Euros MD-1 Rate My Team: PPQ

I find that the first round of tournament games is always the toughest and most important. A wise first round of player-picks positions you to merely tinker with limited transfers for MD-2, as opposed to needing to perform major surgery. But MD-1 is perhaps the toughest to pick for, as you have yet to see real lineups and how teams are going to play together on the big stage.

My overall strategy seems simple. Pick players who are going to start and spend time on the ball, with a risky play tossed in here or there. I’m splashing money up front and looking for cost savings in the back. And I’m also trying to use my bench to look ahead a little at MD-2 while still having coverage for MD-1 where needed.

So here we go:

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Forwards: I’m going with Robert Lewandowski as my big player up front. It’s a good matchup, and he just scores goals. I had Ronaldo here, and that could change back, but for now it’s the Pole. Romalu Lukaku is high up on the must-have list this week. Gerard Moreno seems the likely starter for Spain, but I’ll be reading more to be sure. It isn’t a great matchup, but at $6.5 he’s an enabler.

Midfielders: I’m looking here for players who have a good chance to be on the ball, taking kicks, and who can pop up with a goal (and there’s a bonus for goals scored from outside the box). Sabitzer’s matchup is one I couldn’t overlook. Insigne starts as captain for me in the opening game against heavy underdog Turkey. Tielemans isn’t a certain pick for me yet, but with a good price and other key players out, he may see more of the ball. Marcos Llorente is a question mark for me still, but I’m looking for someone at a low price to fill the gap here.

Defenders: I’m not sure I’m totally sold on Ruben Dias as my premium(ish) priced defender. But any back line that includes him is one that I’m considering, at least against Hungary. Hinteregger has a good matchup for that price; The Belgian and Lyon defender, Denayar, will stay as long as I’m sure he will start. I’m still toying with subs, especially Varane.

Goalkeepers: I’m going with the Italian keeper, Donnarumma. The Italians have a good overall group and airtight defensive form. I don’t want to have to use transfers on a keeper as the tournament progresses, and I’m hoping he’s a fire-and-forget keeper. I like the Ukrainian Pyatov as a back up keeper as well.

Captain: I’m starting with Insigne as captain, but ready to move that as the stats show. I have Lukaku the next day, then Sabitzer, then Lewandoski as my closer if none of the other players hit big.

I think I still have some tinkering to do, and all suggestions are welcome!

Be sure check out our fantasy Euros tips and tricks article if you haven’t yet. Also read our group previews (Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, Group E, and Group F) and our fixture difficulty ratings. And don’t forget to join our mini-league!

Then be sure to log in at www.nevermanagealone.com throughout the tournament. We’ll have player picks and rate-my-team articles, as well as a Live Chat ahead of each round!

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What do you think of my initial team? Am I spending correctly on my big players? What are bargains out there I’m missing? What key matchup or team are you focusing on? Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!

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