Barcelona proved that they will be just fine without Lionel Messi over the next couple of weeks with a 5-0 win over Sporting Gijon on Saturday. It’s no surprise that a number of players stepped up with outstanding performances in Messi’s absence and as a result there are four different Barcelona players that made this list. Here is a look at the top individual La Liga fantasy performances by position from this past weekend.
GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Barcelona
Barcelona was just fine without Lionel Messi over the weekend, scoring five goals in a lopsided victory over Sporting Gijon in which the championship contenders clearly flexed their muscle. Their goalkeeper registered the best fantasy score of the weekend as Marc-Andre ter Stegen stopped all three shots that he faced to preserve the clean sheet victory.
Honorable Mention: Jan Oblak, Atletico Madrid; Sergio Alvarez, Celta Vigo
D: Sergi Roberto, Barcelona
While Gerard Pique remained the more attractive option in daily fantasy leagues, it was Roberto that played a starring role for Barcelona at the back end. The 24-year-old registered two assists in the victory and was excellent in his own end while shining in his own end as well to earn a clean sheet. Roberto earned high praise from his manager Luis Enrique and he has emerged as a legitimate La Liga fantasy asset with four assists through four appearances this season.
Honorable Mention: Mikel Balenziaga, Athletic Bilbao; Diego Godin, Atletico Madrid
M: Arda Turan, Barcelona
Turan continued his impressive campaign for Barcelona with a goal and an assist in Barcelona’s 5-0 win. Turan is already up to two goals and three assists through six games for Barcelona this season. It’s clear he is worth targeting in daily La Liga fantasy leagues as a key midfielder that might be somewhat undervalued based on reputation on a loaded team in which he has had a substantial impact early on this season.
M: Joaquin, Real Betis
The weekend kicked off with Real Betis picking up an important 1-0 win over Malaga thanks in large part to Joaquin’s performance. The veteran midfielder scored his second goal of the season, which held up as the game-winning goal. Joaquin also had two shots on goal and benefited from a clean sheet bonus to post the second-best La Liga fantasy score among midfielders over the weekend. Betis is still struggling in the standings as they have just eight points through six games. That’s mostly because they’ve allowed 11 goals so far. No team above them in the standings has allowed more than that.
Honorable Mention: Bebe, Eibar; Karim Benzema, Real Madrid; Bruno, Villarreal
F: Neymar, Barcelona
There were plenty of predictions that Neymar would step up this past weekend and deliver a strong performance with Messi sidelined. The Brazilian striker didn’t disappoint with two goals on five shots. Neymar was relatively quiet until the 81st minute when he scored the first of back-to-back goals in a 10-minute span to guarantee himself the top position on this list at the forward spot. Barcelona has been an offensive juggernaut and one of the most reliable places to look in terms of La Liga fantasy. They have managed a whopping 19 goals through six games, which is by far the best in the Spanish Primera.
F: Nani, Valencia
A yellow card hurt Nani’s stock a little bit but he still did enough to earn the second spot on this list at the forward position with a goal and an assist in Valencia’s 2-1 win over Leganes. It was only Valencia’s second win in six games and it was Nani that played the biggest role in them earning an important six points. Valencia is currently in 15th place in the standings table as they’ve managed just six points through six games. They are just one point up on the relegation zone as three teams – Deportivo, Malaga and Espanyol – are all tied right behind them with five points.
Honorable Mention: Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid; Pione Sisto, Celta Vigo
