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Fantasy Football

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT (FPL GAMEWEEK 7)

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This is a review of player recommendations you may not have considered for your FPL squad. Here are the Differential player recommendations for Gameweek 7.

Midfielder: Declan Rice (6.5 – 8.3%)

Three assists from six Premier League matches this season, all from corner kicks. Declan Rice’s presence as one of the free-kick takers is the main reason why Arsenal are so dangerous in set-piece situations.

Facing West Ham, who seem to still struggle in set-piece situations, will be a significant advantage for those who have Declan Rice in their squad.

Next opponents: West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace

Midfielder: Jaidon Anthony (5.7 – 5.4%)

With an xGI of 0.47 and an expected goals (xG) of 0.37, Anthony has scored four goals this season, failing to score only against Spurs and Liverpool. In the last match, Donnarumma was the victim of his goal, which prevented Manchester City from keeping a clean sheet.

Anthony is currently second only to Haaland in the top scorers list (8), with Semenyo and Thiago having the same number of goals as him.

Next opponents: Aston Villa, Leeds, Wolves

Midfielder: Ismaila Sarr (6.4 – 4.4%)

Despite missing Gameweeks 4 and 5, Sarr did not lose his sharpness upon returning last weekend against league leaders Liverpool.

With an xGI of 0.77 and an expected goals (xG) of 0.72, Sarr has scored in his last three matches and has netted three goals so far this season. He has only failed to score once, in a goalless draw against Chelsea.

Next opponents: Everton, Bournemouth, Arsenal

FWD: Jarrod Bowen (7.7 – 6.4%)

With three goals in his last four matches, Bowen has proven he is not done yet despite West Ham’s poor start to the season, which led to Graham Potter’s dismissal last week.

With 3 goals from just 0.8 xG, there is hope for the future, as West Ham’s new manager is skilled at playing quick counter-attacks that could maximise Bowen’s potential on the pitch.

Next opponents: Arsenal, Brentford, Leeds

 

Here are some alternative player recommendations for Gameweek 7.

TAKE OR LEAVE!

Don’t forget to have fun!

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Bundesliga: Differential Picks for Matchday 28

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In our Fantasy Bundesliga tips for the week, we look at the differential picks that you should consider for matchday 28 in a week where many evenly matched teams go up against each other.

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Matheus Cunha Vs Borussia M’gladbach (H)

Hertha have turned the Olympiastadion Berlin into a fortress over the last two home games securing impressive victories against Bayer Leverkusen and Augsburg. This week’s opponents Borussia have had a difficult time away against Hertha and the Berliners average more goals per game on average at home (2) against the foals than against any other team. With numbers such as these, a Berlin attacker becomes a tempting differential and there is no better name than the club’s talisman Matheus Cunha if you decide to hedge your bets on the fortress staying intact this week.

 

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Vs FC Union Berlin (H)

To say that Bayern Munich miss striker Robert Lewandowski is an understatement. The FIFA Men’s Player of the Year has scored 35 goals this season which is more than seven Bundesliga teams have managed to score so far this season and was just five goals away from breaking the single-season scoring record before injury struck. His replacement – Choupo-Moting, isn’t bad by any means. The Cameronian international has had an impressive showing in the Champions League with three goals in as many starts. Including a goal against PSG in the midweek game. He offers a budget entry into the FCB attack at 9.4M and should start the next couple of games at least until Lewandowski returns.

 

Midfielders

 

Daniel Caligiuri Vs FC Schalke 04 (A)

Bundesliga Fantasy managers are spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting a midfielder from Augsburg against Schalke but former royal blue Caligiuri stands out with his set-pieces prowess against the worst set-piece defending team in the league. Teammate Marco Richter has been a more popular pick from the Augsburg midfield and is also worth a shout if he starts.

 

Amine Harit Vs FC Augsburg (H)

Harit was a livewire in midfield against Bayer Leverkusen and despite losing the game 2-1, he was the best player on the pitch. Schalke might’ve accepted their fate but one of the most prestigious clubs would still look to add some wins and points to their name. If you are chasing the pack and looking for a differential that could help you with a much-needed boost to end the season then Harit could do the job with his next two opponents – Freiburg and Arminia both being second and fourth for shots conceded respectively.

 



Defender

 

Daniel Brosinski Vs FC Köln (A)

FC Köln have conceded the most goals at home (23) after Hertha BSC (24) and Schalke (29) and top the list for the most penalties conceded with eight. Mainz has seen a resurgence under new coach Bo Svensson and the main area of improvement has been in defense. The zerofivers have conceded just twice in their last four games and it’s a potential ceiling game for Brosinski with the possibility of a clean sheet and a penalty. Not to mention the bonus as well.

 

Goalkeeper

 

Robin Zentner Vs FC Köln (A)

The Köln-Mainz match is a massive six-pointer game for two teams trying to fight their way out of the relegation zone so this game could be open-ended with Mainz keeper Robin Zentner expected to stay busy throughout the game.

 

Differential XI Matchday 28

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

Fantasy Bundesliga Differential Picks: Matchday 19

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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.

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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, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Bundesliga Differential Picks: Matchday 17

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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.

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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.

 

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Bundesliga Differential Picks: Matchday 16

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There is a special emphasis on players from lower-ranked teams such as Frankfurt and Arminia this week for our Fantasy Bundesliga differentials this matchday as they take on Schalke and Hoffenheim respectively.

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Patrick Schick Vs Union Berlin (A)

 

Jamaican International Leon Bailey was the go-to forward from Bayer Leverkusen but as his form has cooled down over the past few weeks, the question arises again about who is the best forward in Fantasy Bundesliga from the Die Werkself. If we talk only about this week’s game against Union Berlin then Schick is the perfect match. His towering presence at 6’1″ has made him a threat on the team with the most set-piece goals this season (10) and his opponents for the week are tied for being the second-worst set-piece defending team after Schalke. So he is bound to cause some trouble in the early fixture.

 

Ermedin Demirović Vs Bayern Munich (A)

 

Freiburg currently have the best form in the league winning five games in a row and all of them were against teams in the bottom eight – Arminia, Schalke, Hertha, Hoffenheim and Koln. However, this Bayern Munich defense has been mediocre, to say the least having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 10 Bundesliga games and only teams in the bottom eight have conceded more goals than them (24). Ermedin Demirović will be high on confidence after scoring or assisting in each of his last three games and given the contrasting form of both teams, any result is possible here. Game on!

 

Midfielders

 

Mateo Klimowicz Vs Borussia M’gladbach (H)

 

The son of former Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund player Diego Klimowicz, Mateo Klimowicz has just begun his Bundesliga career with VfB Stuttgart and already ranks third for shots on target for the team. From a Bundesliga Fantasy perspective, he is averaging 8.8 points when he starts without a goal or assist and is a great budget option for just 1.9M. However, he is bound to rotate with Didavi and Coulibaly occasionally so you could look at Castro (5.5M) if holding a player for the long term takes priority.

 

Ritsu Dōan Vs Hoffenheim (A)

 

Another player for whom the bulk of his fantasy points is made up of bonus, Ritsu Dōan leads Arminia in every offensive category – goals, assists, shots, key passes and dribbles. Schalke were the worst offensive team in the league and they were able to expose Hoffenheim’s defensive frailties in a 4-0 thrashing. Arminia Bielefeld will be hopeful of three points in this game and their most dangerous player has to be involved if they are to score.

 



Defender

 

Cedric Brunner Vs Hoffenheim (A)

 

Hoffenheim’s firepower was on display in the first two matchdays of the season when Kramarić scored a hattrick against Koln in a 2-3 win and when they beat Bayern 4-1 the next week. Fast forward 13 matchdays later and they have now failed to score in a loss against the worst defense in the league in Schalke. In a change of fortunes, newcomers Arminia began the season as punching bags for the already established teams but now they have kept a clean sheet in two of their last three games. Arminia Bielefeld’s right-back Cedric Brunner will have a good opportunity to add another clean sheet to his name when these two teams meet each other and could be a bargain at 4.2M.

 

Goalkeeper

 

Jiri Pavlenka Vs FC Augsburg (H)

 

There are few decent keepers to choose from in Fantasy Bundesliga that are owned by 5% or less but Pavlenka is a good shout for a cleansheet against an Augsburg team where their forwards last scored a goal on matchday 6 in October (Hahn against Mainz).

 

Differential XI MD 16

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

 

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Fantasy Bundesliga Differential Picks: Matchday 15

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A lot of top teams go up against each other this week in Bundesliga Fantasy so differentials are more important than ever and these are our picks for Fantasy Bundesliga differential picks worth considering:

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Taiwo Awoniyi Vs Wolfsburg (H)

 

There hasn’t been much talk about Awoniyi but his recent performances are generating a lot of noise. The Nigerian striker on loan from Liverpool has been a gem of a find by Union and he has been their best player after the injury to Kruse. He has scored five goals, assisted two and has only blanked against Bayern in the last six matchdays. Union Berlin have some tough games coming up with Wolfsburg, Leverkusen (Friday kick-off) and Leipzig one after the other but high-flying Union have been good enough to compete with the big boys this season and Awoniyi will be their most key player until Kruse comes back.

 

Mark Uth Vs TSG Hoffenheim (H)

 

Schalke were destined for a relegation battle this season and with each passing game, it seems even more difficult for them to stay up in the Bundesliga. With just 20 games left until the end of the season, it is time to make or break for the team and this game is more important than the others because if they fail to beat Hoffenheim, they will tie the record for the longest winless streak in the Bundesliga of 31 games. It is do or die for the team and Uth has been one of their better and more motivated players. Hoffenheim have failed to keep a cleansheet along with Schalke and conceded the most goals after Schalke and Mainz so something is in their favour in a game they will be desperate to win.

 

Midfielders

 

Nadiem Amiri Vs SV Werder Bremen (H)

 

Amiri is currently one of the most in-form players in the league and his Puskas contender goal last week to evade Durm and finish with a backheel doesn’t come as much surprise considering the talent he possesses. He has scored or assisted in each of his last five games and has returned with double digits in each of those games in Fantasy Bundesliga. Amiri is certainly one of the best assets to have from Leverkusen and he is still owned by just 4% of the Fantasy Bundesliga managers.

 



Defenders

 

Ismail Jakobs Vs SC Freiburg (A)

 

Freiburg might be on a purple patch right now winning their last four games but now they play Koln at home. A fixture where even bigger teams have struggled. Teams such as Leipzig, Dortmund and Stuttgart have failed to score more than one goal at home against the team with the best away defensive record in the league so far and Jakobs could be a shrewd pick having scored in the same fixture last season for which he was rewarded 19 points.

 

Marvin Plattenhardt Vs Arminia Bielefeld (A)

 

Plattenhardt’s teammate Mittelstädt would be preferred ideally but a defender on free kicks and corners with a decent clean sheet shout against the second-worst attack in the league could be a good differential.

 

Goalkeeper

 

Robin Zentner Vs Eintracht Frankfurt (H)

 

Mainz are far from being a good defensive team but their winning streak in the last three games against Frankfurt is impressive and while the same result might not repeat itself, Zentner could collect some save points for himself.

 

Differential XI MD15

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