It’s less than three weeks until the UEFA Euros begin. Football fans all over the world are gearing up to watch Europe’s top nations vie for the ultimate prize at the finals, which will be hosted at the Olympiastadion, Berlin in Germany.
However, as Euro fantasy managers prepare for a blockbuster tournament, devising a plan to use your chips effectively is critical and and might be the deciding factor between ‘the boys’ and ‘the men’. In this article, I’ll share insights on which chip strategy could assist managers with planning for the forthcoming contest.
Link to all our 2024 Euro Fantasy MD5 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 Chip Strategy
Euro Fantasy Chips – Wildcard and Limitless
For those of us fantasy managers who have crossed over from the Champions League – UCL Fantasy, you may already be familiar with these chips, but for new users. Let’s try to comprehend what these chips are and the power they possess.
We have two chips in the game: the Wildcard chip and the Limitless chip.
Wildcard chip
The Wildcard chip allows managers to tweak their fantasy team and replace the existing 15-player selection permanently while staying within the allocated budget.
Limitless chip
The Limitless chip allows managers to select a dream team without regard for budget limits. However, there is a catch: this new team will only be present for one matchday, after which your previous team will return.
Note: After a manager uses any of their chips, it will no longer be available for the remainder of the tournament.
Further Read: UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy Guide- Rules, Scoring, Chips, Subs, etc
Why Do We Need Chips?
According to the game’s transfer rules, managers are only allowed to make two transfers per matchday, limiting the number of players that can be brought in between Matchdays 1 and 3, before the transfer limit increases over the knockout stages. Using your chips could improve your fantasy selection with the right players likely to score high in a given matchday.
Phase | Number of free transfers |
Before tournament starts | Unlimited |
During group stage | 2 per matchday |
Before round of 16 | Unlimited |
Before quarter-finals | 3 |
Before semi-finals | 4 |
Before final | 5 |
Analyzing The Groups: Contenders versus Underdogs
Before a Euro Fantasy manager analyzes which plan will lead to the final goal of winning their mini league, you must consider which teams from Groups A to F are considered favorites to win their group and have a high likelihood of going far in the tournament, as well as which underdogs face higher odds of qualifying to the next round.
The following is a full list of the 24 European nations competing in UEFA Euro 2024, along with their current world rankings.
Country | FIFA Ranking |
France | 2nd |
Belgium | 3rd |
England | 4th |
Portugal | 6th |
Netherlands | 7th |
Spain | 8th |
Italy | 9th |
Croatia | 10th |
Germany | 16th |
Switzerland | 19th |
Denmark | 21st |
Ukraine | 22nd |
Austria | 25th |
Hungary | 26th |
Poland | 28th |
Serbia | 33rd |
Czechia (formerly The Czech Republic) | 36th |
Scotland | 39th |
Turkey | 40th |
Romania | 46th |
Slovakia | 48th |
Slovenia | 52nd |
Albania | 66th |
Georgia | 75th |
Based on our findings, it is reasonable to conclude that nations like France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, among other top 20 nations, are regarded as major contenders for the crown, while Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, and Georgia who are ranked 40th or lower are underdogs.
In order to stay ahead of our rivals in our mini leagues, managers must focus on bringing in fantasy assets from stronger teams with a good chance of securing clear victories over underdogs. A suitable example would be Albania vs Spain, planned for Matchday 3.
Further Read: Euro 2024 Fantasy vs 2020 Fantasy: Changes to the Game + Draft
Taking The A-Team Approach
Hannibal Smith: “Face, What’s the most important part of a well-oiled plan?“
Face: “To be one step ahead of the enemy.”
This line was said verbatim in the movie The A-Team, an action-comedy film where the main characters outsmart their rivals and always have a ‘well-oiled’ plan to stay on top when faced with danger. Feeling a bit inspired by a movie based on a group of former Special Forces soldiers, I have crafted the following strategies, aligning them with UEFA Euro fixtures while considering potential squad rotations ahead.
🔹 Strategy One – Operation Full Force
To take full force involves attacking the fixtures as soon as possible and shifting the narrative in your favor. The aim is to activate the wildcard chip in Matchday 2 and then immediately follow up with the limitless chip on Matchday 3 or vice versa.
Managers of this school of thought have determined that we only have 7 matchdays remaining before the competition concludes. Going in strong with a “No Holds Barred” approach early on could result in a massive reward if the best players are brought in.
In most cases, it is optimal to activate both chips during the group stages as Euro Fantasy managers would unlimited transfers by the Round of 16 and additional transfers in the knockout stages.
🔹 Strategy Two – Operation Reboot
The second strategy takes a more patient approach; managers here are willing to trust the process of waiting a little longer to see current player statistics and performances before attacking the fixtures. The common tactic here would be to either activate one of the wildcard or limitless chip in Matchday 3, saving the other chip for the knockout phases.
“Reboot” in context means taking a step back to restart, focusing on which knockout game is the most favorable to aim. It is not very common to go this route, but it could pay off later for those interested in this approach.
Further Read: Euro Fantasy Defenders to Target at Every price point
Fixtures To Target
Regardless of which strategy you prefer, it ultimately comes down to a manager’s preference or style of play. Here are a few games that look favorable on paper to target during the group stage:
Matchday 2: Croatia vs Albania, Germany vs Hungary, Belgium vs Romania, Georgia vs Czechia
Matchday 3: Albania vs Spain, France vs Poland, England vs Slovenia, Georgia vs Portugal
Whichever strategy you want to choose, always remember Hannibal Smith famous words in The A-Team, “There’s a plan in everything, kid and I love it when a plan comes together.” Good luck, soldier.
Further reads from ALLABOUTFPL ahead of Euro Fantasy MD5
Euro Fantasy MD5 Limitless Draft + Key Notes | Euro QFs
Euro Fantasy MD5 Team Reveal and Transfer Plans | Euro QFs
Euro Fantasy MD5: Best Players to Target + Captaincy Options
Euro Fantasy MD5 Wildcard Guide- Draft and Players to Target
2024 Euro Fantasy MD5 – Top Differential Picks | Euro QFs
2024 Euro Fantasy MD5 Ultimate Guide: Tips, Differentials & More
Other Reads:
UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy Guide- Rules, Scoring, Chips, Subs, etc
Key Differences between Euro Fantasy & FPL Explained
UEFA Euro 2024- Penalty And Set Piece Takers Of All 24 Teams
2024 Euro Fantasy: The A-Team Chip Strategy Guide
Link to all our 2024 Euro Fantasy MD5 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 MD5?
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