RADIO
The FPL Manual shares insights on the best Euro 2024 fantasy tips, top captaincy picks, and recommended players ahead of Matchday 4.
From Ukraine finishing bottom of Group E with 4 points to Austria topping Group D against France and the Netherlands and Spain achieving a 100% record in Group C, the UEFA Euro 2024 group stages have been full of surprises. An experienced Croatian team was knocked out due to a late equalizer by Italy, while Georgia, the newcomer, secured qualification against group favorites Portugal, advancing to the Round of 16 in its first major international tournament.
RotoBaller remains your favorite outlet for the best fantasy news worldwide and continues to dive into UEFA Euro 2024. In this article, we will look at the top fantasy tips to consider and provide insights using statistics and metrics on what to expect ahead of the upcoming fixtures for Matchday 4.
UEFA Euro 2024 has been nothing short of entertainment, and I’m thrilled to witness its splendor. Join me, the FPL Manual, as we analyze the top captaincy picks, best tips for your fantasy team, and recommended players to keep an eye out for in the next round.
The round of 16 🤩#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/IUur3dnj0m
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 26, 2024
UEFA Euro 2024 - Group Stage Recap
The first three gameweeks of the campaign have been completed, with several standout performances in the group stages. Highlights include the opening game, where host Germany defeated Scotland 5-1, Belgium's surprising 1-0 loss to Slovakia, Portugal's 3-0 win over Türkiye, and Austria's thrilling 3-2 victory over the Netherlands on Matchday 3. Here's how the groups concluded:
Group stage ✅#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/DeztQCdKnR
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 27, 2024
So far in the competition, Germany has scored the most goals (eight), while Spain boasts the most clean sheets (three). Georgia forward Georges Mikautadze is the current top goal-scorer with three goals, and Austrian defender Alexander Prass is the joint leader for most assists with two to his name. At the same time, Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili ranks highest for most saves with 20.
The #EURO2024 Stat Leaders after the Group Stage. 🥇 pic.twitter.com/WUmLf60s7b
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 27, 2024
Matchday 4 Euro Fantasy Tips
Target Spain, Portugal, and England Assets
As we approach the first game in the knockout phase, Euro fantasy managers are strongly recommended to target fantasy assets from Spain, Portugal, or England. Projections for Matchday 4 indicate Spain is anticipated to score 2.45 expected goals (xG), followed by Portugal at 2.00 xG and England at 1.90 xG.
The selected teams' projected clean-sheet odds for Matchday 4 are 61% for Spain and 55% for Portugal and England.
#euro2024: projected goals and clean sheet odds for the R16 knockouts, via spread betting markets (90 mins) pic.twitter.com/SNWHibRpuC
— Rob T (@robtFPL) June 27, 2024
It is important to note that during the Round of 16, managers can select up to four players from a single team. Therefore, feel free to maximize your selection, mainly from Spain, who is expected to send newcomer Georgia back home. Recommended Spain players to target include Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Fabian Ruiz, and Dani Carvajal.
Look Out for Ball Recovery Kings
In Euro Fantasy, players receive an extra point for every three balls recovered. Marc Cucurella's superb defensive performance against Italy on Matchday 2 earned his owners 10 points after completing 14 ball recoveries and keeping a clean sheet for Spain. Bringing in the best defender in terms of ball recoveries could help you stand out in your mini-leagues.
🔁Most Ball Recoveries in Euro 2024
Only players in R16✅
🏴Guehi 26
🇮🇹Calafiori 24 🚫
🇮🇹Bastoni 23
🇸🇮Karničnik 23
🇨🇭Akanji 23
🇩🇰Vestergaard 21
🇬🇪Kashia 21
🏴Rice 21
🇩🇪Rudiger 21
🇫🇷Upamecano 21
🇹🇷Akaydin 21
🇸🇰Lobotka 20
🇦🇹Seiwald 20
🇸🇰Skrinar 20
🇬🇪Kakabadze 20
🇬🇪Dvali 20 pic.twitter.com/Mp1m8FhR5p— ALLABOUTFPL (@allaboutfpl) June 27, 2024
Matchday 4 Top Captain Picks
The fourth gameweek of Euro 2024 offers a diverse set of enticing captaincy choices to set from. Players like Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo against Romania and Portuguese midfield general Bruno Fernandes taking on Slovenia make a strong case for the armband. However, my top two picks are:
Alvaro Morata (€8.5m) - Spain
The experienced Spanish forward ascends to the top of the captaincy options this week thanks to an "easy" fixture on paper against Georgia. Alvaro Morata opened his scoring account against Croatia in Matchday 1 and will look to add more to his goal tally.
With Spain's qualifying odds at 93% to progress to the next round, we can expect the team captain to bag a goal for Euro Fantasy managers.
#EURO2024: an early look at which teams are favoured to win their Round of 16 matchups, via betting markets 👇
(odds taken from Pinnacle, margins cleaned with Power Method) pic.twitter.com/R9TkMIehzQ
— Rob T (@robtFPL) June 26, 2024
Kylian Mbappe (€11m) - France
After opening his UEFA Euro goal-scoring account with a penalty against Poland, the French captain is fit and back in the spotlight for his talismanic role in the knockout round, as he has in past international competitions. Kylian Mbappe leads Les Bleus in goal attempts and will look to score his second Euro 2024 goal against Belgium next.
Kylian Mbappe's game by numbers vs. Poland:
91% pass accuracy
83% shot accuracy
6/8 dribbles completed
6 shots
3/3 crosses completed
2 big chances missed
1 penalty scoredCould have won it for France today. ❌❌ pic.twitter.com/GbYnnBSd5i
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) June 25, 2024
I may have overlooked some of your favorite players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Harry Kane of England, but that doesn't rule them out of consideration for the armband.
It's worth noting that Euro Fantasy managers can change captains daily during each gameweek, giving us a more diverse set of possibilities on any given day. Feel free to select any other top captain alternative that is not mentioned above.
Differential Captain Pick (<10% ownership)
Marcel Sabitzer (€6.5m) - Austria
Winning the Player of the Match Award for his elite performance in a 3-2 victory against the Netherlands, Marcel Sabitzer has been a standout star for the Austrian team. He frequently takes set-pieces and has the most goal attempts for his country in Euro 2024, which could be due to the midfielder playing out of position and attacking more effectively as a winger through the half-spaces for Austria.
Marcel Sabitzer's game by numbers vs. Netherlands:
100% tackles won
100% crosses completed
25 passes completed
3 shots
2 chances created
1 goalMOTM. 🔋🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/dDUQj7nSVC
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) June 25, 2024
Owned by only 7% of managers, Sabitzer is a fascinating differential captain choice for Matchday 4 as Austria is set to take on Türkiye next.
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!
Stick around for more Euro Fantasy content coming soon. Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
