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.
Borussia M’gladbach v. FC Bayern München:
M: Lars Stindl, Midfielder (BMG, 13M, 7%) - Stindl has been playing very well leading up to the start of the new Bundesliga season. He scored in the DFB Pokal on Monday against Kaiserslautern and also in the friendly a week prior against FC Groningen of the Eredivisie. The top scorer for Gladbach last season, Stindl has set himself up well to repeat that feat. Bayern have not had a positive preseason by any stretch as they have been shutout by both Napoli and Gladbach in recent weeks.
D: Alassane Pléa, Forward (BMG, 13M, 0%) - Pléa was a mixed bag of results last season, starting 19 of 29 matches and netting six goals and one assist on the year. However, with Thuram and Embolo nursing injuries, Pléa could find extended playing time to start the season.
VfL Wolfsburg v. VfL Bochum 1848:
M: Wout Weghorst, Forward (WOB, 14M, 10%) - Coming off a fantastic season with 20 goals to his name, Weghorst still finds himself in Wolfsburg after plenty of rumours saw him going elsewhere. With goals in his previous two matches as well, the DFB Pokal on Sunday and a friendly against Atlético Madrid prior, Weghorst is primed to start the new season out strong.
D: Elvis Rexhbecaj, Midfielder (BOC, 6M, 0%) - Rexhbecaj will get a chance to play against his parent club as he goes out on loan for the second straight season. Last year with Köln, he had his best senior outing, scoring five times with two assists in 20 starts.
1. FC Union Berlin v. Bayer 04 Leverkusen:
M: Patrik Schick, Forward (B04, 13M, 8%) - The darling of the Euros, Schick certainly made a name for himself with his outstanding forward play over the summer. The question will be if he can replicate that form with Leverkusen. With Leon Bailey gone to Aston Villa, Schick will be heavily relied upon to produce.
D: Taiwo Awoniyi, Forward (FCU, 7M, 1%) - With the permanent transfer away from Liverpool finalized, Awoniyi can now focus completely on his task with Union. Leverkusen’s defense has many question marks leading up to this match and Awoniyi could take advantage of some shaky defending.
VfB Stuttgart v. SpVgg Greuther Fürth:
M: Borna Sosa, Defender (VFB, 11M, 14%) - Easily one of the best crossers in the league, Sosa will continue to be one of the more attack-minded defenders in the game. Priced at a very reasonable 11M, he will not break your bank and he is the best alternative to Angeliño and Guerreiro.
D: Hamadi Al Ghaddioui, Forward (VFB, 4M, 0%) - With Saša Kalajdžić set to miss the match due to Covid, Al Ghaddioui has the opportunity to make some noise in this short window until Saša is back. Against newly promoted and relegation candidates Fürth, he won’t have many other better opportunities.
FC Augsburg v. TSG Hoffenheim:
M: Andrej Kramarić, Forward (TSG, 14M, 3%) - Hoffenheim’s talisman started off last season on fire with six goals in his first three games. With two goals in their DFB Pokal match on Monday, Kramarić looks to begin this season no different. Now in the second season under the tutelage of Sebastian Hoeneß, Hoffenheim have their eyes set on achieving a bit more.
D: Florian Niederlechner, Forward (FCA, 8M, 1%) - Niederlechner finished off last season very strong, scoring twice in the final three games. He has continued to have a positive preseason as well, netting last weekend in their DFB Pokal match.
DSC Arminia Bielefeld v. Sport-Club Freiburg:
M: Vincenzo Grifo, Midfielder (SCF, 12M, 5%) - Freiburg’s top scorer should pick up right where he left off last season, putting in top drawer performances game in and game out. Most would be surprised to see Grifo still in the Freiburg stripes after such a season but alas he will still ply his trade in the Black Forest.
D: Ermedin Demirović, Forward (SCF, 9M, 1%) - Demirović showed flashes last year that he could cut it in the Bundesliga with some spectacular goals and a keen eye for the final pass. Five goals and six assists in 19 starts is promising and Freiburg will rely on him even more this year.
Borussia Dortmund v. Eintracht Frankfurt:
M: Filip Kostić, Midfielder (SGE, 14M, 17%) - One of the top Fantasy providers in the game, Kostić will tirelessly send in cross after cross and rack up plenty of points outside of the usual goals and assists. Losing Andre Silva will make it a little tougher but Kostić will still be one of the top players each week.
D: Amin Younes, Midfielder (SGE, 11M, 1%) - WIth Dortmund’s squad having strong ownership throughout all players, Younes provides a great differential value with high upside. He provided plenty of spark last season in 16 starts and will be looking to improve on that number this season.
1. FSV Mainz 05 v. RB Leipzig:
M: Christopher Nkunku, Midfielder (RBL, 14M, 10%) - Nkunku will figure to be an integral part of the Leipzig squad again this year. After a less than satisfactory year compared to his breakout season the year before, Nkunku should be over his second year slump. He regularly takes many shots and should contend for a good portion of the set piece duties as well.
D: Jean-Paul Boëtius, Midifielder (M05, 7M, 1%) - Boëtius will be responsible for most of Mainz’s attacking plays as they look to pull off a major upset to begin the season. He takes many corners and is their most creative player in the midfield.
1. FC Köln v. Hertha BSC:
M: Mark Uth, Forward (KOE, 8M, 1%) - Uth had a very successful spell with the Billy Goats in 2019, scoring and assisting five times each in 15 appearances. After an extremely disappointing season last year, Uth will be eager to find that old form as he was never able to mirror those performances with Schalke.
D: Dodi Lukébakio, Forward (BSC, 8M, 0%) - Lukébakio should be starting on the wing for Hertha as they look to improve on their underwhelming previous season. Mainstays Cunha and Piatek will be missing so now would be the best time for Lukébakio to prove he is as deserving as the two bigger names in front of him.
Looking for other Fantasy Bundesliga articles ahead of Matchday 1? Check out all of our Fantasy Bundesliga tips and information here.