Defenders have been nicely priced and are quite affordable in Euro Fantasy, so there will be a lot of focus on the premium defenders in this article, who will most likely find their way into our teams come MD1.
A sprinkle of mid-range defenders and maybe a budget defender may also be needed of course, if we want to have a well-balanced team overall. Therefore, in this article I will separate the Euro Fantasy Defenders into the three categories below, highlighting their Price, Teams Selected By Percentage (TSB%) at the time of writing, and their Fixtures during the Group stage.
- Premium Defenders (5.5m+)
- Mid-Range Defenders (4.5m– 5.5m)
- Budget Defenders (<4.5m)
Link to all our 2024 Euro Fantasy blogs in one place including Players to Target, Differentials, Captaincy metrics, Scout picks, Chip strategy, Budget Enablers, Tips, and more. Completely free to access as well!
EURO Fantasy Best Premium Defenders
João Cancelo, Price: 6m, TSB: 21%
Fixtures:
Cancelo needs no introduction and Portugal is considered as one of the favourites to win the tournament. Therefore, he will no doubt be in many teams come MD1, especially with their favourable fixtures throughout the group stage. Cancelo has a total of 51 caps for his national team, picking up 10 goals and 6 assists in the process.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 7.2
Cancelo Stats at Euro Quaifiers:
- Matches: 9
- Goals: 3
- Shots per game: 1.7
- Big Chances created: 4
- Ball recoveries per game: 5.6
Kieran Trippier, Price: 6m, TSB: 3%
Fixtures:
Trippier was instrumental for Newcastle both this season and the last. Albeit picking up an injury towards the end of this season, he still managed 11 assists and 1 goal for his club. He has recently returned to the action though and is fit again just in time to make it to the tournament with England. In his 46 caps for England, he has picked up 1 goal and 5 assists. With Shaw being a long shot to make the final England squad due to his lengthy time away from play, Trippier should be the one that is preferred to start in the left back spot. An added incentive to justify his price is that he will have a share of corners and some set pieces, therefore he can be depended upon if we are looking for an England defender in our teams.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 8.2
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Theo Hernández, Price: 5.5m, TSB: 25%
Fixtures:
The AC Milan man will most likely be template come MD1, no matter which chip strategy we plan to adopt. In 45 games for his club this season he has picked up 5 goals and 11 assists, and he is nailed in the France team once fit. In 25 caps for his nation, he has 2 goals and 8 assists to his name and he will no doubt be looking to improve on this tally in the EUROs, as France will have plans to reach far into the knockout stage.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 7.4
Further Read: UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy Guide- Rules, Scoring, Chips, Subs, etc
Denzel Dumfries, Price: 5.5m, TSB: 27%
Fixtures:
While Frimpong is having an unbelievable season for the Bundesliga champions, it will still most likely be the Inter Milan man who nails down the right-wing-back spot for the Netherlands. He has 52 caps for his nation, picking up 4 goals and 15 assists in the process. He has 4 goals and 6 assists to his name for Inter this season. His immense attacking prowess down the right flank has made him a favourite in these short-form fantasy games. If you are planning to play a chip in MD2, I believe Dumfries should be nailed on in your teams against Poland for MD1.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 7.1
Dumfries Stats in Euro Qualifiers:
- Matches: 6
- Big Chances created: 6
- Assists: 5
- Penalties won: 2
- Ball recoveries per game: 2.5
Key Stat: During the Euro Qualifiers, Dumfries got 5 assists – Highest among Defenders. Only Bruno Fernandes(8) had more assists amongst other players.
Top Players for Assists/90 in Euro Qualifying:
- Dumfries: 0.89
- Doku: 0.88
- Bruno Fernandes: 0.86
- Morutan: 0.83
- Pelkas, Mbappe: 0.68
Alternative Option from Netherlands: Virgil Van Dijk, Price: 6.0 Million, TSB: 30%
Van Dijk is expensive compared to the other Dutch defenders including Dumfries but what makes him an interesting pick is that Netherlands NT manager Ronald Koeman has hinted that Van Dijk will be their likely first choice penalty taker at the Euros
Koeman: “Our 1st penalty taker used to be Wout Weghorst. In September it was Cody Gakpo. But I have made a choice, Virgil van Dijk is now our 1st penalty taker.”
Joakim Mæhle, Price: 5.5m, TSB: 3%
Fixtures:
Mæhle is well known in the Denmark team for his attacking threat and marauding runs down the left flank, and he has also provided us with some heroics in past tournaments. The Wolfsburg man picked up 2 goals and 4 assists in his Bundesliga campaign this season. He has a more attacking role for Denmark however, and in his 43 caps he has 11 goals and 7 assists to his name. For people looking at MD1 alone, he could be a great option as they face Slovakia.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 4.0
Maehle Stats at Euro Qualifiers:
- Matches: 8
- Goals: 2
- Big chances missed: 2
- Shots per game: 2.0
- Balls recovered/game: 4.8
- Assists: 1
Andy Robertson, Price: 5.5m, TSB: 4%
Fixtures:
The Scotland captain will be leading his side in the EUROs in what is seen as a tough group on paper. However, with the Liverpool man’s attacking threat, coupled with Scotland playing with 5 at the back it gives us a greater chance of getting attacking returns and ball recoveries from him. While Scotland has a tough group, I still think he can be a decent under the radar pick and I expect him to do well in this tournament.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 8.7
Robertson Stats at Euro Qualifiers:
- Matches: 6
- Shots per game: 0.3
- Big Chances created: 3
- Ball recoveries per game: 4.7
Further Read: UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy Guide- Rules, Scoring, Chips, Subs, etc
EURO Fantasy Best Mid-priced Defenders
Federico Dimarco, Price: 5m, TSB: 15%
Fixtures:
Both Italian fullbacks have a chance to do well in the tournament, however I’ve focused here on Dimarco who is the cheaper of the two. Persons who play UCL Fantasy will know all about what he has to offer, and he will be a favourite regardless of the fixtures. Italy has always been well known for their defensive prowess, therefore there will be a high chance to get clean sheets, plus attacking returns from the attacking left back as he is also share corners with Barella.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 11.1
Alejandro Grimaldo, Price: 5m, TSB: 19%
Fixtures:
There is a lot of competition for places in the Spain team but with Gaya recently picking up an injury and now looking likely to miss out on the 26-man Spain squad, this bodes well for Grimaldo. If he starts in the friendlies leading up to the tournament, he will be a no brainer pick regardless of the fixtures. He is having an unreal season with his club amassing 12 goals and 19 assists over 49 games. I believe it will be a detriment to Spain if the coach doesn’t start with Grimaldo as he’s a massive creative force who can add another dimension to Spain’s game with his dangerous corners and set pieces. He should also be good for ball recoveries.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 14.8
Timothy Castagne, Price: 5m, TSB: 4%
Fixtures:
The Fulham man is 100% nailed on to start at right back or right wing back for Belgium, depending on the shape they choose to play. He has 41 Belgium caps to his name, with 2 goals and 5 assists in this time. He is a creative force and can chip in with the odd goal from time to time, With Belgium’s fixtures we will want to cover the defence, so he can be a set and forget for the Group stage.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 3.5
Castagne Stats in Euro Qualifiers:
- Matches: 8
- Assists: 2
- Ball Recoveries/game: 4.8
Further Read: UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy Guide- Rules, Scoring, Chips, Subs, etc
EURO Fantasy Best Budget Defenders
Maximilian Mittelstädt, Price: 4.0m, TSB: 4%
Fixtures:
Mittelstädt could well be the budget gem of the tournament if he locks down the left back position for Germany. Raum didn’t start in any of the last 10 matches for Germany, however I would still recommend monitoring the left back position in the friendlies building up to the tournament. Mittelstädt has been in top form all season for his club, Stuttgart, with 2 goals and 4 assists. He has only played a couple of professional games for Germany but already has 1 goal in this time.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 5.1
Wout Faes, Price: 4m, TSB: 3%
Fixtures:
If we want to splurge the funds in attack, another budget option who fits the bill could be the Leicester man. He should be nailed at CB for Belgium and is a decent cheaper alternative to Castagne (unless we want to double up). There is not much attacking threat from open play to expect, however he should be decent for ball recoveries, and can be a danger from set pieces and corners as well.
23/24 club npxG+xAG over all competitions: 2.6
To conclude, I would like to share a table that I created below using Opta data, which illustrates the numbers after analyzing the attacking performance and creative output of the defenders mentioned in this article, together with their underlying statistics during Euro 2024 Qualifiers.
NB:
* = Limited minutes in qualifiers
** = Host nation, no qualifiers
| PLAYER | GOALS | SHOTS | xG | ASSISTS | CHANCES CREATED | xA | APPS | MINS PLAYED |
| João Cancelo | 3 | 15 | 1.04 | 0 | 10 | 2.37 | 9 | 693 |
| Kieran Trippier* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.28 | 4 | 279 |
| Theo Hernández | 0 | 7 | 0.36 | 1 | 17 | 2.4 | 8 | 720 |
| Denzel Dumfries | 0 | 5 | 0.61 | 5 | 14 | 2.27 | 6 | 507 |
| Joakim Mæhle | 2 | 16 | 2.13 | 1 | 7 | 1.03 | 8 | 670 |
| Andy Robertson | 0 | 2 | 0.24 | 2 | 9 | 0.94 | 6 | 494 |
| Federico Dimarco | 0 | 8 | 0.31 | 1 | 7 | 0.88 | 6 | 426 |
| Alejandro Grimaldo* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.14 | 1 | 90 |
| Timothy Castagne | 0 | 3 | 0.19 | 2 | 3 | 0.3 | 8 | 651 |
| Maximilian Mittelstädt** | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Wout Faes | 0 | 5 | 0.35 | 1 | 3 | 0.34 | 8 | 675 |
League code: oRVUxQ
Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of Euro Fantasy MD1
Understanding the game:
UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy Guide- Rules, Scoring, Chips, Subs, etc
List of Good & Creative 2024 Euro Fantasy Team Names
Key Differences between Euro Fantasy & FPL Explained
Euro 2024 Fantasy vs 2020 Fantasy: Changes to the Game + Draft
Fanteam Fantasy: FanTeam Euro Fantasy Tournament- Rules, Scoring, Prizes & Tips
Must Read articles:
2024 Euros- Predicted Lineups and Formation for all 24 Teams
2024 Euro Fantasy MD1: 5 Must-owns + 5 Dilemmas + 5 Punts
2024 Euro Fantasy MD1 – Top Differential Picks to Consider
Euro Fantasy MD1 – Best Captain Picks for Each Day (Safe vs Risky Picks)
UEFA Euro Fantasy 2024- Penalty and Set Piece Takers for all Teams
Euro Fantasy MD1- Best Fixtures And Players To Target
Euro 2024 Fantasy: Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR)
Euro 2024: Most In-Form Players in Each Position | Euro Fantasy
Euro Fantasy Football – The Best Budget Enablers & Hidden Gems
2024 Euro Fantasy MD1 Team Reveal, Strategy and Keynotes
Euro 2024 Predicted Goals (For & Against) of All 24 Teams
2024 Euro Fantasy: The A-Team Chip Strategy Guide
UEFA Euro 2024 Friendlies Tracker of All 24 Teams in One Place
2024 Euro Fantasy Ultimate Guide: Best Players, Captaincy & More
Group Wise- Preview:
EURO 2024 Group A – Preview, Analysis & Top Fantasy Assets
EURO 2024 Group B – Preview, Analysis & Top Fantasy Assets
EURO 2024 Group C – Preview, Analysis & Top Fantasy Assets
EURO 2024 Group D – Preview, Analysis & Top Fantasy Assets
EURO 2024 Group E – Preview, Analysis & Top Fantasy Assets
EURO 2024 Group F – Preview, Analysis & Top Fantasy Assets
Position Wise Analysis and Best Assets:
Euro Fantasy 2024 – Best Goalkeepers to Target for MD1
Euro Fantasy Defenders to Target at Every price point
Euro Fantasy 2024 ~ Best Midfielders To Target For MD1
2024 Euro Fantasy: Best Forwards to Target for MD1
Link to all our 2024 Euro Fantasy blogs in one place including Players to Target, Differentials, Captaincy metrics, Scout picks, Chip strategy, Budget Enablers, Tips, and more. Completely free to access as well!
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What’s next from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of the 2024 UEFA Euro Fantasy?
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FPL Trini (Nick)
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