Matchday 15 (MD15) marks the start of the so called ‘English Woche’ (English Week) – the German term given to a week that includes a midweek round of fixtures, referring to the intense fixture schedules present within English football. This week presents a lot of seemingly even match-ups and so also a lot of opportunity for gains, especially with the unpredictability of the league shown in recent weeks.

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GOALKEEPERS

MARK FLEKKEN (7.5m), MARVIN SCHWABE (1.0m)

Mark Flekken is currently second for points in Bundesliga Fantasy but faces one of his toughest challenges of the season as he looks to keep out an in-form Hoffenheim attack. Freiburg are no slouches defensively, however, and have the best defensive record in the league with 13 goals conceded thus far. Flekken has been a key factor in that, currently sitting third for saves amongst Bundesliga goalkeepers and Freiburg will be looking for another strong performance from him as they look to build on last week’s demolition of Gladbach.

With Timo Horn out until January, Marvin Schwabe will continue to deputise in goal at Koln. At just 1.0m, he is a brilliant budget enabler, has a Friday kick-off and has so far got 12 points in his two starts. Definitely a good player to have in your squad for these last three weeks before winter break.

DEFENDERS

ALPHONSO DAVIES (14.9m), RAPHAEL GUERREIRO (14.3m), NIKO GIESSELMANN (5.2m), BENNO SCHMITZ (4.8m), JULIAN RYERSON (3.5m)

Alphonso Davies has been in top form in recent weeks, playing for a Bayern side that somehow manage to look stronger each season and the development of Davies since his move from Canada has been a big part in this. Bayern have conceded just five goals at home this season and Davies is also underperforming his expected goals (xG) stats by 1.4. Bayern will look to put on another dominant display and Phonsy’s contribution to the attack will be critical in causing problems on the right hand side of Mainz’s defence. He also averages the joint-most points per week amongst defenders this season with nine points.

When fit, Raphael Guerreiro is one of the most exciting Fantasy Bundesliga defenders. Having returned from injury against Bayern Munich last week and been rested in midweek, he will hope to profit from Dortmund’s extremely kind schedule to end the calendar year where they face Bochum, Greuther Furth and Hertha. He is also averaging nine points per game.

Niko Giesselmann has been one of this season’s star performers and currently has three goals and three assists to his name. Travelling to Greuther Furth – arguably the worst team the Bundesliga has ever seen – Giesselman will look to get more attacking returns to compound further misery on a side that is conceding over three goals per game.

Benno Schmitz has averaged seven points per game this season. He plays for the only side still unbeaten at home this season and faces Augsburg – yet to win away from home with just three goals from seven games on the road. Schmitz already has four assists, so there is strong potential for points at both ends of the pitch. The Friday kick-off also gives added Star Man flexibility.

With Union Berlin managing Europa Conference League fixtures, Julian Ryerson will likely come in this weekend to give a rest to Christopher Trimmel. Ryerson has two goals to his name this season and will look to capitalise on a Greuther Furth defence that seems to have no comprehension of what defending is.

MIDFIELDERS

JONAS HOFMANN (14.7m), JUDE BELLINGHAM (12.9m), DOMINIK SZOBOSZLAI (11.9m), ALESSANDRO SCHOPF (6.8m), ROBERTO MASSIMO (3.9m)

While Gladbach have had a penchant for capitulating recently, Jonas Hofmann still has 49 points from the last three matches. If anyone is going to score for them, it likely involves Hofmann. He is involved in shooting and creating opportunities so the ceiling and floor are both high.

Dortmund have a real knack of getting young talent and converting them into absolute superstars and Jude Bellingham has been no different. Aged 18, he is already one of the Bundesliga’s best midfielders and has improved his contribution to the Dortmund attack this season with two goals and five assists from 13 Bundesliga games. The fixtures give a chance for Bellingham to build on the 16-point haul gained against Bayern Munich.

RB Leipzig began the post-Jesse Marsch era with a surprise 2-1 win over Manchester City in the Champions League and will look to maintain momentum against a Gladbach side that have conceded ten goals in their last two games. Dominik Szoboszlai was a key cog in the midweek victory and will hope to put in another strong performance this weekend by adding to his three goals and four assists of this league campaign.

While Masaya Okugawa has been the one getting returns for Bielefeld in recent weeks, it’s Alessandro Schopf who has the most points in their attack. Averaging seven points during the last three matches, he faces an equally out-of-form Hertha Berlin side. Schopf will really need to pull the strings and add to his total of 29 key passes, which ranks eighth amongst all players in the league.

To afford the rest of the team, a budget enabler in midfield is needed and this week that man is Stuttgart’s Roberto Massimo. He occupyies the right wing-back slot and therefore will be encouraged to bomb forward against Wolfsburg, an opponent that has shown no improvement since sacking their coach at the end of October.

FORWARDS

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (20.2m), ERLING HAALAND (17.7m), TAIWO AWONIYI (9.1m)

Robert Lewandowski has failed to score in only five of this season’s 22 games across all competitions and sits top of the Bundesliga scoring charts with 16. Despite facing a defensively-solid Mainz outfit that have conceded just 14 goals this season, Bayern are Bayern and Lewandowski is Lewandowski.

Erling Haaland has four goals in just over 125 minutes of football since returning from injury versus Wolfsburg two weeks ago. Having him back and fit is crucial if Dortmund want to challenge for the title and Haaland will look to build on his 11 Bundesliga goals against the league’s second-worst side for expected goals conceded (xGC).

With a low price tag, nine Bundesliga goals and an opposing defence that has conceded hat-tricks in the last two weeks, Taiwo Awoniyi will hope to become the next forward to help himself at the feast. Awoniyi also gives you additional Star Man flexibility on top of the template duo of Lewandowski and Haaland.