Bundesliga Fantasy is now just five days away from the start of the 21/22 season and there is no one better to help us out with tips than last season’s champion MexxDom as he joins us for a quick interview where he discusses how he won the game and shares his tips for the upcoming season.

In one of the most dominant displays in fantasy over the recent years, the champion who goes by the alias of MexxDom was first for the most part of the season and won comfortably with a 50+ point lead over the manager in second place.

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First off, congratulations on becoming the champion! You were #1 OR for the last 21 matchdays in a row towards the end of the season so when did you feel like you were going to win it all? Did you have any nerves?

MexxDom: Thank you so much! To be honest, I never felt like saying “I will win it”. All it takes is one bad MD for yourself, and one outstanding MD from the direct opponents and everything changes. And yes, I was nervous all the
time. The longer I was able to remain OR1, the more pressure I put on myself to finish as number one, even though there wouldn’t have been any bad feelings with another result, it was an amazing season nevertheless.

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Did you have a strategy in the way you played last season? Did the teams of your close opponents have any effect?

MexxDom: I’ll list the top 5 tips (in my opinion) further below, but I’ll try and let you in on my thought process
regarding how I play and watch opponents.

First of all, yes, I always checked at least the current top 10 players squads. It’s always interesting to
see who they bought/sold and you might see players you never ever thought about buying yourself.
But I never felt pressured to copy any teams, tactics etc. Just listen to your gut feeling and do what
you think is best.

General strategy? Maximise your cash spent, 15 starting players are better than x premium players
and a bank you can’t sub on, (star) flexibility is key and one “one player punt” is enough, always plan
ahead. Also, I had a rule to never double-up on defenders from the same team and avoided CBs all
season (even though e.g., Hummels had some insane games).

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Which accounts, podcasts, websites, etc do you follow if any for Bundesliga Fantasy?

Mexxdom: @DNLFantasy (fplmakmur.blogspot.com), @FantasyblS (fantasybl-stats.web.app) and @TipstersFantasy (fantasytipsters.com) → must follow on Twitter.

LigaInsider, Kicker and Spox for News and predicted line-ups.

Talking Fussball Podcast (talkingfussball.com) when I have the time to listen.

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What are your top 5 tips for Bundesliga Fantasy Managers

MexxDom: Star flexibility is key. Try to avoid more than 11 players at the same time (nothing worse than putting e.g. Sallai on the bench and watch him score 22 points ). Furthermore, it is always good to have a promising bench to sub a player with a below-average performance out. Even Lewandowski has a bad day every now and then…

– Prioritise players with a lot of KPs (Key Passes) and shots on goal. Sadly, Bundesliga decided to list nearly all promising wingers as forwards, therefore, creative midfielders or freekick/corner takers are essential. For defenders, OOP players and full backs/wing backs create a lot of points through key passes, shots and won duels.

– Plan ahead! Look at upcoming fixtures, and broaden your horizon, even players from underdog teams are viable. Think about the potential match outcome yourself and either prioritise the winning side or a player that might have a standout game regardless of the outcome.

– Statistics do not lie If a player has an upcoming match against the club he scores/assists most of the time, you should consider buying him 😉

– Use the in-form filter!

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What would be your advice for new players

MexxDom: Have fun! Read the rules and do not forget to sub players on, change stars and formations as needed. Oh, and you do always need at least 3 defenders in your starting eleven.

– The season is a marathon, not a sprint. If you have one bad MD it is not the end of the world (I finished with 66 points on MD2 and was devastated, but you can always come back!)

– Buy Lewandowski haha!

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Who was your MVP in Bundesliga Fantasy last year?

MexxDom: There was not one MVP but rather different players being the MVP during different stages of the
season.

Forwards: Silva, Kramaric (& Lewandowski of course, but that’s too obvious)
Midfielders: Hofmann (Midfield star with 2 goals 1 assist vs. Bayern), Grifo, Kostic
Defenders: Angelino (early season), Otavio, Günter

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Which position is the best to invest players in – forward, midfield or defence?

MexxDom: Defensive players with an attacking threat are your best friend in Bundesliga Fantasy. I usually try to own 5 in-form defenders… “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles”.

But don’t focus on positions too much, it is way better to have a balanced team than a team only shining in one position.

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Are two starting goalkeepers essential? What is your keeper combo for the upcoming season?

MexxDom: I wouldn’t say essential, but I prefer to have two playing keepers rather than one. But if you are short on cash, a goalkeeper is the first place to cut your costs. Also please don’t buy premium GKs, trust me they are not worth their money.

Didn’t decide who I will go for yet, but the cheapest starting GK will be in my squad for sure and Müller maybe.

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Is it important to build team value at the start of the season?

MexxDom: Yes! I always try to invest all money I have and leave very little to none in the bank, unless I know I have to buy/sell a certain player the next MD and need the money. The higher your team value, the more premium picks you can afford over time. Plus, many in-form players increase a lot in value during the season, offering you lots of possibilities once you sell them.

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Do you believe in going template or having certain differentials in your team every week, if so how many?

MexxDom: The template only won’t get you anywhere once you reach a certain rank, as everyone owns the best players at a given time most likely. Therefore, differentials are key. How many? That’s a tough question, and there is no right or wrong answer. You always have to keep in mind what your opponents might do, which players might haul etc. I like to go for one player each MD, who I think might have an outstanding performance but is on no one’s radar, aka my “one player punt”. I am also always looking for differentials with my remaining transfers to outsmart my
opponents.

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Which players are essential according to you for the upcoming season? Who was the first name in your team?

MexxDom: Lewandowski (obvious), Kostic (one of the few remaining viable midfield options), Stindl (on penalties, rotation-proof due to no EL/CL if he stays fit).

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What criteria/score do you use to decide if your star player’s score is good enough to not change it?

MexxDom: Depends on the position and the number of players I have left, as well as the teams my players face. But 13-15 is a good threshold as you get 7/8 bonus points then.

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One player you think that might have a breakout season this year?

MexxDom: Szoboszlai 100%.

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Do you have a first draft that you could share with us?

MexxDom: Yes, but the word ‘draft’ is essential here haha!

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Last but not the least, you won the ultimate prize – a trip to a Bundesliga game of your choice – so which game are you looking forward to watching next season and who are you taking for the trip?

MexxDom: Due to Covid, I don’t know when I am allowed to redeem my price. Der Klassiker is always worth watching, but I have witnessed it live already. Other than that, I have never been to the “Alte Försterei”. My girlfriend, brother and the members of my private mini-league from last season are going to be a part of the trip most likely.

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A big thank you to the champion again for letting us interview him. We wish him all the best as he looks to defend his title next season!

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 FC Augsburg who finished 13th in the league last season.

The club was initially founded on 8 August 1907 as FC Allemania and it was not until 1969 that its present name, Football Club Augsburg, came into existence after a merger with local side TSV 1847 Schwaben Augsburg. FC Augsburg spent most of the past 30 years in the lower leagues including the regional divisions and were struggling to stay afloat with the mounting debt until a group of investors decided to come on board to save the club in 2001. Their investment paid off, as the club was promoted to the 2. Bundesliga for the first time in 23 years in 2006 and to the Bundesliga for the first time just five years later in 2011. The Fuggerstädter – a nickname derived from the city’s famous Fugger family, founders of the Fuggererei – have managed to survive in the top flight in every single season since then.

FC Augsburg’s best season so far in the Bundesliga was in 2015/16 when head coach Markus Weinzierl – the club’s longest-serving coach in the Bundesliga – guided the team to the UEFA Europa League courtesy of a fifth-placed league finish. The joy of being a top-five team in the league was short-lived as Augsburg finished 13th next season and haven’t managed a top-finish again after that.

Fun Fact: The club is also popularly referred to as the other Bavarian team and Markus Weinzierl is the only coach to have beaten fierce local rivals Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga era with a 1-0 win back in April 2014.

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“Mid-table Mediocrity”

 

The team had a dream start to the season, beating Union Berlin 1-3 in the season opener and Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the next matchday but the club headed into a downward trajectory after that till the end of the season. FC Augsburg’s run from Matchday 15-26 when the team won just three games and lost nine was a warning sign for the club and despite being in a strong position to avoid relegation, the club sacked head coach Heiko Herrlich in April 2021.

The management was looking for a change as the recent finishes didn’t coincide with the club’s vision of going from a mid-table team to a top 10 one and the club could not have found anyone better for the job than someone who has done that before – Markus Weinzierl. He was in charge for only three matchdays but the team’s performances reflected his strong attacking mentality and vulnerabilities in defence. This was especially true in the final matchday of the season in the Bavarian derby against Bayern Munich that the team lost 4-2 after being 4-0 down at halftime.

In the end, FC Augsburg had to settle for a 13th place finish with a gap of just three points between the club and FC Köln in the relegation zone.

 

 

FC Augsburg had the most losses away from home (11) and were the worst away team in the league after Schalke (13 losses).

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Veterans Show How It’s Done

 

Although the club boasts of some of the brightest attacking talents in the league in Ruben Vargas (7 goals, 1 assist) and Marco Richter (3 goals, 1 assist), it was the veterans who were the most key members in attack for the Fuggerstädter. The team’s attack was far from the best and only Schalke created fewer big chances but the trio of André Hahn (8 goals, 3 assists), Daniel Caligiuri (6 goals, 4 assists) and Florian Niederlechner (5 goals, 4 assists) were responsible for over half of the team’s goals and pitched in when it mattered the most to secure wins for the team.

 

⚽ Goals: 36 (14th)

🅰️ Assists: 23 (14th)

💡 Big Chances Created: 27 (17th)

❎ Big Chances Missed: 20 (17th)

🚀 Total Shots: 335 (16th)

🎯 Shots on Target: 108 (15th)

📈 xG: 35.36 (16th)

📊 xG Per Game: 1.04 (16th)

 

The top 6 players in attacking involvement for the team

Player	Position	Matches Played (Subs)	Goals	Assists	SpG	KeyP
André Hahn	MID	24 (5)	8	3	1.5	0.6
Daniel Caligiuri	MID	31 (2)	6	4	1.2	1.5
Florian Niederlechner	FWD	21 (7)	5	4	1.7	0.5
Ruben Vargas	MID	18 (12)	7	1	2.3	1.1
Marco Richter	MID	16 (13)	3	1	1.9	0.5
Micheal Gregoritsch	FWD	9 (15)	1	2	0.5	0.2

SpG = Shots per Game

KeyP = Key Passes Per Game

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Gikiewicz the Saviour

 

The team was always susceptible to conceding goals and no clean sheet was ever guaranteed but Augsburg was still only 11th for goals conceded and 9th for clean sheets despite having the worst xGA in the league after Schalke. Most of the credit for this goes to keeper Rafał Gikiewicz who single-handedly saved the club from a possible relegation even when the other players failed to deliver. He led the league in saves and his best performance came in the final game against Bayern Munich where he denied fellow Poland international Robert Lewandowski on multiple occasions before the striker finally got the better of him on the final kick of the campaign to break the record for most goals in a single season (41). It was incredible business from Augsburg to sign him on a free transfer as he has now become one of the star players at the club.

 

🥅 Goals Conceded: 54 (11th)

🚫 Clean Sheets: 7 (9th)

🧤 Penalties Conceded: 6 (15th)

🚀 Total Shots Conceded: 477 (16th)

🎯 Shots on Target Conceded: 172 (17th)

📈 xGA: 57.46 (2nd)

📊 xGA Per Game: 1.69 (2nd)

 

There have been no obvious picks from the Augsburg defence ever since Phillip Max left to join PSV but Iago has been the most popular option over the past couple of seasons. Right-backs Robert Gumny and Mads Pedersen are also worth a shout but are never guaranteed starts or minutes.

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Investing in the Future

 

FC Augsburg’s transfers so far have been interesting, to say the least. The average age of their signings in this window is 20.3 years so clearly there has been an emphasis on signing young players – especially German youth internationals – in an ageing squad. The best signings so far have been German U-21 European Championship hero Niklas Dorsch from KAA Gent and the German U-21 captain Arne Maier on a swap deal for Marco Richter with Hertha Berlin.

Attackers might be the need of the hour but these signings add some much-needed reinforcement in front of the centre-backs – a key pain point for the club over the last few seasons. Dorsch-Maier is going to be one of the most exciting duos to watch in the Bundesliga this season and their presence should have an effect on defence – especially in terms of shots and goals conceded.

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FC Augsburg’s Pre-season Results

 

vs Hamburger SV 2-2 (D)

Goal(s): Danso, Hahn

Assist(s): Caligiuri, Richter

 

vs FK Qarabağ 2-2 (D)

Goal(s): Gouweleeuw (penalty), Niederlechner

Assist(s): Hahn

 

vs PSG 1-2 (L)

Goal(s): Niederlechner

Assist(s): –

 

vs Cagliari Calcio 3-1 (W)

Goal(s): Jensen, Vargas (2)

Assist(s): Hahn (3)

 

Players with attacking returns for Augsburg in pre-season

Player	Goals	Assists
André Hahn	1	4
Florian Niederlechner	2	-
Ruben Vargas	-	2
Jeffrey Gouweleeuw	1	-
Fredrik Jensen	1	-
Kevin Danso	1	-
Daniel Caligiuri	-	1
Marco Richter	-	1

Note: This list is accurate as of 7th August. You can find the updated list and match reports on DNL Fantasy’s website.

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FC Augsburg Players to Watch Out for in Bundesliga Fantasy

 

• André Hahn (MID, 8M)

Hahn was one of the best Out of Position (OOP) players in Bundesliga Fantasy last season at just 4M, playing almost half of his games (11) as a striker and scoring four goals. This season he might not start up top with Niederlechner back from the sidelines after returning from an injury but he will still be an OOP option on the right-wing where he was even more prolific, scoring once and assisting four goals in nine games on the right flank. He led the team in goals scored and now that the competition is even less considering Richter has been sold, Hahn should get more consistent minutes to improve his record from last season and is still a bargain buy at 8M.

 

• Rafał Gikiewicz (GKP, 7M)

Gikiewicz was mostly overlooked because of his 7M price tag last season and the fact that there were much cheaper options available such as Ortega and Müller but he was still one of the best keepers to own in Bundesliga Fantasy, finishing second for total points (200) among shot-stoppers after Ortega (234). Now that the budget keepers from last year have caught up in terms of price, he is one to seriously consider especially with games against trigger happy Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frank and Bayer Leverkusen to start the season. Expect him to top the charts for saves and points for fantasy keepers again this season.

 

• Daniel Caligiuri (MID, 9M)

More of a differential option rather than template, almost all of the playmaking responsibilities for the Fuggerstädter fall on Caligiuri, who is also on free kicks and corner kicks for the team. He might not be talked about a lot but he was one of the highest-scoring players last season with 225 points even out-scoring the likes of Marcel Sabitzer, Serge Gnabry and Borna Sosa to name a few.

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To Sum It Up

 

New head coach Markus Weinzierl won’t accept anything less than a top 10 placed finish from his team this season and after the signings of prodigious talents such as Niklas Dorsch and Arne Maier, the club will be brimming with confidence in their ability to do so.

The attack is where the hidden gems in Bundesliga Fantasy are to be found from FC Augsburg with André Hahn and Daniel Caligiuri expected to be the best options for the second year running. Another one to watch is Swiss international Ruben Vargas who has been improving gradually over the past few seasons and could soon become the club’s next big player if he keeps making good progress.

In defence, there isn’t much to chose from except the full-backs if you really want someone from one of the worst defences in the league last season but keeper Rafał Gikiewicz deserves a mention for being one of the best shot-stoppers in the league ever since he joined FC Augsburg.

Augsburg have grown into one of the more exciting teams in the league over the past few seasons after a few close calls with relegation and the trend seems to continue this year with some really promising signings to improve the squad. Still, it is expected that the club will compete for one of the mid-table spots and Augsburg players will only be considered viable options once the fixtures ease for the team from Matchday 8 onwards.

 

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FC Augsburg Expected Lineup for Matchday 1

 

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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 Hertha Berlin who finished 14th in the league last season.

Hertha BSC is one of the oldest clubs in Berlin and is one of the founding members of the German Football Association and won their first German championship in 1930. The club was founded back in 1892 as BFC Hertha 92 and their name and blue-white colours came from a steamship taken by one of the new club’s founding members. Hertha is often referred to as its nickname of “Die Alte Dame” which means “The Old Lady” in reference to the eponymous steamship.

The club managed to recover from both world wars and by the ’50s was one of the most dominant teams in the Berlin Oberliga. Hertha’s title win in the 62/63 season meant that they were Berlin’s representatives in the first season of the newly formed Bundesliga and that year also saw the club move to its new home at the Olympiastadion. The Old Lady’s joy was short-lived however as their involvement in a bribery scandal that shook the Bundesliga two years later led to their relegation. Since their introduction to the Bundesliga, the club has been through turbulent periods with constant spells between the first and third divisions. Hertha’s last promotion was back in 2013 when they won the 2. Bundesliga on the back of promotion hero Ronny’s 18 goals and 15 assists and they have been a top-flight club since then.

Fun Fact: Hertha’s home ground the Olympiastadion was originally a multi-purpose stadium built for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

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The Return of Dárdai

 

For most of the season, the Berliners were safe from the relegation zone as the club kept wavering from the 10th-15th position on the table but a four-game winless streak from Matchday 15-18 that included losses against relegation contenders Arminia Bielefeld, Werder Bremen, mid-table side Hoffenheim and a draw against FC Köln meant that head coach Bruno Labbadia was sacked immediately with Pál Dárdai announced as his replacement.

Pál Dárdai is a former Hertha captain, holds the record for the most appearances for the team in the Bundesliga with 372 caps for the white-blues and is the third longest-serving coach in the club’s history. The club never found stability under his first stint and the Berliners were mostly in the bottom eight teams with 7th being their best finish under Dárdai in the 15/16 season. He left the job at the end of the 18/19 season and took up a role with the academy but failed stints from his successors Ante Covic, Jürgen Klinsmann, Alexander Nouri and Bruno Labbadia meant that the club approached their loyal companion to take over the reins at the Olympiastadion for the second time.

His first mission back in charge? to guide the club to safety. Dárdai did not have the welcome he would’ve wished for on his return as the club as the team started out with a five-game losing streak under him. The 2-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 24, in particular, was a wake-up call for the team as they had slipped into 16th place after winning just five points from their last 11 games while losing eight of the matches in that period.

What happened next was unforeseen as the white-blues had a complete turnaround, going on an unbeaten streak until the final matchday of the season when they were beaten 2-1 by Hoffenheim. The club’s end of season surge included impressive results such as the 3-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen, SC Freiburg and a comeback 2-2 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. The reintroduction of Dárdai as manager worked successfully as Hertha finished the season in 14th place. Albeit it wasn’t in the most convincing manner as they were just two points ahead of 16th placed FC Köln but nonetheless, another season of Bundesliga football was secured for the club.

 

 

Hertha BSC had the least wins away from home last season (3, tied with Hoffenheim and Arminia) after Schalke (0).

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Big Money, Big Names, No Show

 

The club has spent an incredible amount on the team especially in an attempt to strengthen the attack but the new high-profile signings have failed to fire so far. With the exception of Matheus Cunha (7 goals, 4 assists) and Dodi Lukébakio (5 goals, 5 assists), the other attackers were inconsistent and failed to have much of an impact on the team. Vladimír Darida (1 goal, 6 assists) was the primary playmaker for the team and was responsible for most of the set-piece routines.

The team become infamous because of their inability to finish the numerous chances they get in every game and it has mostly been Cunha (2.6 SpG) who has failed to convert his chances and score. Hertha also has other big names in attack such as Jhon Córdoba (13 goals, 2 assists for FC Köln in 19/20) and Krzysztof Piątek (13 goals in 19 games for Genoa in 18/19) so the expectation from the team has always been to be much more prolific in front of goal.

 

⚽ Goals: 41 (12th)

🅰️ Assists: 29 (12th)

💡 Big Chances Created: 45 (12th)

❎ Big Chances Missed: 36 (11th)

🚀 Total Shots: 382 (11th)

🎯 Shots on Target: 144 (10th)

📈 xG: 47.26 (10th)

📊 xG Per Game: 1.39 (10th)

 

The top 6 players in attacking involvement for the team

Player	Position	Matches Played (Subs)	Goals	Assists	SpG	KeyP
Matheus Cunha	FWD	25 (2)	7	4	2.6	1.8
Dodi Lukébakio	FWD	21 (8)	5	5	1.4	0.8
Jhon Córdoba	FWD	17 (4)	7	1	2.3	1.1
Krzysztof Piątek	FWD	18 (14)	7	1	1.3	0.3
Vladimír Darida	MID	24 (3)	1	6	1	1.3
Peter Pekarik	DEF	22 (1)	3	1	0.3	0.4

SpG = Shots per Game

KeyP = Key Passes Per Game

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Room for Improvement

 

The Hertha defence was far from the worst in the league and was only seventh for goals conceded but there are still some questions that have been left unanswered:

1. Who is the first-choice keeper now? Schwolow or Jarstein?
2. Who is the first-choice left-back for the upcoming season? Plattenhardt or Mittelstädt?
3. What is the team’s best centre back pairing?

The heavy rotation has mostly kept Bundesliga Fantasy managers off Hertha defenders as no player is guaranteed to start every game. When he did start, however, Maximilian Mittelstädt was a standout option from the old lady as he was involved in set-pieces and even played as a winger at times. Right-back Peter Pekarik and keeper Rune Jarstein who deputized for out of form Schwolow – were also worthy players on a sub 5M budget last season.

 

🥅 Goals Conceded: 52 (7th)

🚫 Clean Sheets: 9 (7th)

🧤 Penalties Conceded: 7 (16th)

🚀 Total Shots Conceded: 423 (9th)

🎯 Shots on Target Conceded: 134 (7th)

📈 xGA: 50.32 (10th)

📊 xGA Per Game: 1.48 (10th)

 

The battle for who will be the first-choice left-back is so competitive that it has forced one of the most talented left-backs in the league – Luca Netz – to join Borussia. Whoever starts on the day between Mittelstädt and Plattenhardt will be the best defender from the team as he will be on set-pieces as well.

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Capital Injection

 

It might come as a surprise that Hertha are one of the biggest spenders in the league considering the relatively low success the club has seen in recent years. The club has Investor Lars Windhorst to thank for that. He has already injected close to €400 million into the club in an attempt to push the club to greater heights but Hertha haven’t found the same success as some of the other big spenders such as Manchester City and PSG.

Hertha spent more than any other European club during the 2020 winter window, bringing in players like Krzysztof Piątek from AC Milan and Matheus Cunha from RB Leipzig and despite the coronavirus pandemic restricting teams all over Europe, Hertha were able to sign a new starting striker Jhon Cordoba and a new goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, while also bolstering the midfield with Matteo Guendouzi on loan from Arsenal.

All this just to underachieve while city rivals Union Berlin have made it to Europe on a fraction of what Hertha are spending. Looking at the club it is clear that throwing money at the problem won’t solve anything and the club needs consistency in its management and player selections if they want to get out of the mid-table spot and challenge for the top 10.

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Hertha BSC’s Pre-season Results

 

vs SV Neustadt/Dosse 16-0 (W)

Goal(s): Cordoba (6; penalty), Kade, Lukebakio, Michelbrink, Mittelstädt, Selke (2), Tousart (2), Werthmüller (2; penalty)

Assist(s): –

 

vs MSV Neuruppin 7-0 (W)

Goal(s): Cordoba (2), Kade, Lukebakio (2), Selke (2)

Assist(s): Jastrzembski (2), Maier, Mittelstädt (2), Werthmüller

 

vs Babelsberg 03 3-1 (W)

Goal(s): Cordoba, Selke, Serdar

Assist(s): Jastrzembski, Klünter, Mittelstädt

 

vs Hannover 96 4-4 (D)

Goal(s): Cordoba (penalty), Selke (3; penalty)

Assist(s): M. Dardai, Dilrosun

 

vs FC St. Pauli 2-2 (D)

Goal(s): Serdar, Stark

Assist(s): Zeefuik (2)

 

vs VfB Lübeck 1-1 (D)

Goal(s): Serdar

Assist(s): Lukebakio

 

vs Liverpool FC 4-3 (W)

Goal(s): Ascacibar, Jovetic (2), Serdar

Assist(s): Lukebakio (2), Plattenhardt, Werthmüller

 

vs Al-Hilal SFC 3-2 (W)

Goal(s): Jastrzembski, Michelbrink, Mittelstädt

Assist(s): Jastrzembski, Michelbrink, Morgenstern

vs Gaziantep F.K. 3-0 (W)

Goal(s): Lukebakio (penalty), Selke, Stark

Assist(s): Plattenhardt

 

Players with the most attacking returns for Hertha BSC in pre-season

Player	Goals	Assists
Jhon Córdoba	10	-
Davie Selke	9	-
Dodi Lukébakio	6	1
Maximilian Mittelstädt	2	3
Dennis Jastrzembski	1	4
Suat Serdar	4	-
Ruwen Werthmüller	2	2

Note: This list is accurate as of 6th August. You can find the updated list and match reports on DNL Fantasy’s website.

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Hertha BSC Players to Watch Out for in Bundesliga Fantasy

 

• Matheus Cunha (FWD, 12M)

Cunha has become a go-to option for Bundesliga Fantasy managers with his high floor as even though he might not score or assist very often, the number of shots that he takes in a game means that he is a good bet for 6+ points in almost every matchday. He will certainly be a popular pick once consecutive games against newly-promoted sides Greuther Fürth and VfL Bochum come around but might miss the start of the season due to the Olympics. Even though Cunha enjoyed better form under Labbadia than Dárdai, he is still the club’s talisman and might improve on his last season’s scores if he stays fit for an entire season.

 

• Stevan Jovetić (FWD, 10M)

Once one of the brightest strikers in the world, Stevan Jovetić has become somewhat of a journeyman over the last decade with spells in each of Europe’s top five leagues. He did not have the most prolific season last year with AS Monaco in the Ligue 1 with six goals as he was mostly being used as an option of the bench. Nonetheless, his recent performance in a 4-3 win against Liverpool in a friendly where he beat Virgil Van Djik and Andrew Robertson with incredible finesse and skill to put the ball past keeper Alisson has put the spotlight on him again. It is proof that he is still a class act and if he gets the same chances to score as Cunha does who is a much worse finisher then I am sure that he will be a fantastic option in Bundesliga Fantasy.

 

• Maximilian Mittelstädt/Marvin Plattenhardt (DEF, 7M)

Mittelstädt is one of the more attacking full-backs in the league and on his day can generate enough points off bonus than some defenders do with a clean sheet but the only concern is that he is not nailed in the XI. A price tag of 7M is absolutely perfect but as long as Plattenhardt is there, his position in the starting XI will always be in doubt.

 

• Javairo Dilrosun (MID, 5M)

An OOP player on the wing for just 5M seems too good to be true but Dilrosun could get some game time before the first wildcard as long as Cunha is out. He is one player that could have a breakout season but is only expected to feature in limited games for the Berliners. Another honourable mention is incoming signing Marco Richter who was also popular for being a player that took lots of shots for Augsburg last season.

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To Sum It Up

 

Hertha are certainly not relegation contenders with all the star power in the squad but the club should certainly be in the top 10 at the least with all the talent that they have. Pál Dárdai will look to steer the club into less turbulent waters in his second stint and hopefully challenge for Europe in the future just like Lars Windhorst envisioned.

As it stands, the best-attacking asset from the club will be the ever so consistent Matheus Cunha and Stevan Jovetić, Javairo Dilrosun and Marco Richter are some names that could pop up as wildcards as the fixtures ease for the team from Matchday 4 onwards.

Left-back Maximilian Mittelstädt would be a must-have if Marvin Plattenhardt didn’t compete with him but depending on how the first few matchdays go, one of them might be essential against the newly promoted teams.

Bundesliga Fantasy managers shouldn’t consider Hertha players as must-haves, to begin with as they face Wolfsburg and champions Bayern Munich within the first three matchdays but at least one player will be essential from the team after the first international break. This is Hertha’s best squad in a very long time and the expectations are very high but whether this translates to more points in fantasy is yet to be seen.

 

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Hertha BSC’s Expected Lineup for Matchday 1

 

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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 Arminia Bielefeld who finished 15th in the league last season.

Arminia is more likely to be mistaken for the country with a similar name and might seem like a “typo” at first since it is a name that is not recognized immediately but the club is one of the Bundesliga’s most established names. The club, which was founded in 1905, has now spent over 16 seasons in the German top flight and they also hold the record for most promotions from the second to the first division, with eight.

The club’s journey over the past 12 years has been nothing less than a rollercoaster ride with financial troubles and even a spell in 3. Liga – the third division of the German football pyramid. This makes Arminia’s journey to secure promotion to the Bundesliga all the more impressive. Arminia were known for their defensive rigidity in the 2. Bundesliga but also possessed the best attack in the league as they won the league in 19/20 with one of the most dominant displays in recent seasons after being tipped as potential dark horses for promotion. Club captain Fabian Klos – who joined Arminia back when they were a third division team in 2011 was a significant figure in helping the team achieve promotion with 21 goals and 10 assists and was the top-scorer in the 2. Bundesliga for the year.

Fun Fact: In 1994 at a student party, a conspiracy theory was started that is now a common, standing joke in Germany: namely, that Bielefeld doesn’t exist. The city, located in the western German state of North-Rhine Westphalia, actually has a population of over 300,000 and now hosts a Bundesliga club for the second consecutive year.

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Hanging by a Thread

 

Right from the get-go, Arminia were touted as the favourites to be relegated in their first season back to the Bundesliga since 2009. It was never going to be an easy task for the Blues with only loan signing Sergio Cόrdova, backup striker Sven Schipplock and midfielder Marcel Hartel having experience of playing in Germany’s top division before. The club did not possess a hefty bank balance like the other promoted side VfB Stuttgart so the budgetary constraints prevented the club from making any significant signings to bolster the squad.

Arminia had a flying start to the campaign with a 1-1 draw away against Frankfurt on Matchday 1 and a 1-0 win in their home opener against counterparts Köln the next but it all went downhill from there. The team endured a seven-game losing streak after that till Matchday 10 when they got the better of 17th Placed Mainz in a 2-1 win. Arminia kept yo-yo-ing between the 15th and the 17th spot for the rest of the season with their 0-0 draws and 1-0 wins being a major source of their points.

With just three matchdays left, the team was in a relegation playoff spot at 16th with only one point separating 17th placed FC Köln and 15th placed Werder Bremen on either side. It was a tough equation for the blues who had just come off a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Borussia and had the toughest draw amongst the three teams to end the season with a home game against Hoffenheim and two away games against Hertha and Stuttgart.

In an incredible display of grit and strength with everything to play for, Arminia secured draws against Hertha and Hoffenheim to set up a finale on Matchday 34 against high-flying Stuttgart with the prize at stake being a spot in the Bundesliga. However, at this point, the blues finally had some luck with other results going their way and even a loss would guarantee the team a place in the relegation playoffs at the minimum.

In a highly dramatic and suspenseful game, there couldn’t have been a more fitting player to give the team a lead than captain Fabian Klos. Star player Ritsu Doan added another goal just six minutes later to secure a 0-2 victory and another year of top-flight football for the club.

 

 

Arminia Bielefeld scored the fewest goals at home last season with just 13 goals at the Bielefelder Alm. One behind Schalke’s 14 goals at the Veltins Arena.

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Missing: Shooting Boots

 

To put it into perspective how bad Arminia were in attack, only relegated team Schalke who were having their worst season in the Bundesliga ever scored fewer goals (25) than Arminia Bielefeld’s 26. It is also the lowest number of goals scored by a team that survived relegation over the past seven years. FC Nürnberg scored 26 goals in the 18-19 season and were relegated to the second division.

The team lacked playmakers and relied heavily on loanee Ritsu Doan (5 goals, 2 assists) to create opportunities from the wing and score goals. Fabian Klos (5 goals, 2 assists) also led the team in scoring as no other player scored more than three goals for the team. Arminia’s lack of finishing did not help the cause with Doan mostly being at the receiving end of it.

 

⚽ Goals: 26 (17th)

🅰️ Assists: 16 (18th)

💡 Big Chances Created: 31 (15th)

❎ Big Chances Missed: 29 (15th)

🚀 Total Shots: 329 (17th)

🎯 Shots on Target: 100 (17th)

📈 xG: 30.7 (17th)

📊 xG Per Game: 0.9 (17th)

 

The top 8 players in attacking involvement for the team

Player	Position	Matches Played (Subs)	Goals	Assists	SpG	KeyP
Ritsu Doan	MID	33 (1)	5	2	2	1.4
Fabian Klos	FWD	32 (2)	5	2	1.6	0.9
Andreas Voglsammer	FWD	11 (7)	2	2	1.8	0.6
Sergio Córdova	FWD	13 (10)	2	1	0.9	0.5
Amos Pieper	DEF	30	1	1	0.5	0.2
Manuel Preitl	MID	28	1	1	0.6	0.4
Michel Vlap	MID	5 (2)	1	1	0.4	1
Christian Gebauer	MID	5 (18)	1	1	0.4	0.5

SpG = Shots per Game

KeyP = Key Passes Per Game

Note: No other player was involved in more than one goal for the team.

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Park the Bus

 

If defending is your best attribute then why not use it to its full extent? Arminia built a reputation as being one of the best defensive teams in the second division in recent years and it was a characteristic trait for the blues last season as well. Even though the team did not have much to offer going forward, the defence always made sure that they weren’t too vulnerable at the back. It might come as a surprise for some but the newly-promoted team had one of the best defensive records in the Bundesliga with 11 clean sheets to their name (tied with Borussia Dortmund). Only Leipzig (15) and Wolfsburg (14) had more shutouts than the Blues.

The team’s success in restricting opposition players from scoring can mainly be attributed to their low block defensive system where the players defend very deep in their own half and restrict the space for opposition players to exploit. That and keeper Stefan Ortega who was a wall for Arminia last season, saving everything that came his way. He is the reason that despite being 17th for xGA, the team was only seventh for goals conceded while keeping more clean sheets than champions Bayern Munich. Ex-bvb Centre back Amos Pieper who won the U-21 European Championship with Germany this year was also a key member in defence with strong defensive displays to help the team survive wave after wave of opposition attacks.

 

🥅 Goals Conceded: 52 (7th)

🚫 Clean Sheets: 11 (3rd)

🧤 Penalties Conceded: 6 (10th)

🚀 Total Shots Conceded: 440 (11th)

🎯 Shots on Target Conceded: 166 (15th)

📈 xGA: 55.7 (17th)

📊 xGA Per Game: 1.64 (17th)

 

The involvement of defenders in goals is almost non-existent for Arminia but they aren’t the worst options available in Bundesliga Fantasy at 4M considering their clean sheet potential.

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Finding Doan’s Replacement

 

Japanese international Ritsu Doan who was on loan from PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie was arguably the team’s best player in attack and despite Arminia’s efforts to sign him permanently, the club won’t be able to afford his asking price of 5M. His price tag is definitely not lofty by any means for the quality player that he is but you have to consider the fact that Arminia are still trying to stability financially after multiple spells in the second and third division that has been made worse by the pandemic.

The club has been busy trying to replace him this summer with reinforcements such as fellow Japanese international Masaya Okugawa (9 goals and 4 assists in the Austrian Bundesliga in 19/20) from the talent factory that is RB Salzburg which has produced some of the best young talents in the world such as Haaland, Kimmich, Mané and Szoboszlai. Arminia also lost striker Andreas Voglsammer to Union Berlin on a free transfer.

Other notable attackers to have joined the club this window include Alessandro Schöpf from Schalke and wonderkids Bryan Lasme (9 goals, 2 assists) from FC Sochaux, Florian Krüger (11 goals, 7 assists) from FC Erzgebirge Aue and Holstein Kiel’s top-scorer last season – Janni Serra (13 goals, 3 assists). So many transfers does raise the question about whether Arminia could’ve just bought Doan with all the money spent instead.

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Arminia Bielefeld’s Pre-season Results

 

vs SC Verl 0-3 (L)

Goal(s): –

Assist(s): –

 

vs Hannover 96 1-0 (W)

Goal(s): Serra

Assist(s): Lasme

 

vs VfB Stuttgart 2-5 (L)

Goal(s): Krüger, Nilsson

Assist(s): Rausch

 

vs SC Wiedenbrück 1-1 (D)

Goal(s): Lasme

Assist(s): Gebauer

 

vs FC Twente 1-1 (D)

Goal(s): Klos

Assist(s): Schöpf

 

Players with attacking returns for Arminia Bielefeld in pre-season

Player	Goals	Assists
Bryan Lasme	1	1
Florian Krüger	1	-
Fabian Klos	1	-
Joakim Nilsson	1	-
Janni Luca Serra	1	-
Alessandro Schöpf	-	1
Christian Gebauer	-	1
Fynn Hagen Rausch-Bönki	-	1

Note: This list is accurate as of 5th August. You can find the updated list and match reports on DNL Fantasy’s website.

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Arminia Bielefeld Players to Watch Out for in Bundesliga Fantasy

 

• Stefan Ortega (GKP, 8M)

The highest scoring keeper in Bundesliga Fantasy last season with 234 points, Ortega was a hidden gem that started the season at just 5M and finished the season with the highest save percentage (71.7%) and the second-highest number of saves in the league (129) after Augsburg’s Rafał Gikiewicz (120).

His high floor and consistency because of the sheer amount of points for saves that he got meant that Ortega was fantastic even as a standalone option among keepers and was a must-have throughout the season. Although he has received a generous but well-deserved price bump to 8M now, he will still be one of the best keepers to own in Bundesliga Fantasy this season as he looks to replicate his heroics between the sticks that kept Arminia up last season.

 

• Jacob Laursen (DEF, 4M)

A mid-season managerial change meant that Frank Kramer took over the reins at the Bielefelder Alm from Uwe Neuhaus and the team made a steady improvement under the new coach, especially in defence. The blues were 9th in the form table for their last six games and other than the one game where the team lost 5-0 to Borussia, Arminia only conceded 5 goals in their other 10 games under Kramer while keeping six clean sheets. If this same trend continues next season then the cheapest defender from the club – Jacob Laursen – could be a shrewd pick at just 4M.

 

• Alessandro Schöpf (MID, 6M)

A relatively unknown player in Bundesliga fantasy circles with unknown potential, Schöpf didn’t have the best season last year with Schalke, to say the least. The Austrian midfielder did not have a single goal involvement in the Bundesliga and was mostly used as an option off the bench.

Schöpf, however, has received another opportunity to revive his career with Arminia and has been handed set-pieces duties by the club in an attempt to fill the void left by Doan on the right-side of midfield – where the team drew most of their attacking plays from. He has looked like the most involved player in attack for Arminia in pre-season but it is still recommended to wait and watch to see whether it will be him or Masaya Okugawa who will take over as the club’s talisman in attack.

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To Sum It Up

 

The signs for Arminia aren’t great. Winger Ritsu Doan was essential in helping the blues survive relegation last season with his eye-catching individual performances and in his absence, one of Schöpf and Okugawa will have to step up their game big time for the club to have a fighting chance in the Bundesliga.

The only positive so far is that the club has been able to retain their entire defence which was seventh for goals conceded and kept the third-highest number of clean sheets. Especially keeper Stefan Ortega who was one of the best keepers in the league last season and was rumoured to have potential suitors such as Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart interested in securing his services.

It isn’t going to be easy for the club from North Rhine-Westphalia to survive relegation again with tough competition from newly promoted clubs SpVgg Greuther Fürth and VfL Bochum. They were in the same spot last season, however, as one of the favourites to be relegated but one shouldn’t rule Die Arminen out, especially if they stick to their greatest strength – Defending.

 

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Arminia Bielefeld Expected Lineup for the 21/22 season

 

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

For our next article in the Bundesliga Fantasy team preview series, we take a look at one of the established mid-table Bundesliga teams: VfL Wolfsburg. Die Wölfe (The Wolves, in English) will be heading into the 2021/22 campaign with high hopes, coming off the back of a strong season that saw them finish in 4th place, securing qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

Once just a facet of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers living in Wolfsburg, the team has risen to become a stalwart in Germany’s top football division (since 1997), even claiming their first Bundesliga title in the 2008/09 season, under Felix Magath. They also finished as runners-up in the 2014/15 season, in which they won the domestic cup (DFB-Pokal) – a large part of their success during this time could be attributed to a certain well-known attacking midfielder: Kevin de Bruyne.

Fun Fact: VfL Wolfsburg also has a very successful women’s team, who have finished in the top two places in each of the last 10 Frauen-Bundesliga seasons (6x titles, 4x runners-up). 

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A Return to Top-Level European Football

 

After several years of inconsistency, Wolfsburg’s 2020/21 season saw the end of a six-year wait for qualification for the UEFA Champions League; the first time since their impressive 2014/15 campaign. While not boasting a particularly strong attack (see below), they achieved this success primarily by making themselves hard to beat, putting in solid defensive performances that limited their losses to a joint third-best in the league (7, tied with RB Leipzig and behind only Bayern and Frankfurt). The Wolves had a slow start in their first five games (4 draws, 1 win), but all but secured their Champions League spot with a brilliant run of 9 wins, 1 draw and only 1 loss in MD 17-27. Finishing only 4 pts behind 2nd placed RB Leipzig, the potential of a runners-up finish was a frustratingly close prospect, especially with their 10 league draws, and thus Wolfsburg fans should be looking ahead positively. 

However, there are a couple of things to be aware of, in this sense, for the upcoming season. Former manager Oliver Glasner, who led The Wolves to this success, has now moved on to manage mid-table rivals Eintracht Frankfurt. He has been replaced by Mark van Bommel, who in his only previous head managerial role was sacked by PSV just 18 months into a three-year contract, following a poor run of two wins in eight games (2018/19). Their form in their six pre-season games also leaves much to be desired, notching five losses and only one win. It remains to be seen how they will fare in the league under the relatively inexperienced van Bommel, whose only other managerial roles have been as an assistant for both the Australian and UAE national teams. 

Furthermore, while Wolfsburg have a good enough squad to manage some level of rotation, it is hard to say how they will deal with the extra burden presented by the Champions League games. Wolfsburg’s seventh-place finish in the 2019/20 season did allow them to see some European football last year, in the form of the qualifying rounds for the UEFA Europa League. However, despite fielding a fairly strong side, they failed to qualify for the Europa League proper at the final hurdle, losing 2-1 to AEK Athens. Given the strength of the sides they will face in the Champions League, this suggests that any complications that might be introduced by their European involvement could well be short-lived.

 

 

The Wolves ranked third best for home wins last season (with 10) and joint fourth best for away wins (with 7), and gained 34 pts and 27 pts at and away from home, respectively. This relatively even split shows that the venue tends to affect them little – they were only behind the current “big three” of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig for away wins/points.

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Attack – The Wolves’ Claws

 

While boasting arguably the second strongest defence in the league, behind RB Leipzig, Wolfsburg are fairly “middle-of-the-road” when it comes to attacking potential. Last season, they scored 57 goals from 162 shots on target, 48 of which were deemed to be assisted. These represented the 5th, 6th and 4th best numbers in the league, respectively, more or less in line with their final league position. However, in terms of xG, they placed only 9th, behind the likes of Hoffenheim and Mainz 05, who finished 11th and 12th, respectively. This suggests that The Wolves’ claws are not too sharp (let me off, it’s my first article), and that they were seen through by a combination of shooting efficiency and luck. 

A large part of this is likely because, in attack, Wolfsburg tend to rely heavily on their talismanic striker Wout Weghorst (14M; FWD). The clinical Weghorst was by far their top goalscorer during the previous campaign, netting 20 times from a total xG of only 17.9. The big man was also the top assister, with 8, and is responsible for the penalty kicks – note that Wolfsburg were joint second-last for PKs earned, however, and only 2 of his 20 goals were penalties.  

While their next highest scorer was Josip Brekalo (10M; MID), with a comparatively meagre 7 goals (+ 3 assists), the next most important player in terms of goal involvements was Ridle Baku (11M; MID), who racked up 6 goals and 7 assists in 32 games (31 starts). Baku is arguably the brightest talent in the team, and his ability to play anywhere from full-back to forward makes him one of the surest starters when fully fit. Other semi-regular contributors included winger Renato Steffen (9M; MID; 5 goals, 4 assists) and set-piece taker Maximilian Arnold (12M; MID; 3 goals, 6 assists). Coupled with his duel-winning capabilities, the latter fact means that Arnold has many routes through which he can rack up the points, and he can provide a high points floor as a result.

 

⚽ Goals: 61 (5th) 

🅰️ Assists: 48 (4th) 

💡 Big Chances Created: 61 (6th)

❎ Big Chances Missed: 47 (8th)

🚀 Total Shots: 475 (4th) 

🎯 Shots on Target: 162 (6th) 

📈 xG: 49.9 (9th) 

📊 xG Per Game: 1.57 (6th)

 

The top 8 players in attacking involvement for the team

Player	Position	Matches Played (Subs)	Goals	Assists	SpG	KeyP
Wout Weghorst	FWD	33 (1)	20	8	2.7	1.3
Ridle Baku	MID	31 (1)	6	6	1.1	1.4
Josip Brekalo	MID	22 (7)	7	3	1.6	1.3
Renato Steffen	MID	19 (2)	5	4	1.4	1
Maxilian Arnold	MID	30	3	6	1.8	1.6
Maximilian Phillip	FWD	13 (11)	6	2	1.3	0.5
Xaver Schlager	MID	30 (2)	2	4	1.5	0.8
Yannick Gerhardt	MID	21 (8)	2	4	1.1	0.9

SpG = Shots per Game

KeyP = Key Passes Per Game

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Defence First

 

As mentioned, Wolfsburg’s success last year was founded principally in their solid defensive performances, with them conceding only 37 goals (second-fewest behind RB Leipzig’s 32) and accumulating 14 clean sheets (again just behind RB Leipzig, with 15) in the league season. While they only placed 6th for xGA, goalkeeper Koen Casteels (11M) was reliable when called upon, having one of the highest save percentages in the league at 70.4%. This may make Casteels seem like a top fantasy choice, but an 11M price tag is hard to justify for a keeper that only made an average of 2.4 saves per game (16th out of last season’s 18 regular keepers!) – because of the scoring structure, a large number of saves is vital for Bundesliga Fantasy keepers. 

Much better fantasy value is presented in Wolfsburg’s defenders, and all of the regular backline players warrant their given price tags. The two forward-thinking fullbacks, Paulo Otávio (11M) and Kevin Mbabu (10M) are perhaps the best options, having the highest xG + xA per 90 mins of the four (0.13 and 0.10). However, the now regular centre-back pairing of talented youngster Maxence Lacroix (11M), who was previously a cut-price gem, and John Brooks (10M), also provide promising routes to points through duels won. The latter pair also marked two-goal involvements each during the 2020/21 campaign – one goal and one assist for Lacroix, and two goals for Brooks.  

 

The following stats from the 2020/21 season highlight the team’s past defensive prowess: 

🥅 Goals Conceded: 37 (2nd) 

🚫 Clean Sheets: 14 (2nd) 

🧤 Penalties Conceded: 5 (15th)

🚀 Total Shots Conceded: 356 (18th)

🎯 Shots on Target Conceded: 115 (16th)

📈 Total xGA: 55.3 (15th)

📊 xGA (Expected Goals Against Per Game): 1.29 (13th) 

 

Tipsters Tip: Otávio is set to miss the start of the current season through injury. Jérôme Roussillon (7m), who is expected to deputise, actually had a higher xG + xA per 90 mins last season than all of the preferred back four (0.16) and picked up 2 assists in 20 games (14 starts). He could therefore present a great value option for the start of the season. 

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Wolfsburg’s Pre-season Results

 

vs FC Erzgebirge Aue 2-1 (W)

Goal(s): Busch, Meier

Assist(s): Stefaniak (2)

 

vs FC Hansa Rostock 0-3 (L)

Goal(s): –

Assist(s): –

 

vs KSV Holstein 0-1 (L)

Goal(s): –

Assist(s): –

 

vs Olympique Lyon 1-4 (L)

Goal(s): Ginczek

Assist(s): Victor

 

vs AS Monaco 1-2 (L)

Goal(s): Gerhardt

Assist(s): Steffen

 

vs Atlético Madrid 1-2 (L)

Goal(s): Weghorst

Assist(s): Philipp

 

Players with attacking returns for Wolfsburg in pre-season

Player	Goals	Assists
Marvin Stefaniak	-	2
Wout Weghorst	1	-
Yannick Gerhardt	1	-
Daniel Ginczek	1	-
Sean Busch	1	-
Matthew Meier	1	-
Maximilian Phillip	-	1
Renato Steffen	-	1
Joao Victor	-	1

Note: This list is accurate as of 4th August. You can find the updated list and match reports on DNL Fantasy’s website.

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The Best of the Pack – Players to Watch Out for in Bundesliga Fantasy

 

• Wout Weghorst (FWD, 14M)

Wolfsburg’s best overall asset is definitely talismanic frontman Wout Weghorst (14M). With the big man being the focal point of the attack, the penalty kick taker, and the player with much the highest xG + xA per 90 mins of the regular starters (0.70), he has by far the highest ceiling in the team. Die Wölfe are heavily reliant on him in attack, and so his high expected goal involvement is not a surprise. He will also be riding on a high after a well-earned, personally meaningful recall to the Dutch national team for the recent Euros tournament, where he even bagged himself a goal against Ukraine.

 

• Paulo Otávio (DEF, 11M) | Maxence Lacroix (DEF, 11M)

Should Wolfsburg’s previous defensive solidity continue into the new season, their defenders will also represent great fantasy value. When fit, Paulo Otávio (11M) is probably the safest bet for points in this sense, given his ability to accumulate both duel and attacking based points. However, breakout star Maxence Lacroix (11M) also proved his potential for racking up high points tallies through duels won former last season. The pair were first and third in the team for tackles + interceptions in the last campaign, which highlights their defensive importance.

 

• Ridle Baku (MID, 11m)

In midfield, the attack-minded Ridle Baku is a very exciting Bundesliga fantasy asset to own. Regardless of where he plays, the ex-Mainz player is a constant attacking threat, and often racks up points for aspects such as shots and passes to shots even when these don’t translate to goals. Because of this, it’s no surprise that he was Wolfsburg’s second top goal contributor last season, with six goals and seven assists.

 

• ‘Budget’ Differential: Renato Steffen (MID, 9M)

Winger Renato Steffen can also provide a good, slightly cheaper differential attacking option when in form. He notched five goals and four assists last season, marking him the fourth-highest goal contributor. He also had the second-highest xG + xA per 90 mins behind Weghorst, so his potential for attacking returns is clear. In a particularly favourable fixture or strong form, he could provide a great-value route into the Wolfsburg attack.

Other honourable mentions include Maximilian Arnold (MID, 12M), who can provide a steady route to points through set pieces and duels won. Josip Brekalo (MID, 10M) is definitely a hot prospect but has been eyeing up a move away all summer. Maximilian Philipp (FWD, 8M) is another one to keep an eye on as a differential since he tends to be a top attacking performer when he gets his chance in the team (6 goals and 2 assists in only 26 games/13 starts last season). New signing Lukas Nmecha (FWD, 8M) could also provide a great value given his unknown potential. However, the latter two would require the use of one of BL Fantasy’s precious forward spots, which you’ll find are usually occupied by some of the most consistent top point scorers in the game (Lewandowski, Haaland, Silva, to name just a few). 

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To Summarise

 

With a solid defence and a talismanic striker, The Wolves can be likened to… well… the Wolves of the Premier League, from seasons gone by. Expect them to line up 4-2-3-1 (see predicted lineup below), with the only consistent rotation being in the three playing behind Wout Weghorst. 

The Wolfsburg assets are usually consistent in Bundesliga Fantasy performance, and I loved owning them last season for the confidence of a decent points floor. As the focal point of the attack, the penalty kick taker, and the player with by far the highest xG + xA per 90 mins, Weghorst has the highest ceiling in the team. However, should Wolfsburg’s strong defence persist into the new season, you won’t go too far wrong picking any of the playing back four, and they will often get you high point scores in favourable fixtures through duels won or attacking exploits. If you have the money available, Arnold also usually provides a steady source of points. 

Casteels is probably the only regular player in the team that I’d advise avoiding because he is expensive, and The Wolves defence simply doesn’t allow enough shots for him to rack up the required save points. 

Focusing on the first 3 fixtures only (since we will have our first Wildcard after this point), you would expect Wolfsburg to convincingly win their first two matches against newly-promoted VfL Bochum and last year’s 14th placed Hertha Berlin. These games are heavy mismatches in both attacking and defensive senses, and I’d probably recommend loading up on at least a couple of Wolfsburg players as a result. The third game against RB Leipzig, on the other hand, will be a particularly tough test. RB Leipzig doesn’t allow their opponents many attempts on goal, so this may be a good time to drop any Wolfsburg attacking assets you may have. Leipzig will also keep The Wolves defenders busy, but this can actually work in your favour in Bundesliga Fantasy if you have strong duel winners like Maxence Lacroix, so dropping their defensive assets is less of a priority. 

So, don’t expect attacking fireworks, but Wolfsburg are a strong, established Bundesliga side that have many viable fantasy assets – for the strength of the pack, if not for the sharpness of the claws!

 

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Wolfsburg Expected Lineup for the 21/22 Season

 

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

Less than 10 days to go till the Bundesliga restarts. Once more unto the breach!
But who has been sold to the Premier League? And who is still on the beach?

If you’re new to the game, don’t know your arse from your Olmo, but you want to try your luck.
I’m here to guide your tiller, and make sure you don’t get stuck.

How does the game differ from #FPL? Are the rules mostly the same?
Well strap in and pay attention, gang. Here’s how best to play the game.

You have 11 outfield players, in varied formations, with four more on standby.
So far so similar, you may well think, but here comes the road less travelled by.

Your budget is larger, 50% more, at €150M it stands.
“Hurray!” you say till you see the prices: €16M alone for Haaland.

There are two fewer teams than in England, and there’s two teams from Berlin.
“The Wolves” wear green not amber, and Bayern alas always win.

You’ll need to learn your acronyms, to tell VfL from VfB.
And don’t confuse SpVgg with the more illustrious BVB!

Schalke 04 dropped down, but Mainz 05 stayed up, and TSG 1899 survived.
And promotion beckoned for Düsseldorfer Turn- und Sportverein Fortuna 1895!!

A plethora of animals bedeck their shirts, Stuttgart has three black antlers on their crest.
Leverkusen has two lions, Frankfurt an eagle, while Köln, wear a goat on their chest!

But I digress, let’s get back in the game, what do you need to know to be great?
Well firstly, like in Euro Fantasy, be aware that in-game, players and subs can rotate.

You can change your formation, your goalies, your star players, and even unload your bench.
Just as long as the games of the players you’re bringing in, haven’t yet commenced

So this is not a game to “set and forget”, you must stay on top of your weekend brief.
Only active managers reap the rewards and have a chance to be hailed as Manager-in-Chief.

There are many ways to skin a cat, and to make sure your team achieves great feats.
Players score highly in far more ways, than simply for goals, assists and clean sheets.

Tackles made, duels won, players on the winning team, there are points to be had aplenty.
On a good weekend you’ll score 150 points, and on average at least 120.

But you’ll need to look for bargains in the basement, among the newly promoted teams.
You can’t just field 15 Lewandowskis, you must live within your means.

Yet you’ll be surprised how many players are familiar, like Manuel Neuer between the sticks.
Or fellow Germans like Müller, Sané, Kimmich, and the halfway-line scoring-specialist, this is Patrick Schick.

There’s Bellingham from England, Kramaric from Croatia, and Weghort from beside the North Sea.
There’s Delaney the Dane, Forberg the Swede, and the whole of the Swiss national team.

Bayern Munich have a pricey French trio, of Hernández, Coman and Pavard.
And from Belgium there’s Eden’s young brother, none other than Thorgan Hazard.

So there’s names to be learned, fun to be had, points to be won galore.
One thing you can say about #FBL, is that it’s certainly not a bore.

So, if you want a new challenge, to prove your mettle and show you’re not the Currywürst.
It’s time to step Fürth and roll the dice; I bid you “Bonne chance” und “Viel Glück”!


Gavin Doyle
Manager, SV Weirder Bremen
OR: 723rd in Season 2020-21