Tag Archives: BLFantasy

Fantasy Bundesliga – The Best January 2021 Transfers To Consider

A short but hectic January transfer window has come to an end and there are some exciting new faces for the Fantasy Bundesliga Managers to consider as well as some familiar ones with the newcomers hoping to create some impact for their respective teams while creating value in fantasy as “differentials” – at least until their popularity increases.

 


Dominik Szoboszlai

 

Club: RB Leipzig

Position: Midfielder

Value: 11.5M

 

The charismatic Hungarian playmaker has the credentials to woo any Bundesliga Fantasy manager to get him into their team. He joins RB Leipzig from sister club RB Salzburg as the “Die Roten Bullen” mount a title challenge to the champions Bayern Munich. As for his potential, the numbers speak for themselves. Szoboszlai is the Austrian Bundesliga MVP and has already scored four goals and assisted eight in 12 games this season and was amongst the list of the top big chance creators in Europe before injury and his subsequent transfer in January. The 20-year-old is undoubtedly one of the most hyped talents to join the league in a while and is sure to add to the dilemma of which Leipzig midfielder is the best with players such as Nkunku, Olmo and Sabitzer already in the mix but stands out with his dead-ball prowess.

 





Luka Jovic

 

Club: Eintracht Frankfurt

Position: Forward

Value: 15.1M

 

It is a homecoming for the Serbian international after his stint at current parent club Real Madrid where he managed to score just twice in 32 appearances. Come four bench appearances on his return for Eintracht Frankfurt and he has already scored three goals. It is a reminder of what he is capable of, having scored 17 goals in the 18/19 season finishing joint third amongst all goal-scorers. Jovic’s addition to the team adds extra firepower to an attack that already consists of players such as André Silva, Filip Kostić, Daichi Kamada, Amin Younes and Aymen Barkok.

 


Jeremie Frimpong

 

Club: Bayer Leverkusen

Position: Defender

Value: 8.9M

 

There has always been a need of a worthy defender from the current second-best defence in the league – Bayer Leverkusen in fantasy that is consistent with bonus and has a goal threat. Since the game values bonus and goal involvements more than clean sheets. The team was on the lookout for players that could replace Lars Bender who is retiring at the end of the season and they identified Fosu-Mensah from Manchester United and Jeremie Frimpong from Celtic as replacements. Frimpong is fearless while going forward and it is evident with his time with the Scottish Champions Celtic FC so If he becomes a regular at right-back for Leverkusen, then he will definitely be the best option from the team in defence.

 


Emmanuel Bonaventure Dennis

 

Club: 1. FC Köln

Position: Forward

Value: 7.1M

 

If you think of Emmanuel Dennis, you get flashbacks of the time he scored a brace against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in a 2-2 draw in October 2019. More famous because it was accompanied by Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature celebration. He was becoming an inseparable member of the team back then but fast forward to today and he has been loaned out to 1. FC Köln after he fell out with the club due to “non-footballing reasons”. Köln were desperately in need for a striker after the injury to Sebastian Andersson and Denis might be the proven striker they needed on a budget to turn their season around. He is sure to have some goals to his name by the end of his loan as the sole fit striker in the team.

 


Chris Richards

 

Club: TSG Hoffenheim

Position: Defender

Value: 1M

 

Hoffenheim were the last team to keep a clean sheet this season when Schalke beat them 4-0 in an embarrassing loss but kept three clean sheets in a row after that – Their defence only breached by Bayern Munich in the previous matchday. After the injury to Pavel Kadeřábek, the team has tried to replace him with midfielders Rudy and Gaćinović at right wing-back but the need of a specialist RB/RWB was evident. To fix that problem, Hoffenheim signed highly-rated American youngster Chris Richards on loan from Bayern Munich and at just 1M, he could be a cheap entry into a TSG defence that is slowly improving and he virtually costs nothing.

 


László Bénes

 

Club: FC Augsburg

Position: Midfielder

Value: 4.8M

 

Fantasy Bundesliga veterans will remember Bénes as an enabler that was a consistent source of points from Borussia M’gladbach. He shared set-piece responsibilities but couldn’t become a long term option amongst managers because he was in and out of the starting XI. This could be set to change as he moves to Augsburg on loan and with consistent game time in an advanced position, he could be one to watch in the sub 5M segment as the fixtures ease for the “Die Fuggerstädter“.

 


Other notable signings in the January transfer window:

 

  • Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke/FWD/9.9M) – A Royal Blues legend having scored 126 times for them and assisted another 35 in 241 appearances. He might be 37-years-old but is still amongst the goal-scoring charts scoring seven goals for Ajax this season at an average of 55 minutes per goal.

 

  • Masaya Okugawa (Arminia Bielefeld/MID) – A talented youngster from the highly regarded Red Bull academy, he had nine goals and four assists last season for RB Salzburg before being loaned out due to bad form this season. Just like newcomer Michel Vlap.

 

  • Max Meyer (Koln/MID/8M)

 

  • Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Bayer Leverkusen/DEF/8.7M)

 

  • Danny Da Costa (Mainz/DEF/8.6M)

 

  • Demarai Gray (Bayer Leverkusen/MID)

 


You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 20/21 season here.

Fantasy Bundesliga Differential Picks: Matchday 19

Our weekly article on Fantasy Bundesliga differentials is back after a short break and we look at the best differentials for the week including players you could get from individual fixtures for star flexibility.


Forwards

 

Silas Wamangituka Vs FSV Mainz 05 (H)

 

He might be a left wing-back on paper but is essentially a winger in posession that is always prowling in the box. Wamangituka is currently tied fourth in the league with 10 goals and is an indispensable member of a Stuttgart team that is currently tied on third for most goals scored this season, averaging the most shots per game after Bayern and Nicolás González’s penalty miss last week means there is some speculation he might take over spot-kicks again. Stuttgart have games against Mainz, Leverkusen, Hertha, Koln and Schalke coming up so he could be a reliable goal-scoring option below 10M.

 

 


Midfielders

 

Daniel Caligiuri Vs Borussia Dortmund (A)

 

Borussia Dortmund’s ability to defend set-pieces was the biggest talking point after they conceded two goals from it in a 4-2 loss against Borussia last week. Now only Schalke have conceded more set-piece goals (11) after Dortmund (9) and it could be a rewarding tactic that Augsburg coach Herrlich won’t be shy of exploiting. Caligiuri is the undisputed set-piece taker for the team and is Dortmund’s boogie man having scored six goals and assisted another six in 19 games against them, including a goal and assist in the reverse fixture which Augsburg won 2-0. It is his best record against any team in his career and he will look to be the difference against a wobbly BVB side.

 

 

Jeong Woo-Yeong Vs Wolfsburg (A)

 

This week there is a lack of flexibility due to most of the popular players playing at the same time on Saturday but Woo-Yeong remains a cheap enabler at just 1.3M. Hence, the Bayern academy graduate could be a good bargain for the week since he plays last against Wolfsburg.

 

Leonardo Bittencourt Vs Schalke (H)

 

There was some optimism that the Schalke defence would improve after they kept a clean sheet against Hoffenheim in a 4-0 win but have conceded an average of three goals a game since then. Bittencourt is the second undisputed set-piece taker in this list due to all the absentees in the squad and will be the most key-player in attack against Schalke this week. Scores of set-piece takers against Schalke in the last three weeks – Kimmich (31), Kostic (14) and Duda (10)

 





Defender

 

Niklas Süle Vs Hoffenheim (H)

 

A bit of a surprise inclusion and any other Bayern defender would get the nod over Süle on any other day but he was very active in attack against Schalke last week at right-back, registering four shots and finishing on 21 points. Flick was impressed by his performance and he might start on the right again this week. Since Hernandez has been benched there hasn’t been any reliable option from the Bayern defence in Bundesliga Fantasy that could either get bonus consistently or be involved in attack so Süle could be a differential option as long as he keeps playing in his new position.

 

 


Goalkeeper

 

Robin Zentner Vs VfB Stuttgart (A)

 

Florian Müller’s 22 pointer last week was an example of the potential points keepers could get against Stuttgart – A team that isn’t afraid of taking shots. Keepers have averaged 12 points over the last three games against Stuttgart and Zentner is guaranteed to stay busy between the sticks when these teams meet each other for the first game of the matchday.

 

 


Differential XI MD 19

 


You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 20/21 season here.

 

Bundesliga Fantasy Player Rankings: Matchday 19

There are just 15 matchdays left in Bundesliga Fantasy as we look to make a push in the final half of the season. Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund players are on the radar for the week as they take on bottom teams such as Hertha and Augsburg respectively.


Note: Wout Weghorst is doubtful for the week due to injury concerns.


Forwards

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Robert LewandowskiFCBVs TSG23.3MIf Lewandowski keeps up his run of eight (!) consecutive games with goals scored (11 goals in total) then I will soon run out of fingers to keep count.
2Andre SilvaSGEVs BSC18.3MFresh from thrashing a strong defensive side in Arminia 5-0 and Hertha are in a bad slump so this game could have more goals than the Dortmund one.
3Erling Braut HaalandBVBVs FCA19.4MThere is still the uncertainty of Haaland and Dortmund's performances under Terzić but the golden boy should continue scoring goals even if the chances are limited.
4Nicolás GonzálezVFBVs M0510MHis penalty duties will be under the scanner after the miss last week but he was still able to score eight points in that game. The early fixture against 17th placed Mainz makes him the ideal forward from the early kickoff.
5Wout WeghorstWOBVs SCF18MOnly Schalke have conceded more shots compared to Freiburg so Weghorst will have plenty of opportunities to score in the final game of the week.
6Thomas MüllerFCBVs TSG21.1M
7Andrej KramarićTSG@FCB16.8MPlays the best team in the league with the 10th best defense and Hoffenheim are a known thorn in their side for always taking the game to them. They also won the reverse fixture and Kramarić scored twice in that game.
8Matheus CunhaBSC@SGE14.7MA new day, a new coach but the only thing that remains constant is the praise for Cunha. Hertha should be a bit more energized heading into this game and Cunha will look to make up for last week's performance as the club's talisman.
9Marcus ThuramBMG@FCU14.5MMore of a punt but Union is one of Thuram's favorite teams to play against and he has three goals in his last two games against them.
10Ermedin DemirovićSCF@WOB7.7MA striker with stats that would make you think he is a #10, Demirović has three goals and six assists in his last six games. The battle between Wolfsburg's resolute defense and Demirović on his purple patch is one to watch.

Midfielders

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Filip KostićSGEVs BSC16.8MKostić is putting up figures that made him essential in fantasy over the years averaging 13.1 points in his last six games. Hertha are in dire straits right now and Frankfurt could turn this into a goal fest again.
2Jadon SanchoBVBVs FCA20.1MLooked like his previous best against Borussia with two assists but couldn't see the team through because of a poor defensive display. Terzic is helping him turn his form around so there is more of the same to come.
3Joshua KimmichFCBVs TSG17.9MWho says that deep-lying midfielders don't make good assets in Bundesliga Fantasy? Kimmich just dropped the highest score for a midfielder this season with three assists and 31 points against Schalke.
4Lars StindlBMG@FCU15.1MUnion's biggest strength this season has been their defensive rigidity but will miss key players in the back line like Trimmel and Hübner when in-form Borussia come to town.
5Ritsu DōanDSC@KOE9.5MEarly call for a high floor pick that offers star flexibility with fixtures against Koln and Bremen over the next two weeks.
6Christopher NkunkuRBLVs B0414.8M
7Yannick GerhardtWOBVs SCF6.6MHe has become a steady source of bonus after moving to #10 and should create plenty of chances against Freiburg.
8Amine HaritS04@SVW11.5MHarit is a real livewire for Schalke in attack but isn't helped on much by his teammates. So you are relying on his individual brilliance here if you decide to punt on him.
9Gonzalo CastroVFBVs M055.4M
10Vincenzo GrifoSCF@WOB14MGrifo has started taking fewer shots after the introduction of Demirović but still has strong underlying stats and leads the team for key passes in almost every game. However, watch out for the double right-back combo of Baku and Mbabu against him.




Defenders

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1AngeliñoRBLVs B0416.3MLast week's defeat was a rare defensive lapse for Leipzig but the best defense in the league should get their act back together against Leverkusen.
2Raphaël GuerreiroBVBVs FCA16M
3Borna SosaVFB@SCF4.7MHe checks all the requirements for a good fantasy defender:
1) Is on set-pieces.
2) Got an individual fixture.
3) Good floor
4) Plays against Mainz/Schalke/Koln.
4Erik DurmSGEVs BSC3.6MHertha have been the worst attacking team in the league over the last four games, scoring just once.
5Felix AguSVWVs S044.4MGoal potential + Clean sheet potential against Schalke.
6Paulo OtávioWOBVs SCF8.3MOtávio got 12 points just for duels last week and while it might be debatable, Wolfsburg got a decent chance at keeping Freiburg at bay here.
7Ramy BensebainiBMG@FCU11.6MThe loss of Trimmel who has six assists this season due to suspension should take away some venom from the Union attack already missing Max Kruse.
8Cedric BrunnerDSC@KOE4.2MArminia Bielefeld might've conceded five in the last game but it is tough for Koln to even score one right now.
9Christian GünterSCF@WOB12M
10Alphonso DaviesFCBVs TSG14.1M

Goalkeepers

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Stefan OrtegaDSC@KOE6.3MKoln is giving Hertha some tough competition not just to avoid relegation but also to see which team has a worse attack having scored in just one game out of their last six. That was against Schalke.
2Robin ZentnerM05@VFB4.7M
3Gregor KobelVFBVs M055.1M
4Rafał GikiewiczFCA@BVB8M
5Florian MüllerSCF@WOB4.2MMüller had the game of his career against Stuttgart with a penalty save and 15 points for saves finishing on an insane 22 points. But Wolfsburg is no Stuttgart and their game is more about creating good chances rather than aimlessly shooting at goal whenever possible.

You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 20/21 season here.

Bundesliga Fantasy Player Rankings: Matchday 18

The Hinrunde has come to an end in the Bundesliga and as we gear up to take on the final half of the season in Bundesliga Fantasy, we look at the best players for the week that you could get on unlimited transfers. And as is obvious, Bayern Munich and Leipzig will be the teams to target as they play Schalke and Mainz. All the best to the fantasy managers for the Rückrunde!


Forwards

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Robert LewandowskiFCBVs S0422.9MSchalke have improved a bit since their 8-0 thrashing in the reverse fixture but a rout is still on the cards. I will be disappointed if Lewandowski doesn't get at least 15 points in this game with the form he is in.
2Andre SilvaSGE@DSC17.9MArminia has had some strong defensive displays lately but Silva and Frankfurt are coming in hot after going unbeaten for six games.
3Andrej KramarićTSGVs KOE16.4MA bit streaky but has great potential in this matchup after scoring a hattrick in the reverse fixture.
4Nicolás GonzálezVFB@SCF9.8MSlowly turning into a fantasy favorite, he is well rested and should be motivated against Freiburg. The team that has conceded the most shots in the league after Schalke, Arminia and Augsburg. So he will have plenty of opportunities to score and gain bonus points.
5Emil ForsbergRBL@M0511.4MA bit more goal dependent for points compared to the others on this list, he was the hero in the reverse fixture with a goal and an assist. Finishing on 20 points. One to consider if you expect Leipzig to score a lot of goals.
6Erling Braut HaalandBVB@BMG19MOne of the best strikers in the world is due a goal sooner rather than later but Dortmund simply aren't creating enough chances for him.
7Thomas MüllerFCBVs S0420.5MIt is a three way competition between Müller, Gnabry and Coman if you want to double up on Bayern forwards but the former gets the nod based on form.
8Ermedin DemirovićSCFVs VFB7.4M
9Matheus CunhaBSCVs SVW14.6MHertha haven't scored in their last three Bundesliga games but Cunha has to be the one to turn it around with all the chances that he gets.
10Leon BaileyB04Vs WOB13.8M

Midfielders

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Joshua KimmichFCBVs S0417.5MIt is either him or Sane but only Kimmich is predicted to start and it is too hard to pass up on a Bayern midfielder against Schalke.
2Christopher NkunkuRBL@M0514.8MNkunku isn't predicted to start by Kicker but is a good bet for double digit points if he starts.
3Filip KostićSGE@DSC16.4MIf Silva is to be benched for Jovic as per Kicker, I would like Kostić even more because of his chemistry with the fellow Serbia international.
4Jadon SanchoBVB@BMG19.7MThe arrival of Terzic has had a negative impact on most Dortmund players but Sancho is an exception. He is one of the more in-form players in fantasy currently and has scores above nine points in each of his six games under the caretaker manager at an average of 13.6 points per game.
5Dani OlmoRBL@M0516.5MThe more nailed on pick from the Leipzig midfield and in better fantasy form averaging 12.5 points over the last four games.
6Lars StindlBMGVs BVB15.2MIt is a toss up for who will do better between Stindl and Hofmann when they play together. One for the early kickoff along with Sancho.
7Christoph BaumgartnerTSGVs KOE11.5M
8Vincenzo GrifoSCFVs VFB14MA bit out of form and there are much better options in the same price range this week making him a differential.
9Florian WirtzB04Vs WOB8.3M
10Ritsu DōanDSCVs SGE9.4M




Defenders

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1AngeliñoRBL@M0516.4MThis would be a good game for him to get on the score sheet again.
2Raphaël GuerreiroBVB@BMG16.2MDortmund is essentially M'gladbach's boogie team having won each of the last 12 games against them other across all competitions and Guerreiro could slip in some bonus points and attacking returns if Dortmund are to win.
3Christopher TrimmelFCU@FCA10.7MHe is one yellow card away from suspension but still remains the best option from Union because of his attacking upside.
4Erik DurmSGE@DSC3.5MArminia were helped on by some hapless defending last week and still remain the worst attack in the league.
5Alphonso DaviesFCBVs S0414.1MIt is a roulette for who will start between Davies and Hernandez but the right decision could be a rewarding one against Schalke.
6Nordi MukieleRBL@M0510.5MThe Leipzig wingbacks are as tempting as the attackers but Mukiele is prone to heavy rotation due to the insane depth for RBL on the right.
7Christian GünterSCFVs VFB11.9MGünter's set-pieces might make him a winning pick when one of the best set-piece attacking teams takes on one of the worst set-piece defending ones.
8Borna SosaVFB@SCF4.7MA disappointing outing last time out but the return of Wamangituka and Gonzalez should improve the team and Sosa's returns.
9Felix AguSVW@BSC4.3MAgu has full attacking freedom despite being a rookie and plays Hertha who haven't scored in the last three games.
10Maximilian MittelstädtBSCVs SVW8.3MThis game could go either way but a 0-0 seems like a more likely result than not.

Goalkeepers

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Stefan OrtegaDSCVs SGE6.5MAn outside chance for a cleansheet but plays one of the more attacking teams in the league. So he will have saves atleast.
2Florian MüllerSCFVs VFB3.8M
3Gregor KobelVFB@SCF5.2M
4Rafał GikiewiczFCAVs FCU7.7MA worthy option for the long term but his price could get you two keepers instead of one on unlimited transfers.
5Andreas LutheFCU@FCA5.3MThe best chance for a clean sheet this week amongst keepers on this list.

You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 20/21 season here.

Fantasy Bundesliga: Must-Have/Template Players for Matchday 18

We were surprised by the Fantasy Bundesliga team with unlimited transfers at the end of the Hinrunde sandwiched between the Englische Woche and now we look at some players that will be heavily owned and are worth considering for matchday 18.


Forwards

 

Robert Lewandowski

Lewandowski is owned by “only” 72% so this is for the 28% who don’t. If seven consecutive games with goals scored for a total of 10 goals at an average of 15.5 points per game in Bundesliga Fantasy can’t convince you to shell out whatever it costs to get him in your team then nothing else will.

 

Nicolás González

A good shout for the third forward spot on wildcard, he has spearheaded the dangerous Stuttgart attack with his six goals and two assists in just 11 games. González has scored in six out of seven games this season as a center forward which is his preferred position now and the best part is that he rotates really well with the other forwards such as Lewandowski, Halaand and Kramaric in the upcoming matchdays. Especially with an early fixture against Mainz in matchday 19.

 


Midfielders

 

Christopher Nkunku

This Leipzig attack might not be as lethal as it was before because of Werner’s departure but you will still need some attacking cover from RBL against Mainz. This is one of the most one-sided fixtures in the history of Bundesliga and Leipzig have won each of the last three games while scoring an average of 5.3 goals per game. His current numbers might not be as impressive as those of last season (five goals and 13 assists) but he has played limited minutes this season and has been Leipzig’s best creator almost every game. Nkunku is a bonus points machine and could easily go off in any game.

 

Joshua Kimmich

It is a Bayern midfield dilemma for Fantasy Bundesliga managers with the matchday result of Bayern Munich 8-0 Schalke still afresh in the back of everyone’s head. As it stands, Kimmich and Goretzka are the only midfielders in fantasy predicted to start so Kimmich might be the only option unless Sané somehow manages to make an appearance in the starting XI. Nothing to complain about though since Kimmich had 18 fantasy points and two assists in the reverse fixture. His set-pieces are going to be a dangerous weapon combined with the quality of Lewandowski and Schalke’s defensive fragility.

 

Florian Wirtz

Wirtz might’ve missed a few games recently but everyone was quickly reminded of what he is capable of with his performance against Dortmund last week. He scored a goal, had three shots, four key passes and eventually finished on 20 points. Leverkusen might have some tough games coming up with Wolfsburg and Leipzig next but there is still a possibility that they get six points out of those games with talented players such as Wirtz, Amiri, Bailey and others. 17-year-old Wirtz still remains one of the best midfielders under 10M.

 





Defenders

 

Angeliño

He might’ve cooled down on his goal-scoring antics a bit but still remains an essential player on the best defense in the league. They have the chance to improve their defensive record even more as they play bottom teams such as Mainz, Schalke, Augsburg and Hertha within the next five weeks.

 

Erik Durm

The latest entrant for the budget defender of the year, he is giving Sosa run for his money in the sub 5M segment. Durm is one of the players whose form has massively improved as Frankfurt started winning games again and the world cup winner is now full of confidence and is freely taking shots as well as creating them. He has double-digit returns in three of his last four games and with consecutive games against lower teams such as Arminia, Hertha, Hoffenheim and Koln to come, we can expect more of the same if Frankfurt keep up their winning ways.

 

Felix Agu

The third budget defender in the template team, his spot in here depends totally on the availability of teammate Ludwig Augustinsson. He has made the most of the points for shots in just two Bundesliga starts with scores of 8, 22 and could be a shrewd acquisition with games against Hertha and Schalke next.

 


Goalkeeper

 

Stefan Ortega

The highest scoring keeper in the game, he has kept a clean sheet in four of his last five games while averaging 11.6 points during the same period. Only teams in the top six have conceded fewer goals than Arminia this season (24) and Ortega is the best value even at 6.5M.

 


The Template XI

Bench and other alternatives: Pavao Pervan (Scrub)/Andreas Luthe/Florian Müller (GK), Felix Agu/Christopher Trimmel/Christian Günter (DEF), Lars Stindl/Ritsu Dōan (MID), Filip Kostić/Christoph Baumgartner (MID), Nicolás González/Andrej Kramarić (FWD)

Total team value: 175.4M


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


You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 20/21 season here.

Fantasy Bundesliga Differential Picks: Matchday 17

Find out why Wolfsburg player Yannick Gerhardt could be an early gem along with other differential picks in our Fantasy Bundesliga differential picks for matchday 17.


Forwards

 

Saša Kalajdžić Vs Arminia Bielefeld (A)

 

Kalajdzic was the go-to budget forward before he was replaced by Nicolás González due to a string of subpar performances but now replaces him against Arminia since he is suspended for accumulation of yellow cards. The Austrian target man might be rescinded due to the bench but he is having an underrated season with five goals and three assists in 15 games. Six of those games off the bench. Stuttgart boasts the best away record in the league and will look to secure another away victory at the Bielfelder Alm with 4.9M Kalajdzic leading the line.

 

 


Midfielders

 

Yannick Gerhardt Vs FSV Mainz 05 (A)

 

Wolfsburg has always been in the need of a creative midfielder since KDB’s departure after his record-breaking 21 assist season back in 14/15. Many players have tried to fill in but they’ve been unable to so far. In desperation to create some chances, Head coach Oliver Glasner pushed Gerhardt up the pitch as an attacking midfielder. He has had stints as a defensive midfielder and in defence but stitching key-passes and creating goal-scoring opportunities might be his hidden talent. Gerhardt has lead Wolfsburg in key passes over the last two games including six key-passes which resulted in two assists and 15 fantasy points last week against RB Leipzig. He is certainly one to watch as he settles into the playmaker role and could be a budget gem at just 6.5M.

 

 

Ondrej Duda Vs Schalke (A)

 

To say that Koln is due a goal is an understatement. They’ve now failed to score in five Bundesliga games in a row and face the worst defense in the league this week – Schalke. This fixture has, surprisingly, been a goal-scoring one in the past with minimum two goals the last four times these teams met each other. Duda has been filling in out-of-position (OOP) in the absence of striker Sebastian Andersson and will look to exploit the worst set-piece defending team’s vulnerabilities with his free kicks and corner kicks. Teammate Marius Wolf deserves a shout for his recent performances of 10,8,10 at just 4.5M. He is a cheaper entry and offers a higher floor than Duda.

 

 





Defender

 

Jannes Horn Vs Schalke (A)

 

Koln might have conceded five goals in their last away game against Freiburg but they are still the joint second-best away defense in the league with just nine goals conceded. There was some hype that Schalke would turn their season around after the 4-0 win against Hoffenheim – or at least their attack would but they only registered four shots against Frankfurt and scored with the only one on target. These are two bottom teams playing each other but Koln has a much better chance of keeping a clean sheet here than Schalke. If you want to go more budget than 2.2M  Horn then Sava-Arangel Čestić will start and costs just 1M. So you won’t feel anything even if Schalke happen to score.

 

 


Goalkeeper

 

Koen Casteels Vs FSV Mainz (A)

 

Wolfsburg have kept a clean sheet in each of the last four times these sides met and looking at Mainz’s recent performances, I am hopeful that it will be five clean sheets in a row. That being said, saves matter more in this game than clean sheets and Mainz keeper Robin Zentner is another option for his shot-stopping ability.

 

 


Differential XI MD 17


You can find additional Bundesliga Fantasy resources for the 20/21 season here.