Fantasy Bundesliga tips: Midfielders to consider for the 2020/21 season
Here are the midfielders you should consider when picking your Fantasy Bundesliga team.
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Wooyeong Jeong (Freiburg, 1M) has been singled out for praise by Freiburg coach Christian Streich after an impressive pre-season following his loan move from Bayern München. The youngster was rewarded with a start in the DFB-Pokal opener against Mannheim last week, playing up front alongside Nils Petersen, and was unlucky not to score. It's far from certain that Jeong will keep his spot in the starting eleven for Saturday's Bundesliga game against Stuttgart, but he should definitely come on if he doesn't start. Considering he's available for 1 million, he might be worth a punt.
Another potential starter with a 1-million price tag is Jomaine Consbruch (Bielefeld, 1M). The 18-year-old central midfielder played just one game last season, but has been tipped to start against Frankfurt on Saturday. Most recently, Consbruch was subbed off at half-time in Bielefeld's 1-0 loss to RW Essen in the DFB-Pokal.
Playing as a defensive midfielder, Yannik Keitel (Freiburg, 3M) might not pick up a lot of points, but he's a cheap starter that could help you free up funds for more expensive Fantasy assets.
Filling in for the injured Ismail Jakobs, Salih Özcan (FC Köln, 3M) impressed in FC Köln's recent 6-0 win over Altglienicke in the DFB-Pokal, scoring and making an assist. However, it's doubtful if he will remain in the starting eleven following the arrivals of Ondrej Duda (FC Köln, 7M) and Sebastian Andersson, who could both be thrown straight into the line-up. Jan Thielmann (FC Köln, 4M) will probably start once more, although he might play on the wing instead of up front as he did in the DFB-Pokal, while Elvis Rexhbecaj, FC Köln, 5M) and Dominick Drexler (FC Köln, 6M) will also be competing for a starting spot.
The fact that Gonzalo Castro (Stuttgart, 4M) has been made new VfB Stuttgart captain ahead of the 2020/21 season is a testament to his importance for the club. Castro recently played as an attacking midfielder against Rostock in the DFB-Pokal, and having racked up three goals and seven assists in 28 league games last season, the former Borussia Dortmund player could offer good value for money at 4 million.
At the age of 17 years and 15 days, Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen, 6M) became the youngest player to ever feature for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, overtaking the record held by Kai Havertz, who recently left to join Chelsea. Wirtz went on to make a total of seven appearances last season, scoring once, and is expected to take the next step in his development following Havertz's departure. It's unclear just how much playing time the 17-year-old will get this season, but he should have a good chance of starting against Wolfsburg on Sunday after Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz described him as the best player on the pitch in Leverkusen's 7-0 win over Norderstedt in the DFB-Pokal.
Admir Mehmedi (Wolfsburg, 7M) costs 7 million, which isn't a high price to pay for a player that has been a solid Fantasy asset for years. Playing as an attacking midfielder or winger, the Swiss international chipped in with three goals and five assists in 28 games for Wolfsburg in all competitions last season.
On set-piece duty for Arminia Bielefeld, Marcel Hartel (Bielefeld, 7M) made 13 assists last season, chipping in with a goal as well. 'Die Arminen' could be in for a rough year in the Bundesliga, but when they score, it's likely that Hartel is involved.
He might not start every game due to the fierce competition for attacking places at Borussia Dortmund, but Giovanni Reyna (Dortmund, 7M) should get plenty of minutes in the upcoming season. BVB coach Lucien Favre is clearly a big fan of the youngster, who made his breakthrough in the second half of last season. Reyna has looked sharp in pre-season and scored in Monday's 5-0 win over Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal, so he should have a good chance of starting against Wolfsburg on Saturday.
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Daniel Caligiuri (Augsburg, 9M) is likely to play an important role for Augsburg after making the move to WWK-Arena from Schalke 04. The 32-year-old, who scored on his competitive debut for Augsburg in the DFB-Pokal last week, was sometimes utilized as a right-back or right wing-back at Schalke, but will be playing on the right wing for his new club. As an additional plus, Caligiuri should be on set-piece duty. Playing on the opposite wing, Ruben Vargas (Augsburg, 9M) is another potential differential from Augsburg. Having racked up six goals and two assists in his first Bundesliga season, the Swiss winger could be in for an even better campaign.
Things never really worked out for Hannes Wolf (Gladbach, 9M) at RB Leipzig, but he now has a good chance of bringing his career back on track at Borussia-Park, where he has been reunited with Marco Rose, who he played under at RB Salzburg. Wolf has looked impressive in pre-season and should start on Saturday with French duo Alassane Plea and Marcus Thuram still not completely fit after long-term injuries.
Tahith Chong (Werder Bremen, 9M) has looked promising in pre-season after joining Werder Bremen on loan from Manchester United. The Dutch winger made an instant impact after coming on for his competitive debut against Carl Zeiss Jena in the DFB-Pokal last week and scored a great goal shortly before the final whistle. The 20-year-old isn't locked on to start for the new season, so bringing him in for matchday 1 is a gamble, but he's a player to keep an eye on under all circumstances. Maximilian Eggestein (Werder Bremen, 10M) and Davy Klaassen (Werder Bremen, 10M) are other solid picks from a Bremen side, who begin the season with a favorable opening schedule as they look to improve on their underwhelming 2019/20 campaign.
Christoph Baumgartner (Hoffenheim, 10M) was one of the biggest breakout stars in the Bundesliga last season, racking up seven goals and four assists in 26 league games, and it will be interesting to see if he can take the next step in his development in the new season.
Another breakout star of the 2019/20 campaign, Daichi Kamada (Frankfurt, 11M) has emerged as a key player for Frankfurt. After scoring 10 goals and making nine assists in 48 games in all competitions last season, the Japanese attacking midfielder could be even better in the new season.
Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg, 11M) rounded off the 2019/20 season in excellent style, scoring two goals and making seven assists in his last 10 league games. Grifo's price tag is definitely a little high, but he could be a great differential.
17-year-old Jude Bellingham (Dortmund, 11M) has a realistic chance of breaking into Dortmund's starting eleven after an excellent pre-season. The central midfielder has received praise from all sides and should stay in the starting eleven after starting and scoring against Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal on Monday.
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Having been moved from attack to midfield on the game, Lars Stindl (Gladbach, 12M) is now a much more attractive Fantasy asset. The Gladbach player is a proven goalscorer and chipped in with nine goals and three assists in the league last season. Priced at 12 million as well, his teammate Jonas Hofmann (Gladbach, 12M) is another solid midfield pick from 'Die Fohlen'.
Leon Goretzka (Bayern, 14M) took a huge step forward last season and emerged as a safe starter as the season progressed, racking up eight goals and 11 assists in 38 games in all competitions. Playing as a box-to-box midfielder for Bayern, the 25-year-old should be involved in plenty of goals and assists.
After a little while, Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig, 14M) eventually managed to nail down a starting spot for Leipzig after his move from Dinamo Zagreb in January. The attacking midfielder has scored five goals in his first 16 games for 'Die Roten Bullen' in all competitions and could have a huge season ahead of him.
Filip Kostic (Franfurt, 15M) has been a consistent source of points in the last few seasons and remains an intriguing option despite his high price tag, especially considering Frankfurt's favorable opening fixtures.
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern, 16M) has been a pivotal part of many Fantasy Bundesliga teams for the past seasons, but now that the German international is no longer a defender on the game, he might no longer be worth his hefty price tag. The 25-year-old should still score the odd goal and will certainly chip in with assists, taking most of Bayern's set-pieces. But in comparison, Leroy Sané (Bayern München, 17M) costs just a million more despite playing in a much more attacking position. Sané will probably need a bit of time to get up to full speed after his long injury spell, but should start against Schalke 04, with Kingsley Coman highly likely to miss the opener after coming into contact with a person infected with the coronavirus.
Finally, it's hard to look past Jadon Sancho (Dortmund, 17M), of course. The 20-year-old racked up 17 goals and 17 assists in the league last season and is expected to play up front alongside Erling Haaland despite being listed as a midfielder on the game. As an extra plus, he now appears to be Dortmund's main penalty-taker when Marco Reus is not on the pitch after scoring from the spot against Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal on Monday.
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Other Fantasy Bundesliga articles:
Fantasy Bundesliga tips: Goalkeepers to consider for the 2020/21 season
Fantasy Bundesliga tips: Defenders to consider for the 2020/21 season
Fantasy Bundesliga tips: Strikers to consider for the 2020/21 season
Fantasy Bundesliga: Must-haves and differentials for Matchday 1
Predicted line-ups: Bundesliga Matchday 1