The summer break was finally over and GW9 saw the return of fans to the stadium. There were only two clean sheets and, as a result, I’ve leaned towards strikers bearing in mind some managers are planning to use the Attack! Attack! chip. I’ve selected four overlooked players with the potential to register returns soon and one “popular” striker who can deliver big points.
Carl Johansson (5.9)
The former Falkenbergs centre-back was one of the most important signings of IFK Göteborg’s winter market and will arguably be instrumental in building a solid defensive unit. He may have played only one league game for his team, but his influence was evident throughout the match against Elfsborg on Monday. He completed 5 recoveries and was given one defensive bonus point due to his 9 CBIs. It’s worth noting he was among the top defenders for CBIs last season and his aerial threat is one to consider. He scored 3 goals last season. Only Djurgårdens have kept more clean sheets than IFK Göteborg. He faces a trip to Östersunds FK, a side that has scored in every home game so far this season, but that trend might short-lived. The Blåvitt have conceded only 2 big chances in their last four Allsvenskan games. Owned by only 1.3% of managers, he’s an enticing differential.
Darijan Bojanic (8.8)
The Hammarby midfielder has been a shadow of his former self since last season, but the underlying stats suggest he’s about to rediscover some form. He’s delivered 2 assists in his last 4 games and has given 12 key passes during the same period. What’s more, he seems to be playing a slightly more advanced role. He should have converted that big chance missed against Halmstads last Sunday. Hammarby haven’t exactly been convincing of late, but if they are to find some attacking fluency, Bojanic will be key. He has created 16 chances in his last 5 Allsvenskan games. With an ownership of just 1.1%, he can reward managers who opt to be different with attacking returns and bonus points.
Erdal Rakip (5.7)
The absence of Anders Christensen (12.2) has somehow boosted the prospects of Rakip, who has ‘taken his chance’ adopting a more offensive role. In the meantime, he has scored 1 goal and given 1 assist having accumulated 2 defensive bonus points and 2 offensive ones. He’s had 11 shots since he replaced the injured Christensen in the game against Elfsborg and takes some corners for now. Next up is a game against a Sirius side that has conceded 38 shots in the box in their last 4 Allsvenskan games.
Nicolás Stefanelli (7.8)
The Argentinian striker has been one of the promising players from AIK for a while and it is no wonder because his underlying stats point to an imminent surge in form. He has had 15 shots in the past 4 gameweeks and has scored 2 goals and given 1 fantasy assist during the same period. It’s worth noting that his main appeal is not the accumulated quantity of shots, but rather his superb positioning in the box. Hence he gets high-quality chances, which suggests he’s due more goals. Stefanelli now has 5 attacking returns, all of which have come at home. Notably, 3 of his next 4 fixtures are home encounters. Varbergs BoIS, AIK’s next opponents, have struggled in defence all season having kept only one clean sheet.
Jacob Bergström (6.4)
A player that has gone under the radar this season is Jacob Bergström. While he may only have 4 attacking returns so far, his statistics suggest he remains a major goal threat. It is a similar case to that of Stefanelli: Bergström’s positioning in the box highlights his instinct for goals. Mjällby’s next opponent, Norrköping, are motivated after defeating reigning champions, Mälmo FF, last Saturday. However, Peking have shown some defensive frailties this season and they won’t count with centre-back Marco Lund (5.6). No team-mate has had more shots and big chances this season. Bergström sits in just 7.1 % of squads, which suggests he can be that overlooked third striker in the game.
If you want to expand your research on Allsvenskan Fantasy, make sure you follow @FF_Meltens and @poohdini59 on Twitter. Their content is simply top-notch.
2 years, 9 months ago
Cheers for writing Gerardo, fantastically researched piece as always!