Bundesliga Fantasy Manager 2022/23: Marco Reus, David Raum and the most notable positional changes
Marco Reus is no longer listed as a forward on Bundesliga Fantasy Manager. bundesliga.com highlights which notable players have been reclassified for 2022/23...
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Club: Borussia Dortmund
Positional change: Forward -> Midfielder
Value: 14M
Remember when Reus scored two and assisted three in last season's Battle of the Borussias? As a forward, that earned the Borussia Dortmund captain 30 of his 276-point tally across the campaign. Only No.9 Erling Haaland totalled more among BVB players (288). Despite those impressive numbers, picking both men to fill two of three vacancies in attack was still seen as something of a gamble - but that is no longer the case. Forwards Sebastien Haller and Karim Adeyemi have been brought in to replace the goals of Haaland, while Reus has been shifted back a rung to midfield, where he has the potential to rival RB Leipzig's Christopher Nkunku for points. And just to give you an idea, those 30 points would have become 35 (53 if starred) if he were a midfielder at the time.
Watch: All Marco Reus's Bundesliga goals and assists in 2021/22
Club: RB Leipzig
Postional change: Midfielder -> Defender
Value: 12M
Hands up if you had weekly gripes about David Raum being listed as a midfielder last season? Go on, admit it. Germany's first-choice left-sided defender was a revelation in his debut Bundesliga campaign, racking up 244 points as part of a Hoffenheim team that finished 11th in the final standings. The player who produced the most crosses from open play in 2021/22 ranked sixth in his class, but would have comfortably topped Nico Schlotterbeck's 265 points, had he been classified as a defender. Now that he is, prepare to witness the new Leipzig signing become one of the most effective left-backs in the business.
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Club: Bayern Munich
Postional change: Midfielder -> Forward
Value: 12M
How and if you use Jamal Musiala isn't so clear cut. A midfielder in past versions, the teenager is re-categorised as a forward in the 2022/23 edition. In practice, that means you'll be weighing him up against Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane, when picking from Bayern Munich's stable of attackers. He's not a regular starter and won't pack quite the same punch in terms of points now he's a forward, but there's no denying his credentials. Despite starting 12 and being deployed as a substitute in 18 matches last term, the Germany international still produced 196 points, putting him eighth among Bayern players.
Watch: Jamal Musiala's career milestones
Club: RB Leipzig
Postional change: Midfielder -> Forward
Value: 12M
Dani Olmo has also been switched from midfielder to forward, placing him in direct competition with Leipzig central striker Andre Silva. The Spain international has operated as a second striker or false nine on occasion, but for the most part will continue to line up in his preferred attacking midfield role. This particular positional change removes the Nkunku plus Olmo or Dominik Szoboszlai quandary when selecting Leipzig midfielders, whilst providing a little more choice on those days when you expect Die Roten Bullen to steamroller the opposition. Rotation can be expected, too, given their UEFA Champions League and DFB Cup commitments.
Watch: Skip to 00:59 secs for a Dani Olmo special
Club: Cologne
Postional change: Midfielder -> Defender
Value: 9M
Like Leipzig, Cologne have domestic and European football to juggle in 2022/23. Jonas Hector can expect to be an ever-present on both fronts. The proverbial one-club man ended the previous season on 171 points, claiming 57 for minutes played as well as 24 apiece for assists (six) and passes to a shot. The fact he managed to do so as a listed midfielder points to the 32-year-old breaking the 200-point barrier as a defender. Get your maths right, and you should - assuming left-backs are your cup of tea - be able to find a place for the Cologne skipper alongside the likes of Raum, Alphonso Davies, Angelino and Christian Günter.
Other notable changes
Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund, 8M): Midfielder -> Defender
Gerrit Holtmann (Bochum, 8M): Midfielder -> Forward
Amine Adli (Bayer Leverkusen, 9M): Midfielder -> Forward
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