SOCCER

FanDuel Soccer: 2 Bundesliga Under-the-Radar Plays for Matchday 29

If you have played daily fantasy sports for a while, you know the importance of being contrarian in large-field tournaments. Recognizing which players are going to be owned by the masses and finding others who you think have a similar point projection but will come at much lower ownership can really separate yourself from your opponents.

The same goes for DFS Bundesliga. Even though the large-field tournaments aren't quite as large as they are for other sports, there is still value in identifying quality under-the-radar plays.

This article will discuss FanDuel's main Saturday slate, which starts at 9:30 a.m. EST and features five matches.

Matchday 29
Saturday, May 30th
Augsburg at Hertha Berlin
Hoffenheim at Mainz
Werder Bremen at Schalke
Frankfurt at Wolfsburg
Dusseldorf at Bayern Munich


Matchweek 29 is headlined by Bayern Munich, the largest favorite on the slate with an implied win probability of 93.55% at home against Dusseldorf. That makes Bayern a larger home favorite than any side was during this year's EPL season, and it rises them to a different level in terms of outlook this weekend.

Bayern's implied goal total of 2.9 is an entire goal greater than the next closest team, Wolfsburg at an implied goal total of 1.75 goals. Their clean sheet chance of 51.72% is 21 percentage points above the next closest side, Hertha Berlin at clean sheet chances of 30.93%. Bayern's stars will carry extremely high ownership, but it is justified given their outlook. If you choose to fade the likes of Robert Lewandowski ($23) and Thomas Muller ($22), be sure to gain exposure to Bayern in other ways.

Outside of Bayern, Hertha Berlin is the next largest favorite, with an implied win probability of 53.49% at home against Augsburg, followed by Wolfsburg with an implied win probability of 51.22% at home against Frankfurt. Schalke and Hoffenheim are both slight favorites in pick'em matches.

With all that in mind, here are two players to consider this weekend -- especially for tournament formats -- who may fly under the radar.

Andre Silva, FWD/MID, Frankfurt

FanDuel Salary: $19

Since the Bundesliga returned to action, Silva has produced 2 goals on 10 shots and created 8 chances across three games. He's coming off a game in which he took 6 shots against Freiburg, and Frankfurt as a team took 34. Frankfurt is winless since returning to action, with two losses and a draw, but their play in the final third hasn't been the problem.

They have six combined goals over their three post-break fixtures, despite facing two-top four sides in Bayern Munich and Gladbach as well a a Freiburg side that currently sits in eighth in the table. Wolfsburg is in good form and comes into this weekend off a three-goal drubbing of Bayer Leverkusen, but Frankfurt has already produced against tougher opponents. Following their mid-week heroics, Wolfsburg will likely generate high ownership this weekend, leaving Frankfurt's players under-owned despite their recent production.

Silva should slip further under the radar due to his salary and the context of this slate. Bayern's stars will require a large amount of cash, lowering ownership on players in the $17 to $19 salary range. Silva should be a forgotten man this weekend despite his recent form, making him an interesting option for tournaments.

Davie Selke, FWD/MID, Werder Bremen

FanDuel Salary: $11

Selke, Josh Sargent ($13), and Yuya Osako ($12) are all in contention to start up front for Bremen against Schalke on Saturday. Sargent has started the last two matches but failed to make an impact, while Osako started midweek and also failed to find the back of the net. Selke has received the least playing time of the trio since the league resumed, but he did manage to put two shots on goal in just 16 minutes at the end of Tuesday's 0-0 draw with Gladbach. Given the struggles of the other two in consideration, that slight spark may be enough to earn Selke a start this weekend.

Whoever starts up front for Bremen will find themselves facing a Schalke side that is winless in their last nine fixtures and has conceded an average of three goals per match since play resumed earlier this month. Four of those goals came against Borussia Dortmund, but the other five came against two bottom-seven sides in Augsburg and Duesseldorf.

Bremen's forwards have been uninspiring since the Bundesliga returned, but some of that can be attributed to their opposition, which included two top-five sides in Gladbach and Bayer Leverkusen as well as Freiburg, who are currently in eighth. They should find things easier against a struggling Schalke side, and their low salaries make them easy to fit in alongside lineups that are built around Bayern Munich's high-priced stars. Whoever gets the start up top this weekend for Werder Bremen is worth consideration in tournaments.