Whilst Bayern crashed out of the Champions League, Leipzig and Frankfurt both booked their place in the Europa League semi-finals. There are five games left of the Bundesliga season and still a lot to play for, especially in the top four and relegation spots.
Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland will not be in our weekly picks as always, just to keep things interesting.
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Goalkeepers
Mark Flekken (8.5m), Yann Sommer (9.9m)
The highest-scoring keeper in Bundesliga Fantasy is Mark Flekken and he makes this squad thanks to a solid home tie against Bochum. The visitors have beaten Hoffenheim and drawn with Leverkusen in their last two games, so they won’t be easy customers, but will likely struggle against Freiburg’s compact defence.
Yann Sommer has 43 points from his last four games, as a much-improved Gladbach side host Cologne. The Swiss stopper has made more saves than anyone this season (117) and should still have plenty to do against Steffen Baumgart’s inconsistent Billy Goats.
Defenders
Iago (8.1m), Nico Schlotterbeck (10.5m), Borna Sosa (11.8m), Niko Giesselmann (5.5m), Silvan Widmer (7.6m)
Iago has become of Augsburg’s key players of late, with two goals and four assists since the turn of the year. Markus Weinzerl’s side host the Hertha Berlin team which shipped four to low-scoring Union in last week’s derby, boding well for Iago’s prospects at both ends. Hertha haven’t won at home since mid-October and Iago should have plenty of opportunities to score big, as Augsburg have come into a strong vein of form.
Picking the highest-scoring defender in Bundesliga Fantasy ahead of a good fixture against Bochum is a no-brainer. Freiburg will likely have one eye on Tuesday’s Pokal tie in Hamburg but know they can’t afford slip-ups as they continue to battle for the top four. Nico Schlotterbeck is a set-piece goal threat with the second most duels won of any defender (327), giving him both a high points base and ceiling.
Borna Sosa has come back into form for Stuttgart, especially thanks to Sasa Kaladjzic’s return to fitness. Although they are often a different beast at home, Mainz are now winless in three games and Sosa can pick up points across the pitch thanks to his set-piece and attacking threat.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s win at the Camp Nou is one of the club’s great nights but the pictures of them on Barcelona beach this morning do not fill me with confidence for their performance in Berlin on Sunday. Union will be raring to go after their derby demolition of Hertha and Niko Giesselmann may well be afforded plenty of space against a tired Frankfurt side who have been underwhelming domestically.
Despite the poor form of Mainz, they’ve conceded just eight home goals all season and sit fourth in the home league table. Silvan Widmer averages 10.4 points per home game this season and Mainz host a Stuttgart side who, whilst improving, are still languishing toward the foot of the table.
Midfielders
David Raum (12.6m), Dominik Szoboszlai (12.7m), Andre Hahn (9.1m), Vincenzo Grifo (16.7m), Julian Brandt (12.5m)
Hoffenheim have somewhat fallen off the wagon in recent weeks, with losses to Hertha, Bochum and Leipzig. A home tie against Fürth is the perfect game to get back into form and they have David Raum back after he missed Matchday 29. The wing-back has three goals and eight assists this season, thanks to his wicked left foot and set-piece deliveries, plus he returned 16 points in the reverse fixture.
After Dani Olmo and Christopher Nkunku both started on Thursday evening against Atalanta and Leipzig also play in the Pokal on Wednesday, Dominik Szoboszlai looks set to start on Sunday. The Hungarian averages over ten points per game when he’s started this season, with Leipzig currently the most in-form team in Germany.
Andre Hahn is expected to start up front for Augsburg against the very bad Hertha Berlin. Augsburg have been in good form recently and Hahn has a goal and an assist from his last four games.
Freiburg talisman Vincenzo Grifo is on penalties, as well as being their highest-scoring player this season. Grifo is the third-highest midfielder in the game ahead of this strong clash with Bochum.
Julian Brandt scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season against Stuttgart and will start again against Wolfsburg on Saturday. He also has six assists to his name, alongside averaging over eight points for each game at the Signal Iduna.
Forwards
Jonathan Burkhardt (9.3m), Marco Reus (16.9m), Ihlas Bebou (9.0m)
Mainz may have lost their last three games but that hasn’t stopped Jonathan Burkhardt from bagging three goals and 32 points. Matchday 30 opponents Stuttgart haven’t kept a clean sheet since they drew 0-0 with Fürth in early January, which bodes well for Burkhardt.
Wolfsburg have been woefully inconsistent of late and Dortmund should have enough to sweep them aside. Marco Reus grabbed 11 points in last Friday’s 2-0 win and makes this side again thanks to a great fixture and my rule not to pick Haaland.
Ihlas Bebou has been stuck as a wing-back recently but should move back up top this week, with Andrej Kramaric missing out. Bebou grabbed 23 points in the reverse fixture, including a hat-trick, and should get plenty of chances in a game that could see Fürth relegated if other ties go against them.
2 years, 8 months ago
Already regretting not having Salah vs. United. Just have to hope he's a bit tired from the cup!