Fanager set to serve up a treat for the latter stages of Euro 2016

The quarter-finals of Euro 2016 take place over the next four days and Fanager will debut with a £1,000 single entry freeroll contest, which serves as the perfect prelude to their eye-catching £10,000 freeroll event that will take in the two Euro 2016 semi-final matches.

We’re not one to look a gift-horse in the mouth so have decided to put our fantasy football prowess to good use in an attempt to take down the top prize and are more than happy to walk you through our tips.

How to select your Euro 2016 Fanager FantasyFives

The obvious place to start is with those all-important goal projections to determine which sides to focus one’s attention on.

 

France and Belgium  clearly stand out on paper but it’s always worth remembering the importance of differential plays in big field contests.

From a defensive viewpoint, the Fanager scoring system handsomely rewards players who can secure a clean sheet, so it’s imperative that you factor this in to your thinking. Offensive actions such as key passes should also be very much in your line of thinking.

There is no budget restriction to worry about or limit to the number of players you can select from the same side – simply pick 1 goalkeeper, 1 defender, 1 midfielder, 1 forward and 1 utility player who can occupy any of the outfield positions.

Selecting your Fanager goalkeeper

Thibaut Courtois has been operating behind a somewhat makeshift Belgium defence and with Thomas Vermaelen ruled out through suspension it only exasperates the problem. Hugo Lloris is sure to be a popular choice but he might not pick up too many points for ‘saves made’ so we’re happy to look elsewhere.

Germany are yet to concede a goal and will be looking to put an end to that Italy hoodoo which seems to haunt them at major finals. Manuel Neuer’s proactive approach means he will more than likely outscore all the other keepers on show for ‘passing’ points. He will need to prove why he is regarded as the world’s best goalkeeper to keep a dangerous Azzurri side at bay but if he does he’s likely to secure a huge fantasy points score.

Picking your Fanager defender

With the Republic of Ireland and Robbie Brady eliminated from the competition there is no standout defender who presents a direct set-piece threat. Of course, there are one or two that are a danger from set-plays due to their aerial ability but we prefer to focus on players who, not only have a great chance of securing those elusive clean sheet bonus points, but also adding something offensively in terms of key passes, assists and crosses.

To win this contest we may well need a clean sheet from both goalkeeper and defender so we’re happy to stick with Germany. Jerome Boateng got on the scoresheet in the 2nd round and will rack up plenty of passes but we prefer to focus on the full-backs.

Bayern Munich youngster Joushua Kimmich ticks all the right boxes but he’s categorised as a midfielder on Fanager, the position he usually operates in for his club side, so that leaves us with Jonas Hector.

Hector is capable of getting in a number of crosses and has an eye for a key pass so he gets our vote.

Fanager midfield selection

With Belgium reverting to a 4-2-3-1 they have looked like a side transformed. Eden Hazard was sensational against Hungary while Kevin De Bruyne was again in the thick of the action, relishing the free role he has now been given, behind the striker. De Bruyne has almost been unrecognisable from the player who performed so badly in the opener and he’s a confident selection.

Picking your Fanager forward

Ronaldo may have fluffed his lines, missing from the penalty spot against Austria, but if there’s one thing we know about him, it’s his ability to bounce back. He’s made up for it since, chipping in with two goals against Hungary and setting up Ricardo Quaresma for Portugal’s winner against Croatia. However, his ownership percentage is likely to be through the roof for this one so we’re happy to look elsewhere.

Olivier Giroud may not be everyone’s cup of tea and there is always a danger that he will be hauled off long before the final whistle. Having said that, he does have a goal and an assist to his name so far and France do look capable of being the highest scorers of the 8 quarter-finalists, so we’re happy to take a chance on the Arsenal forward.

The Fanager ‘Flex’ pick

The ‘flex’ position is likely to be key to the outcome of the competition and we’re not expecting too many managers to go for a defender. You need to isolate a player that is capable of chipping in with goals and assists, whilst also racking up points for other facets of the game.

Choosing between Eden Hazard, Mesut Özil and Dimitri Payet is no easy task since all three have plenty of appeal, however, if Iceland end up chasing the game, West Ham schemer Payet could get plenty of opportunities to weave his magic, making him a slightly more attractive proposition than the other two.

Here’s the Fantasy Football Portal line-up for the Fanager freeroll:

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