Fantasy Football

THERE’S little room for error in Group D at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands up against Poland, France and Austria.The Oranje took on Didier Deschamps’ side during qualifying and didn’t fare all that well, losing 4-0 in Paris and 2-1 in Amsterdam.Be that as it may, Ronald Koeman has some talented players at his disposal this summer and Dream Team Euros managers will understandably be tempted to back some Dutch assets once the action is underway, especially as their most-favourable fixture (Poland) comes in Matchday 1.With that in mind, let’s analyse Netherlands’ top stars, bargain options and players to avoid.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Netherlands are strong in defence… on paperCredit: Dream TeamTOP STARSThe eye is drawn first and foremost to Netherlands’ wealth of centre-back options.Virgil van Dijk (£5m) and Nathan Ake (£4m) are the absolute bankers with Micky van de Ven (£3.5m), Matthijs de Ligt (£4m), Stefan de Vrij (£3m) and Lutesharel Geertruida (£3m) competing for minutes elsewhere.Jurrien Timber and Sven Botman would both have been strong contenders too had they not suffered the misfortune of injuries this season.Koeman also has a nice problem at right wing-back where both Denzel Dumfries (£4.5m) and Jeremie Frimpong (£4m) are appealing selections.Most read in FootballThe former was among the most prolific assist providers across the continent during qualifying but the latter is coming off the back of an impressive campaign with Bayer Leverkusen.There have been hints that Frimpong may play in a more advanced position so that both he and Dumfries can play in tandem – this eventuality would make him a hugely tempting option for Dream Team bosses as he’s categorised as a defender in our Euros fantasy game.The 23-year-old registered 12 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for the German double winners in 2023/24.Frimpong is a potential game-changerCredit: Kenny RamsayWhile Netherlands’ defence looks strong on paper, it should be noted that they have conceded plenty of goals against the top teams in recent times – something to bear in mind for the knockouts.Up top, Cody Gakpo (£4m) is the main man having scored eight goals and provided three assists in his last 17 outings at international level.And his record of a goal involvement every 125.7 minutes for Liverpool this season may have been overlooked by some.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
BARGAIN OPTIONSNetherlands’ players appear fairly priced across board generally but there might be some decent value in midfield if gaffers can predict Koeman’s starting line-up.For example, if Teun Koopmeiners (£3m) gets the nod then his price would seem reasonable.The 26-year-old contributed 15 goals and seven assists to Atalanta’s season, which ultimately resulted in Europa League glory.However, Koopmeiners is can’t be considered a guaranteed starter at the time of writing so Dream Team bosses should tread carefully.Gini Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay may still be key figures under KoemanCredit: Kenny RamsayPLAYERS TO AVOIDGini Wijnaldum (£3m) is back in contention and while his historical record at international level is good, many fans fear he won’t be up to speed in Germany.The experienced midfielder spent the domestic season with Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League and failed to score in the second half of the campaign.Elsewhere, Ryan Gravenberch (£3m) is a familiar name but Koeman publicly admitted that the Liverpool man only made the cut because of injuries to other players which gives a fairly clear indication of his place in the pecking order.Frenkie de Jong (£3.5m) is a crucial player for Netherlands and if he’s fully fit and motivated then he should be considered among their top stars rather than players to avoid.READ MORE SUN STORIESHowever, the Barcelona midfielder is in a race against time to make Matchday 1 and if doesn’t pull through then it might be a baptism of fire for him against France in Matchday 2 – proceed with caution.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

GARETH SOUTHGATE has a wealth of attacking options available to him ahead of Euro 2024 but he’s stretched thin at the back.Luke Shaw (£4m) is the only specialist left-back in the England squad and he’s not expected to be available until Matchday 2 at the earliest having not played since mid-February.Harry Maguire (£4.5m) has been a first-choice centre-back for his country for over six years but the 31-year-old was unable to regain fitness in time to be included in the final 26-man squad.Furthermore, John Stones (£4.5m) has been dogged by injuries this season and was substituted at half-time against Iceland after taking a blow to the ankle.Naturally, these setbacks and concerns will have disrupted the Three Lions’ plans but can Dream Team Euros managers twist this situation to their advantage?PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Value for money?Credit: Dream TeamMaguire was priced at £4.5m in our Euros fantasy game as a reflection of the fact he was expected to start every game for one of the strongest teams at the tournament.As it stands, he’s set to replaced in the first-choice XI by Marc Guehi (£3m).The Crystal Palace centre-back therefore offers a cheap route into England’s defence – there aren’t many starting defenders available for £3m among the top sides.Last week, we questioned Kyle Walker’s (£4m) immense popularity due to the fact he offers very little going forward at international level.Most read in FootballThe only reason for gaffers to select the speedy right-back is if they expect England to keep their fair share of clean sheets in Germany.If that’s the case then why not pick Guehi instead and invest the extra £1m on a significant upgrade elsewhere?Southgate has question marks in defenceCredit: AlamyEUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!For example, say there’s a Dream Team boss out there with Walker and Jorginho (£3.5m) in their XI – replacing Walker with Guehi would allow them to switch the Italy midfielder for either Jamal Musiala (£4.5m), Bernardo Silva (£4.5m), Ousmane Dembele (£4.5m) or Florian Wirtz (£4.5m).Of course, there is a chance Southgate will pair Stones with either Lewis Dunk (£3m), Joe Gomez (£3.5m) or Ezri Konsa (£3m) but right now it appears as if Guehi tops the pecking order.Gaffers may be given a helpful indication of England’s team selection prior to the Matchday 1 deadline this Friday (7pm).PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
One of the other reasons we doubted the widespread selection of Walker relates to the imbalance between the Three Lions’ attacking pedigree and their depleted defence, which looked vulnerable against Iceland at Wembley on Friday night.The point being, a makeshift back four might find clean sheets harder to come by than managers would like.READ MORE SUN STORIESHowever, there’s a difference between backing England’s defence at £4m via Walker and taking a punt on them at £3m through Guehi.Gaffers will have to do some risk-reward analysis of their own this week.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

BELGIUM didn’t make the most of their so-called ‘Golden Generation’ but their current side still contains plenty of talent.The Red Devils have been dealt a relatively favourable draw at Euro 2024 with Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine for company in Group E.This set of fixtures should interest Dream Team Euros managers and so let’s analyse Domenico Tedesco’s squad in search of the top stars, bargain options, and players to avoid.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Any team that includes Kevin De Bruyne deserves to be taken seriouslyCredit: Dream TeamTOP STARSWith Kevin De Bruyne (£7m) in their ranks, Belgian boast arguably the best playmaker of the modern era.The Manchester City midfielder has proved over the course of several years that he is capable of massive returns in the realm of Dream Team.Goals, assists, big chances created, bonus points… he does it all.De Bruyne is the outright most-expensive player in his position but if anyone has a body of work that justifies such a status, it’s him.Romelu Lukaku (£5.5m) broke the record for most goals scored in a European Championship qualifying campaign when he plundered 14 of them to book his country’s place in Germany.Most read in FootballSome Dream Team bosses will find it hard to look past the hulking target man’s ineffective spells at Manchester United and Chelsea but it would be a mistake to ignore his prolific record.Lukaku has bagged 83 goals in 114 caps at a rate better than Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at international level.Lukaku’s record for Belgium is immenseCredit: EPAFew players have a higher ceiling than Jeremy Doku (£5m) when it comes to point-scoring potential.The 22-year-old’s dribbling stats are incredible at times, an attribute that helps him collect plenty of bonus points.His end product still needs work but when everything clicks the skilful winger is almost unplayable.If Doku starts against Slovakia in Matchday 1, he could feast.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
BARGAIN OPTIONSIt would be a stretch to describe Koen Casteels (£3.5m) as a certified bargain but he looks reasonably priced now it’s been confirmed Thibaut Courtois will not play any part in Germany this summer.The Wolfsburg goalkeeper is in line to start for Belgium in a favourable group – most of the other first-choice selections in his position among the top nations are priced at either £4m or £4.5m.Courtois will be watching Belgium from the sofa this summerCredit: ReutersWout Faes (£3m) started every game of the Red Devils’ qualifying campaign and may therefore offer an affordable route into a defence hopeful of clean sheets.In the attacking positions, Johan Bakayoko (£3m) would suddenly be great value if he got the nod on the right flank.The 21-year-old registered 14 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for PSV this season and offers plenty of excitement in possession.However, it might be wise to wait for a clearer indication of the pecking order before committing to Bakayoko.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!PLAYERS TO AVOIDLeandro Trossard (£4m) offers plenty but it might surprise some gaffers to learn that the Arsenal man has completed 90 minutes just once for his country since the start of the 2022 World Cup.In fact, he averages just 50 minutes per appearance for Belgium in the same time frame.Trossard’s place in the pecking order isn’t all that clearCredit: EPAThree goals in his last six outings may have persuaded Tedesco that Trossard is worthy of more playing time but his position is one in which Belgium still have decent depth.An ownership of 11.1% feels high for an asset who might spend significant time twiddling his thumbs on the bench.READ MORE SUN STORIESSimilarly, Lois Openda (£3.5m) has bags of talent and is coming fresh off a 28-goal season with RB Leipzig but it’s difficult for him to get a look in up front because Lukaku’s record is so formidable.If circumstances change and he becomes first-choice striker then he would potentially transform into a smart value-for-money option but that’s not the case at present.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More

ROMELU LUKAKU (£5.5m) is a captivating character.Laughable at his worst but unplayable at his best, the Belgium target man is the perfect subject for the next edition in our EURO STAR series – previously featuring Cristiano Ronaldo, Jamal Musiala and Antoine Griezmann – that seeks to thoroughly examine players of note in relation to Dream Team’s Euros fantasy game.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW – £50,000 PRIZE POT, FREE TO PLAY, GREAT FUN!Does Lukaku deserve to be more popular?Credit: Dream TeamAt the time of writing, Lukaku features in 12.3% of teams created, which puts him just outside the top 20 most-popular players in the game.Many Dream Team bosses won’t be able to look past the more farcical spells of the 31-year-old’s career – he appeared overweight and disinterested at the back end of his Manchester United tenure and his second spell at Chelsea has proved to be bitterly underwhelming.But it would be a mistake to underestimate what he’s capable of when everything clicks.During qualifying for Euro 2024, Lukaku scored 14 goals in eight appearances – a record tally for a European Championship qualifying campaign.Granted he eight of those goals came from 240 minutes of action against Estonia and Azerbaijan but a hat-trick away to Sweden and strikes in each fixture against fellow qualifiers Austria proved he was no flat-track bully.Lukaku has enjoyed himself in a Belgium shirtCredit: APTruth be told, a genuine flat-track bully would be licking their lips looking at Belgium’s group stage opponents this summer.The Red Devils will take on Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine and while those sides made it to Germany on merit, there can be little doubt Group E pales in comparison quality-wise to Group B (Spain, Italy, Croatia, Albania).Most read in FootballSimply put, Lukaku could feast during the group stage if he picks up where he left off at international level – gaffers may remember he provided an impressive assist during a friendly against England in March.EUROS SCORE PREDICTOR IS HERE! CLICK HERE TO PLAY FOR FREE – £5,000 PRIZE POT!More broadly, his overall record for Belgium is truly immense.He’s scored 83 goals in 114 caps at senior level at a better strike than Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.Only seven players have scored more goals in the entire history of men’s international football and Lukaku needs just three more to jump up two more places.PLAY DREAM TEAM EUROS NOW!The best fantasy football game for this summer’s tournament.
He was limited to just 54 minutes at the 2022 World Cup, during which time he squandered two gilt-edged chances, but he scored four goals in five outings at Euro 2020.Dream Team managers would understandably be hesitant to back Lukaku if he had endured a torrid domestic season but he returned 21 goals in all competitions on loan at Roma in 2023/24.And let’s not forget that Belgium’s first-choice striker has the luxury of being served by Kevin De Bruyne (£7m), arguably the best playmaker of his generation.Lukaku has occasionally been a figure of fun but he ticks a lot of boxes in the world of Dream Team Euros.Dream Team’s Nick Elliott previews this summer’s Euros fantasy game More