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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.

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Bundesliga Fantasy Player Rankings: Matchday 23

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The Sosa-Sasa duo from Stuttgart is one to watch in our Bundesliga Fantasy player rankings for matchday 23 due to their recent performances and the fact that they play Schalke this week.

Forwards

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Erling Braut HaalandBVBVs DSC20.2MArminia has turned into a punching bag in the last four weeks conceding 14 goals - the most within that period.
2Robert LewandowskiFCBVs KOE24.4M
3Saša KalajdžićVFBVs S046.4MSaša has scored in each of his last three games and I can imagine him extending it to four games in a row against Schalke.
4André SilvaSGE@SVW19.6MIt is easy to overlook Silva's goal-scoring run because of Lewandowski but he currently has the same amount of goals as Messi and Ronaldo this season with 18. He also adds much needed star flexibility this week with an early fixture against Bremen.
5Wout WeghorstWOBVs BSC19MHis good run of form means that he returns every game but the problem remains the same that he often fails to score in double digits because of his lack of bonus.
6Lucas AlarioB04Vs SCF11.4MAlario has been in and out of the starting XI but has nine goals in the same number of starts and the Leverkusen attack is much more dangerous with him leading the line rather than Schick.
7Andrej KramarićTSG@FCU17.2M
8Kingsley ComanFCBVs KOE15.8M
9Ermedin DemirovićSCF@B047.6MLeverkusen have drawn against Mainz and Augsburg but the main reason for that can be attributed to their defending. They haven't kept a clean sheet in their last 10 Bundesliga games and the defense doesn't seem to be in safe hands with their backup keepers.
10Matheus CunhaBSC@WOB15.4MYes, Wolfsburg haven't conceded in their last six games and Cunha hasn't scored in his last 13 games but he is still averaging 7.75 points in his last eight games which is comparable to Weghorst with single returns.



Midfielders

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Filip KostićSGE@SVW18.1M10 points with an assist is disappointing by his high standards but an early game against Bremen that just conceded four goals against out-of-form Hoffenheim could see him improve.
2Jadon SanchoBVBVs DSC21.2MIf goals are to be expected against Arminia's leaky defense then Sancho could be a fantasy jackpot. He has scored or assisted Dortmund's last 10 goals out of 17 (59%) in the last eight games.
3Leroy SanéFCBVs KOE18.8MMore likely to score compared to Kimmich when he starts and has looked sharp in the last few games.
4Christopher NkunkuRBLVs BMG16.1M
5Joshua KimmichFCBVs KOE18.6MMore likely to assist compared to Sané and has a better floor.
6Amin YounesSGE@SVW7.6MHe shoots a lot, scores screamers and is giving premium options a run for their money with an average of 11 points in his last six games. A Frankfurt midfield double up with Kostić + Younes seems like a smart strategy now.
7Christoph BaumgartnerTSG@FCU12.5MA late inclusion to the list after his return to the predicted lineups, Baumgartner is getting back to his old levels with double digit scores in four out of his last six games and he loves playing against Union with a goal in each of his two starts against them.
8Dani OlmoRBLVs BMG17.6M
9Yannick GerhardtWOBVs BSC7.5M
10Nadiem AmiriB04Vs SCF13.5MLeverkusen's early season form has faded away and they have won just once in their last eight games across all competitions (W1, D2, L5) but Amiri still remains the best option from midfielders playing on Sunday (other than Baumgartner).
11Lars StindlBMG@RBL15.7MThe injury to Hofmann solves the selection dilemma between both and Stindl has had his best games without him in the team. Not expecting any heroics against Leipzig however.

Defenders

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Borna SosaVFBVs S045.1MSosa and Sasa have a formidable partnership with the target man scoring with each of the Argentinian's last three assists. They have a more than good chance to repeat the same against Schalke who have scored just once in their last five games while conceding 12 goals.
2AngeliñoRBLVs BMG17.2M
3Raphaël GuerreiroBVBVs DSC16.8MJust 12 points for a goal + clean sheet against Schalke does raise questions about whether Guerreiro is worth the premium.
4Paulo OtávioWOBVs BSC9.3MSix clean sheets in a row with an unchanged XI but the team's balance might be disturbed due to the suspension of Brooks.
5Niklas SüleFCBVs KOE11.9M
6Erik DurmSGE@SVW3.5M
7Christopher TrimmelFCUVs TSG10.7MTrimmel is mostly prefered because of his attacking threat but he hasn't assisted in his last eight games. So Nico Schlotterbeck is worth a shout as he is half the price and takes more shots = better floor.
8Phillip MweneM05Vs FCA1.5MAugsburg is another team that has struggled to score goals and Mwene could be a decent enabler as Mainz are doing a full 180 under Bo Svensson. Moussa Niakhaté is also worth a shout as he is on penalties.

Bonus: Mainz play Schalke on Friday next week (If you chose to get a player from one of the most avoidable fixtures this season).
9Pavel KadeřábekTSG@FCU9.6M
10Mads PedersenFCA@M051.4MAnother enabler that offers flexibility this week but with a better floor so you could interchange him and Mwene's rank based on which team you think wins.



Goalkeepers

 

RankNameTeamOpponentValueComments
1Gregor KobelVFBVs S045.1MA home game against Schalke is a good bet for a clean sheet.
2Florian MüllerSCF@B044.3MLast week was a bad one for keepers and Müller was no exception with a rare blank but could bounce back against a struggling Leverkusen.
3Stefan OrtegaDSC@BVB6.3M
4Koen CasteelsWOBVs BSC10.7M
5Rafał GikiewiczFCA@M057.9M

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

Bundesliga Predictor, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

Bundesliga Predictor Picks: Matchday 19

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Is Pál Dárdai’s reintroduction as Hertha going to change their fortunes against Frankfurt? Which is the best joker pick for the week? Find out insights for the game and others in our Bundesliga Predictor picks for the week.

Note: The match times in the article have been changed from GMT to CET.

VfB Stuttgart Vs FSV Mainz (Friday 29th January 8:30 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 2-1

H2H: M05 1-4 VFB | VFB 2-3 M05 | M05 1-0 VFB | M05 3-2 VFB

Home team last 3: SCF 2-1 VFB | DSC 3-0 VFB | VFB 2-2 BMG

Away team last 3: M05 3-2 RBL | M05 0-2 WOB | BVB 1-1 M05

VfB Stuttgart form guide: L-L-D-W-L (10th)

FSV Mainz form guide: W-L-D-L-L (17th)

Insights:

  • Stuttgart have scored in all of their 12 Bundesliga home games against Mainz. Their longest scoring run at home against any side in the Bundesliga.
  • Mainz ended their nine-game winless run in the Bundesliga with a 3-2 win against Leipzig last week.
  • Stuttgart and Koln are the only two teams yet to win a home game this season.

My prediction: 2-1

Borussia Dortmund Vs FC Augsburg (Saturday 30th January 3:30 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 3-1

H2H: FCA 2-0 BVB | FCA 3-5 BVB | BVB 5-1 FCA | FCA 2-1 BVB

Home team last 3: BMG 4-2 BVB | B04 2-1 BVB | BVB 1-1 M05

Away team last 3: FCA 2-1 FCU | FCA 0-1 FCB | SVW 2-0 FCA

Borussia Dortmund form guide: L-L-D-W-W (7th)

FC Augsburg form guide: W-L-L-L-W (12th)

Insights:

  • Augsburg have won two of their last four Bundesliga games against BVB and have scored in each of their last 14 Bundesliga games against them.

My prediction: 2-1



FC Bayern Munich Vs TSG Hoffenheim (Saturday 30th January 3:30 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 3-1

H2H: TSG 4-1 FCB | TSG 0-6 FCB | FCB 1-2 TSG | TSG 1-3 FCB

Home team last 3: S04 0-4 FCB | FCA 0-1 FCB | FCB 2-1 SCF

Away team last 3: TSG 3-0 KOE | BSC 0-3 TSG | TSG 0-0 DSC

Bayern Munich form guide: W-W-W-L-W (1st)

Hoffenheim form guide: W-W-D-L-L (11th)

Insights:

  • After being the last team in the league to keep a clean sheet this season when they lost 4-0 to Schalke, Hoffenheim have gone three consecutive games without scoring.

My prediction: 3-1

Eintracht Frankfurt Vs Hertha BSC (Saturday 30th January 3:30 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 2-1

H2H: BSC 1-3 SGE | BSC 1-4 SGE | SGE 2-2 BSC | SGE 0-0 BSC

Home team last 3: DSC 1-5 SGE | SCF 2-2 SGE | SGE 3-1 S04

Away team last 3: BSC 1-4 SVW | BSC 0-3 TSG | KOE 0-0 BSC

Eintracht Frankfurt form guide: W-D-W-W-W (6th)

Hertha BSC form guide: L-L-D-L-W (14th)

Insights:

  • Frankfurt are without a win in their last six Bundesliga home games against Hertha BSC (D5, L1). Their longest winless run at home against any side.

My prediction: 3-1

FC Union Berlin Vs Borussia M’gladbach (Saturday 30th January 3:30 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 1-2

H2H: BMG 1-1 FCU | BMG 4-1 FCU | FCU 2-0 BMG

Home team last 3: FCA 2-1 FCU | RBL 1-0 FCU | FCU 1-0 B04

Away team last 3: BMG 4-2 BVB | BMG 1-0 SVW | VFB 2-2 BMG

Union Berlin form guide: L-L-W-D-W (8th)

Borussia form guide: W-W-D-W-W (5th)

Insights:

  • Borussia are currently on a five-game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga (W4, D1). They are also currently on their second-longest goal-scoring run having scored in each of the last 17 Bundesliga games.

My prediction: 1-2

SV Werder Bremen Vs FC Schalke 04 (Saturday 30th January 3:30 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 2-1

H2H: S04 1-3 SVW | S04 0-1 SVW | SVW 1-2 S04 | SVW 4-2 S04

Home team last 3: BSC 1-4 SVW | BMG 1-0 SVW | SVW 2-0 FCA

Away team last 3: S04 0-4 FCB | S04 1-2 KOE | SGE 3-1 S04

SV Werder Bremen form guide: W-L-W-D-L (13th)

Schalke form guide: L-L-L-W-L (18th)

Insights:

  • Werder Bremen have won more game against Schalke than any other side (45) in their history. It is the same for Schalke with Bremen being the side they’ve beaten the most times (38).

My prediction: 2-1

RB Leipzig Vs Bayer Leverkusen (Saturday 30th January 6:30 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 2-1

H2H: B04 1-1 RBL | RBL 1-1 B04 | B04 1-1 RBL | B04 2-4 RBL

Home team last 3: M05 3-2 RBL | WOB 2-2 RBL | RBL 1-3 BVB

Away team last 3: B04 0-1 WOB | B04 2-1 BVB | FCU 1-0 B04

RB Leipzig form guide: L-D-L-W-D (2nd)

Bayer Leverkusen form guide: L-W-L-D-L (3rd)

Insights:

  • The last three Bundesliga games between both teams have all ended 1-1.
  • Bayer Leverkusen are without a win in their last five Bundesliga games against RB Leipzig (D3, L2). Their longest wait for a win against any side in the league.

My prediction: 1-1

1. FC Köln Vs DSC Arminia Bielefeld (Sunday 31st January 3:30 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 2-1

H2H: DSC 1-0 KOE | KOE 5-1 DSC | DSC 1-3 KOE

Home team last 3: TSG 3-0 KOE | S04 1-2 KOE | KOE 0-0 BSC

Away team last 3: DSC 1-5 SGE | DSC 3-0 VFB | TSG 0-0 DSC

1. FC Köln form guide: L-W-D-L-L (16th)

DSC Arminia Bielefeld form guide: D-W-L-W-L (15th)

Insights:

  • Koln have scored just once in their last seven games (1-2 win against Schalke).

My prediction: 0-1

Wolfsburg Vs SC Freiburg (Sunday 31st January 6:00 PM CET)

 

Most popular prediction: 2-1

H2H: SCF 1-1 WOB | WOB 2-2 SCF | SCF 1-0 WOB | SCF 3-3 WOB

Home team last 3: B04 0-1 WOB | M05 0-2 WOB | WOB 2-2 RBL

Away team last 3: SCF 2-1 VFB | SCF 2-2 SGE | FCB 2-1 SCF

Wolfsburg form guide: W-W-D-D-L (4th)

SC Freiburg form guide: W-D-L-W-W (9th)

Insights:

  • Wolfsburg are without a win in their last five Bundesliga games against Freiburg (D3, L2)

My prediction: 2-1

Joker 

 

I have looked at Pál Dárdai’s record with Hertha compared to Bruno Labbadia and I don’t see much of a difference between both their teams. The points per game, goals scored, goals conceded are all comparable and it might be too much of a task to turn around Hertha so soon for Dárdai. So I expect in form Frankfurt to win this game 3-1 and that will be my joker pick.

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

Bundesliga Fantasy Player Rankings: Matchday 18

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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.

Bundesliga Fantasy, Fantasy Football, FEATURED

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

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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.
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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.

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.