Euros fantasy football tips: Star men, outsiders and wildcards

With Euro 2020 starting tonight, there is still time to make some last-minute changes to your fantasy football team for the tournament.

Are you planning to build a team around some star players, with a few lesser-known names filling the remainder of the slots? Will you fill your team with players from only a select few nations? Or will you go straight down the middle, and pick a squad full of mid-priced players?

Here are our tips, that should cover you for all three of those options (all prices taken from UEFA’s ‘Euro 2020 Fantasy Football‘ game):

Goalkeepers

Star pick – Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, £5.5m)

Roberto Mancini’s Italy side kick off the tournament tonight when they take on Turkey, and will be looking for a fast start.

Italian sides are known for their defensive stability, and this team could be no different. With Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini still in the reckoning, along with young Inter Milan centre-back Alessandro Bastoni, there’s the perfect mix of youth and experience.

Behind them is one of the finest young goalkeepers in the world – Gianluigi Donnarumma. As far as clean sheet probabilities go, the 22-year-old is a great option.

Wildcard choice – Andriy Pyatov (Ukraine, £5m)

Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov has seen it all in major competitions – and at 36, Euro 2020 may be his last.

The Ukraine stopper will be desperate to go out on a high, if that is the case, and a total of four goals conceded throughout qualifying suggests this is a side that can be trusted defensively.

Surprise pick – Peter Gulacsi (Hungary, £4.5m)

As the fourth team in a group that contains European giants Portugal, France and Germany, Hungary are going to have a stiff task in order to progress beyond the group stages.

But there’s two factors that could aid them. One is the fact that all three of their games are being played at home, in Budapest.

The second is RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, who is one of the best goalkeepers in the Bundesliga. With the Hungarians likely to concede a fair few shots, Gulacsi could be a great bet with save bonuses in mind.

Defenders

Star pick – Timothy Castagne (Belgium, £5.5m)

Timothy Castagne has had an excellent debut season for Leicester City, and will be keen to help Belgium progress far into Euro 2020.

The 25-year-old can play on both sides as a full-back, and featured as a centre-back on several occasions for Leicester. He is adept both defensively and going forward, and should be a vital cog in Roberto Martinez‘s side this summer.

Secondary choice – Andrew Robertson (Scotland, £5.5m)

Anyone who has watched Premier League football – or indeed Liverpool – over the last few seasons will know exactly what Andrew Robertson is all about.

The Scotland captain is guaranteed to play if fit – and will likely prove to be a threat at both ends of the pitch. One of Scotland’s strongest areas is in defence, and they’ve kept five clean sheets in their last 11 games.

Surprise pick – Joakim Maehle (Denmark, £4.5m)

Denmark are one of the dark horses for Euro 2020, and with good reason.

They’ve got a world-class goalkeeper in Kasper Schmeichel, dominant centre-halves in Joachim Andersen and Simon Kjaer, classy midfield players such as Christian Eriksen and Thomas Delaney, and a proven goalscorer in Yussuf Poulsen.

One name to watch out for is full-back Joakim Maehle. He is not guaranteed to start, but has impressed since moving to Atalanta in January, and scored in Denmark’s 2022 World Cup qualifier against Austria in March.

Midfielders

Star pick – Bruno Fernandes (Portugal, £10.5m)

Portugal have a huge amount of attacking talent this summer, with Bruno Fernandes one that is likely to play a central role in any success they may have.

The 26-year-old featured in the last World Cup in Russia, but this is the first tournament where the focus will be on him as one of the greatest attacking midfielders in the world.

If he can replicate the form that saw him record 18 goals and 12 assists for Manchester United in last season’s Premier League, fantasy owners should be in a good position.

Wildcard choice – Pedri (Spain, £6m)

Signed from Las Palmas last summer, Pedri has been nothing short of outstanding in his debut season with Barcelona.

The 18-year-old central midfielder has already received comparisons with Andres Iniesta, and Euro 2020 will be his first major tournament.

He is strong in both boxes, and can play on the wing as well. He isn’t a guaranteed starter, but if he does get the nod in Luis Enrique’s side, he could well further enhance his growing reputation.

Outside pick – Jakub Moder (Poland, £6m)

When it comes to Poland, most of the focus will be on Robert Lewandowski.

Behind him, Jakub Moder is a real talent in the centre of the pitch. England fans will know all about his goalscoring capabilities – he netted the equaliser in Poland’s eventual 2-1 Nations League defeat at Wembley back in March.

He scored nine goals in one and a half seasons for Lech Poznan before moving to Brighton, where he has made a decent impression thus far on English football. The 22-year-old is one to watch.

Forwards

Star pick – Harry Kane (England, £11.5m)

At £11.5 million, Harry Kane is the third-most expensive striker in fantasy football for Euro 2020.

It is for good reason. The World Cup Golden Boot winner is one of the finest goalscorers in world football, captains his national team and takes penalties.

He has already been selected by 35% of fantasy players.

Secondary choice – Alexander Isak (Sweden, £8m)

After injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexander Isak could lead the line for Sweden off the back of scoring 17 goals for Real Sociedad last term.

The frontman has attracted the interest of the world’s top clubs, including Barcelona – and should definitely be a consideration for your fantasy team.

Outside pick – Goran Pandev (North Macedonia, £6.5m)

At the age of 37, this is Goran Pandev’s first major tournament. He even delayed retirement just to have one final go at qualifying for one.

The veteran is one of the focal points for North Macedonia – their captain and most experienced player. He has also netted 16 goals in the last two seasons for Serie A side Genoa.

Whether they get out of their group or not is uncertain, but don’t bet against Pandev scoring a fairytale goal or two to cap off his greatest international achievement.

Featured Image Credit: Getty

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