What to Watch in Eredivisie Fantasy: Gameweek 6

When Feyenoord lost David Hancko to Atlético Madrid and both Thomas Beelen and Gernot Trauner to injury, their back line looked fragile. Fast forward five rounds and those concerns have completely disappeared.

New signings Anel Ahmedhodzic (6.0M) and Tsuyoshi Watanabe (6.1M) have slotted in seamlessly, while goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther (5.5M) has only been beaten once. The numbers tell the story: Feyenoord have faced just five shots on target in their first five matches – the fewest for any Eredivisie team at this stage since data collection began in 2010/11.

It’s also gold for Fantasy managers. Four Feyenoord defenders are already among the top ten highest scorers, with Jordan Bos (5.4M) and Givairo Read (6.4M) joining the centre-backs. And here’s the kicker: none of them are owned by more than 20% of managers. That makes them perfect differentials.

Both AZ and PEC Zwolle play twice in GW6. AZ host Feyenoord and PEC, while Zwolle start with the fierce IJsselderby before heading to Alkmaar. For Fantasy managers, that means double the opportunity for points – the perfect time to unleash chips like Dynamic Duo, Attack!, or Sugar Daddy if you still have them.

There are attractive options on both sides. Sven Mijnans (7.5M) has returned a goal or assist in each of his last three appearances. Meanwhile, Kaj de Rooij (4.5M) is PEC’s breakout Fantasy star. He scored against Ajax, has two assists to his name, and even collected bonus points in tough games away to Ajax and Fortuna Sittard.

Sem Steijn is the game’s most expensive asset at 11.1M, and he looked worth it early on with two goals and an assist in his first two matches. Since then, though, it’s been slim pickings: just three Fantasy points per match over his last three games, and he’s been hooked early in his last two outings. The big question: is he really worth the premium?

Plenty of cheaper midfielders are matching or even outscoring him. Tjaronn Chery (6.9M) is the standout with 38 points, while Joey Veerman (8.1M, 31 points), Ruben van Bommel (7.1M, 27 points) and Philip Brittijn (4.5M, 26 points) are all closing in on Steijn’s tally of 32 – at a fraction of the cost.

It feels like a curse: of the seven players with the highest average Fantasy score, six are currently sidelined. Troy Parrott (8.1M; 11 pts/game), Yoann Cathline (6.9M; 11), Brynjólfur Willumsson (5.3M; 9.2), Philippe Sandler (4.7M; 8.3), Victor Jensen (5.1M; 8.0) and Anthony Descotte (5.0M; 8.0) are all out for now. Only Ayase Ueda (8.2M; 8.0) has managed to stay fit.

So who can step in as replacements? Marco Rente (5.1M) has been outstanding at the back for Groningen, racking up 27 points in his last two matches, more than anyone else in that span. In midfield, both Jakob Breum (6.9M) and Mika Godts (7.5M) are on hot streaks with 19 points from their last two games. Up front, Ricardo Pepi and Victor Edvardsen look like solid picks: the American has scored 14 points over the past two rounds, just edging out the Swedish target man.

Fantasy managers have until Friday 19:55 CET to lock in their teams, just five minutes before Sparta Rotterdam v FC Twente kicks off. The rescheduled clash between AZ and PEC Zwolle takes place on Wednesday, 24 September.

Still unsure about your XI? Tune into the ESPN Fantasy Voetbal Show on YouTube, where the experts will guide you through the final calls.

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