Five gems for your fantasy football picks

In some aspects, fantasy football is not that different from scouting and transferring players in the real football club world. This is all about finding great young talent before they explode on the mainstream scene. 

Once players start performing week in, week out, this is generally too late and their market price has jumped too high to make it a real bargain. A good example of this is the market value evolution of a player like Jude Belingham, who was multiplied by five in a 6-months time.

It's important to move early! To help you out, I’ve selected a few players who are bound to make waves this year. Not all players might be available for the fantasy football game you are playing, but there will be interesting picks for many leagues out there!

• Rico Lewis, Manchester City. Only 18 years old, the winger already made several appearances with Manchester City this season. He is a decisive player able to dribble, pass and score, making him an advantageous pick for fantasy football.

• El Chadaille Bitshiabu, PSG. This very young central defender is expected to show his talent in Ligue 1 for a little while already. Christophe Galtier recently placed him in the starting eleven and refused to hire an extra defender, giving him room to grow.  

• Valentín Castellanos, Gerone. At 24 years old, Castellanos is having a good first season on the European continent. His stats with Gerone aren’t great so far, but they might improve soon, making him a good solution to complete your roster.

• Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Dortmund. Bynoe-Gittens is a very promising winger who showed back in August he could claim a spot in the starting eleven, before getting injured. Be ready to include him once he is fit for playing.

• Marko Lazetić, AC Milan. This tall striker has two great role models to learn from, with Giroud and Ibrahimović. He is expected to make more appearances this season, to prove what he is capable of. An uncertain pick, yet with a high potential.

• Kamaldeen Soulemana, Rennes. The talented left winger is bound to benefit from added playing time as Martin Terrier will be out for several months due to a knee injury. This is a good opportunity for him to improve his stats. 

  Of course, one thing to take into account when investing in young players, is the risk they start the match on the bench or don’t play at all. Review carefully how these gems progress within their clubs over the next months, in order to integrate them in your fantasy team once they’re gaining a regular spot in the starting eleven.