Allsvenskan Fantasy

Fantasy Allsvenskan GW17 – What we know so far Part 1

With just over half the season played in two months’ time (absolutely insane), it’s time to take stock of what we know so far, what has happened and what’s likely to happen in the second half of the season that has a considerably slower pace. As for the looming Blank Gameweek 19 and Double Gameweek 21 that was just announced – the teams taking part (and missing out) are Elfsborg, Mjällby, Falkenberg, and Varberg. We will get to that in due time and who to target but for now, I will take a short look at every team and their prospects going forward, as well as top performers so far.

This is part one with AIK-IFK Göteborg being covered.

AIK

Going into the season, coach Rikard Norling was tasked with adopting a new way of playing, focusing more on the attack. He chose to do this by switching from zonal defence to man marking, 3-5-2 (or 5-3-2 at times) went out the window and a 3-4-3 approach was to be utilised. He used (partly out of necessity due to injuries) a lot of really young players, sprinkled with a few veterans. This ensured players like Paulos Abraham (4.7m), Bilal Hussein (4.8m), Eric Kahl (4.2m) and Robin Tihi (4.3m) became part of the early template, despite their actual returns being far from ideal. The system and AIK had some highs but the lows far outweighed them and Norling got sacked after losing to local rivals Djurgården in Gameweek 11, the first Djurgården win against AIK in the league in 9 years. New coach Bartosz Grzelak took over but the new manager bounce failed to materialise, with him getting just 2 draws and 3 losses from 5 games so far.

This has put AIK in a bit of a crisis and a potential degradation would be a massive financial blow for them, other than the pure footballing side of it where they will feel like they belong in Allsvenskan, having played more games at that level than any other Swedish club. With new signings Sotirios Papagiannopoulos (6.0m), Filip Rogic (7.0m) and Bojan Radulovic (6.0m) joining them to strengthen the defence, midfield and attack, it will be interesting to see what the second half of the season have in store for them. With unwavering faith, I maintain that Nabil Bahoui (8.9m) still have a part to play in our fantasy season…

BK Häcken

Häcken is having the season they always seem to have, just below the top clubs by beating everyone they are “supposed” to beat and losing to all the top clubs. This, coupled with a continued struggle while playing away from home, has placed them 5th in the table. Daleho Irandust (8.7m) is the perfect example of just how uneven Häcken are, going from borderline essential to practically irrelevant, multiple times in a season. With goalkeeper Peter Abrahamsson (6.3m) injured for the rest of the season, they’ve brought in Pontus Dahlberg (6.0m) who have yet to play for them, with Jonathan Rasheed (4.5m) doing well in the meantime – at least from a fantasy perspective.

Leo Bengtsson (6.2m) is popping up as a useful squad player but now that Häcken’s fixtures stiffen considerably, question marks remain on just how much they can deliver in the upcoming games against Norrköping, AIK, Djurgården, Sirius, Elfsborg and Malmö. Alexander Söderlund (8.5m) is doing his job scoring goals, yet with just the one bonus point all season and in tough competition from other strikers in the game vying for our attention, his value remains questionable. Now might be the time to look elsewhere for points.

Djurgården

Champions of last season, the faith in Djurgården assets was initially high, which they largely failed to reward. Rotating way too much even with the tight schedule, it was obvious that Djurgården struggled to cope with the loss of Marcus Danielsson and Mohamed Buya Turay at the start. After making the reversed goalkeeper switch of last season, Tommi Vaiho (5.6m) gave way to Per Kristian Bråtveit (5.2m) and the defence has gradually improved, though they’re still privy to letting in the odd goal, enough to win games but rob us of clean sheet points. Aslak Fonn Witry (7.5m) has continued to deliver in attack and with bonus points, other than that it has just been Fredrik Ulvestad (7.8m) who has been relevant, scoring penalties every now and then.

Out in the first round of Champions League qualification, they now enter Europa League qualifiers. If they qualify for the group stage, expect more rotation to kick in again. Magnus Eriksson, who scored 14 goals and 7 assists for Djurgården back in 2017, looks like a pretty much-done deal and it will be interesting to see what price he comes in at, and what position. Playing as a winger, a central midfielder, and a forward, a favourable classification could be key to his appeal. Midfielder Edward Chilufya (5.7m) tends to get games either on the flank or as a central striker, which also could be worth keeping an eye on as he (briefly ahead of his injury) did start three games in a row as the first choice centre forward between Gameweek 2-4.

Falkenbergs FF

The goalkeeping duo of Johan Brattberg (4.5m) and Viktor Noring (4.1m) has been the most popular picks so far, alongside striker Edi Sylisufaj (5.0m). Recently, Karl Söderström (5.8m) and Christoffer Carlsson (5.5m) have been popping up with the odd goal and assist as well. More than anything, however, Falkenberg have been a team to bet against with the captaincy, as they have kept just one clean sheet all season, conceding the second-most goals in the division (26).

Going forward it is really just the double Gameweek 21 that appeals, and even then, there are few clear-cut options. Falkenberg will spend the rest of the season fighting for their continued survival in the top division and odds are, it is a losing battle.

Hammarby

Taking the league by storm last season, scoring a record-breaking 75 goals from 30 games (while conceding way too much in the process), the expectation was pretty much just more of the same this season. Out went Nikola Djurdjic and with him seemingly, every ounce of fighting spirit. For a long period of time, Muamer Tankovic (10.7m) Alexander Kačaniklić (9.6m) and Darijan Bojanic (9.1m) have looked like shadows of their former selves. With Paulinho (10.2m) and Aron Jóhannsson (8.7m) consistent struggles with fitness, Gustav Ludwigson (7.2m) has swooped in and staked his claim. 4 goals and 4 assists is hardly world-class but his work ethic, however, has been.

While it’s taken some time to kick into gear, along with a formation change which coach Stefan Billborn is far from committed to, Hammarby are slowly starting to become a team to be counted with again. 3 wins and 3 draws from their last 6 games, the signs of a turnaround are there – the players to target though are still few and far between, beyond Ludwigson. Darijan Bojanic is starting to show some encouraging signs and could be in for a more profitable second half of the season, while Kačaniklić and Paulinho remain big question marks for the significant outlay they cost to get in.

Helsingborg

With an already thin squad, the early-season injury to centre back and captain Andreas Granqvist (4.8m) might have sealed their fate, as they reside at the bottom of the table after 2 wins, 7 draws and 7 losses. Fantasy wise they have been a dumpster fire, with really only Martin Olsson (5.9m) and Anthony Van den Huurk (6.7m) providing points from time to time. Max Svensson (6.6m) came into the season as a promising talent, after 16 games he sits at 2 goals, 0 assists.

Like Falkenberg, the prospects look very dire going forward and it would take nothing short of a miracle to save them from relegation this season. Van den Huurk could still produce on their way down, though there are probably better options around that price point.

IF Elfsborg

On the other side of the spectrum, Elfsborg have impressed immensely and currently reside in second place, four points behind Malmö FF. Besides the 6-0 collapse away to Häcken, they have actually not lost a single game. They have drawn 7 though, which is the main reason they’re still trailing the top spot. Jesper Karlsson (9.3m) has delivered on the hype after initially struggling to find the net, 1 goal in the first 9 games, followed by 8 goals and 5 assists in the 7 games after. Per Frick (6.5m) is also doing well recently, scoring 6 goals and 3 assists – though he suffered a rather lengthy period of blanks between Gameweek 3-11 which has made his ownership numbers swing from 607 up to 4924, and at the time of writing he sits in 3440 managers squads, though that number is likely to fall since he will be suspended in Gameweek 17 and has a blank in Gameweek 19. A good option for double Gameweek 21 though, as it stands.

Johan Larsson (6.1m) has played a big part in their successful season as well, scoring 1 goal and 8 assists from a right-back position. He and goalkeeper Tim Rönning (4.9m) are very popular picks and will likely remain that way for the run-in. A potential Jesper Karlsson sale could throw a spanner in the works as far as a title challenge goes, but a top-three placement remains very possible with or without him.

IFK Göteborg

A Swedish cup win aside, Göteborg are actually having quite a horrible season. Sitting just 2 points clear of the relegation spots, they have 2 wins, 9 draws and 5 losses so far. Another thin squad, the loss of Robin Söder (9.2m) after 2 Gameweeks along with the continued fitness struggles of Giorgi Kharaishvili (9.7m), has meant their attack is looking very limp.

Alexander Farnerud (6.7m) and Sargon Abraham (6.0m) have failed to impress, while Tobias Sana (7.8m) is doing his best to keep Göteborg up with his 3 goals, 3 assists and also, relevant for fantasy managers at least, 10 offensive and 8 defensive bonus points. Sitting in just 3.2% of the squads, Sana could be one to target to stick out a bit. Christian Kouakou (6.0m) has been brought in to score goals but so far, he has not hit the ground running. Göteborg could really use a proper striker coming in, as for now, they have to put their hopes to Abraham and Kouakou.

That marks the end of part one, stay tuned for part two in the coming days!

As always, if you want to chat about fantasy football either comment here below – or hit me up @FF_Meltens on Twitter!

40 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Rotation's Alter Ego
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • Has Moderation Rights
    • 12 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Cheers Meltens 🙂

    We'll be looking to put part 2 out early next week!

  2. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
    • 10 Years
    3 years, 7 months ago

    Notable for Gothenburg is that former Swedish international and ‘superhero’ Pontus Wernblom now have decided to come home after a spell in AZ in Holland then being an Icon in Russian club CSKA and Short injury filled time in Greek top club PAOK.

    Last time in Gothenburg he managed to get 26 goals in 92 apps, 61 of those 02 apps were in Allsvenskan and in those he got 20 goals and 11 assists. He left for abroad 09

    1. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      In CSKA he was a cult hero from the start(as he directly declared himself a true leftist).
      He featured in 167 premier league matches for CSKA an scored 17, assisted 17 and(this is a big part in his game) saw the yellow card 69 times.

      A real favorite this type of player for me personally. Defensive mid often(but even then licensed to go forward) but also box to box and gives no less than 100% which he also demands from teammates.
      He can also play 2nd striker if needed or like last 15 if team chasing.

      Also won’t be a problem during international breaks as he these days declines playing for Sweden.
      I just love that he is back in Allsvenskan instead of taking another lucrative offer in Russia.

    2. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 7 months ago

      61 of those 92 it should have read

  3. MTPockets
      3 years, 7 months ago

      Thanks Meltens. You're definitely faithful to Bahoui. Guess this could be the gw for returns though.

      Not sure yet what I'm doing this week with 2ft and captain. Ahmedhodzic suspension vs FFF is annoying.
      Need to make my mind up on how much to plan for 21. Already have 4 which currently leaves me with a problem for 19.

      1. Stats Don\'t Lie
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Yeah. I'm in a very similar position to you it seems and don't know what to do either. Might do the original plan of Soderlund > IKT and roll the other?

        1. MTPockets
            3 years, 7 months ago

            I can't afford that without another transfer, and nobody else I want to drop. Could switch Ahmedhodzic for another Malmo defender but that feels pointless for one game. Right now I'm actually playing Selmani over Soderlund, so could end up using a transfer for a bench pick (e.g. Ludwigson) just to avoid burning it.

        2. Meltens
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Haha yes, possibly to a fault! Magnus Eriksson 9.5m mid at Djurgården is very tempting to me, might make the switch there soon.

          The blank being so close to the double with good fixtures around it is very annoying planning wise! Would like to get Ogbu in but can’t justify it ahead of the double now.

      2. CharlieBrawn
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 7 months ago

        Great article as always.

        What do you guys think about to take a -4 to take out Anel, Berget and Söderlund for IKT,Ogbo and J.Karlsson. Im generally against taking hits but this it the only way I can bring in IKT.

        1. Bob Sacamano
          • 5 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Don't know how that would work, turning 1 defender, 1 midfielder and 1 forward to 1 midfielder and 2 forwards? Someone is missing there I guess?

          Eighter way, it sounds like terrible moves to me. Ahmedhodzic is a pick for the season and Berget is in great form. Ogbu has a BGW coming up, and there's no need for IKT, especially not if you got Berget to cover. Would be nice if you could do Söderlund to JK though, but taking a hit is always a waste of points.

          1. CharlieBrawn
            • 4 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            Sorry I meant J. Larsson not Karlsson

        2. MTPockets
            3 years, 7 months ago

            Bear in mind Malmo (and Hammarby) play Europa midweek. I was thinking the same with Soderlund but not so sure now. Same potential issue with Berget though and captain choice.

            For info this article seems to think Berget and IKT play in warm-up for EL, but no idea if it has any substance to it:
            https://www.svenskafans.com/fotboll/mff/infor-malmo-ff-falkenberg-se-upp-med-fasta-situationer-618358

        3. TallestJohn
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          This season feels like the antidote to last season. Lots of big hitters so bad this time they could become good differentials down the stretch. Shame a Malmö title win seems inevitable though.

          Blew my Park the Bus at least at week early in GW15 but somehow got a GW16 rank of 175. Brattberg and Zuta my only real differentials, maybe Frick at a push.

          Owning Brattberg/Noring must be like how FPL players feel when they own Pope or Eliteserien with Makani, gonna be a shame to break them up in the blank GW. My abiding memory of Brattberg will be that halfway line goal he conceded.

          Söderström was passing the eye test even before scoring 2 in 2, definitely one to watch for the DGW.

        4. Stats Don\'t Lie
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Any suggestions on what I should do? I'm not sure whether to just do Soderlund > IKT or Ahmedhodzic + Bjornstrom > E.Larsson + Augustinsson and play PTB.

          Here's the team:

          Bratveit (4.0)
          Witry, Lauritsen, J.Larsson, Ahmedhodzic, Bjornstrom
          Haksa, Berget, Sugi, Vecchia, I.Jansson
          Karlsson, Soderlund, Selmani

          1. Bob Sacamano
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            Looks good! I'd roll the transfer, will come in handy when you set your team up for DGW21.

            1. Stats Don\'t Lie
              • 9 Years
              3 years, 7 months ago

              So you're saying Soderlund > IKT and not do PTB? Perhaps I should've explained better but I have 2fts so need to make at least one move. I'm also actually looking to sell an Elfsborg player or two because mff blank dif is as terrible a run as it gets!

              1. Bob Sacamano
                • 5 Years
                3 years, 7 months ago

                I don't think it's a good week to play PTB if you still have that chip. There will be much better options for that, you could even concider DGW21 for that chip, with players like Larsson, Okumu, Björnström and Witry unless you're planning to use the attack chip then.

                Larsson and Karlsson are in superb form, Elfsborg have lost something like 1 or 2 of the last 26 games in Allsvenskans, so it feels safe to say they are fixture proof. Would be madness to drop eighter of them.

                You don't have to do a transfer just because you have 2FT to use. If two players end up on the same amount of points, the one with fewest transfers made will be ranked higher. You can gain a lot of rank just by NOT making transfers as well. If you feel like doing Söderlund to IKT then do that transfer, but I'm not sure it will pay off.

                1. Stats Don\'t Lie
                  • 9 Years
                  3 years, 7 months ago

                  Nice jinx on IFE! 🙂

          2. Meltens
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            I like Söderlund to IKT for what it’s worth, think it will be instant payoff.

        5. Meltens
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          https://www.fotbollskanalen.se/allsvenskan/uppgifter-tankovic-forlanger-med-hammarby/
          Tankovic 180 now looking to sign a contract for the rest of the season. Could even play today, just rumours so far though! Will update if we get more info.

          1. Meltens
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            Tankovic officially back, could start already this game!

        6. Meltens
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          https://twitter.com/ff_meltens/status/1297112325737127936?s=21
          Wernblom 7.5m mid to play striker for Göteborg on a regular basis!

          1. Meltens
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            Wernbloom*

        7. General Nuisance
          • 8 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          Hello everyone!

          With the news that Toivonen will likel/possibly miss the game I am in a pickle.

          Who would you suggest to get?

          Selmani or IKT?

          I have J Karlsson and P Abraham as my two other forwards

          I am aware of the blank/EL ramifications

          1. Meltens
            • Has Moderation Rights
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            I think IKT is in for a great week fwiw, especially if Toivonen is out (curse of the Scout picks?). Selmani good fixture as well but Örebro defence is better than Falkenberg, thought it’s not great. The blank does play into it as well with Selmani, even though his fixtures around it are superb.

            1. General Nuisance
              • 8 Years
              3 years, 7 months ago

              I agree, and I currently lean towards IKT, especially due to him playing (on paper) GW 19 too.

              Cheers, Meltens!

          2. General Nuisance
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 7 months ago

            I might add: with Selmani I would currently 9 maybe 8 players missing out in GW 19

        8. Stats Don\'t Lie
          • 9 Years
          3 years, 7 months ago

          2 caps this week anyone?

          Thinking Berget + IKT...

          1. MTPockets
              3 years, 7 months ago

              Could work but I want to leave that option open for 21 dgw

              1. Stats Don\'t Lie
                • 9 Years
                3 years, 7 months ago

                I still have 3 chips left so I feel like I need to play 2 caps or Attack! this week

                1. MTPockets
                    3 years, 7 months ago

                    Fair enough. Just carries the risk of getting burned by an injury/suspension planning for attack-attach.
                    But I overthink stuff like that, and as you have all 3 chips always have another backup option.

                    1. Stats Don\'t Lie
                      • 9 Years
                      3 years, 7 months ago

                      I'm gonna play Attack! This week for that reason instead. Make the most of the info available at hand.

                      1. MTPockets
                          3 years, 7 months ago

                          Pondering doing the same now

                          1. Stats Don\'t Lie
                            • 9 Years
                            3 years, 7 months ago

                            I think it's as good a week as any tbh. Especially if you still have 3 chips

                            1. MTPockets
                                3 years, 7 months ago

                                I've played it. 2 caps more broadly useful anyway, and don't plan to have 3 dgw fwds

                                1. Stats Don\'t Lie
                                  • 9 Years
                                  3 years, 7 months ago

                                  This was my conclusion too

                  • Make Arrows Green Again
                    • 7 Years
                    3 years, 7 months ago

                    Me too.. Berget and Christiansen both likely to start? Want to save PTB for the DGW

                    1. Stats Don\'t Lie
                      • 9 Years
                      3 years, 7 months ago

                      I think I'm gonna go Attack! In the end with Karlsson, IKT, Selmani

                2. Make Arrows Green Again
                  • 7 Years
                  3 years, 7 months ago

                  Got distracted and missed the deadline! Ah well, Vecchia (C) again then. Could be a useful differential