Before the knockout phase of Euro 2024 begins, it’s worth noting what the best Fantasy team so far looks like.
With premium assets generally disappointing, the 15-man squad below costs only €93.5m – leaving €6.5m in the bank.
BEST EURO 2024 FANTASY TEAM SO FAR
Without transfers, a rotated line-up or captaincy, the ‘dead’ first XI – where Unai Simon (€5.5m), Cody Gakpo (€7.5m), Timi Elsnik (€6.0m) and one of the 19-point players are benched – would already be on 229 points.
If Zan Karnicnik (€5.0m, 26 points) or Jamal Musiala (€8.5m, 23 points) were permanently captained, it’d overtake the current global leader’s 250.
After this duo, the next best 24 players are separated by just three points. William Saliba (€5.5m) and Nathan Ake (€5.5m) could instead be certain France, Italy or Slovenia defensive alternatives.
However, there have been so few good forwards that we’ve dropped down to 14 points for our third one, Elsnik.
WITH MID-ROUND SWITCHES
Not only are these the top Euro Fantasy scorers but active managers would be doing even better with perfect rotation.
Individuals like Kevin De Bruyne (€9.5m), Koen Casteels (€5.0m) and Georges Mikautadze (€5.0m) took part in the final two groups. This allowed them to step in from the sidelines to replace those who’d blanked.
Another perk of this format is that you can switch the armband mid-Matchday. So if Fabian Ruiz (€6.5m), Ilkay Gundogan (€7.0m) and Mikautadze ended with it, alongside some line-up shuffling, this lot would be on a huge 307 points.
This is all hypothetical, of course. But imagine what two free transfers per Matchday could have also done.
TOP-SCORING INDIVIDUALS
As well as two clean sheets, Casteels is the only goalkeeper to assist, having set up De Bruyne against Romania. Had Unai Simon and Dani Carvajal (€5.5m) not been rested for Spain’s final group game, the duo might’ve bettered that with three successful shut-outs.
What boosted them over team-mates was facing Croatia, where one saved a penalty and the other netted from close range.
Nobody would’ve ever predicted Karnicnik to be Fantasy’s overall top scorer at this stage. Yet here he is, on top with a goal, a clean sheet and seven points gained from 23 ball recoveries. Still fewer than the 26 of Marc Guehi (€4.5m), though. For all the justified criticism of England’s performances, they’ve only conceded one big chance and 1.15 expected goals (xGC). Both rank as the best.
Group D’s Saliba and Ake benefitted from their nations’ Matchday 2 stalemate. Furthermore, the left-back set up two goals in the Netherlands’ opener versus Poland.
In midfield, Musiala scored on a couple of occasions, despite an expected goals (xG) tally of just 0.48. He bagged 12 points against Scotland and would’ve matched that straight after, had Gundogan not secured the next Player of the Match honour. With one goal and two assists, the former Manchester City man might be on more had he taken Germany’s Matchday 1 penalty. He was still feeling rough from the foul.
Speaking of these awards, De Bruyne already has two of them. He’s joint-second for shots with Christian Eriksen (€7.0m) and narrowly behind the leading Dane for chances created (11 v 13) but, crucially, beats him for big chances created (3 v 0).
Similarly to Musiala, Fabian Ruiz is overachieving compared to his stats. An assist, plus a goal from his sole penalty area shot but from a low expected goal involvement (xGI, 0.56). Then there’s Gakpo, on two goals from 0.53 xG. One strike was rewarded for being from long-range and he’s also the forward with most chances created (eight).
Rather than Romelu Lukaku (€9.0m), Harry Kane (€11.0m) or Kylian Mbappe (€11.0m), the front line is completed by Mikautadze and Slovenia’s Elsnik. The Georgian is the ninth player to net in all three Euro group games. A pair of these were penalties but – even though he’s high for big chances (five) – both his and Elsnik’s nations are joint-second-worst for attempts (26).
Finally, Elsnik is here despite not yet scoring. It’s because five points have been collected from 17 ball recoveries, the most in his position.
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