Limited Scoring Drives Changes in Serie A Fantasy Strategy
Last season’s Serie A delivered a clear lesson: strikers in Italy aren’t finding the net frequently. The top scorer managed only 17 goals, raising questions about whether this trend will persist. The striker pool has seen minimal changes, with a few new signings and existing forwards struggling in less favorable tactical setups, which will undeniably impact fantasy strategies.
Few Strikers Who Score
The scoring landscape for the 2025/26 Serie A season indicates that only 11 strikers reached double figures, with players like McTominay, Orsolini, and Nico Paz edging close with 10 or more goals. Among those classified as forwards, the statistics reveal an intriguing detail: five players finished with just 10 goals, including Juventus’ technical leader and several from lower-tier clubs, along with the Scamacca-Krstovic pair that proved difficult for fantasy managers last season.
Who is NOT a True First-Tier Pick
Identifying players who do not merit top-tier status for budget investments is vital. Candidates include Bonazzoli, currently with Cremonese in Serie B; Douvikas, whose team Como aims to secure a top-level striker; Krstovic, who finds himself on the bench; Yildiz, with Kolo Muani likely being the primary scorer; Simeone, who doesn’t play for a prominent club; and Davis, known for his injury issues.
Who Has Been Added to the List of Top-Tier Picks
On the other hand, certain strikers have emerged as worthy of top-tier consideration: Goncalo Ramos, Kolo Muani, and Moise Kean are all players expected to surpass 10 goals again, whether playing for Fiorentina or Como.
To procure a top-tier option, managers may need to allocate a significant portion of their budget—40 to 45%, which translates to 200 to 220 credits, or 400 to 450 credits depending on available resources. Should historical scoring trends continue, Lautaro, Malen, and Kolo Muani would be the only strikers justifying such investments in fantasy leagues.
Invest in Midfielders or Defenders (If You Use the Modifier)
If strikers continue to yield low goal returns, shifting focus towards midfield becomes more appealing as there are numerous opportunities that might prove more crucial given the forwards’ lack of output. Last season’s highest-scoring midfielders hold valuable potential.
New contenders Zaniolo and Baturina have emerged based on their output in relation to playing time. For those considering budget strategies, acquiring two high-quality midfielders typically costs about 15% less than a premier striker, making them a strong alternative.
The Defender Question
Utilizing a modifier, particularly one featuring multiple tiers, elevates the importance of defenders. Players like Dimarco showcased impressive average performance last season, emphasizing the value of creativity in defense, especially as scoring opportunities dwindle. Establishing a robust defense paired with two top-tier midfielders and astute choices among strikers may yield greater returns than solely banking on high-profile strikers from major clubs, a strategy that may backfire as witnessed in the previous season.
Last season’s Serie A taught us one thing: strikers in Italy don’t score much. Or at least, the stars aligned and gave us a season in which the top scorer netted 17 goals.
We can’t know whether those numbers will be repeated (even if nobody is hoping for that), but the pool of strikers certainly hasn’t been overhauled. There have been a few signings, while other forwards now find themselves in tactically unfavorable setups. And all of this will change Fanta strategies.
Few strikers who score
The 2025/26 Serie A scoring chart was clear: 11 strikers reached double figures, plus McTominay (10), Orsolini (10 goals) and Nico Paz (12). The top scorers among players listed as forwards looked like this:
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What’s striking is the number of players listed as forwards sitting on just 10 goals: as many as five, including Juventus’ technical leader and several smaller-club scorers, plus the Scamacca-Krstovic duo, a real headache for fantasy managers last season.
Who is NOT a true first-tier pick
Now let’s list who can’t be a top-tier pick worth spending most of your budget on: Bonazzoli (currently in Serie B with Cremonese); Douvikas (Como are looking for a top-level striker); Krstovic (who starts on the bench); Yildiz (the real main scorer should be Kolo Muani); Simeone (he doesn’t play for a big club) and Davis (injury-prone).
Who has been added to the list of top-tier picks
The strikers who should be added to the top-tier group are: Goncalo Ramos, Kolo Muani and Moise Kean (it’s hard to imagine him finishing below 10 goals again, whether at Fiorentina or Como).
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Of all the names listed, who is truly a top-tier pick objectively:
But to buy a top-tier pick you usually have to spend 40/45% of your budget: that is, 200/220 credits or 400/450 credits depending on the budget available. If the historical numbers were to repeat themselves, only Lautaro, Malen and Kolo Muani could be considered top-tier picks worth “breaking the bank” for in Fanta.
Invest in midfielders or defenders (if you use the modifier)
If strikers keep scoring little, then it makes sense to focus on midfield: a department where there are plenty of opportunities that could become even more important given the output of forwards.
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Last year, the highest-scoring midfielders were:
To these names, Zaniolo and Baturina have been added as well, considering their numbers relative to minutes played.
IS IT WORTH GETTING 2 TOP-TIER MIDFIELDERS?
So we have 8 “top-tier picks” in midfield, except in this case we’ll pay much less for them: surely around 15% less than a “top-tier pick” in attack.
So, based on last season’s goal numbers: it might be better to buy two top-tier midfielders and then target second-tier strikers, who could score only a few fewer goals than the “top-tier” ones, but at a lower cost.
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THE DEFENDER QUESTION
If you use the modifier (especially one with more than three tiers), defenders become even more important: Dimarco had the 5th-highest fantasy average in last season’s league, and since goals are becoming rarer and rarer, it’s better to rely on creativity: by getting at least a 6.5 average in defense.
A strong defense, a midfield with two top-tier picks, and a bit of scouting up front could be an even more valid strategy than usual. Because anyone who says: “I’m going all-in on the striker from a big club” could get burned, just like what happened last year.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
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