Euro 2024 Fantasy Preview: Matchday 1 Tips, Top Captaincy Picks, and Differentials

The FPL Manual shares insights on the best Euro fantasy tips, captaincy picks, and top differentials for Matchday 1 of UEFA Euro 2024 on Friday, June 14.

The 2024 UEFA Euro begins in just a few days, and football fans in Europe and around the world are eager to watch some international action. Most nations have completed their pre-Euro friendly games and have arrived for the main tournament, which will be hosted in Germany.

This will be RotoBaller's first season covering the UEFA Euro. In this article, we will look at the top fantasy tips to consider, as well as provide insights to the audience utilizing statistics and metrics on what to expect as the first round of fixtures are played this upcoming weekend.

So sit back and relax as I analyze the top captaincy picks and differentials to keep an eye out for in the UEFA Euro 2024 competition.

EURO 2024 Fantasy Football is live now 🙌

Tap below to pick your squad 👇#EUROfantasy | @VisitQatar

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 9, 2024

Matchday 1 Euro Fantasy Tips

Focus on Portugal, France, and Netherlands Attacks, Invest in Italy and England Defenses

A quick way to start your Euro Fantasy right is by having a clear direction on which teams to target each week. Based on team statistics from the Euro Qualifiers, Portugal and France were the top-two teams for goals scored, netting 36 and 29 goals, respectively. The Netherlands have also proven to be a dominant attacking force in recent games, securing back-to-back 4-0 victories against Canada and Iceland in the pre-Euro friendlies.

Recommended players to target are Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann of France, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes of Portugal, and Memphis Depay and Cody Gakpo of Netherlands.

#euro2024: projected goals and clean sheet odds for the first round of group games, via spread betting markets pic.twitter.com/RVrbLE8Nmy

— Rob T (@robtFPL) June 11, 2024

Euro fantasy managers are strongly encouraged to target defensive assets from either Italy or England. According to projections, Italy and England have a high likelihood of keeping a clean sheet in Matchday 1, with chances of 52% and 46%, respectively. This is unsurprising as both nations tend to employ a defense-first mentality on the big stage.

Recommended players to bring in include Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, and Gianluigi Donnarumma of Italy, and Jordan Pickford, John Stones, and Trent Alexander-Arnold of England. Trent is expected to play in the midfield position for England, who could be a big boost for fantasy owners.

Spotlight on Hungary: Offensive Talents to Keep an Eye On

With only one loss in its last 16 games and an unbeaten record in Group G of the Euro Qualifiers, Hungary enters Euro 2024 with high confidence that it will advance beyond the group stage. The front three of Dominik Szoboszlai, Barnabas Varga, and Roland Sallai scored 10 goals in the Euro Qualifiers and could pose a significant attacking threat against their Group A rivals; Switzerland, Germany, and Scotland in the tournament.

Matchday 1 Top Captain Picks

The first gameweek of Euro 2024 offers a diverse set of intriguing captaincy options. Players like England's captain Harry Kane against Serbia and host Germany's Kai Havertz taking on Scotland make a strong case for the armband. However, my top-three picks are:

Kylian Mbappe (€11m) - France

Contributing nine goals and six assists during the Euro Qualifiers, French captain Kylian Mbappe is set to lead his nation in the upcoming tournament. The 25-year-old has been impactful in previous international tournaments, recently finishing as the top goal-scorer in the 2022 World Cup, including scoring a remarkable hat trick in the final.

Kylian Mbappé is the optimal pick for the armband when France takes on Austria in Matchday 1.

𝑆𝐸𝑅𝑉𝐼 𝑆𝑈𝑅 𝑈𝑁 𝑃𝐿𝐴𝑇𝐸𝐴𝑈 🧑‍🍳

Grâce à un très bon travail de Bradley Barcola, @KMbappe a pu s’offrir le but du 3-0 ⚽️#FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/HIVyftbFST

— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 7, 2024

Romelu Lukaku (€9m) - Belgium

Nicknamed "Big Rom," the 31-year-old Belgian striker is a sensational player for the Red Devils. Scoring 14 goals and providing an assist during the Euro Qualifiers, Romelu Lukaku is an absolute steal for his price and a compelling captain option when facing group rivals Slovakia in Matchday 1.

Big Rom being Big Rom. 💪 pic.twitter.com/TcTEf7z8Qc

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) June 9, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo (€10m) - Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo, who holds the global record for most goals scored on international grounds, now returns for his sixth UEFA Euro participation. To no surprise, the Portuguese icon currently leads the UEFA Euro goal-scoring records with 14 goals scored in 25 appearances.

Ronaldo's current form speaks for itself, with 10 goals and two assists for Portugal in the Qualifiers. Set to be on penalties and direct free kicks, we should expect more goals from the 39-year-old in Germany, as his goal estimate for Matchday 1 vs. Czechia is 51%.

Cristiano 😤#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/8fS6pEcXYK

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 10, 2024

Euro Fantasy managers have the ability to change captains on a daily basis during each gameweek, allowing us to have a wider range of options on any given day. Feel free to select any other enticing captain that was not mentioned above.

Top Differentials To Consider (<10% Ownership)

Nico Williams (€7m) - Spain

Even though recent praise has gone to Spaniard teammate Lamine Yamal for his innate dribbling and creative overall play, I think everyone is overlooking Nico Williams on the left wing. During the Qualifiers, Williams scored one goal and provided three assists for La Roja and had a fantastic season with club side Athletic Bilbao, scoring five goals and contributing 11 assists.

With only 3% ownership, Williams Jr. is a key differential option to bring in as Spain take on Croatia in Matchday 1.

7 - Nico Williams 🇪🇸 assisted more goals after a carry than any other player in LaLiga last season (7), while only Xavi Simons (8) made more across Europe's big five leagues overall. Livewire. #OnesToWatch #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/QBx1dKQf9h

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 6, 2024

Adam Gnezda Cerin (€5m) - Slovenia

Playing 90 minutes in all 10 Euro qualifying games and creating the most chances for Slovenia, 24-year-old Adam Cerin is a hidden gem to watch out for in Matchday 1. This versatile midfielder contributes to the attack, takes free kicks and corners, and defensively averages 4.8 ball recoveries per game for the Dragons.

If you are looking for a reliable differential to rely on for points, Cerin is your man as he faces Denmark next.

Under the radar 🔍

Position: MID

Price: 5m

Stats:
✅Started all 10 games for Slovenia securing the most minutes
✅1 goal, 3 assists in Euro Qualifiers
✅On set-pieces minus pens

TSB: 1% ownership

First Euro game: Denmark

Is Adam Čerin the best enabler to get? #EuroFantasy pic.twitter.com/55X9eVdqHD

— FPL Manual (Wale) (@TheFPLManual) June 8, 2024

Join Our League

Once again, join our RotoBaller.com league. Hit any of our writers up over the next two weeks, we will give you the code (also in the graphic below), and you'll be good to go. Good luck for UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy, RotoBallers!