Serie Manager Efterår 2026 Round 2 Preview

Serie Manager Round 2 preview: best buys, captain picks and hidden gems

Serie Manager Efterår 2026 Round 2 opens on Friday 28 August at 20:45 with Milan - Venezia and closes on Monday 31 August with Lecce - Roma. Two things shape the round. Juventus have the friendliest fixture in the game by a clear margin, and a cluster of Milan players carry big Round 2 scores that collapse in Round 3 - so for several squads the buy and the sell are the same decision, four days apart.

The obvious premiums will be in most teams by Friday. What actually separates squads is the six or seven spots after them: the Lazio and Sassuolo midfielders under 4m that nobody owns, the Juventus defenders sitting at 1% ownership behind a 59% clean-sheet projection, and knowing which of the game's most-bought players to move on before their programme turns. Every price below comes from the game itself, and every projection is the model's current number for the round.

Round 2 fixtures: where the points are

Juventus - Parma is the standout. Juventus are projected at 79% to win with 2.45 expected goals and a 59% clean-sheet chance - the highest of both in the round. Parma were the weakest attack in Serie A last season at 0.84 expected goals per game and a non-penalty expected-goal difference of -0.64, and the model gives them a 6% win probability. There is no fixture in Round 2 that comes close.

Inter travel to a Cagliari side that kept only 8 clean sheets and conceded 1.40 expected goals per game last season, so 65% away is comfortably the best road fixture of the round. Roma at Lecce is the same story one tier down: Lecce managed 0.83 expected goals per game across the whole of last season. Fiorentina host Frosinone on Saturday at 58% and 1.83 expected goals, which is why a 3.5m Fiorentina forward is one of the best-value buys in the game this week.

The trap is Napoli. They are at home and only 39% to win against Como, with 1.24 expected goals - a bottom-half projection for a top-half side. Atalanta host Bologna at 52% but with only a 33% clean sheet, so their defenders are not the play even though their attackers are. Check the full round on the Serie Manager schedule, and the underlying odds on the Serie A market probabilities page.

Looking past Round 2

Juventus keep it going: [H]Parma to [H]Milan (50%) to [A]Sassuolo (49%). Inter improve after this week - [A]Cagliari to [H]Napoli (52%) to [H]Udinese (68%), and Round 6 at home to Parma carries the highest attacking projection of the whole six-round window (2.53 expected goals, 77% win probability). Roma run [A]Lecce to [H]Atalanta to [A]Torino, all between 42% and 57%.

Milan are the opposite. After [H]Venezia they go [A]Juventus (22%) and [A]Lazio (34%), and the projections follow: Gonçalo Ramos drops from 121k to 29k, Loftus-Cheek from 82k to 19k, Chukwueze from 83k to 20k. Buy Milan for this week only, and plan the exit now.

Goalkeepers

Josep Martinez (5.069m, INT) is the pick if you want one keeper for the next month. 90k this round from a 49% clean sheet, and a weighted six-round score of 280k - the best of any goalkeeper in the game. Only 8.8% of squads have him.

The cheaper route to the round's best clean sheet is Carlo Pinsoglio (3.5m, JUV), who the model has starting behind that 59% Juventus projection for 98k - the top goalkeeper score in Round 2 and 28.1k per million, easily the best rate in the position. He is owned by essentially nobody. If Juventus name a different keeper, Martinez or Mile Svilar is the fallback, and the 35k fee is a cheap price for the option.

Mile Svilar (4.5m, ROM) at 84k is the middle ground - he played 4,320 minutes across 49 games in all competitions last season, so rotation is not a concern, and Roma kept 18 clean sheets. Mike Maignan (4.5m, MIL) posts a strong 88k this week but then 44k and 57k as Milan's fixtures turn, so he is a one-round buy rather than an investment. On a tight budget, Oliver Christensen (3.0m, FIO) returns 73k at 24.3k per million against Frosinone. The predicted Serie A lineups are the place to confirm any of these before the deadline.

Defenders

Federico Dimarco (5.574m, INT) stays the best defender in the game and the most-owned player at 60.5%. He produced 11.15 expected assists and 16 actual assists in 38 games last season - 0.54 expected goal involvements per 90 from a defensive slot - and his weighted six-round score of 321k leads the position. 103k this round, and Round 6 projects at 125k. No reason to move.

The value is in the Juventus back line, and this is the round to take up to the four-per-club maximum. Pierre Kalulu (4.5m, JUV) at 86k is owned by 1.6% of squads. Gleison Bremer (4.5m, JUV) matches him at 86k with the added aerial threat - 9.95 expected goals and 11 actual goals in all competitions last season, 0.41 expected goal involvements per 90, exceptional for a centre-back. Lloyd Kelly (4.0m, JUV) is the cheapest way in at 82k and 20.4k per million, at 1.2% ownership.

Pairing one of them with Pinsoglio doubles up on the same 59% clean sheet, which is the correlation worth taking when the fixture is this strong. It is also worth being clear that stacking only works when each player earns his place independently - all three Juventus defenders do, on their own numbers.

The budget defender for this round

Oumar Solet (3.514m, UDI) returns 73k at 20.9k per million and sits at 0.8% ownership. His Round 4 falls to 19k, so treat him as a two-round pick - the 35k fee is trivial against two useful weeks. Danilho Doekhi (3.5m, LAZ) is the alternative at 64k with Lazio at home to Genoa, and he holds up better across the horizon (182k weighted). Yann Bisseck (5.239m, INT) at 79k is the differential option in the good Inter fixture at 4.2% ownership. Compare all of them side by side on the Serie Manager player picks page.

Midfielders

Kenan Yildiz (7.5m, JUV) is the highest-projected player in the game for Round 2 at 144k, and he is the most important buy of the week. He played all 38 league games last season for 2,838 minutes, posting 8.17 expected goals and 9.67 expected assists - 10 goals and 6 assists - at 0.57 expected goal involvements per 90. His trajectory is 144k, 89k, 94k, 76k, 104k, 85k for a weighted score of 377k, the best of any midfielder. At 13.5% ownership he is still a differential.

Chico Conceicao (6.0m, JUV) is the pick most managers will miss. 106k is the second-highest midfield score in the round, his weighted total is 272k, and he is owned by 2.5% of squads. Same fixture, same clean-sheet upside, a big price gap to Yildiz.

Hakan Calhanoglu (6.174m, INT) at 88k is the safer premium - he takes 78% of Inter's penalties, which raises the floor in a fixture they are 65% to win. 20.3% ownership.

The budget midfielders

Alphadjo Cissè (2.0m, MIL) is the single best rate in the game: 93k for 2.0m is 46.7k per million, and the fee to buy him is 20k. His Round 3 drops to 19k, so buy him for this week and sell him after - that is the whole plan, and at this price it is close to free.

Armand Lauriente (3.5m, SAS) is the one to keep. 82k this round at 23.5k per million, a weighted 237k across six rounds, and he takes 60% of Sassuolo's penalties. He managed 7 goals and 9 assists in 38 games last season.

The hidden gem is Matteo Cancellieri (3.5m, LAZ) - 79k, 22.7k per million, 220k weighted, and owned by 0.3% of squads. Lazio host Genoa, who are projected for 0.83 goals. His team-mate Mattia Zaccagni (3.5m, LAZ) is the more familiar version of the same bet at 80k, with 85% of Lazio's penalties. Jurgen Ekkelenkamp (3.074m, UDI) at 67k rounds out the sub-3.5m options.

Forwards

Donyell Malen (7.0m, ROM) is the best forward in the game right now on the numbers that matter most. 125k this round, 333k across three rounds, and a weighted 379k. Last season he produced 13.92 expected goals and 2.38 expected assists in only 1,478 minutes - 0.99 expected goal involvements per 90, the highest of any player featured here - and scored 14. He also takes 82% of Roma's penalties. At 39.4% ownership he is close to template, and rightly so.

Moise Kean (3.5m, FIO) is the value buy of the round. 121k for 3.5m is 34.5k per million, the best rate of any forward, and the case is stronger than the price suggests: last season he generated 15.09 expected goals and scored only 8. That is a seven-goal underperformance from a player who is now facing Frosinone at home. 15.7% ownership, 35k fee, 301k weighted.

Lautaro Martinez (10.524m, INT) carries the highest weighted score in the game at 386k and scored 17 goals from 13.27 expected goals last season, so the finishing premium is real. But 122k from a 10.524m price is only 11.6k per million, and the 105k fee makes him expensive to move later. Own him if you want the biggest single ceiling in Round 6 (152k); skip him if you would rather spread the money.

Gianluca Scamacca (5.0m, ATA) at 97k and 19.4k per million is the best mid-price forward, with 288k weighted and only 4.1% ownership - Atalanta's attack is the play this week even though their defence is not. Giacomo Raspadori (4.0m, ATA) is the cheaper version at 89k and 22.3k per million, 3.7% owned.

Paulo Dybala (4.5m, ROM) at 95k and 21.0k per million is the differential at 12.5% ownership, backed by 0.66 expected goal involvements per 90 last season. And Albert Gudmundsson (3.5m, FIO) is the deep-value pick: 79k, 22.5k per million, 1.2% ownership, and 67% of Fiorentina's penalties.

Captain picks for Round 2

Yildiz is the captain. 144k is 19k clear of the next-best score, and it comes from the best fixture in the round by every measure - highest win probability, highest expected goals, highest clean-sheet chance. There is no argument for anyone else this week.

Malen is the better armband if you are planning more than one week. He is the top score in Round 3 at 99k, third in Round 4 at 110k, and top again in Round 7 at 118k - so one buy covers the armband for most of the next month. Yildiz gives you this round; Malen gives you the plan. Lautaro is the Round 6 answer (152k) and Kean is the cheapest way to a top-four ceiling. Run the numbers yourself on the optimal Serie Manager teams solver, which builds the best legal eleven for any round window live.

Who to sell before Round 2

Six of the game's most-bought players are projected badly for Round 2, and three of them are projected to lose value.

El Bilal Toure is the clearest sell: 9k, from a Parma side given a 6% chance at Juventus, and he is in more than a quarter of squads. De Ketelaere, De Gea and Berardi are all projected negative for the round, and De Ketelaere and De Gea stay negative into Round 3. Christensen is the projected Fiorentina goalkeeper, so De Gea is the straightforward swap - same club, same fixture, 73k instead of -5k, and it frees up 0.5m.

Two more to move after Friday rather than before it: Gonçalo Ramos (5.0m, MIL, 42.3% owned) and Ruben Loftus-Cheek (4.0m, MIL, 11.9% owned) both post excellent Round 2 numbers - 121k and 82k - and then 29k and 19k as Milan visit Juventus. Take the points, then take the exit.

Hold, do not sell

Nico Paz (5.024m, COM) is the second-most-owned player in the game at 49.9% and his Round 2 looks weak at 63k with Como away at Napoli. Keep him: his next two rounds are 92k and 111k, for a weighted 294k. Selling now and buying back costs 100k in fees to gain nothing. The same applies to Anastasios Douvikas (5.179m, COM) - 62k, then 93k and 108k - and to Rasmus Højlund (8.042m, NAP), whose 78k this week is poor value at 9.7k per million but whose weighted 295k and 112k Round 6 make an 80k exit fee hard to justify. Yan Couto (3.014m, COM, 33.9% owned) at 32k is the most marginal of these; his 47k in each of the next two rounds is enough to hold if you would rather spend the transfer elsewhere.

The short version

Take up to four Juventus players and captain Yildiz. Add Kean at 3.5m and Malen at 7.0m up front. Fill the cheap slots with Cancellieri, Lauriente and one of Solet or Doekhi, and use Cissè as a 2.0m one-week punt on Milan at home. Sell El Bilal Toure, De Gea, De Ketelaere and Berardi. Keep Nico Paz and Douvikas despite the soft week.

More rounds are covered in the Serie Manager preview hub - start with the Round 1 preview for the season-opening squad build - and the full rules and strategy are in our holdet.dk football manager guide.

FAQ

Who should I captain in Serie Manager Round 2?

Kenan Yildiz (7.5m, Juventus). The model has him at 144k for the round, 19k clear of Donyell Malen in second, and Juventus have the best fixture in Round 2 at home to Parma - 79% win probability, 2.45 expected goals and a 59% clean-sheet chance. If you would rather hold one armband for several weeks, Malen (7.0m, Roma) is the better long-term choice: he is the top-projected player in Round 3 (99k) and Round 7 (118k).

Which players should I buy in Serie Manager Round 2?

Yildiz and up to three other Juventus players ahead of their home game with Parma - Kalulu and Bremer at 4.5m and Kelly at 4.0m are all between 82k and 86k at under 6% ownership. Up front, Moise Kean (3.5m, Fiorentina) at 121k is the best value in the game, and Donyell Malen (7.0m, Roma) has the strongest six-round profile at 379k weighted. Chico Conceicao (6.0m, Juventus) at 106k is the most overlooked buy at 2.5% ownership.

Who are the best differentials in Serie Manager Round 2?

Matteo Cancellieri (3.5m, Lazio) is owned by 0.3% of squads and projects 79k against a Genoa side expected to score 0.83 goals. Chico Conceicao (6.0m, Juventus, 2.5% owned) at 106k is the highest-scoring low-ownership player in the round. Gianluca Scamacca (5.0m, Atalanta, 4.1%) at 97k and Albert Gudmundsson (3.5m, Fiorentina, 1.2%) at 79k are the differential forwards, and Carlo Pinsoglio (3.5m, Juventus) is essentially unowned behind the round's best clean sheet.

Who should I sell in Serie Manager before Round 2?

El Bilal Toure (2.996m, Parma) is the priority - he is in 27.8% of squads and projects 9k with Parma given a 6% chance at Juventus. Charles De Ketelaere (4.5m, Atalanta), David De Gea (3.5m, Fiorentina) and Domenico Berardi (3.0m, Sassuolo) are all projected negative for the round and are owned by 10-18% of squads. Hold Nico Paz and Anastasios Douvikas despite their soft Round 2 - both jump above 90k in Round 3.

Which cheap players are best for Serie Manager Round 2?

Alphadjo Cissè (2.0m, Milan) gives the best rate in the game at 46.7k per million - 93k for a 20k fee - but only for this round, since his Round 3 falls to 19k. Armand Lauriente (3.5m, Sassuolo) at 82k and 23.5k per million is the cheap midfielder worth keeping, with 237k across the weighted six-round window. Moise Kean at 3.5m and Oliver Christensen at 3.0m are the best budget forward and goalkeeper respectively.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI - verified by Nicolai @ TheFantasyTool