ISL Fantasy MW2 Deadline: Wednesday, September 27, 6:30 PM IST

The Indian Super League’s (ISL) Fantasy’s first Matchweek gave the managers a taste of what to expect from the newly-launched fantasy game for the rest of the season. 

Some key stars living up to their price, head coaches throwing a spanner in the works of the ISL Fantasy managers by making surprise team selections and a few near misses for some players. 

Matchweek One summary

The drama well and truly unfolded in MW1 as Adrian Luna who was the most owned player with 64% of the managers having him in their team shone in Kerala Blasters FC’s win over Bengaluru FC to record a nine-point haul. 

Anwar Ali, who was the second-most owned player with 59% ownership, could only return two points. It was also the case for Akash Mishra and Hugo Boumous who only returned one point and had ownership in excess of 40%

But ISL Fantasy is a marathon and not a sprint and there are plenty of opportunities for your assets to justify their inclusion in your teams. 

Matchweek Two: What to expect?

There are home games against Kerala Blasters FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant who displayed solid performances in MW1 and managers could look at players from these two teams given they have some momentum from the previous matches. 

FC Goa who had a strong Durand Cup campaign are also at home and have plenty of quality attackers and defenders that would be a solid addition to your team not just in the short-term but also for the long-term. 

Mumbai City FC who always seem to have goals in them will be on the road again to face Odisha FC in what promises to be a mouthwatering clash. However, it may not be the most Fantasy-friendly match as the two teams are pretty evenly matched and may not provide the necessary points haul. 

NorthEast United and Chennaiyin FC will be desperate to post their first wins of the season and it could mean that we could see goals in this encounter. 

Fixture	Date
Mohun Bagan Super Giant vs Bengaluru FC	Wednesday, September 27
Odisha FC vs Mumbai City FC	Thursday, September 28
NorthEast United FC vs Chennaiyin FC	Friday, September 29
East Bengal FC vs Hyderabad FC	Saturday, September 30
Kerala Blasters FC vs Jamshedpur FC	Sunday, October 1
FC Goa vs Punjab FC	Monday, October 2

What the managers are thinking?

The ISL Fantasy managers have already started tweaking their teams for MW2 and some of them have already acted. The trends are influenced by MW1 performances and it’s no surprise to see the likes of Petratos and Diaz gaining new owners. Noah Sadaoui is also being transferred in after FC Goa begin their campaign this week. Amey Ranawade and Mohammed Aimen are the slightly surprise gainers but there is no doubting the Fantasy potential of these two players.

Player	Position	Club	Transfer INs
Jorge Perreyra Diaz	Forward	Mumbai City FC	632
Dimitri Petratos	Forward	Mohun Bagan Super Giant	347
Amey Ranawade	Defender	Odisha FC	342
Noah Sadaoui	Midfielder	FC Goa	341
Mohammed Aimen	Midfielder	Kerala Blasters FC	332

(As of 6:30 PM IST on September 26, 2023)

Boumous who started from the bench is among the leading players to be transferred out along with goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu after Bengaluru FC suffered defeat in the opening match. The big surprise on this list is Greg Stewart who is one of the best players in the league. Managers have reacted to a rather underwhelming points return for the forward in MW1 but his ability in undoubted. His teammate Akash Mishra who was among the top five most owned players in MW1 has also lost owners. Kerala Blasters FC's injured defender Marco Leskovic tops the exits.

Player	Position	Club	Transfer INs
Marco Leskovic	Defender	Kerala Blasters FC	632
Greg Stewart	Forward	Mumbai City FC	347
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu	Goalkeeper	Bengaluru FC	342
Hugo Boumous	Midfielder	Mohun Bagan Super Giant	341
Akash Mishra	Defender	Mumbai City FC	332

(As of 6:30 PM IST on September 26, 2023)

Top picks for MW2: 

Dimitri Petratos (Mohun Bagan Super Giant): The Australian forward started the season with a bang with a goal and an assist in MW1. Known for his ability to step up in big games, Petratos will be Juan Ferrando’s go-to man when Bengaluru FC come to town on Wednesday. Petratos loves a goal against Bengaluru having scored in all the games he has played against the Blues. So, he is pretty much a must-have in your team for MW2 and even beyond. 

Noah Sadaoui (FC Goa): The Moroccan midfielder has been in fine form since he joined the ISL last season. He recorded nine goals and as many assists in the ISL last season and scored eight goals for the Gaurs in the Super Cup and the Durand Cup. He will be the greatest threat to Punjab FC who looked a bit vulnerable at the back and will have their work cut out on another away day in the ISL. 

Javier Siverio (East Bengal FC): The Spanish striker has been a consistent goalscorer in the ISL and has carried his form with East Bengal FC after joining them from Hyderabad FC. Siverio will be keen to make a mark against his former club and with the fans behind them, East Bengal will have the impetus to get a positive result. 

Top differential picks for MW2: 

Parthib Gogoi (NorthEast United FC): The NorthEast United FC forward showed his quality against Mumbai City FC, scoring a fine curling goal from outside the box. He was also influential throughout the game. He completed 80% of his dribbles which was the most by any player during that game. He was also in form during the Durand Cup where he scored four goals and is working extremely well in Juan Pedro Benali’s system. Owned by just 4% of managers, Parthib could be the difference-maker for your ISL Fantasy team. 

Daisuke Sakai (Kerala Blasters FC): The Kerala Blasters FC forward didn’t get on the scoresheet in the first match but he was a livewire on the field and threatened the Bengaluru FC on a few occasions. There was enough evidence in his performance that the Japanese were going to cause plenty of problems and get among the goals. With just 6% ownership, Daisuke could be the trump card in your team.

Captain Choice: Noah Sadaoui

FC Goa will be keen to get the Manolo Marquez era underway in grand fashion when they take on Punjab FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Goa. They have a strong home record at the venue and Punjab FC who are playing just their second game in the ISL will have their work cut out. Sadaoui who can both create and score goals is thus the best bet for captain in MW2, especially considering his current form after he scored six times in the Durand Cup.

Create your own ISL Fantasy team as well if you haven’t already

To mark its 10th season, ISL introduced ‘ISL Fantasy,’ a classic fantasy format game. Fans can participate in the overall league or club-based leagues based on their preferences. They can create private leagues, inviting friends and fellow football aficionados to compete. Prizes include a Sony PlayStation®️5 gaming console, EA Sports FC 24, signed club merchandise, and a Gift Card worth INR 20,000, will be awarded to 100 winners at the end of the season. Sign up at:  https://fantasy.indiansuperleague.com/