The new Bundesliga Fantasy season gets underway today, with Matchday 1 bringing plenty of big decisions for managers.

Ahead of the opening deadline, our Fantasy experts reveal their first teams of the season, highlighting their key picks and plans.

• READ MORE: The Scout Squad: Our top picks for FPL Gameweek 2
• READ MORE: Hall of Famer Dan Wright’s FPL Gameweek 2 Bench Boost team reveal

@Big4FPL

NOTES

• The Bundesliga is back, bringing with it some significant price increases and a new scoring system to navigate.
• My biggest decision is whether to play it safe with Harry Kane and Michael Olise, or spread the funds more evenly across the squad. This draft shows one route to owning both.
• Friday’s press conferences could open up more budget options. Players such as Fillippo Mane and Louis Lemke could free up enough money to strengthen the midfield.
• Olise and Kane currently take the two attacking star-player slots. In defence, Julian Ryerson is my current star player. However, I’ll look to upgrade him to Nathaniel Brown if I can find the extra budget.

@MeijersDavid

NOTES

• Goalkeepers: Matheo Raab and Fabian Bredlow – At the start of the season, I always look for the cheapest possible playing combination. Injuries to the usual first-choice goalkeepers have created some bargains. Bredlow should start for Stuttgart until after the international break, when Dennis Seimen is expected to return. Meanwhile, Frederik Rønnow’s injury should hand Raab at least the Matchday 1 start for Union Berlin.
• Defenders: Nathanial Brown, Nikola Katić, Elias Baum and Filippo Mané – After Bayern’s Supercup win over Dortmund, Brown quickly found his way into my squad. Vincent Kompany has used him out of position behind the striker recently, so he could even start as the number 10. Fortunately, we’ll see Bayern’s line-up before the deadline. Even at left-back, though, I still like him. Katić offers huge duel potential and an aerial threat, while Schalke look capable defensively. Baum has secured the right-back spot under Adi Hütter and offers attacking threat alongside good early fixtures. Mané could also prove a bargain at 1.62m, particularly with Ramy Bensebaini currently struggling with a rib injury.
• Midfielders: Michael Olise, Can Uzun, Brajan Gruda, Patrick Wimmer, Adil Aouchiche and Ezechiel Banzuzi – I tried to build without Olise, but another impressive Supercup display changed my mind. Going without both him and Harry Kane is viable, but Olise feels too difficult for me to ignore. Uzun is also close to locked, with free-kick and corner duties adding to his appeal. Gruda looks underpriced for an attacking Leipzig midfielder and has already shown his huge ceiling. Wimmer’s position is less secure in my draft, with Said El Mala and Malick Tillman available at similar prices. However, injuries to Andrej Kramarić and Tim Lemperle should boost his Matchday 1 minutes. He also heads into the season after two goals and an assist in the DFB-Pokal. Aouchiche and Banzuzi provide the cheaper midfield enablers. Both should have significant roles, with Aouchiche also offering set-piece involvement.
• Forwards: Phillip Tietz, Afonso Moreira and Younes Ebnoutalib – Spending heavily in midfield means going cheaper up front, but I’m happy with the current trio. Tietz arrives in excellent form after a DFB-Pokal hat-trick. He also faces promoted Paderborn, who are expected to struggle this season, so he currently gets my attacking star slot. Moreira also faces promoted opposition and looks underpriced at 9.75m for a starting Leverkusen attacker with good expected minutes. Ebnoutalib completes the attack after partnering Jonathan Burkardt throughout pre-season. He looks set for a significant role under Hütter and provides useful cover if one of my other forwards disappoints.

@KarbownikFF

NOTES

• Matchday 1 is here and a new Bundesliga Fantasy season begins. My main goal this year is to secure a top-20 finish and hopefully come away with a prize.
• Goalkeepers: Fabian Bredlow and Fritz Gagzow – Bredlow should remain Stuttgart’s first-choice goalkeeper until Dennis Seimen returns from injury, which isn’t expected until after the international break. Gagzow is simply a 1m enabler who allows me to invest more elsewhere.
• Defenders: Filippo Mané, Josip Juranović, Matthias Ginter, Felix Keidel and Nathanial Brown – Mané and Keidel are primarily cheap options until more value emerges. Juranović appeals at his price due to his corner-taking duties and potential involvement with penalties. Ginter has better early fixtures and should continue to benefit from his strong duel numbers. Brown is the standout, with his current out-of-position role adding to his appeal while Jamal Musiala remains unavailable.
• Midfield is where I’ve invested heavily, with five premium options alongside a cheap enabler in Laurin Ulrich. The idea is to counter managers owning one or more of Luis Díaz, Michael Olise and Harry Kane. I’m hoping spreading that money across midfield can outweigh going without those premium assets.
• Forwards: Phillip Tietz and Younes Ebnoutalib – Tietz looks difficult to ignore given Mainz’s excellent opening fixtures. Ebnoutalib is one of the cheapest nailed attackers in the game, making him a straightforward selection. I’m planning to start in a 4-5-1 because I prefer the midfield and defensive options to most of the forwards. My current star players are Brown, Can Uzun and Tietz.

@FPL2137

NOTES

• The strategy for Matchday 1 is to own Harry Kane but go without Michael Olise, using the extra budget to strengthen the rest of the squad. Kane feels very difficult to oppose. With Serhou Guirassy not guaranteed 90 minutes, there isn’t an obvious alternative for the forward star slot.
• Luis Díaz is another option but comes at a significant price. Going without Olise is a risk, but Nadiem Amiri provides an appealing alternative. He has an excellent opening fixture and takes Mainz’s set pieces, giving him the tools to challenge the expensive Bayern midfielder.
• Up front, Younes Ebnoutalib offers excellent value. The Frankfurt attacker is very cheap and also benefits from a strong opening four fixtures. Frankfurt are also behind two more selections. Can Uzun offers attacking threat and some set-piece involvement, while Keita Kosugi appeals as a cheap defensive option if his starting place looks secure.
• Julian Ryerson looks like a straightforward pick at the back. He plays as a wing-back, has some set-piece involvement and starts with an excellent fixture for one of the league’s strongest sides.
• Both goalkeepers are cheap and expected to start, allowing more of the budget to be invested elsewhere. Ideally, my three star players would be Kane, Olise and Ryerson.
• As things stand, though, Kane, Amiri and Ryerson have the stars. The remaining positions are still up for grabs and will become clearer closer to the deadline.