BL Fantasy 2020/21: MD5

Vincenzo Grifo may find his “post restart” form against Union Berlin in matchday five of Fantasy Bundesliga 2020/21

Fantasy Bundesliga prepares itself for yet another exciting matchday. The fifth round of Bundesliga 2020/21 will begin at the Mercedes-Benz Arena with VfB Stuttgart hosting FC Koln. Bayern Munich, having thrashed Atletico Madrid by four-nil in the UEFA Champions League, will now deal with Adi Hutter’s Eintracht Frankfurt. RB Leipzig are on top of the league table but matchday five poses a precarious test against Hertha Berlin. Borussia Dortmund suffered a shocking three-one loss against Lazio in midweek Champions League clash. Lucien Favre will look to rectify the wrongdoings in a late-night Revierderby on Saturday. Their previous encounter saw Schalke losing four-nil to Der BVB. Erling Haaland, Jadon Sancho, and Giovanni Reyna would be among the favourites to get the “star” in one’s Fantasy Bundesliga squad ahead of matchday five.

So many players to choose from – FootTheBall comes to your rescue, once again. Here are the top three picks garnered for helping you leapfrog your Fantasy Bundesliga rivals in matchday five of the 2020/21 season.

Munas Dabbur (€11.6m)

Forward – TSG Hoffenheim

Andrej Kramaric is going places and remains Hoffenheim’s star player in the spotlight. The problem, however, is that Munas Dabbur whose price tag is slightly above the Fantasy Bundesliga average price among the forwards is a completely forgotten hero. The Israeli striker literally has 0% popularity on the Fantasy Bundesliga charts, barring a few latent decimals.

A late evening fixture on Sunday against Werder Bremen should catch one’s attention for considering Dabbur’s inclusion in their squad. The 28-year old has fired seven shots in his last three league outings, completing 181 minutes on the pitch. While he has scored only one goal this season, his creative finesse cannot be ignored. Dabbur has delivered six key passes in the Bundesliga so far which saw him clock a total expected assists score of 0.5.

Kramaric is a doubt for the away trip to Bremen as the Croatian will be in isolation, recuperating from coronavirus. Sebastian Hoeness shall rely on Dabbur’s services at the tip of Hoffenheim’s attack. This is likely to augment Dabbur’s presence in the opposition box. The Israeli forward averages 5 touches in the box (as per data from the last three games) which should probably increase against Werder Bremen should Hoeness deploy Dabbur in Kramaric’s role.

Vincenzo Grifo (€11.6m)

Midfielder – SC Freiburg

Not in the same form as he displayed post the lockdown last season, Vincenzo Grifo could be a prudent choice in the midfield for matchday five of Fantasy Bundesliga 2020/21.

The 27-year old attacking midfielder was a doubt for Freiburg’s previous game against Werder Bremen albeit he got the nod to start the match. He has been quite shy in the current season, especially in the past two games – returning nine points. However, Freiburg’s upcoming game against Union Berlin may well swerve things in a different direction. Grifo’s attacking threat makes him a prized differential ahead of matchday five. The Italian has registered an average xG of 0.35 through almost three shots (both per 90) in Freiburg’s last three games. Moreover, his key pass delivery of 2.5 per 90 in the same timeframe is bound to get you some extra points this weekend.

Freiburg won by three-one in their previous encounter with the Iron Ones. Grifo got two assists to his name with a total expected assists score of 0.7. Currently owned by only 3% of the Fantasy Bundesliga managers, one must not overlook this mid-range midfielder for matchday five.

Ismail Jakobs (€6.7m)

Defender – FC Koln

Engrossed deeply in love with Effzeh, Ismail Jakobs recently put pen to a contract which would keep him with the Billy Goats until 2024. FC Koln’s managing director, Horst Heldt, considers him as a pillar of this team and is a fan of Jakobs’s athleticism. (News source: fc.de)

“With his athletic playing style, Iso has developed into a pillar in our team over the past season. Even though he is just 21 and still a young player, who grows with every game. We’re very pleased that he has decided to continue his path with FC and will support us with his class in order to stay in the Bundesliga.”

Jakobs returned to the starting eleven last week against Eintracht Frankfurt after recovering from a muscle injury. Playing on the left-wing, Jakobs delivered a solid performance. He registered a non-penalty expected goals score of 0.5 through a single shot. Gisdol is likely to deploy Jakobs in an attacking role on the left-flank given that Florian Kainz is still out with an injury.

He is rostered as a defender in the Fantasy Bundesliga which makes the risk-reward ratio even more enticing. Koln will travel to the Mercedes-Benz Arena on Friday to face VfB Stuttgart. Although Stuttgart have had a decent start to their life in Bundesliga 2020/21, keeping a clean-sheet is not one of their specialties. Stuttgart have conceded five goals in four games and were lucky that Hertha BSC could not finish their chances in the previous matchday.

Jakobs is an economical option – not so famous with only 1% of Fantasy Bundesliga population allowing him a place in their squad. This 21-year old winger is worth a gamble for matchday five.

(Stats courtesy: fbref.com and StatsBomb)

(Featured Image: Twitter/@dw_sports)