The Bundesliga is back, and for those playing the Fantasy game, this weekly piece highlights who we think are the best players for the forthcoming Matchday.
The biggest change this week sees an injury doubt for Erling Haaland (17.7m), which keeps him out of his first Scout Squad of the season, while Köln, Freiburg and RB Leipzig look to have the best fixtures in Matchday 7. As a result, eight of their players make the final squad.
GOALKEEPERS
MARK FLEKKEN (6.6m), PHILIPP PENTKE (1.0m)
Mark Flekken has 24 points over his last three games and 21 saves throughout the season so far, while unbeaten Freiburg have three Bundesliga clean sheets and have shut out their opponents in their last two games. Christian Streich’s team now visit a Hertha Berlin side whose last game was a 6-0 loss to RB Leipzig.
Philipp Pentke is in as the 1.0m sub goalkeeper once again.
DEFENDERS
NIKO GIESSELMANN (4.4m), CHRISTIAN GUNTER (12.1m), BENNO SCHMITZ (4.7m), JEREMIE FRIMPONG (7.4m), RAPHAEL GUERREIRO (14.6m)
Niko Giesselmann’s nine shots this season are joint-second only to Willi Orban (11.5m) amongst all defenders. The highest-scoring defender in Fantasy Bundesliga this season, Giesselmann is still only 4.4m and seems to be verging on fixture-proof. Despite having a tough visit to Mainz coming up, Giesselmann’s price still makes him a great option.
Christian Gunter has managed double-digit hauls in all but one of his games this season and, as with Mark Flekken, has a great fixture against Hertha Berlin coming up as part of a solid defence. Gunter’s 18 crosses from open-play put him seventh among all players.
Köln’s Benno Schmitz has been brilliant so far this season. His 21 crosses from open-play ranks fourth in the league and he’s got two assists. Their opposition, Greuther Fürth, are rooted to the bottom of the table and have conceded the second-most goals in the league. Schmitz looks to be a great budget differential with a high upside.
Jeremie Frimpong got 18 points in Leverkusen’s Matchday 6 win over Mainz and low-scoring Arminia Bielefeld now head to the BayArena. Frimpong has two assists and averages three points per match from duels. The young full-back is a great mid-priced option.
Last season’s second highest-scoring defender, Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro, has been in great form since returning from injury. He’s got double-digit hauls in three out of his last four games. Guerreiro has two Bundesliga goals under Marco Rose and will be key to their attack with Erling Haaland likely missing out again.
MIDFIELDERS
CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU (14.9m), FLORIAN WIRTZ (12.0m), FLORIAN KAINZ (7.8m), VICENZO GRIFO (12.6m), JOSHUA KIMMICH (16.5m)
Christopher Nkunku is in the form of his life. He’s grabbed six goals and an assist in his last four games in all competitions and RBL have arguably the best fixture of the Matchday against a Bochum side struggling for form at either end of the pitch. Even when he doesn’t score, Nkunku’s underlying stats mean that he has both a high points floor and ceiling. One of the best options in Fantasy Bundesliga this week.
Florian Wirtz has four back-to-back double-digit hauls and is showing no sign of stopping ahead of Leverkusen’s visit to Arminia Bielefeld. Wirtz’s four assists are the joint-most in the league and he’s also scored in his last four league games. 12.0m seems like a bargain price for the starlet.
Florian Kainz is back from suspension and has one of the best fixtures this week. A key part of Köln’s attack, both creatively and as a goalscorer, Kainz has two goals and an assist this season and is the best mid-priced option in midfield ahead of the visit of a hapless Greuther Fürth side.
Freiburg’s Italian talisman Vicenzo Grifo got 13 points last time out against Augsburg and now faces a Hertha Berlin side with the worst defensive record in the league. On penalties and most set-pieces, Grifo is an expensive but reliable option with a great fixture.
The highest-scoring midfielder in Fantasy Bundesliga and the highest-scoring player not called Robert Lewandowski (18.2m) or Erling Haaland, Joshua Kimmich has been in great form for Bayern. He faces an Eintracht Frankfurt side who’ve drawn their last four league games 1-1 and should be no match for Nagelsmann’s imperious Bayern side. He’s got three goals in his last two league games and is on most indirect set-pieces.
FORWARDS
EMIL FORSBERG (11.5m), ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (18.2m), ANTHONY MODESTE (7.4m)
RBL have one of the best fixtures this week and Emil Forsberg has been in good form coming into this game. Despite having not consistently started so far under Jesse Marsch, Forsberg should feature against Bochum and averages over nine points in games he’s started. He’s on penalties and should be able to take advantage of Bochum’s leaky defence.
Robert Lewandowski continues to be essential in all forms of Fantasy Football, as he added his second UEFA Champions League brace of the season against Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday. The Pole shockingly failed to get on the scoresheet against Greuther Fürth last time out, but no-one is betting against him adding to his tally against Frankfurt. Fixture-proof, in-form and on the best team in the league, don’t go without Robert.
Köln’s Anthony Modeste has the third-most shots and the third-most goals in the Bundesliga this season, behind only Haaland and Lewandowski. The Frenchman has a brilliant fixture against hapless Greuther Fürth and should score big.
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