DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday Bundesliga Picks

MATCHES (EDT)

• 2:30 pm: 1899 Hoffenheim vs. 1. FC Köln
• 2:30 pm: FC Augsburg vs. SC Paderborn
• 2:30 pm: Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. FC Schalke 04
• 2:30 pm: Union Berlin vs. FSV Mainz 05

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday Bundesliga Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Mark Uth, KOE at TSG ($10,900): All four matches on the slate are expected to be close, and from a Bundesliga perspective, the totals are on the lower side, other than one game. Additionally, there are a number of high-floor forwards, so I understand questioning why you'd pay $1,100 more for Huth than the next highest-priced player. One look at Uth's game log and you'll understand: nine straight games with at least 15.1 fantasy points, with that low point coming just last weekend against Fortuna Dusseldorf, which included a missed penalty. Had he converted that opportunity, it would have given him nine straight games with at least 23.9. It was the first time since joining FC Koln in January that he failed to get on the score-sheet, but he's also had a ridiculous floor, averaging 4.04 shots, including 1.73 on goal, 6.81 crosses, 3.0 chances created and 2.07 fouls drawn per 90 minutes. If the salary simply doesn't work, Robert Skov ($9,800) is on the other side of the game with the highest implied total, and while he's a consistent fantasy scorer, we can't ignore that he's reached double digits just twice in his last eight games, which also happened to be the only times he made the score-sheet in that span. Then again, no player on the slate has higher anytime goal scorer odds (+120, which isn't even that high). Consideration for Skov likely means you're also considering Dusseldorf's Erik Thommy ($9,400), who has four goals on 17 shots (eight on target) and 19 crosses in his last six games, including a goal last weekend against FC Koln. Skov and Thommy both have cheaper teammates who they share set pieces with, so they're understandable fades, especially since the guy Uth shares set pieces with costs $9,000. Heck, we can even throw in Kai Proger ($8,700) in the discussion because of his role on set pieces for Paderborn, a role that's helped him reach double-digit fantasy points in 14 of 21 starts this season. The negative for Proger is that he's playing for the biggest underdog, but the positive is that he has the biggest share of set pieces for his team among the higher-priced options.

Daniel Caligiuri, S04 at F95 ($6,800): Caligiuri has a share of Schalke's set pieces, and while $6,800 feels a bit overpriced in a vacuum, he sure provides a decent amount of salary savings against the guys in the previous paragraph. He plays all over the right wing, so it's definitely worth checking lineups to make sure he's playing advanced as opposed to right-back, as he generally doesn't take as many shots when he lines up back there. Schalke have looked absolutely horrible since the league starter back up, but a match against 16th-place Dusseldorf could get them to turn around.

Valon Berisha, F95 v. S04 ($3,900): Berisha was an unused substitute last weekend against FC Koln, which was a bit surprising given that he was solid in their first match since the restart, taking three shots, creating four chances and winning two tackles against Paderborn. His low salary could be really helpful if he makes his way back into the starting XI, even against a Schalke side that's done fairly well at limiting peripheral points. Berisha's forward eligibility isn't likely to be needed, but an attacking player on a home team who has a bit of a floor is certainly helpful in cash games.

MIDFIELDERS

Philipp Max, FCA v. SCP ($8,000): I don't think it's optimal to pay up for Max if it keeps you from rostering two of the forwards above, but if the salary is there then he presumably make sense. The difficulty is that he plays a lot at right-back, and paying this much doesn't seem worth it, even if you think he's just as good as Maximilian Arnold, who crushed Tuesday. A similar situation arises with Hoffenheim's Pavel Kaderabek ($7,700) in that he's an over-priced fullback, though he doesn't even have set pieces. Based on his game log you shouldn't really hesitate a ton about Kaderabek, but his lack of set pieces limits his upside a bit, which makes him feel too expensive. Ironically, the opposite is the case with Dusseldorf's Kevin Stoger ($7,300), who is maybe a little underpriced for his role on set pieces but probably appropriately priced based on his recent production, which has seen him take one shot, create four chances and send in three crosses in the past two games combined. Or we could go even lower for Mainz's Aaron Martin ($6,500), who sent in 26 crosses in his last two games, though he's only taken nine shots all season, so he's much more of a floor play than a ceiling one. What this ultimately tells us is that there doesn't seem to be a great reason to pay up at midfielder, which at least helps because there are forwards and defenders who should be prioritized.

Sebastian Rudy, TSG v. KOE ($5,100): Rudy's role on set pieces and somewhat cheap price, at least for this slate, should make him somewhat popular in cash games. He's been playing a bit more advanced of late, which makes him a more viable attacker, and while he won't likely get as many dead-ball opportunities as Skov, he helps fill a midfield spot while still being a threat on some corners. He's not exciting by any means, but Rudy also does enough defensively where his salary will make him helpful in terms of raw points and paying up elsewhere. And if we happen to get a start from Dennis Geiger ($3,700), he could definitely be popular because he's taken corners when he's on the pitch (he won't have a monopoly). The issue with Rudy is that he's not a big upside player, which could turn people to Augsburg's Eduard Lowen ($4,800), who has been sniping a few set pieces recently, and he even used one of those opportunities to score a free-kick goal last weekend Schalke.

DEFENDERS

Christopher Trimmel, FCU v. M05 ($6,300): Trimmel is the most expensive defender on the slate, but a monopoly of set pieces for a home favorite will make him incredibly owned in cash games. His positional eligibility might actually be holding his price down, as it seems he has the makeup of an $8,000 midfielder, which he probably should be since he starts so often as a wing-back. I suppose his lack of shots (three in 25 starts this season) could also be why he's not more expensive, though seven assists on 54 chances created shows he has some potential of getting on the score-sheet. Again, with few midfielders worth paying up for, Trimmel should be fairly easy to fit into a cash build. If, for some reason, you don't want to pay up for Trimmel, Schalke's Bastian Oczipka ($5,700) is up there too and has some set pieces, and he at least has clean-sheet potential as opposed to Caligiuri.

Julian Ryerson, FCU at M05 ($2,500): Welcome to the highest-owned player in cash games. Maybe. With Christopher Lenz out injured again, we're likely to see either Ken Reichel ($2,900), who started last weekend, or Ryerson, who came on for Reichel after 63 minutes. It's entirely possible they split time again, but a sub-$3K wing-back lining up against the team that's allowed the second-most crosses and most chances created among teams on the slate isn't one who should be faded.

GOALKEEPER

Leopold Zingerle, SCP at FCA ($4,300): Because all four matches are close, we actually don't have any really cheap goalkeepers, as Zingerle is the lowest-priced but only $1,000 less than his opponent, Andreas Luthe. Avoiding Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann ($4,900) and FC Koln's Timo Horn ($4,800) makes sense because they're playing in the game with by far the highest total, but otherwise I'd prioritize all the other positions and then fill in whichever goalkeeper fits.