For the European Championship edition of Telegraph Fantasy Football we have a team of fantasy football fanatics ready to bring you expert advice from fellow managers that live, sleep and breathe TFF.
Today’s writer, Andrew McGill, is a Bristol City fan and experienced fantasy football manager with numerous top finishes in both regular season and international tournament games.
Telegraph Fantasy Football Euros Edition: five best players
- Kylian Mbappe £7.0m
Still aged just 25, Mbappe already has undoubted big tournament credentials having picked up the Golden Boot at the World Cup two years ago. With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo very much in their autumn years, the lightning-quick Frenchman has a solid claim to be the best attacker in world football. He is the talisman of one of the favourites for the tournament, so despite his hefty price tag, choosing to go without him could prove an expensive gamble for Telegraph Fantasy Football managers. - Harry Kane £6.9m
While it might have been another trophyless campaign for England’s all-time goalscorer, his prowess in front of goal remains exemplary, with more than 40 goals in all competitions this season. While fans will rightly be excited about England’s wealth of attacking options, with the likes of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka vying for points, Kane will be the hot favourite to score the bulk of the Three Lions’ goals and is likely to be on spot-kick duties. - Romelu Lukaku £5.9m
Still technically a Chelsea player, Lukaku, who has been on loan at Roma, has suffered patchy club form in recent seasons but his international performances have been remarkably consistent, helped more than a little by Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings behind him. Lukaku was comfortably the top scorer in qualifying with a remarkable 14 goals in 8 games, including two hat-tricks, and his side’s only penalty. Faced with what looks like one of the weakest groups, with opponents Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine all ranked outside the world top 20, Lukaku will fancy extending his lead as Belgium’s all-time top scorer and bagging plenty of points. - João Cancelo £4.5m
When seeking out defenders for your team, managers typically look for players offering some attacking threat as well as the likelihood of clean-sheet points. With three goals in qualifying from the full-back position, Cancelo could be the man to reward owners, particularly in a Portugal defence who conceded just two goals in 10 games during qualifying. This miserly back line, coupled with a weak-looking group of relatively blunt attacks in Turkey, Czech Republic and Georgia, means Cancelo is worth serious consideration for his clean-sheet potential alone. - Bruno Fernandes £6.0m
The shining light of Manchester United’s season, Fernandes has arguably overtaken 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal’s star man. With eight assists during the qualifiers – two more than his nearest rival – and six goals, Fernandes is sure to pick up attacking returns in his advanced role. He may even pick up some tackle points to boot. He certainly comes into the tournament in great form, his superb assist for Kobbie Mainoo in the FA Cup Final had the pundits purring.
Next best options
Despite turning 40 next year and plying his trade in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo (£6.7m) will have plenty of managers putting their faith in him, although his increasing reliance on set-piece returns may dampen his appeal for some. Despite missing much of the qualifying campaign through injury, Belgium’s assist king Kevin De Bruyne (£6.2m) is back fit and remains a tempting prospect, while Germany’s midfield wonderkid Florian Wirtz (£4.9m) is nicely priced ahead of a potentially lucrative opening fixture against Scotland.
Pick your five free teams for the 2024 European Championship >
You can follow the latest Telegraph Fantasy Football news and discussions throughout the year on Facebook, Twitter and Fantasy Football Content Hub.
