and the majority of people wanting to own premium forwards like Lewandowski and Haaland and premium defenders like Raphaël Guerreiro and Angeliño can only do so by balancing the team with cheap budget defenders. Below are seven defenders within an 8M budget who will not only enable you to get all the best attackers but will also deliver a good return of fantasy points.

Best Defenders on a Budget in Fantasy Bundesliga

Tymoteusz Puchacz

💶 Price: 7M

🛠️ Club: 1. FC Union Berlin

🔄 Appearances: 22 (5)

⚽ Goals: 1

🎯 Assists: 2

⛔ Clean Sheets: 5

📅 First Three Fixtures: vs Bayer Leverkusen, @Hoffenheim, vs Borussia Mönchengladbach

Young polish attacking left-back Puchacz is the latest addition to Union Berlin’s defence from Lech Poznań as he joins The Iron Ones for a fee of €3.50 m. Union Berlin’s home defensive form was one of the best in the Bundesliga last season and add to that the attacking threat of Puchacz playing in a left wing-back position gives hope of both attacking and defensive returns. Puchacz had three assists in six games last year in the Europa League with an expected assist (xA) score of 1.2. It gives an idea of the attacking threat Puchacz possesses and all of this at a budget of 7M and with two of the first three fixtures at home, he can be a good budget option for your fantasy team.

Iago

💶 Price: 7M

🌳 Club: FC Augsburg

🔄 Appearances: 18

⚽ Goals: 1

🎯 Assists: 1

⛔ Clean Sheets: 4

📅 First Three Fixtures: vs Hoffenheim, @Eintracht Frankfurt, vs Bayer Leverkusen

Iago plays as the left-back for Augsburg and the Brazilian can deliver fantasy points with his attacking style of play. He had 1 goal and 1 assist to his name with an expected assist (xA) of 1.1 in an injury-hit season last year. He offers good point potential and combined with home fixtures against Hoffenheim and Leverkusen, Iago can be a good budget defender.

Jérôme Roussillon

💶 Price: 7M

🐺 Club: VfL Wolfsburg

🔄 Appearances: 14 (6)

⚽ Goals: –

🎯 Assists: 2

⛔ Clean Sheets: 4

📅 First Three Fixtures: vs VfL Bochum, @Hertha BSC, vs RB Leipzig

Wolfsburg defender Jérôme Roussillon has great potential to deliver fantasy points, with him being involved in attacking play for Wolfsburg. Roussillon had 2 assists in 14 starts last season with an expected assist (xA) score of 1.5 and gives an idea of the attacking threat he possesses and with a potential injury to first-choice left-back Octavio coupled with a great run of fixture of Bochum at Home and Hertha Berlin away in the first two Matchdays he could go on to replicate his excellent stats of three goals and four assists in 2018-2019 season.

Marvin Plattenhardt

💶 Price: 7M

🐻 Club: Hertha BSC

🔄 Appearances: 12 (4)

⚽ Goals: –

🎯 Assists: 2

⛔ Clean Sheets: 4

📅 First Three Fixtures: @FC Köln, vs Wolfsburg, @Bayern Munich

Plattenhardt didn’t leave much of an impression last season as he spent most of the time on the sidelines due to an injury but could make a big comeback this season as he is expected to be the first choice left-back under Pál Dárdai and he will also take free kicks and corner kicks for the team which just adds to his appeal as a fantasy asset. The opening run of fixtures might not be favourable for the Berliners for the first three matchdays but Hertha players will be a must-have from Matchday 4-5 when they play promoted teams VfL Bochum and Greuther Fürth in consecutive weeks and Plattenhardt could be a budget gem with his added attacking threat from set-pieces.

Silvan Widmer

💶 Price: 7M

🤡 Club: 1. FSV Mainz 05

🔄 Appearances: 22

⚽ Goals: –

🎯 Assists: 2

⛔ Clean Sheets: 6

📅 First Three Fixtures: vs RB Leipzig, @VfL Bochum, vs Greuther Fürth

Another full-back that is on free kicks and corners, Widmer joined the team as a replacement for Philip Mwene who left for PSV and plays for a Mainz team that was only fourth for goals conceded under head coach Bo Svensson since he joined. He could be a shrewd pick for the first three matchdays (vs RBL, @BOC, Vs SGF)  with his clean sheet and attacking potential but will be one to wait and watch for now with the recent covid cases in the Mainz camp.

Danny da Costa

💶 Price: 5M

🦅 Club: Eintracht Frankfurt

🔄 Appearances: 16 (6)

⚽ Goals: –

🎯 Assists: 1

⛔ Clean Sheets: 3

📅 First Three Fixtures: @Borussia Dortmund, vs FC Augsburg, @Arminia Bielefeld

da Costa used to be a popular pick in Fantasy Bundesliga before he fell out of favour for Erik Durm but now that Oliver Glasner has replaced Adi Hütter as head coach, it seems that he will be the first choice right wing-back for the team again. He is priced really cheap at 5M and could be a good source of attacking points with games against FC Augsburg and Arminia Bielefeld within the first three matchdays before we get a wildcard for the International Break.

Jacob Laursen

💶 Price: 4M

🐮 Club: DSC Arminia Bielefeld

🔄 Appearances: 23 (3)

⚽ Goals: –

🎯 Assists: 1

⛔ Clean Sheets: 4

📅 First Three Fixtures: vs SC Freiburg, @Greuther Fürth, vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Arminia were one of the best defensive teams in the league last season keeping 11 clean sheets (3rd) and conceding just 52 goals (7th) throughout the campaign. The team has looked even better defensively under new head coach Frank Kramer and even though Laursen might not have much-attacking potential, he could always chip in with clean sheet points which is more than one can ask for at 4M.

Honourable mentions: Josip Stanišić, Nico Schlotterbeck (7M), Nico Schulz (6M), Marco Meyerhöfer (5M), Atakan Karazor (3M) and Joe Scally (2M).

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

For our next article in the Bundesliga Fantasy team preview series, I move from VfL Wolfsburg to take an in-depth look at their mid-table rivals Eintracht Frankfurt. Last year, “Die Adler” (The Eagles) narrowly lost out to “Die Wölfe” (The Wolves) in the battle for the final UEFA Champions League spot, finishing in 5th place and just one point shy of 4th-placed Wolfsburg. The Eagles, therefore, have to settle for UEFA Europa League football this year, a competition that they won several decades ago – in the 1979/80 season (then known as the UEFA Cup).

Eintracht Frankfurt is an old football club that can trace its history as far back as 1899, and it was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga when the league formed in 1963. In their 50+ top-division seasons since, however, they have not yet managed to claim the title, with their best league achievements being five 3rd place finishes. They have also spent six seasons in the 2. Bundesliga (the last being the 2011/12 campaign), although it has never taken them more than two seasons to return to the top flight. On the other hand, they have had success in the domestic cups with five DFB-Pokal wins, most recently in the 2017/18 season.

Fun Fact: Charly Körbel, the player with the highest number of appearances in Bundesliga history (602), spent his entire senior playing career as a defender for Eintracht Frankfurt (between 1972-1991), during which the team won four DFB-Pokal cups (1974, 1975, 1981, 1988) and the aforementioned UEFA cup (1980). ‘Faithful Charly’ is still involved with the club as a member of its board of directors and lead of its youth development school.

The Eagles and The Wolves

Eintracht Frankfurt provides a great contrast with Wolfsburg in terms of balance between attacking and defensive capabilities. Both clubs had similar levels of success in the 2020/21 season while encompassing very different approaches, finishing 5th and 4th respectively and separated by only 1 point.

While Wolfsburg achieved their position through a defence-first approach (ref. my previous article), Frankfurt’s backline was synonymous with conceding goals in almost every game and instead prospered through an attack-first strategy. With a relatively poor defence that kept only four clean sheets in the entire league season (!), The Eagles were frequently reliant on outscoring their opponents, and their season was littered with high scoring games as a result (often for both sides). They owed their 5th place finish primarily to the attacking talents of Filip Kostić, Daichi Kamada and Bundesliga 2020/21’s second-highest goalscorer André Silva (28 goals, edging out Erling Haaland on 27). This proved to be a strong tactic that resulted in them having the second-fewest losses in the league with six, only two behind the dominant Bayern Munich’s four.

This strategy was not without fault, however, as The Eagles finished with a frustrating 12 draws, the second-highest number in the league behind Union Berlin’s 14. Over half of these came in their first 10 games of the campaign, where they tallied 7 draws, 2 wins and 1 loss. This slow start ended up costing them the chance of a higher finish – just one more draw converted to a win and they would’ve had UEFA Champions League football, two more and they could have finished as runners-up in the league! They also fell victim to a shock 3-4 loss in the penultimate matchday to already relegated Schalke. Therefore, despite it being a strong season that included wins against both Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the potential for more was clear.

With top goal contributor Silva (28 goals, 7 assists) now having left The Eagles to join RB Leipzig, it is unclear whether their previous attack-based tactics would be able to provide them with the same success. They also had to part ways with Adi Hütter, who at the end of the season announced that he would be taking up the managerial role at Borussia Mönchengladbach left vacant by Marco Rose’s move to Borussia Dortmund – The Bundesliga Manager Carousel, everybody! The fact that they’ve so far managed to hold onto key attacking players Kostić and Kamada for the upcoming season, as well as acquiring new frontman Rafael Borré and promising attackers Jesper Lindstrøm and Jens Petter Hauge (just confirmed), suggests that there will still be plenty of goals in the team. Nonetheless, a change of approach does appear necessary, and, as a result, stealing head coach Oliver Glasner away from rivals Wolfsburg seems like a particularly smart move. As shown from his success with The Wolves, Glasner is a more defence-minded manager, and a strengthened defence could be just what Frankfurt need in order to build upon last year’s campaign and challenge for the top spots in the league. This will no doubt take a while to implement, but it could work out well for The Eagles.

Frankfurt showed a strong preference for home games last season, managing to pass through the full campaign unbeaten at the Deutsche Bank Park with 10 wins and 7 draws and a goal difference of +17. Away from home, their record was almost exactly split between wins, draws and losses – 6, 5 and 6, respectively – and a greatly reduced goal difference of -1. While they were almost as proficient at scoring at home or away (37 and 32 goals, respectively), they were let down by their leakier away defence, conceding 13 more goals at grounds away from the DBP. This is something they will be looking to improve on in the coming season.

Attack – The Soaring Eagles

As mentioned, Frankfurt’s 2020/21 season was characterised by a predominantly attack-first approach. As suggested by their final league position, this is reflected in their top attacking statistics.

The Eagles were 3rd best for goals (69), assists (52) and big chances created (67) last year behind only Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, highlighting the strong goal threat that they provide. They also ranked 4th best for xG/xG per game, which shows both their high chance creation potential and their efficiency in front of the goal. This can be strongly linked with the clinical nature of now ex-striker André Silva – note that RB Leipzig had a higher xG than Frankfurt but finished with nine fewer goals, so they will be hoping that their acquisition of Silva will change their fortunes in this sense. Silva was by far the top goal contributor for The Eagles last season, picking up 28 goals and 7 assists from an xG of 24.3 and an xA of 5.5. While he did have penalty kick duties last year and scored 8 from the spot, he still managed to accrue an npxG per 90 mins of 0.62. This is promising for new frontman Rafael Borré (FWD, 7m), and it will be interesting to see what he can do if he receives a similar level of service.

A way behind Silva, the next highest goal contributors in the team were Filip Kostić (MID, 14M) and Daichi Kamada (MID, 11M), who provided 4 goals, 14 assists and 5 goals, 12 assists, respectively. Kostić is a particularly crucial member of the team who has the main responsibility for all set pieces, and his high-quality deliveries and crosses, coupled with his shoot-on-sight mentality, mean that he has both a high floor and a high points ceiling in Bundesliga Fantasy, even against stronger opponents. A fit Kostić is therefore very hard to ignore, and this will only be made harder if he takes over penalty duties now Silva has left. Despite Kostić’s set-piece responsibilities, however, it is interesting to note that Kamada’s xG + xA per 90 mins of 0.50 trailed only just behind Kostić’s 0.55, and he is an established BL player that should definitely not be overlooked.

Silva, Kostić and Kamada were well clear of the pack last year in an attacking sense. Amin Younes also became a key attacking player towards the end of the season, but he is due to be transferred away from the club. Aymen Barkok (MID, 4M; see below) is one to look out for, however, with him racking up two goals and three assists in only nine starts (26 appearances) last season. Younes’ impending departure could well work in his favour and make him a brilliant value asset. New signing Jens Petter Hauge (not yet in-game) is also one to consider once he settles, and it is likely that he and Barkok will be battling for the same place in the team – he managed five goals and one assist for AC Milan last season from only six starts (24 appearances). Ex-Brøndby winger Jesper Lindstrøm is also one to look out for going forward, with him already getting his first competitive start in attacking midfield in Frankfurt’s recent DFB Pokal game.

⚽ Goals: 69 (3rd) 

🅰️ Assists: 52 (3rd) 

💡 Big Chances Created: 67 (3rd)

❎ Big Chances Missed: 50 (5th)

🚀 Total Shots: 438 (8th) 

🎯 Shots on Target: 159 (7th) 

📈 xG: 56.1 (4th) 

📊 xG Per Game: 1.65 (4th)

The top 6 players in attacking involvement for the team

Defensive difficulties

What Frankfurt offered in attack last season, they lacked in defensive capabilities. They managed only four clean sheets during the whole campaign, which, amazingly, was joint last in the league with weekly “whipping boys” Schalke. The other defensive stats don’t offer much improvement either, with them placing 10th for goals, total shots and shots and target conceded, and 9th for xGA/xGA per game.

As a result, you’d be hard-pressed to find good value in their defensive players, as it stands. There was a period where Erik Durm was a cheap regular in the first team and posted good enough attacking stats at RWB/RM to accumulate points, even picking up a goal and two assists, but he ended up being heavily rotated and is not expected to be the first choice for the coming season. Furthermore, his price has been ramped up to a lofty 8M, so he is no longer a good value. Danny da Costa, however, who was recently signed from Mainz 05, is predicted to start in the same position at the beginning of the season. He had a reasonably good xG + xA per 90 mins of 0.12 for the 05ers and only costs 5M, so he may be worth monitoring. Martin Hinteregger (11M) and Evan N’Dicka (10M) offer good attacking threat in Bundesliga Fantasy but are also seemingly overpriced. On the other hand, if Glasner strengthens up The Eagles’ defence as expected, this latter pair may be worth keeping an eye on – note that in the 2019/20 season, Hinteregger was a goalscoring beast, netting eight times and bagging one assist in the process.

🥅 Goals Conceded: 53 (10th) 

🚫 Clean Sheets: 4 (18th) – Tied with Schalke!

🧤 Penalties Conceded: 6 (joint 6th)

🚀 Total Shots Conceded: 425 (10th)

🎯 Shots on Target Conceded:  149 (10th)

📈 Total xGA: 48.4 (9th)

📊 xGA (Expected Goals Against Per Game): 1.42 (9th) 

For now, Frankfurt defenders are a definite “wait and see” until they show signs of significant defensive improvements, given the better options at similar price points in Bundesliga Fantasy from other teams.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Pre-season Results

vs SV Wehen Wiesbaden 1-3 (L)

Goal(s): Barkok (penalty)

Assist(s): –

vs SV Sandhausen 1-0 (W)

Goal(s): Kostic

Assist(s): Kamada

vs FC Giessen 6-1 (W)

Goal(s): Akman, Barkok, Kamada, Kostic, Lindström, Paciencia

Assist(s): Blanco, Chandler, Lindström, Paciencia

vs RC Strasbourg 2-3 (L)

Goal(s): Hrustic (2)

Assist(s): Kostic (2)

vs AS Saint-Étienne 2-1 (W)

Goal(s): Borré (penalty), Lenz

Assist(s): –

vs SV Waldhof 2-0 (L) [DFB Pokal]

Goal(s): –

Assist(s): –

Players with multiple attacking returns for Eintracht Frankfurt in pre-season

Note: This list is accurate as of 10th August. You can find the updated list and match reports on DNL Fantasy’s website.

Eintracht Frankfurt – Players to Watch Out for in Bundesliga Fantasy

• Filip Kostić (MID, 14M)

With his shot spamming and top chance creation statistics, Kostić is typically an absolute points machine in Bundesliga Fantasy. He was second top of the regular starters for both xG + xA per 90 mins (at 0.55) and actual goal involvements (4 goals, 14 assists) behind André Silva, and he is the clear talisman for Frankfurt now that the latter has left the club. Kostić dominates the set-piece responsibilities for The Eagles as the main free-kick and corner taker, and he could now be the first choice penalty taker following Silva’s departure. These factors all add up to make Kostić one of the best assets in the game, posting frequent high points hauls even when his side don’t claim the win. Note that there are rumours that he will leave, but he’s due to start the season for Frankfurt as it stands. He’s well worth his price tag and when he is fit, avoiding him in Bundesliga Fantasy is a bold move!

• Daichi Kamada (MID, 11M) | Amin Younes (MID, 11M)/Jens Petter Hauge (?)

As an attack-first team with a pretty poor defence, the players that lead the way in points for Frankfurt are those with high expected/actual goal involvements. As a result, the points should flow for the two attacking midfielders that line up in the 3-4-3 behind Rafael Borré. Daichi Kamada was the third-best attacking contributor for The Eagles last season, finishing just behind Kostić with 5 goals and 12 assists in 32 appearances (28 starts). Kamada was also third top for xG + xA per 90 mins with 0.50 (of the regular starters), again just behind Kostić’s 0.55.

Amin Younes became a regular starter in the other attacking-midfield spot but only in the latter stages of the season, and so trailed significantly behind Kamada in terms of goal contributions because of this: 3 goals and 3 assists in 26 games (only 16 starts). His xG + xA per 90 mins was also lower, at 0.33. However, Younes very slightly edged Kamada in xG per 90 mins (0.22 compared to 0.21) and he was actually second amongst the regulars for shots per 90 mins with 2.14; more than Kamada (1.45) and even Kostić (1.81). This suggests that Younes offered the better goal threat of the pair, and Kamada took on a slightly more creative role to provide better all-round goal involvement potential. Younes is strongly rumoured to be leaving the club following salary complaints and is to be replaced by promising Norwegian winger Jens Petter Hauge (now confirmed). If Hauge is priced similarly and fills Younes’ place in the formation he could also be a great option. One of Aymen Barkok or Jesper Lindstrøm (see below) also have a strong chance of filling that position, and may well do so until Hauge has settled.

As a result of the overall stats, I actually think Kamada is slightly underpriced. However, if Younes’ replacement takes up a similar role and offers comparatively more goal threat, they could also emerge as a strong pick. In the meantime, however, I think Kamada offers particularly good value given his established potential and the uncertainty surrounding the other position.

• Rafael Borré (FWD, 7M)

New leading frontman Rafael Borré is a relatively unknown quantity in the Bundesliga. The Colombian international started his professional career at home-country club Deportivo Cali, netting 14 goals in 26 apps in his two years there. He was then swept up by Atlético Madrid and subsequently loaned back to Cali and then to Villarreal in the following two years, before being sold to River Plate in 2017. In his four years at the latter, he became the top goal scorer in current manager Marcelo Gallardo’s successful spell at the club (ending with 56 goals, 20 assists), playing a key role in several domestic cup successes and even a Copa Libertadores win. When his contract at River Plate ended earlier this year, Borré’s desire to return to Europe synced up well with André Silva’s departure from The Eagles to RB Leipzig, and Eintracht Frankfurt picked him up on a free transfer.

It will be difficult to fill the hole left by Silva, but he is clearly capable of finding the net (74 career goals in 213 games to date). He could be a bargain as the main striker if he receives the same volume of chances that Silva did (he had an npxG of 0.62 per 90 minutes last season) with Kostić and Kamada providing him.

• Watchlist: Aymen Barkok (MID, 4M) | Jesper Lindstrøm (MID, 7M)

Young attacking midfielder Barkok has impressed whenever he was given a chance in the first eleven last season, picking up 2 goals and 3 assists in 26 appearances (only 9 starts). Despite his “bit” player role, he was also 5th highest for Frankfurt last season for xG + xA per 90 mins, with 0.42. Keep an eye on Barkok as he battles for a first-team place because when he does get a chance in the team he can be a brilliant-value differential in Bundesliga Fantasy. He should be in strong contention for a starting place at the beginning of the season in particular, after showing good pre-season form (netting two goals) and with the Younes/Hauge situation ongoing. He could be hard for Glasner to drop if he picks up form. New signing Jesper Lindstrøm, who started in the attacking midfield role in Frankfurt’s recent DFB Pokal game, is the other hot young talent that could break into the first team in this position, and he would also represent brilliant value at just 7m.

To Summarise

Eintracht Frankfurt are an exciting attacking team that last season tended to rely on outscoring their opponents to win games. The absence of free-scoring forward and previous talisman André Silva could mean that they have to change their approach in the coming campaign, although there is still plenty of goal threat within the team.

A 3-4-3 is the most likely formation for the start of the season, with Filip Kostić and Daichi Kamada providing the main sources of creativity from the left- and right-hand sides, respectively. The pair is expected to be the key goal contributors this season and are the standout picks in the team, as it stands. In particular, if main set-piece taker Kostić can continue to be the points machine he has been in previous seasons, he is one of the few players close to being “essential” in Bundesliga Fantasy – there’s a chance he’ll also be on penalties this year with Silva’s departure, which would only heighten his appeal. However, if newcomer Rafael Borré can convert the many chances that are likely to come his way, he could be of exceptional value at just 7m. Keep your (Eagle) eyes on Aymen Barkok and Jesper Lindstrøm as well, who could get chances to prove themselves in attacking midfield alongside Kamada in the first few MDs while Amin Younes’ transfer is finalised and Jens Petter Hauge settles. Barkok had a high xG + xA per 90 mins last season and could be a 4M midfield gem. At 7m, Lindstrøm could also provide great value if he can offer similar threat.

Frankfurt were very poor defensively last year and managed to keep only four clean sheets (joint-bottom with Schalke!) so it is probably best to avoid their defensive players for the time being – poor Kevin Trapp only lives up to his name in a Bundesliga Fantasy sense! They provided a great contrast with Wolfsburg in this sense, and The Eagles’ acquisition of Oliver Glasner from The Wolves should strengthen them greatly defensively, but these improvements will likely take a while to instil.

Their beginning three fixtures (i.e. up until our first round of unlimited transfers) read: Borussia Dortmund (A); FC Augsburg (H); DSC Arminia Bielefeld (A). The latter two games present great opportunities for attacking points against last year’s 13th and 15th placed finishers, and the FC Augsburg matchup particularly stands out given their poor defence and Frankfurt’s previously strong home form. An attacking double-up could hence be particularly profitable in Bundesliga Fantasy for MDs 2 and 3. Furthermore, while Dortmund (A) will no doubt be a tough opening fixture, Die Schwarzgelben are likely to be missing several key figures in defence (inc. Guerreiro, and possibly Hummels), and so there is also great potential for attacking points there as well.

Should The Eagles continue to soar in attack this season while working to solidify their defence, they will definitely be a force to be reckoned with!

Eintracht Frankfurt Expected Lineup for Matchday 1

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

Our Bundesliga Fantasy team preview series continues with an in-depth preview of FSV Mainz 05 who finished 12th in the league last season.

A failed attempt to start a football club in the city of Mainz in 1903 was followed up two years later by the successful creation of 1. Mainzer Fussballclub Hassia 1905, a club that is known today as 1. FSV Mainz 05. The club was a regular feature in the regional and other lower leagues until their first-ever promotion to the 2. Bundesliga in 1988. FSV Mainz is nicknamed the ‘Die Nullfünfer‘ or ‘the 05ers’ and ‘Karnevalsverein‘, or ‘Carnival club’, as the city is home to Germany’s most famous carnivals. Another famous cultural export from the city is the ‘Humba’ chant, which is now widely popular among fans and is commonplace in Bundesliga grounds after matches.

In the early 2000s, a certain former player turned coach called Jürgen Klopp took over the club when they were at the brink of relegation to the third division and led the club’s resurgence, guiding them to the Bundesliga by 2004. Klopp added another feather to his cap as in 2005 the club featured in its maiden European campaign but were knocked out in the first round after a 2-0 aggregate loss to eventual champions Sevilla.

He could not replicate the same success in the forthcoming season as the club was relegated after three top-flight seasons but Klopp did stay with the 05ers in an attempt to secure promotion again but was unable to achieve promotion the next year after narrowly missing out on a fourth-place finish and resigned at the end of the 2007–08 season. He finished with a record of 109 wins, 78 draws and 83 losses and was given a farewell by 15,000 fans in the centre of Mainz. His successor, Thomas Tuchel, was another star in the making and even guided Mainz to a fifth-placed finish in 2010/11 before finding success with Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea later in his career.

Fun Fact: The attacking trio of Lewis Holtby, Andre Schürrle and Adam Szalai were nicknamed ‘the Bruchweg boys’, due to their tendency to celebrate goals as if they were members of a band.

Bo to the Rescue

Mainz had the most disastrous start possible to start the season with just one point from their first seven games and it seemed like relegation was inevitable for the club until former player and youth coach Bo Svensson took charge after joining from FC Liefering. He joined on Matchday 15 when the club only had six points to their name and were seven points off Arminia Bielefeld at 15th place. Much wasn’t expected from the Danish manager whose only first-team managerial experience was with an Austrian second division side but the progress Mainz made next under Bo makes for one of the best comeback stories of all time.

Bo joined the club when they were languishing at the bottom and in an incredible turnaround, the team only lost 4 of their last 17 matches, winning games against some of the best teams in the league such as Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Wolfsburg, Borussia and Hoffenheim in the process. The club was even on a nine-game unbeaten streak from Matchday 24-33 before losing 1-3 against Borussia Dortmund on the penultimate matchday of the season.

Despite being in the relegation zone for most of the campaign, the club ended the season on a commendable 12th place finish in the league thanks to the tactical genius of a relatively unknown coach who had only managed 43 games in his senior-level coaching career prior to joining Mainz. It is undeniable Bo Svensson is another star in the making just like his predecessors Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel.

Only Schalke scored fewer goals at home (14) than FSV Mainz 05 last season (16, same as Werder Bremen).

Team Effort

The fact that Mainz’s top goal scorer last season Jean-Phillipe Mateta (7 goals, 1 assist) only featured in 12 games as he left the club in January to join Crystal Palace on loan summarizes their attack. There weren’t any standout players in offense for the 05ers even though Robin Quaison (6 goals, 2 assists) came up with some clutch goals towards the end of the season but it was more about the team effort rather than individual performances. Everyone contributed when it mattered the most like centre-back Niakhaté’s two goals against Wolfsburg, Barreiro’s winning goal against RB Leipzig in a 3-2 win and another one in ’90+1 against FC Köln with the exact same scoreline.

⚽ Goals: 39 (13th)

🅰️ Assists: 23 (16th)

💡 Big Chances Created: 53 (9th)

❎ Big Chances Missed: 49 (7th)

🚀 Total Shots: 374 (13th)

🎯 Shots on Target: 132 (13th)

📈 xG: 44.88 (12th)

📊 xG Per Game: 1.32 (12th)

The top 6 players in attacking involvement for the team

Full 180°

Only Schalke (39) had conceded more goals than Mainz (31) prior to Bo’s arrival but a few months into the managerial change the club was already on the list of teams with the least goals conceded among the top five leagues in Europe since Bo joined. One big change that he made in defence was reinstating Phillip Mwene into the starting XI as he would go on to become one of the most key players at the back for the team along with Moussa Niakhaté and Jeremiah St. Juste. From Matchday 15-34 the team conceded only 25 goals with only the top four teams such as Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig conceding fewer goals during that period.

🥅 Goals Conceded: 56 (14th)

🚫 Clean Sheets: 5 (15th)

🧤 Penalties Conceded: 6 (14th)

🚀 Total Shots Conceded: 449 (12th)

🎯 Shots on Target Conceded: 155 (13th)

📈 xGA: 52.7 (8th)

📊 xGA Per Game: 1.55 (8th)

Mwene was a Bundesliga Fantasy fan favourite last season as he was on set-pieces but since he has left the team, his replacement Silvan Widmer is the best pick from the carnival club’s defence.

Defensive Reinforcements

The club’s strategy in the transfer market has been pretty straightforward so far. Even though the team sold Robin Quaison to Al-Ettifaq and Mateta is still on loan for another year, Mainz have only signed one attacker so far – Jae-sung Lee (5 goals and 4 assists) from Holstein Kiel in the second division on a free transfer. The rest of the signings have all been defensive with Austrian right-back Silvan Widmer joining from FC Basel to replace Mwene, left-back Anderson Lucoqui from Arminia Bielefeld and midfielder Anton Stach joining from Greuther Fürth.

The club is placing its faith in prodigious striker Jonathan Burkardt, veteran Jean-Paul Boëtius and the last of ‘the Bruchweg boys’ – Adam Szalai to lead the line next season. It is clear that Mainz need some extra attacking firepower if they want to challenge for the top 10 and it will be interesting to see how they pursue further signings as the summer transfer window draws to a close.

FSV Mainz’s Pre-season Results

vs TSG Planig 11-0 (W)

Goal(s): Bobzien (2), Brosinski, Lucoqui, Meier (2), Papela, Rupil (2), Stöger (2; penalty)

Assist(s): –

vs Würzburger Kickers 2-1 (W)

Goal(s): Boëtius, St. Juste

Assist(s): Bobzien, Kohr

vs Liverpool FC 0-1 (L)

Goal(s): –

Assist(s): –

vs Gaziantep FK 1-0 (W)

Goal(s): Aaron

Assist(s): –

vs Genoa CFC 3-2 (W)

Goal(s): Boëtius, Marchetti (own goal), Szalai

Assist(s): Barreiro, Stöger

vs SV Elversberg 2-2 (W, 8-7 on pens) [DFB Pokal]

Goal(s): Burkardt (2)

Assist(s): Stach (2)

Players with multiple attacking returns for Mainz in pre-season

Note: This list is accurate as of 9th August. You can find the updated list and match reports on DNL Fantasy’s website.

FSV Mainz 05 Players to Watch Out for in Bundesliga Fantasy

• Silvan Widmer (DEF, 7M)

Now that first choice set-piece taker Philip Mwene has joined PSV in the Eredivisie, the club is in need of another set-piece specialist to fulfil that role. The other option is Daniel Brosinski but since he isn’t guaranteed a spot in the starting XI and is competing with Lucoqui, Widmer should take some of the free kicks and corner kicks for the team and could be a bargain under Bo’s defensively rigid squad as he has good potential for clean sheets and attacking returns.

• Daniel Brosinski (DEF, 6M)

He might not be in the predicted lineups for Matchday 1 but who doesn’t love a defender that is on penalties, free kicks and corner kicks? Brosinski’s ownership percentage would be much higher than the 0% it is currently as he has proved his potential in Bundesliga Fantasy over the past few seasons with his involvement in attack generating a steady amount of attacking bonus while also scoring the occasional penalty and providing a periodic assist. Brosinski is certainly one to keep an eye on if he does sneak a start over Lucoqui but if he doesn’t, Moussa Niakhaté is worth a shout as he will be the first choice penalty taker in his absence.

To Sum It Up

Mainz is full of highly skilled and talented players but the real superstar is the coach and the club will be hoping that he can take the team to even greater heights with his first full season in charge.

Bundesliga Fantasy are not spoilt for choice when it comes to the attack as no player has been consistent enough to be a viable option but if you have the luxury to use a midfield or forward spot on a Mainz attacker then midfielder Jean-Paul Boëtius seems like the only option worth investing in. If you prefer to be a bit more adventurous then you can punt on Jonathan Burkardt who will be playing in the same role as Quaison before him but he is yet to prove himself and that is why he could be an early differential if you believe in his potential.

The Mainz defence is the one to look most forward to after their stellar resurgence under Bo where they finished as one of the best defences in the league. More of the same is expected again this season with Silvan Widmer and Daniel Brosinski being the standout picks from the 05ers backline and could be sharp picks with games against both the promoted teams within the first three weeks. Goalkeeper Robin Zentner is also worth a mention with a game against RB Leipzig on Matchday 1 that could see him rack up plenty of saves.

Mainz might not have any big names at the club but with a coach that is able to bring their full potential to the fore, they can challenge even the best teams in the top-flight like they did last year. The carnival club will look to punch above their weight as they mount another challenge for a top 10 spot.

FSV Mainz 05 Expected Lineup for Matchday 1

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