Round 10 of Serie A is just around the corner and in Fantasy Football – just like in the real game – when you fail to stay on top of the latest innovations, you risk falling backward.
We’ve crunched the numbers, taken a look at the players’ form, morale, and their chances of starring, and have come up with a list of nominees. Here’s who you want in your fantasy draft and the players best avoided this week.
Players to Consider
While we do not own a crystal ball, here are some of the footballers whose performances are getting us excited. Their form and their desire to prove themselves should make them excellent additions to your fantasy football draft.
Heroes of the Serie A
What a difference Sergej Milinkovic-Savic made to Lazio’s performance against Borussia Dortmund! Without him, the Biancocelesti often look lost. With him, the trio of Milinkovic Savic, Lucas Leiva, and Luis Alberto is able to flourish. The Serbian makes a perfect addition to your midfield line!
Rodrigo De Paul was in superb form last week when Udinese came out easy winners against Lazio. However, a look at the stats shows that the player has been consistent throughout the season, regardless of Udinese’s form. A great pick for your draft!
Edin Dzeko is one among several Roma players worth considering. The Bosnian striker played poorly against Napoli and missed the two matches ahead of that. However, he’s again fully fit. He even scored the winning goal in the Giallorossi’s heated victory against Young Boys. Inter scored three against Sassuolo last week, and Dzeko will want to use the game as an opportunity to gather momentum for himself and his club.
Undervalued Gems
Juan Cuadrado is not exactly a fan favorite, in spite of the many trophies he has already won with Juventus. However, on most days he is good, while occasionally he is downright magnificent. A local derby like the one against Torino seems like the perfect match for a player with his skill set.
Speaking of the derby, why not take a chance on Andrea Belotti? Sure, many would say that the Italian international could do better with his career. Torino’s president once compared him favorably to Juve’s then striker Gonzalo Higuain. They might be right, but, clearly, the striker enjoys representing the Toro and playing in these kinds of derbies.
Juraj Kucka might not seem on paper to be the most attractive choice for fantasy football. The Slovakian midfielder, however, played well against Genoa. We think he can do the same against similarly classed opponents Benevento. We would not be surprised to see him walking away with an assist from this one.
Players to Avoid
These are some of the players that either due to their falsely advertised value, their recent form, or the likelihood that they’ll miss the next game, should be avoided. We’re not saying these are poor footballers. We are just saying maybe some other time.
Overpriced Players
Thomas Strakosha returned to Lazio’s fold after a prolonged absence that was due to a positive Covid-19 result. Clearly, he still needs to work on his fitness. Udinese scored three past him and Simone Inzaghi, wisely, benched him for the Champions League match against Dortmund. He’s likely to replace Pepe Reina against Spezia, but we would hold off picking him for now.
Simone Zaza is one of Torino’s best known-players and someone with an amazing resume. Despite this, his recent form gives us little hope that he can pull off a great performance against Juventus. You’re much better off picking Belotti this time.
Nicolò Barella has been in superb form for Inter this season. However, given the Nerazzurri’s packed schedule, there’s a chance that Antonio Conte may want to rest him against Bologna. You might not want to take a chance on him this week.
Poor Performers
Mohamed Fares’ performance against Dortmund was painful to watch. Lazio is a team that mostly plays through the middle of the park, but they depend on Fares and Marusic to stop attacks down the wings. Judging by recent form, we find it hard to recommend him.
Rodrigo Palacio will, most likely, start for Bologna against Inter. It is true that few players have his level of experience when it comes to tough matches. However, he has struggled to score the entire season. Inter is leaking in goals, but they still feature players like Milan Skriniar, Danilo D’Ambrosio, or Samir Handanovic to man the fort.
Ante Rebic is an important player for Serie A leaders Milan. Still, his performances have dipped in recent weeks. Without the aid of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, we have our doubts over his performance against Sampdoria.
3 Simple Tips When Choosing Your Fantasy Football Draft:
Age is just a number! That is especially true for Serie A where players, when being spared terrible injuries, are able to play late into their 30s. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cristiano Ronaldo, or Fabio Quagliarella are all footballers without whom their colleagues struggle remarkably.
Watch out for the rotation! This one is especially true of teams having to split their responsibilities between Serie A and European competitions. Older players or those prone to injuries are likely to miss several matches across the season and it’s up to you to know which ones.
Modern wing-backs are Assist Kings! The role of defenders playing in wider areas (wing-backs, full-backs, etc.) is more offensive than ever before. Some of them even end up dictating the pace of their team’s performances. Very often they are able to reward fantasy managers with numerous assists throughout the season.