Fantasy Football, FEATURED, GAFFR Fantasy Championship

GAFFR Fantasy Championship: Pricing Brackets & Team Structures

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Getting your team’s pricing structure right is arguably one of the most important aspects of any Fantasy game, whether that be FPL, GAFFR.io or so on. Making the right choices on where to spend the bulk of your initial budget could potentially be the defining factor between a good and great season so in this article I will be dissecting a few popular strategies and giving my take on the benefits of each.

GAFFR Fantasy Team Structures

Before we truly get started on team structure, I obviously have to lay out some price brackets to base our structure on. Here are my personal brackets for the 21/22 GAFFR season (disclaimer: these numbers are completely arbitrary and you may feel free to disagree with some of them).

 

GK/DEF:

Enabler – £4.0M

Budget – £4.5M

Mid-Range – £5.0M-£5.5M

Premium – £6.0M+

 

MID:

Enabler – £4.5M

Budget – £5.0M-£6.5M

Mid-Range – £7.0M-£8.5M

Premium – £9.0M+

 

FWD:

Enabler – £4.5M-£5.0M

Budget – £5.5M-£6.5M

Mid-Range – £7.0M-£9.0M

Premium – £9.5M+

Using these pricing ranges we can start to develop an idea of what our team might look like and where our budget will be spent based on some different plans we may have in mind. So let’s delve into them:

All-Out Attack

Starting this off we will look at a strategy I have seen talked about quite a lot in the GAFFR community over the current pre-season. The clue is in the name, this team structure places a very large chunk of your budget into the most attacking options available. This includes having three premiums as your striker options which does mean you will probably be aiming to play a three striker formation for the entirety of the campaign and this is seemingly favourable this season. An example of this structure could be:

 

GK: Budget, Enabler

DEF: Premium, Mid-Range, Mid-Range, Budget, Enabler

MID: Premium, Mid-Range, Budget, Budget, Enabler

FWD: 3x Premium

 

Formation(s): 3-4-3, 4-3-3, 5-2-3

 

As you can see, this is surprisingly balanced and can play any three striker formation depending on fixtures in any Matchday. In my opinion, this is probably the most popular pricing strategy available and that’s deserved. In GAFFR, all positions receive the same points for scoring a goal, as opposed to other fantasy games where DEFs and MIDs get more than FWDs, because of this it is favourable to have a premium FWD than a premium MID as they get the same amount of points for something the FWD is likelier to achieve.

If you are using this structure you should look at assist threats when it comes to your MID options as MIDs get an extra point for assists in GAFFR. The really surprising thing is how much you have left to spend on your defence. A draft of a team following this structuring features four DEFs who I would class as having good chances for clean sheets, two of whom have positive attacking potential.

 

Some players to target

 

  • Kieffer Moore – FWD – £10.0M – CAR
  • Aleksandr Mitrovic – FWD – £11.0M – FUL
  • Callum O’Hare – MID – £5.0M – COV
  • Andy Yiadom – DEF – £5.0M – REA
  • John Swift – MID – £6.5M – REA

 

Template Team for All-Out Attack

Plum Pudding Model

The aptly named plum pudding model does what it says on the tin, puts everything in the middle. In this strategy, you will be looking to bulk out your squad with the highest-end midfield options in the game and likely have five midfielders playing every gameweek. Here is what this team could look like:

 

GK: Budget, Enabler

DEF: 3x Mid-Range, Budget, Enabler

MID: 3x Premium, (Higher) Mid-Range, (Higher) Mid-Range

FWD: (Higher) Mid-Range, Mid-Range, Enabler

 

Formation(s): 3-5-2

 

In all honesty, this makes for a pretty unbalanced team however it does have its positives. Because of the options in midfield, you are guaranteed to have at least one, if not multiple, ways into the best attacks in the league through midfield players, which are sure to score points through the season.

 

Some players to target

 

  • Harry Wilson – MID – £9.5M – FUL
  • Arnaut Danjuma – MID – £10.0M – BOU
  • Jamal Lowe – MID – £8.5M – SWA
  • Josh Koroma – FWD – £8.0M – HUD
  • Perry Ng – DEF – £5.0M – CAR

 

Template Team for the Plum Pudding Model

Abandon The MIDs

Another system with a straightforward name, this plan is aimed mainly towards getting clean sheets and goals. Unlike the other two mentioned, this is not a viable set-and-forget strategy due to a lot of rotation with our MIDs and targeting clean sheets for your DEFs which does become quite reliant on fixtures. Here’s what a draft to begin the season may look like:

 

GK: Premium, Enabler

DEF: 3x Premium, Mid-Range, Mid-Range

MID: (Higher) Mid-Range, 4x Budget

FWD: Premium, Premium, (Higher) Mid-Range

 

Formation(s): 5-2-3

 

This strategy, while sounding quite bizarre, has actually proven to be pretty popular among GAFFR players and once you look into it, you can see why. To put it bluntly, some DEFs and most high-end FWDs are better value than MIDs due to the GAFFR scoring system. The main thing with this tactic is obviously rotation, playing with 5-2-3 means you have to elect to bench three of your MIDs so every gameweek you want to have at least two MIDs with a good fixture. This also goes for your DEFs, the best team aren’t necessarily going to get the most clean sheets during a given period of time so we will look towards teams with better fixtures which means no WBA DEFs (at least not from the start).

 

Teams To Target

 

Reading – STO (A), PRE (H), BRI (H), COV (A), HUD (A),

Sheffield United – BIR (H), SWA (A), WBA (A), HUD (H), LUT (A), PET (H), PRE (H)

Stoke City – REA (H), BIR (A), SWA (A), NOT (H), FUL (A), HUD (H)

Fulham – MID (H), HUD (A), MIL (A), HUL (H), STO (H), BPL (A), BIR (A)

Preston North End – HUL (H), REA (A), HUD (A), PET (H), SWA (H), BRI (A)

 

Template Team for “Abandon the MIDs”

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

Eliteserien Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Eliteserien: Gameweek 14 Preview

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We’re not all going on a summer holiday: over the next couple of weeks in the Norwegian top division and Fantasy Eliteserien, some of the big guns (this is the Norwegian league, so “big guns” is relative) get an extended break while a group of midtable teams play twice. The result is a confusing mix of blank gameweeks, single gameweeks and double gameweeks.

The summer transfer window adds an extra layer of difficulty, as the annual ritual of Eliteserien’s star players queuing up to force a move to sunnier climes begins. Here are a few tips on navigating one of the toughest periods of the Eliteserien fantasy season.

Single, Double or Blank?

First, it’s worth an at-a-glance guide to how many times each team will be playing:

Double Gameweek: Haugesund, Lillestrøm, Mjøndalen, Sandefjord, Sarpsborg, Stabæk

Single Gameweek: Kristiansund, Molde, Odd, Strømsgodset, Tromsø, Viking

Blank Gameweek: Bodø/Glimt, Brann, Rosenborg, Vålerenga

Of the single gameweek teams, league leaders Molde (at home to Haugesund) and European challengers Odd (at home to Sandefjord) shouldn’t be ignored.

 



Eliteserien Fantasy Goalkeepers to Watch

Egil Selvik (Haugesund, 5.3M) has the second-highest points total while sitting in under 10% of teams at the time of writing, and has recovered from the eye injury that saw him miss out against Vålerenga the last gameweek. Second-choice keeper Frank Stople (just 4.0M) was briefly looking like a must-own for the double gameweek, but now he’s almost certain to be back on the bench again.

Instead, the best option this week is perhaps Sosha Makani (Mjøndalen, 5.0M). Mjøndalen managed to lose a clean sheet to the final kick of the game not once but twice in the last round. Having one of the best defensive records in the league hasn’t yet translated into many fantasy points, but Makani already has a penalty save and is an excellent shot-stopper.

Sandefjord’s Jacob Storevik (4.9M, owned by 12%) is a solid option. Sandefjord’s home record is promising (three clean sheets in the last four) and a game against Lillestrøm offers some hope of another shutout.

Kristiansund’s Sean McDermott (5.5M) is probably the best keeper in Eliteserien, and by far the most popular fantasy pick, but a tricky away game against Viking is unlikely to bring many points this round.

 

Fantasy Eliteserien Defenders to Watch

The top two picks in the game, Borchgrevink and Bjørkan, both blank in GW14, meaning there’s a good opportunity to clamber up the overall rankings with a few DGW differentials.

Lillestrøm’s marauding Lars Ranger (4.5M) has scored in two of the last three games and picked up a couple of bonus points, although it’s worth noting that he’s just one yellow card away from suspension. Centre-back Igoh Ogbu (4.7M) is a nailed-on alternative from the same defence.

Sandefjord also have a great prospect at wing-back: Brice Wembangomo sets you back just 4.5M and is only in 4% of teams right now. Martin Kreuzriegler (4.4M) is an even cheaper option from the same team.

Haugesund’s attack-minded Mikkel Desler (6.2M) was a popular pick for the doubles, before jumping on the first available flight to Toulouse. Alexander Stølås has struggled with injury over the last couple of seasons but is one of the best defenders in Eliteserien and perhaps worth a punt at 6.3M in Desler’s absence.

Looking at the other double gameweek teams, Sarpsborg captain Joachim Thomassen (5.6M) and Mjøndalen’s Sondre Solholm Johansen (5.0M) both stand out. Stabæk have the worst defence in the league and are probably best avoided.

 

Eliteserien Fantasy Midfielders to Watch

Let’s start with a quick raid on the bargain basement: the double gameweek teams provide some great value in midfield. Kristoffer Normann Hansen (Sandefjord, 6.0M) is the most widely-owned DGW pick and returned from a short-term injury with an assist in the last round. His teammate Vidar Ari Jónsson (5.2M) has similar stats, but much lower ownership. Don’t expect that to last too long…

Stabæk’s sixteen-year-old superstar Antonio Nusa (4.7M) is one of the most exciting players in the league at the moment, inviting comparisons to Martin Ødegaard (in the sense that he’ll tear up the Eliteserien as a teenager, rather than have an underwhelming loan spell at Arsenal). Oliver Edvardsen (7.0M) is a more experienced (and more expensive) option to cash in on two relatively good fixtures for Stabæk.

The leading mid-priced options are Haugesund’s Kristoffer Velde (8.7M) and Lillestrøm’s Gjermund Åsen (8.1M). Both are more likely to provide assists and bonus points than goals. Sarpsborg’s Nicolai Næss is in some teams as a cheap enabler (4.4M), but has a grand total of zero attacking returns so far this season.

 



Fantasy Eliteserien Forwards to Watch

First up, it’s worth noting that the three most popular picks in the game all have decent home fixtures. Even though none of them has a double, neglecting Ohi Omoijuanfo (Molde, 12.2M), Mushaga Bakenga (Odd, 9.9M) or Veton Berisha (Viking, 10.5M) could backfire.

Ohi seems the best pick of the three. Bakenga stretched a hamstring while scoring a penalty in GW13: he’s an injury doubt for the next round, and he’s also pushing for a move away from Odd. Berisha is up against a reasonably tight defence and Viking haven’t won any of their last four.

Of the forwards with a double gameweek, Lillestrøm’s Thomas Lehne Olsen (9.2M) stands out. He’s only blanked in four of his eleven games this season and has more bonus points than anyone in the game except Ohi and Bakenga. Expect him to be the most popular captain choice for the active teams this round.

If you’re looking for a differential, Haugesund’s Ibrahima Wadji (7.9M) seems to be hitting form and is owned by under 5%.

Eliteserien Fantasy Team of the Week for Gameweek 14

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

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Bundesliga Fantasy Beginner’s Guide: How to Play, Rules and Tips

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Bundesliga Fantasy is back for the 21/22 season albeit with little to no changes except for the design but an exciting season of the elite division of German football awaits us and with less than 20 days left for the start, we look at how to play the game including rules and some tips to help you get started.

Fantasy Bundesliga Rules

In Fantasy Bundesliga, you will have a squad of 15 players in your team with three free transfers each week to replace any player in your squad with a player who plays in the same position within the budget constraints. You cannot take any hits to get additional players and there are no chips or powerups.

Breakdown of your 15 man squad:

  • 2 Goalkeepers
  • 5 Defenders
  • 5 Midfielders
  • 3 Forwards

You will have a purse of 150 million to purchase players from and there is no limit on the number of players that you can get from a single team.

Unlimited transfer periods

First international break: 30 August-11 September
Second international break: 4 October-15 October
Third international break: 8 November-19 November
Winter transfer window: 20 December-7 January
Fourth international break: 21 March-1 April

Tip: There is an early game on Friday for almost every week so you can try and capitalize on it by getting players from the game that you can star.

Formations

For each gameweek, you must have one starting keeper and 10 outfield players. You can choose any formation, as long as you’ve picked one goalkeeper, at least three defenders, at least three midfielders and at least one forward in your starting XI. Formations can also be changed midweek as you make substitutions and bring in players off the bench. The valid formations in the game are:

  • 3-4-3
  • 3-5-2
  • 4-4-2
  • 4-5-1
  • 5-3-2
  • 5-4-1

Tip: It is recommended to confirm your team at least 5 minutes before the deadline because there have been instances of teams not saving with 2-3 minutes left.

Price Changes

The player pricing will fluctuate according to the performance of each player in comparison to the positional average. The positional average is the average scores of all players in the same position like forward, midield, etc, who played in the matchday.

From the first matchday onwards, an average score will be calculated for every player in each position every week. If a player scores above or below the average points of his counterparts with the same position, his price will rise or fall accordingly. There will only be a price change for a player if he plays a minimum of 70 minutes in the respective week.

Price Increases:

400,000 – 10 or more points above the positional average300,000 – 6 to 9 points above the positional average
200,000 – 3 to 5 points above the positional average
No Change – 0 to 2 points above the positional average
300,000 – winning the official Bundesliga Player of the Month award
100,000 – winner of an “in-form card” in the official “Team of the Week” in FIFA

Price Decreases:

No Change – 0 to 2 points below the positional average
200,000 – 3 to 5 points below the positional average
300,000 – 6 to 9 points below the positional average
400,000 – 10 or more points below the positional average

Other Factors:

-100,000 if a player does not feature for a single minute in a matchday
-100,000 for any player receiving a red card independent of minutes played

A player’s value can not drop below 1,000,000 and the player value is determined after all the matches of the week have been played. Transfers are locked until the transfer market opens for the next matchday and all the changes take place only once it is open.

Tip: It is recommended to build up some team value early because after a certain point most of the managers have lots of team value and similar teams so it becomes difficult to gain ranks.

Bundesliga Fantasy Substitutions

You can substitute players in and out at any time of the matchday but you will lose points if you place a player that has already played in your starting XI to the bench and you cannot put him back on the field and get his points.

The changes that you make will be saved automatically as there is no save button. You can sub any bench player to your starting XI as long as it is in a valid formation.

Tip: It isn’t necessary to have 11 players in your team at the end of the week so in case you have any player who got negative points, you can take him out and finish the matchday without a full XI.



Fantasy Bundesliga Stars

Instead of the ordinary captain and vice-captain multipliers, Fantasy Bundesliga uses the concept of “stars” instead. You select a star for every outfield position (forward, midfield and defence) and the points of the players you have selected is multiplied by 1.5x. You can change your star throughout the matchday for every individual match according to the timings so you can always try different combinations if you aren’t happy with the scores of your players.

Tip: 15 points for a star player (without the multiplier and 22 with it) is considered good enough by “sharks” for forwards and midfielders whereas 12 points (18 with multiplier) is considered a decent score for defenders in most cases. Even if your star player gets a good score, you can always try your luck and get more points by starring another player with a better fixture.

General Scoring Rules

The game has a performance-based scoring system and based on their production on the pitch, they will either receive positive or negative points. The players will score points according to the following table:

ActionPoints
All PlayersPlayed 1-69 minutes (1)+1
Played 70+ minutes (1)+2
Scoring two goals in the same game+1
Scoring three goals in the same game+3
Scoring the winning goal (2)+1
Winning team+1
Losing team-1
Losing team by 3 or more goal difference-2
Yellow card (3)-1
Yellow-red Card (3)-3
Red card (straight red)-5
Own goal-4
Foul causing a penalty-2
Penalty Miss-3
Converted Penalty (4)+3
(1) Additional/Injury time in a match does not count towards a player's playing time.

(2) The winning goal of the game is scored by the player who turned a draw into a victory for his team last time. For example, if the score at HT is team A 2-2 team B and team A goes on to win 4-2 then the player who scored the goal that gave them the 3-2 lead will get points for the winning goal.

(3) After a sending-off the affected player is out of the scoring for the rest of the match. The previously received points remain.

(4) There is no assist for the player that wins the penalty.

Performance Points

ActionGKDEFMIDFWD
Non-penalty goal+10+6+5+4
Assist (1)+10+5+4+3
Every 2 passes to a shot (2)+5+3+2+2
Clean sheet (3)+3+3--
Penalty Save+5+10+10+10
Every 5 duels won-+2+1+1
Every 2 shots on goal+5+4+3+2
Every 2 shots on goal saved+3---
Every goal conceded-1-1--
(1) An assist is awarded to a player who plays the final successful pass which leads to a goal. Please note that assists are not awarded to players who are fouled for free-kicks or penalties which lead to goals, for own goals or for goals that result from rebounds off other players or the frame of the goal. This means that even the slightest deflection of an opposition player on an assist can result in it not being counted.

(2) A pass to a shot is awarded to a player who plays the final successful pass of an attempt that does not lead to a goal.

(3) Clean sheet points will only be awarded to a player if the following two conditions are met: (1) their team doesn't concede a goal in the entire match and (2) the player plays more than 61 minutes of the match.

A player will lose his clean sheet even if he is subbed out before the team concedes and -1 for every goal conceded will be added to his score as well.

 

Tip: The game incentivizes managers to pick players based on performance rather than relying on goals, assists and clean sheets so it is a proven strategy to own players that are heavily involved in their team’s attack who take lots of shots and create lots of chances. Players who have authority over set pieces are a reliable source for bonus points.



Bundesliga Set Piece Takers

The set-piece takers for each club have been sorted according to the first, second and third choice from left to right.

TeamPenaltiesDirect free-kicksCorners and indirect free-kicks
Arminia BielefeldFabian Klos (FWD, 7M)Alessandro Schöpf (MID, 6M), Masaya Okugawa (MID, 6M), Sebastian Vasiliadis (MID, 4M)Alessandro Schöpf (MID, 6M), Masaya Okugawa (MID, 6M), Sebastian Vasiliadis (MID, 4M)
FC AugsburgDaniel Caligiuri (MID, 9M), Florian Niederlechner (FWD, 8M), Alfred Finnbogason (FWD, 6M)Daniel Caligiuri (MID, 9M), Micheal Gregoritsch (FWD, 7M)Daniel Caligiuri (MID, 9M), Marco Richter (MID, 7M)
Bayer LeverkusenLucas Alario (FWD, 10M), Patrik Schick (FWD, 13M), Charles Aránguiz (MID, 7M)Kerem Demirbay (MID, 11M), Nadiem Amiri (MID, 11M)Kerem Demirbay (MID, 11M), Nadiem Amiri (MID, 11M)
Bayern MunichRobert Lewandowski (FWD, 17M), Thomas Müller (FWD, 15M)Joshua Kimmich (MID, 15M), Robert Lewandowski (FWD, 15M)Joshua Kimmich (MID, 15M), Thomas Müller (FWD, 15M)
VfL BochumTakuma Asano (FWD, 6M), Danny Blum (FWD, 4M), Silvère Ganvoula (FWD, 4M)Gerrit Holtmann (MID, 5M), Eduard Löwen (MID, 5M)Gerrit Holtmann (MID, 5M)
Borussia DortmundErling Haaland (FWD, 15M), Marco Reus (FWD, 13M)Marco Reus (FWD, 13M), Raphaël Guerreiro (DEF, 14M), Thorgan Hazard (MID, 12M)Marco Reus (FWD, 13M), Raphaël Guerreiro (DEF, 14M), Giovanni Reyna (MID, 12M)
Borussia MönchengladbachLars Stindl (MID, 13M), Jonas Hofmann (MID, 12M), Ramy Bensebaini (DEF, 11M)Jonas Hofmann (MID, 12M), Lars Stindl (MID, 13M)Jonas Hofmann (MID, 12M), Lars Stindl (MID, 13M)
Eintracht FrankfurtRafael Santos Borré (FWD, 7M), Gonçalo Paciência (FWD, 5M)Filip Kostić (MID, 14M), Daichi Kamada (MID, 11M)Filip Kostić (MID, 14M), Daichi Kamada (MID, 11M)
FC KölnOndrej Duda (MID, 9M), Mark Uth (FWD, 8M), Sebastian Andersson (FWD, 8M)Ondrej Duda (MID, 9M), Jonas Hector (MID, 9M), Florian Kainz (MID, 7M)Ondrej Duda (MID, 9M), Jonas Hector (MID, 9M), Florian Kainz (MID, 7M)
SC FreiburgVincenzo Grifo (MID, 12M), Nils Petersen (FWD, 8M), Rolland Sallai (MID, 10M)Vincenzo Grifo (MID, 12M), Christian Günter (DEF, 11M)Christian Günter (DEF, 11M), Jonathan Schmid (MID, 7M)
Greuther FürthBranimir Hrgota (FWD, 6M), Julian Green (MID, 6M), Paul Seguin (MID, 6M)Julian Green (MID, 6M)Julian Green (MID, 6M), Paul Seguin (MID, 6M)
Hertha BSCDodi Lukebakio (FWD, 8M), Matheus Cunha (FWD, 12M), Krzysztof Piątek (FWD, 9M)Vladimir Darida (MID, 8M), Maximilian Mittelstädt (DEF, 7M), Marvin Plattenhardt (DEF, 7M)Maximilian Mittelstädt (DEF, 7M), Marvin Plattenhardt (DEF, 7M), Vladimir Darida (MID, 8M)
TSG HoffenheimAndrej Kramarić (FWD, 14M), Munas Dabbur (FWD, 7M), Robert Skov (FWD, 8M)Robert Skov (FWD, 8M), Andrej Kramarić (FWD, 14M)Dennis Geiger (MID, 6M), Robert Skov (FWD, 8M)
FSV Mainz 05Daniel Brosinski (DEF, 6M), Moussa Niakhaté (DEF, 7M), Kevin Stöger (MID, 5M)Daniel Brosinski (DEF, 6M), Silvan Widmer (DEF, 7M)Daniel Brosinski (DEF, 6M), Silvan Widmer (DEF, 7M)
RB LeipzigMarcel Sabitzer (MID, 13M), André Silva (FWD, 15M), Dominik Szoboszlai (MID, 11M)Marcel Sabitzer (MID, 13M), Dominik Szoboszlai (MID, 11M), Christopher Nkunku (MID, 14M)Marcel Sabitzer (MID, 13M), Angeliño (DEF, 14M), Dominik Szoboszlai (MID, 11M)
VfB StuttgartSilas Katompa Mvumpa, Saša Kalajdžić (FWD, 12M), Philipp Förster (MID, 6M)Borna Sosa (DEF, 11M), Daniel Didavi (MID, 6M)Borna Sosa (DEF, 11M), Daniel Didavi (MID, 6M), Philipp Förster (MID, 6M), Phillip Klement (MID, 3M)
Union BerlinMax Kruse (FWD, 11M), Marcus Ingvartsen (FWD, 6M)Max Kruse (FWD, 11M), Christopher Trimmel (DEF, 10M)Christopher Trimmel (DEF, 10M), Max Kruse (FWD, 11M)
WolfsburgWout Weghorst (FWD, 14M), Maximilian Arnold (MID, 12M)Maximilian Arnold (MID, 12M)Maximilian Arnold (MID, 12M), Josip Brekalo (MID, 10M)

Note: Silas Katompa Mvumpa hasn’t been added to the game yet and is currently serving a three-month suspension until September 11.

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

Fantasy Football, FEATURED, GAFFR Fantasy Championship

GAFFR Fantasy Championship: The Art of the 4.0M Defender

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Despite mainly being used as an enabler, the 4.0M defender is one of the most mythical positions in the GAFFR Fantasy community. Defenders at this price have the potential to be anywhere from bench-warmers who will play next to zero minutes to OOP (Out Of Position) gems who will be valuable budget busters (e.g., Lundstram 19/20), and because of the underrated upside the players in this price slot can have, I feel that it is essential to make sure we can find the best options from this range. In this article, I will go over some players who I consider to be good picks in this bracket for the 21/22 GAFFR Fantasy Championship season.

Demetri Mitchell (Blackpool)

 

Demetri Mitchell’s stats in the 20/21 season for Blackpool in League One

 

🔄 Appearances (Subs): 15 (20)

🕒 Minutes Played: 1,546

⚽ Goals: 1

🎯 Assists: 4

⛔ Clean Sheets: 4

 

First 5 Fixtures:

  • Bristol City (A)
  • Cardiff City (H)
  • Coventry City (H)
  • AFC Bournemouth (A)
  • Millwall (A)

 

Despite not always being first-choice for Blackpool last season Demetri Mitchell has made a very good case for a place in the starting 11. The 24-year-old has had a fantastic start to pre-season, scoring twice in as many games after a good end to the last campaign. In my opinion, Mitchell is likely to be the 4.0M defender who plays the furthest forward for their side with 8 of his 15 starts last season being as a winger which gives him more of a license to bomb forward and get involved in the Blackpool attack. The biggest risk with Mitchell is that he is an injury concern with a long history of being on the sidelines and nobody wants to waste a free transfer on their 4.0M defender.

 

Mitchell has decent fixtures to start the campaign with games against Bristol City and Coventry and has the best potential for clean sheets and an attacking return. For me, Bristol City is one of the weakest sides in the Championship this season and definitely a side you should be looking to target in GAFFR. Last season they had the least Expected Goals For (39.3) and the most Expect Goals Against (74.8).



Clarke Oduor (Barnsley)

 

Clarke Oduor’s stats in the 20/21 season for Barnsley in the Championship

 

🔄 Appearances (Subs): 5 (6)

🕒 Minutes Played: 553

 

First 5 Fixtures:

  • Cardiff City (A)
  • Coventry City (H)
  • Luton Town (H)
  • QPR (A)
  • Birmingham City (H)

 

Kenyan international Clarke Oduor wasn’t favoured last season at Barnsley but the fans of the Tykes have hopes that this could be the former Leeds man’s year. The pacey 22-year-old is a fan favourite at Oakwell and is another player who has started preseason on a good note, bagging a goal vs Sheffield Wednesday. Odour has the edge over someone like Mitchell as he does have crucial Championship experience under his belt. If he can cement a place in the starting XI under new manager Markus Schopp, Oduor would definitely be the best GAFFR pick at 4.0M in my opinion however at the minute it is unknown how many times he will feature.

 

Should Oduor get a starting berth he will have pretty good fixtures to start the campaign, three home games is always a good start and their home fixtures also happen to be favourable for clean sheets, while they don’t face any particularly strong defences which could also lead to the odd attacking return for Barnsley’s wide players.

Peter Kioso (Luton Town)

 

Peter Kioso’s stats in the 20/21 season for Northampton Town in League One and Bolton Wanderers in League Two

 

🔄 Appearances (Subs): 34

🕒 Minutes Played: 3,004

⚽ Goals: 6

🎯 Assists: 2

⛔ Clean Sheets: 9 (Northampton Town/League One), 4 (Bolton/League Two)

 

First 5 Fixtures:

  • Peterborough United (H)
  • West Brom (A)
  • Barnsley (A)
  • Birmingham City (H)
  • Sheffield United (H)

 

Before I go on, I should add that Kioso’s playing time was split between League One and Two last season which would obviously require him to make a huge step-up to the Championship. As far as I can tell, Kioso had the most attacking returns out of any 4.0M defenders last season with eight, obviously at a lower level as I previously mentioned but it is still impressive. However, he also had one of the worst disciplinary records in the league. Kioso is likely to be back up to James Bree (4.5M, DEF) but his impressive loans spells give him a chance for minutes in an ever-improving Luton side.

 

As far as fixtures go this won’t be an easy start to the season for Luton who play two of the three relegated sides in the first five matchdays. They do have Peterborough and Birmingham at home which could potentially be games to target for early clean sheets.



Kyle McFadzean (Coventry City)

 

Kyle McFadzean’s stats in the 20/21 season for Coventry City in League One

 

🔄 Appearances (Subs): 37 (1)

🕒 Minutes Played: 3,292

⚽ Goals: 2

🎯 Assists: 1

⛔ Clean Sheets: 10

 

First 5 Fixtures:

  • Nottingham Forest (H)
  • Barnsley (A)
  • Blackpool (A)
  • Reading (H)
  • QPR (A)

 

If you’re content with a 4.0M defender who is just going to sit on your bench and collect 2 points on most weeks, then centre back Kyle McFadzean is your man. Despite being 34, McFadzean is likely going to be the player on this list who collects the most minutes this campaign however with reduced attacking potential compared to some other options. He may pop up with a goal or two with headers from corners so he may be a shrewd pick. The main negative point surrounding McFadzean is that aged 34 he is having to transition his game which is leading to more fouls and therefore more bookings.

 

As for fixtures, McFadzean could likely pick up a clean sheet or two in Coventry’s opening run with matches against Nottingham Forest and Blackpool the games where I see Coventry could keep a clean sheet.

Conclusion

 

In conclusion, there aren’t too many 4.0M options that will likely get you a lot of points but you can’t expect much from a player that virtually costs nothing. I think for the most part the GAFFR bosses have done a very good job of pricing, particularly in this price range. None of the 4.0M options who are considered “nailed” are attack-minded players which I think is a big positive as a starting 4.0 full-back would be pretty over-powered and would take away the choice we have to make. Personally, I would rank the four GAFFR assets I listed as follows:

 

  1. Demetri Mitchell
  2. Kyle McFadzean
  3. Clarke Odour
  4. Peter Kioso

 

I hope this little guide has helped you decide on a pick for your GAFFR 21/22 team and remember, never underestimate the enablers. Thank you for reading!

You can find additional GAFFR Fantasy Championship resources for the 2021/2022 season here.

Fantasy Football, Fantasy Premier League (FPL), FEATURED

FPL 2021/22 Tips: Premium Goalkeepers Analysis

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The topic of today’s FPL tips article is premium goalkeepers. If we look we will see that there is not much talk about goalkeepers in the FPL to the extent that we are interested in defenders, midfielders and forwards. Last season set a precedent by emphasizing that point. For example, last season’s highest-scoring goalkeeper in the game was Emiliano Martínez (£5.5M) and he finished on higher points than players such as Trent Alexander-Arnold (£7.5M) and Sadio Mané (£12.0M).

The number of goalkeepers that have been able to prove their value and potential as a reliable source of points has increased over the past couple of seasons. In that sense, I am interested in discussing premium goalkeepers. Everyone will agree that £6.0M is a worthy investment in outfield players but FPL managers have always been shrewd when it comes to keepers and try to strike a balance by getting a keeper worth £4.5M and a £4.0M scrub keeper rather than two reliable goalkeepers. So as to be able to select the required players in other departments.

Premium Goalkeeper Picks in FPL

 

Premium goalkeepers have been decided as per their price tag and keepers within the range of £5.5m to £6.0m have generally been considered as premium shot-stoppers. Let’s take a look at another aspect like Emiliano Martinez who started at £4.5M last season and as a result of his strong performances where he came within one point of breaking Brad Friedel’s FPL record for most points by a goalkeeper in a season (187) with his 186 points and received a well-deserved price bump to £5.5M for this season. These are some premium goalkeepers that might be worth the premium according to me:

 

Ederson (£6.0M)

 

📈 Points: 160 (2nd)

🚫 Clean Sheets: 19 (1st)

🧤 Saves: 66

⚽ Goals Conceded: 28 (2nd)

📊 Save Percentage: 71%

 

Ederson was crucial to the success of last season’s Premier League champions Manchester City. He was a key member of Pep Guardiola’s defence as they conceded the least goals in the league (32) and he finished the season as the second highest-scoring keeper in FPL after Martinez. The unpredictable “Pep roulette” has been a genuine concern and has left many FPL managers scratching their heads as they try to get into the head of one of the most brilliant coaches in the modern game but have often been burned especially in defence as no one guaranteed to start every game except Ederson. Manchester City possesses one of the best defences in the league and rotation proof Ederson might be worth the premium for a reliable player from the team as he has won the Premier League’s Golden Glove award for the past two years straight.



Edouard Mendy (£6.0M)

 

📈 Points: 140

🚫 Clean Sheets: 16 (2nd)

🧤 Saves: 57

⚽ Goals Conceded: 25 (1st)

❌ Penalty Saves: 1

📊 Save Percentage: 70.4%

 

After spending his first season at Chelsea last year and especially in the eyes of managers in FPL, Mendy will be under scrutiny this year as well. Last season, Chelsea kept 18 clean sheets, one less than City’s 19 shutouts. Despite his brilliant performance between the sticks last season, Mendy was benched thrice even though he was the first choice for Chelsea as coach Tuchel made it a habit to occasionally rotate his keepers. If you look at the whole Chelsea defence then Mendy is a safe option as he is still the least prone to rotation amongst all the options. They will face tough opponents in the first five matches of the season before the fixtures ease up but Mendy is still one to consider as he plays for one of the best defences in the league.

 

Emiliano Martínez (£5.5M)

 

📈 Points: 186 (1st)

🚫 Clean Sheets: 15 (3rd)

🧤 Saves: 143 (3rd)

⚽ Goals Conceded: 46

❌ Penalty Saves: 1

📊 Save Percentage: 76.3%

 

Martínez was the main topic of discussion throughout the entire Fantasy Premier League season last year and he has already become a fan favourite amongst FPL managers with some even dubbing him as an “FPL Legend”. Last year was a fairytale for him as he went from being a bench option for Arsenal to becoming one of the best keepers in the league and also winning the Copa America with Argentina this month. Martínez’s performances took everyone by surprise last year as he unexpectedly finished as the best keeper in fantasy and started the season at £4.5M last season and was already at £5.3M by the end of it.

Hopefully, he can replicate his production again this year and he will be a popular option with games against Watford, Newcastle and Brentford to start the season. With a price tag of £5.5m, his value is a bit at the higher end but the price is reasonable for his performances.



Nick Pope (£5.5M)

 

📈 Points: 144

🚫 Clean Sheets: 11

🧤 Saves: 116

📊 Save Percentage: 76.5%

 

Nick Pope is a very well known face in the FPL. He led the league in save percentage (minimum 10 games played) as he saved 76.5% of the shots he faced and finished last season with 144 points, more than any other player on his team. I couldn’t be happier with his £5.5M price as he should have scored more than 150 points but Burnley’s performance on the defensive end didn’t help him much. Burnley is facing a tough test at the start of this season that will prove whether their defence can still be relied on so Nick Pope is one to watch until the fixtures get better.

 

Hugo Lloris (£5.5M)

 

📈 Points: 149

🚫 Clean Sheets: 12

🧤 Saves: 114

⚽ Goals Conceded: 45

📊 Save Percentage: 73.3%

 

The football that Tottenham played in the first 10 matches last season was very eye-catching. Mourinho started the season with a bang at his first time in charge at Tottenham and some even touted the Spurs as possible title contenders. The performances of Son and Kane were very interesting in particular especially for Fantasy but with the exception of Lloris in defence, the other FPL assets from the team did not perform as well. Lloris scored the most points from the defence with 149 points but it remains to be seen what defensive changes new coach Nuno Espírito Santo will make. Spurs assets should be strongly considered from gameweek two onwards as they play Wolves, Watford and Crystal Palace and a player from their defence could be a sneaky pick against those teams.

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Bundesliga Tips: Teams with Best Fixtures at the Start of the Season

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I am writing this first article about Fantasy Bundesliga for the community. Hopefully, I will be able to present to you my thoughts through this article. First of all, let me tell you a little bit about the Bundesliga, it is the top division in the German football pyramid and Bundesliga Fantasy is the official fantasy manager game for the league. The Bundesliga is one of the top five leagues in Europe and has constantly been dominated by last year’s champions Bayern Munich but with the meteoric rise of teams such as RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund that are brimming with talent, will their eight-year reign of winning every season come to an end?

The Bundesliga fixtures for the 2021/22 season was released on 26th June and I’ve done intensive research to see which teams got the best fixtures in the first four matchdays of the season. So I will give you a little idea about the teams to target in this article. Let’s get started.

Bundesliga Fixtures for the 21/22 season

VFL Wolfsburg

 

First Four Matchdays:

  • VFL Bochum (H)
  • Hertha BSC (A)
  • RB Leipzig (H)
  • SpVgg Greuther Fürth (H)

 

If you take a look, you will see that Wolfsburg’s FDR is the lowest in our season ticker. Wolfsburg plays their first match of the season at home against last year’s 2. Bundesliga champions – VFL Bochum. The “Die Unabsteigbaren” or “The Unrelegetables” are making a return to the first division after 11 long years but have already received a big setback after losing their best player Robert Žulj who had 15 goals and 13 assists in just 31 games last season as he left to join UAE Pro League club Ittihad Kalba. If you notice, you will see that none of the top four teams that finished last year’s league table have to face Wolfsburg except Leipzig. In Matchday 3, they will play at home against Leipzig, who finished as the runners-up last year. The rest of the matches are against Hertha who survived relegation by a knife’s edge and promoted side Greuther Fürth. Wout Weghorst, Wolfsburg’s top point scorer last year will be a very popular choice and Ridle Baku is also one to keep an eye on.

 



FSV Mainz 05

 

First Four Matchdays:

  • RB Leipzig (H)
  • VFL Bochum (A)
  • SpVgg Greuther Fürth (H)
  • TSG Hoffenheim (A)

 

The manner in which FSV Mainz fought back from the brink of relegation last year after Bo Svensson joined the club has enabled them to defend the Bundesliga club’s status for another year. Mainz had an impressive run in the second half of last season and were able to get some impressive wins against teams such as Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Borussia under their belt. Their improvement especially in the defence department is quite noticeable. The win against last season’s champions Bayern at home really set a shining example of their performance under the new coach. Except for the first match against RB Leipzig, the rest of the matches will be much easier for the Zerofivers. Especially in matchday two and three this time as they will be playing against newly-promoted sides VFL Bochum and Greuther Fürth in consecutive matches and then Hoffenheim in matchday four.

 

Eintracht Frankfurt

 

First Four Matchdays:

  • Borussia Dortmund (A)
  • FC Augsburg (H)
  • DSC Arminia Bielefeld (A)
  • VFB Stuttgart (H)

 

Frankfurt finished fifth in the league table last season after an end of the season collapse saw them miss out on a Champions League spot and they will start this season with a game with Dortmund. The Eagles will play the remaining three matches against Augsburg, Bielefield and Stuttgart respectively. None of these teams finished in the top eight last year and despite Frankfurt selling their leading goal-scorer Andre Silva who had 28 goals last season to Leipzig this year, they still have Filip Kostić and the team one to watch out for with a favourable set of fixtures to begin the season.

 

FC Union Berlin

 

First Four Matchdays:

  • Bayer Leverkusen (H)
  • TSG Hoffenheim (A)
  • Borussia Mönchengladbach (H)
  • FC Augsburg (H)

 

The achievements of the Union in the last two years are unprecedented. They made their Bundesliga debut in the 2019/20 season and fast forward to the 2020/21 season and they have secured a spot in the Europa Conference League after finishing seventh last season. In the last two years, they have gone through a dream tour under manager Urs Fischer who has led them since they were in the second division.‌ They will not face a very difficult test in the first four matches of the year season and they will have home advantage in the games against Leverkusen and Borussia.

 



Other Teams to Consider

 

Bayern Munich

 

First Four Matchdays:

  • Borussia Mönchengladbach (A)
  • FC Köln (H)
  • Hertha BSC (H)
  • RB Leipzig (A)

 

Bayern Munich will open their season campaign with an away match against Monchengladbach who they beat 6-0 at home the last time these two sides met. In Matchday four, they will play second-placed RB Leipzig – Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann’s previous team and he will know the team inside out. Last year’s Fantasy Bundesliga top-scorer Robert Lewandowski who scored 41 goals last season should be in his traditional goal-scoring form and he has been as sharp as ever.

 

 

SC Freiburg

 

First Four Matchdays:

  • DSC Arminia Bielefeld (A)
  • Borussia Dortmund (H)
  • VFB Stuttgart (A)
  • FC Köln (H)

 

Freiburg face Borussia Dortmund in a home game on matchday two but the rest of the matches are relatively much easier with opponents who are in the top 12 of the league table. Grifo and Günter are the two players who will be in the spotlight for Freiburg this year.

 

 

VFL Bochum

 

First Four Matchdays:

  • Wolfsburg (A)
  • FSV Mainz (H)
  • FC Köln (A)
  • Hertha BSC (H)

 

With the exception of Wolfsburg, Bochum who were promoted this time around face no teams in the league table that ended in the top 10 last season. Newly promoted VFL Bochum is a possible source for differentials and budget pick in fantasy so we have to keep an eye on that.

You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources here.

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