Bundesliga Fantasy Matchday 31 Expert Picks and Team Reveal

We look ahead to Bundesliga Fantasy Matchday 31. We bring in our regular contributor and Bundesliga Fantasy expert @FPLGunnersaurus. He reveals his team and plans for the new round. He also shares three of the best defenders, midfielders and forwards to buy this week.

Bundesliga Fantasy Matchday 31 is here so getting ready for the new round could be crucial. Our top picks and expert team reveal could be hugely significant and massive contributing factors in the decisions we have to make in our own teams this week.

Defenders – Raphaël Guerreiro (14.4m / 7% TSB / FCB)

Bayern rested a number of players in their 5-1 away win over Union Berlin on MD30 perhaps looking ahead to future Champions League exploits. One of those players was their Portuguese left-back Guerriero. Although on the bench, he did not feature whatsoever. Rapha was favoured to Davies for Bayern’s second leg triumph over Arsenal and started the game before that to get some valuable game time in.

With Rapha having been rested on MD30 I predict he will start on MD31 against Frankfurt. Rapha has far from hit the heights of last season. But, he reminded us of the damage he can do on MD29. In a 2-0 home win over Köln he scored the winning goal and raked in a whopping 22 points. Rapha tends to perform poorly when I own him. But, when you add a good home fixture to the attacking prowess we know he possesses then I am not sure I can look past him. If the usual sources all predict a start for him too, and one reputable source is already suggesting a start on the left of a front three, then he becomes one of my must haves this matchday.

Mitchell Weiser (12.2m / 7% TSB / SVW)

I have found the defence a tough ask this week when searching for picks. This is because no one team having an ‘outstanding’ fixture. With that said I look at players who can and have demonstrated in the past that they can return well in any game. Therefore I present Weiser as a selection choice for the upcoming matchday. Bremen shocked us all with a 2-0 win over Stuttgart on MD30. Die Grün-Weißen also face a tough ask again on MD31 when they travel to an Augsburg side fighting for what would be a sensational achievement in a European spot.

As with Guerreiro we have seen glimpses of the Weiser we knew from last season with notable matchday scores of 24pts, 18pts and 16pts. Again I reiterate that Bremen, who will be buoyed by their MD30 victory, face a tough task considering Augsburg are undefeated at home since January 27th. That said when Bremen faced the ultimate test away at Bayern on MD18 that is when they won 1-0 and Weiser got his season high MD score, so we shall see…

Phillipp Mwene (6.4m / 5% TSB / M05)

With a favourable home fixture against Köln a Mainz defender is recommended this matchday. The question is who? I could make a case for Mwene, van Berg and Caci. But, it will be Mwene I focus on here. I always prefer targeting a flying full back. In their last home game Mwene starred in a 4-1 win where he scored the winning goal. He was also allowed to fire off seven shots. This resulted in a 12pts return for goal attempts alone in that game. In fact half of his points scored for goal attempts this season have come across Mwene’s last two games.

Against Köln one would expect him to see him a lot in the final third thus presenting more routes to fantasy points. The Austrian slightly edges Caci for me. One thing for certain though is that a Mainz defender will find my way into my MD31 squad.

Alternatives – Günter (10.3m / 4% TSB / SCF) / Caci (5.6m ON SALE / 0% TSB / M05) / Bernardo (4.7m / 10% / BOC).

Midfielders – Kevin Stöger (13.3m / 40% TSB / BOC)

Die Unabsteigbaren, which translates to ‘The Undescendables’ in English, are ironically at risk of descending into the 2. Bundesliga. Bochum currently occupy the relegation play-off spot and are in desperate need for their first win since February 18th, especially considering that relegation rivals Mainz also have a favourable home game on MD31. If ever there is someone to bail Bochum out of a sticky situation it is Stöger.

The Austrian, despite the woes of his club, is the third highest scoring midfielder in the fantasy game. A home tie against the only team expected to concede more than twice on their travels presents a chance to further add to his 294pts Bundesliga Fantasy tally. Engaged managers know that Stöger performs better at home than he does away as evidenced by 12 double-digit fantasy returns in his 14 home games – an astonishing feat. Stöger is about as much of a banker as you will get this matchday for a healthy return.

Ritsu Dōan (12.4m / 3% TSB / SCF)

If you are looking to target someone who has been performing at a consistently high level as of late then check out Freiburg’s Japanese star Dōan. Dōan, who plays out on the right, has an attacking return in all but one game from MD25 onwards. He has returned three double digit scores in that time and averages 9.33pts per game. The Black Forest club are still in the hunt for European football. But, hot on their heels are Augsburg and Hoffenheim.

A home win is needed against Wolfsburg on MD31 who themselves could be in trouble should they lose this game. If results go against them elsewhere they may find themselves only a point outside of the relegation play-off spot. Freiburg haven’t won at home since January. So, a big performance from them and Dōan is needed to taste victory on home soil once more.

Robin Hack (8.4m / 1% TSB / BMG)

Scoring a hat-trick but being on the losing team must feel so deflating. That is exactly what happened to Hack on MD30 who scored three but still tasted a 4-3 defeat away at Hoffenheim. Perhaps this a is a points chasing pick due to Hack’s 29pts haul last time out. However, on paper there is no reason not to think he may do something similar this matchday at home to Union Berlin. Hack has been a huge revelation during die Rückrunde scoring all eight of his league goals from January onwards and he is now the top scorer for The Foals.

A Gladbach win is what the bookies are favouring. It is no wonder seeing as Union have only won twice away and are 16th based on away form only. Moving to Hack sure does feel like a punt. But, at this stage of the fantasy season a punt may well just be what you need to try and gain a late surge up the rankings and so he is an interesting addition into my Bundesliga Fantasy Matchday 31 top picks.

Alternatives – Beste (10.9m / 25% TSB / HDH) / Amiri (8.9m / 4% TSB / M05) / Skarke (5m ON SALE / 3% TSB / SVD)

Forwards – Thomas Müller (14.4m / 1% TSB / FCB)

Bayern Munich host Real Madrid in the first leg of their UCL semi-final on Tuesday next week. Interestingly club legend Müller did not play a single minute during the quarter final matches against Arsenal. Either side of those though he started both of Bayern’s league games, played 173 minutes and scored three goals. It may well be that Tuchel is planning the same for Radio Müller, as he is known due to his on pitch vocals. Therefore he becomes a wonderful fantasy option on MD31 coming up against Frankfurt.

Die Adler still currently sit in the last confirmed for now European spot. But, their form has been very up an down recently. They have lost their last two away games conceding three in each and despite the fact they thrashed Bayern on home turf I can not look further than a Bayern home win. Müller could well make it back to back to back double digit fantasy scores this Saturday afternoon.

Tim Kleindienst (10.4m ON SALE / 2% TSB / HDH)

Here we have a striker on sale against the leakiest defence in the league – what is not to like?! Heidenheim forward Kleindienst has 11 goals to his name this season which is great for a newly promoted side. With only two wins in 2024 it is a fair assessment to make that Heidenheim peaked during the Hinderunde. But, compared to their fellow promotion colleagues they look like a side that belongs in Germany’s top flight.

Darmstadt are just woeful at home having lost 11/15 games at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor which includes a current run of five successive home losses. This fantasy manager is not looking at bringing Heidenheim’s leading man into his squad but similar to the Hack pick a punt on him could be just what is needed for a late rank boost.

Jonathan Burkardt (5.9m / 2% TSB / M05)

It took him a while after his comeback from injury but the form we are now seeing from Burkardt is why he had been previously touted as Germany’s next big thing. If he carries on his current form then it is not outside the realms of possibility that he earns a shock call-up to the national team for the European Championships this summer. He scored in the 1-1 away draw with Freiburg and will be hungry to score goals in back to back games which is highly probably given their MD31 fixture sees Die Nullfünfer host Köln.

Köln find themselves five points adrift of Mainz and a loss combined with a Bochum win this matchday could all but spell the end for them. Burkardt has been putting in some stellar home performances lately which has seen him return 18pts on MD29 and 19pts on MD26. With Stuttgart travelling to Leverkusen, perhaps you have a Guirassy or Undav shaped hole up front. Burkhardt is the man that could help bolster that forward line.

Alternatives – Boniface (13.7m ON SALE / 9% TSB / B04) / Demirović (13.2m / 4% TSB / FCA) / Pléa (11.5m ON SALE / 0% TSB / BMG)

Bundesliga Fantasy Matchday 31 Team Reveal (subject to change)

Note: Transfers will not be made until nearer the Bundesliga Fantasy Matchday 31 deadline.

Notes

Transfers OUT – Henrichs, Mittelstädt, Führich, Olmo and Guirassy.
Transfers IN – Mwene, Guerreiro, Stöger, Hack and Demirović.
Formation: 3-4-3.
Goalkeeper – Zetterer (1.9m – SVW).
Defenders – (STAR) Grimaldo (19.3m – B04), Raum (14.5m – RBL) and Guerreiro (14.4m – FCB).
Midfielders – Simons (20.9m – RBL), Stöger (13.3m – BOC), (STAR) Musiala (19.1m – FCB) and Wirtz (21.6m – B04).
Forwards – Openda (20.4m – RBL), (STAR) Kane (22.9m – FCB) and Demirović (13.2m – FCA).
BENCH – Zentner (5.5m – M05), Mwene (6.4m – M05), Frimpong (19.8m – B04) and Hack (8.4m – BMG).
16.3m in the bank.

Our expert picked out some of the best differentials to help you gain rank in Bundesliga Fantasy this week. You can check them out in this article here.