Fantasy Bundesliga: Must-haves and differentials for Matchday 1
Ahead of Matchday 1, we have highlighted a must-have player (M) and a differential pick (D) from each game that you should consider for your Fantasy Bundesliga team.
FC Bayern München v. FC Schalke 04:
M: Robert Lewandowski, Forward (FCB, 18M, 76% Ownership) - The most expensive player in the game is a must in every lineup. Bayern’s unbeaten run is sure to continue and with the arrival of Leroy Sané, Lewandowski will have even more opportunities to score.
D: Mark Uth, Forward (S04, 11M, 0%) - While owned by less than 1% of managers in the game, Uth will be looking to finally make a name for himself at Schalke on his second stint after his loan expiration with Köln. During that loan spell, Uth was able to bag five goals and five assists in 15 appearances with The Billy Goats.
Eintracht Frankfurt v. DSC Arminia Bielefeld:
M: Filip Kostić, Midfielder (SGE, 15M, 10%) - One of the top performers in the fantasy game last season, Kostić should continue to provide multiple scoring opportunities for himself and teammates. A first matchup with newly promoted Bielefeld will be an ample test as Eintracht push for Europe again this year.
D: Bas Dost, Forward (SGE, 11M, 0%) - After a strong end to the previous campaign, three goals in his final four games, Dost has continued to star upfront for the Eagles. Although the most recent DFB Pokal matchup was against 1860, a goal and an assist should boost his confidence for the start of the season.
1. FC Union Berlin v. FC Augsburg:
M: Christopher Trimmel, Defender (FCU, 10M, 3%) - As one of the top assist producers in the league last year, 11 assists on 32 starts, Trimmel will provide some of the best attacking returns of any defender in the game. He was also in the top 15 of players with crosses into open play with 66.
D: Alfreð Finnbogason, Forward (FCA, 9M, 0%) - With Florian Niederlechner taking most of the attention away from the Union defenders, this could open up space for a healthy Finnbogason.
1. FC Köln v. TSG Hoffenheim:
M: Christoph Baumgartner, Midfielder (TSG, 10M, 5%) - After bursting onto the scene last year, Baumgartner showed he can be the catalyst for Hoffenheim’s attack. If Andrej Kramarić can stay healthy, they could be a deadly partnership.
D: Sebastian Andersson, Forward (KOE, 10M, 0%) - After just putting pen to paper on his new contract after his switch from Union, Andersson will be looking to fill the shoes of recently departed striker Jhon Cordoba. Andersson led the league with seven headed goals last season.
SV Werder Bremen v. Hertha Berlin:
M: Matheus Cunha, Forward (BSC, 12M, 4%) - When Cunha made the move to Hertha from Leipzig last year, his presence was immediately felt and injected new life into a sub-par Hertha squad. With a goal and two assists in the most recent DFB Pokal match, Cunha will be rounding into form quickly.
D: Theodor Gebre Selassie, Defender (SVW, 8M, 1%) - The ironman of the Bremen defence, Selassie is sure to get forward and will play every minute of the season as long as he stays healthy. Bremen has very favorable matchups to start the season and the pressure will be on to perform early after the disaster of last season.
VfB Stuttgart v. Sport-Club Freiburg:
M: Christian Günter, Defender (SCF, 11M, 6%) - One of the top scoring defenders last year, Günter provided two goals and 10 assists in 34 games. The Freiburg captain also had a staggering 115 crosses from open play, only topped by Filip Kostić’s outstanding 209.
D: Nils Petersen, Forward (SCF, 10M, 1%) - With the departure of Luca Waldschmidt to Benfica, Freiburg will look to club legend Petersen to continue his scoring ways. He still managed to put 11 in the back of the net last season.
Borussia Dortmund v. Borussia M’gladbach:
M: Jadon Sancho, Midfielder (BVB, 17M, 49%) - After much fanfare on whether he would return to England, the Dortmund talisman will lace up again for the Black and Yellows. With 17 goals and 17 assists last year, Sancho should have a permanent roster spot on your fantasy squad.
D: Patrick Herrmann, Forward (BMG, 9M, 0%) - With Marcus Thuram and Alassane Plea nursing injuries, Herrman is expected to lead the line for Gladbach. With six goals and eight assists last term, he can be of great return for his value.
RB Leipzig v. 1. FSV Mainz 05:
M: Marcel Sabitzer, Midfielder (RBL, 14M, 22%) - Sabitzer’s ability to score and assist is among some of the best in the world. Able to hit you at any point, he is undoubtedly the one who is expected to make up for the loss of Werner. While he won’t score as many as Werner, he has the opportunity to make a bigger impact in other ways. You should be aware, however, that the The 26-year-old is a doubt after picking up a knock in the DFB-Pokal recently.
D: Daniel Brosinski, Defender (M05, 9M, 0%) - An attacking-minded wing-back, Brosinski will almost assuredly get his hands on a few goals and assists this season. He is also the designated penalty and corner taker for Mainz.
VfL Wolfsburg v. Bayer 04 Leverkusen:
M: Patrik Schick, Forward (B04, 14M, 0%) - Leverkusen finally have a traditional center forward that can help finish the opportunities their speedy wingers are able to create. Already used to playing in the Bundesliga, Schick should hit the ground running for a side hoping to create a name for themselves after losing their superstar phenom Kai Havertz.
D: Paulo Otávio, Defender (WOB, 8M, 0%) - Before an ankle injury derailed his season, Otávio was establishing himself as the new left-back for Wolfsburg. After a healthy offseason, Otávio will be looking to get back to the fantastic form he was in before the injury.
Looking for other Fantasy Bundesliga articles ahead of Matchday 1? Check out our predicted line-ups here and our general Fantasy Bundesliga tips here.