RADIO
Happy Matchday 2, RotoBallers! After Friday night's opening game between Germany and Scotland, Saturday provides our first full slate of the tournament. It's Group A and Group B in action today, and all six teams will look to get their UEFA Euro 2024 campaigns off to flying starts.
Hungary and Switzerland start the day as they try to get a leg up on who will advance in Group A. Then, Group B brings us to the group of death. Italy gets the easier task of Albania. Meanwhile, Spain and Croatia do battle in the other half of the group. A win for either side would be a huge step toward a knockout-round qualification, but defeat could spell an early exit. DFS managers should be prepared for a cagey match between La Roja and Vatreni.
The DraftKings Euro 2024 DFS Soccer contests lock at 9:00 a.m. EDT for the 6/15/24 slate. Make sure to get your lineups in early. Also, don't forget to check out the rest of our Euro 2024 coverage on RotoBaller with team and match previews, along with our betting and DFS advice. If you have any further questions or want to chat about the Euro, feel free to reach out to me on X @euanoryouout.
Euro 2024 Matchday 2
DraftKings DFS Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Donnarumma, ITA - $5.7K vs. Albania
Italy is the overwhelming favorite against Albania. Compared to the other two games on Saturday's slate, the Azzurri have the best chance at a win and a clean sheet. Gianluigi Donnarumma is the first-choice goalkeeper for his country, and he should be the first-choice keeper for your DFS lineup.
The 25-year-old may not see a lot of shots, but a clean sheet (-144 on bet365) is in the cards. The Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper scored at least eight points in six of his seven games at Euro 2020, and he will look for a similarly strong start to Italy's championship defense.
Others To Consider (Cash/ GPP): Peter Gulacsi vs. SUI, Etrit Berisha vs. ITA
DraftKings DFS Forwards
Barnabas Varga, HUN - $7,100 vs. Switzerland
Barnabas Varga may not be a household name in Europe, but he is well known in his home nation of Hungary. The 30-year-old has led NB1 in scoring over the last two seasons with Ferencvaros, and he is hoping to bring that form into Euro 2024. In the 2022-23 campaign, Varga had 26 goals and two assists before following it up with 20 goals and six assists this season. He scored four goals in six games during Hungary's qualifying run where it romped its way to winning the group. Varga will lead the Hungarian line and is backed up by Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai.
Barnabás Varga equaliser 🇭🇺#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/TXADi86lQZ
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) October 19, 2023
Armando Broja, ALB - $4,100 vs. Italy
If you are strapped for cash, then Armando Broja is a great enabler. Unfortunately, that means you'll be betting against an Italian clean sheet. As a result, the Chelsea striker should be reserved for tournaments as a leverage play. Broja has been through his share of injuries over the last 18 months, but he returned to the Premier League and got his feet wet at the end of the season while he was out on loan at Fulham. The 22-year-old has a good chance of taking Albania's penalties, so punting on a set-piece taker is a good way to differentiate your lineup from the rest of the field.
Others To Consider (Cash/ GPP): Lamine Yamal vs. CRO, Zeki Amdouni vs. HUN, Gianluca Scamacca/Federico Chiesa vs. ALB
DraftKings DFS Midfielders
Dominik Szoboszlai, HUN - $8,600 vs. Switzerland
After a rookie season in the English Premier League, Dominik Szoboszlai makes his first (and likely not last) appearance at a major international competition. The Liverpool midfielder is Hungary's talisman. He takes corners, free kicks, and penalties for the Magyars, and the nation's hopes of advancing from Group A will be firmly on his shoulders.
The 23-year-old accrued five goals and four assists in 28 starts for the Reds, but all of those returns came before the calendar flipped to February. A potential rookie wall hampered Szoboszlai's second half for Liverpool, and hopefully some time off will see him return to his sensational early-season form.
Szoboszlai solo goal 🥵#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/QKMUlNbRHt
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) February 27, 2024
Ivan Perisic, CRO - $5,000 vs. Spain
If you are considering Ivan Perisic for your DFS roster, you must check Croatia's starting lineups before lock. The former Tottenham defender suffered a knee injury in 2023 and missed the majority of the season with his Premier League team. The 35-year-old has signed for Hajduk Split now, and he is fit enough to make the national team. Should Perisic get the starting nod against Spain, he has tremendous upside. He's incredibly attacking and will be in the mix for set-piece duties in Germany.
Others To Consider (Cash/ GPP): Xherdan Shaqiri vs. HUN, Rodri vs. CRO, Luka Modric vs. ESP, Jorginho vs. ALB
DraftKings DFS Defenders
Federico Dimarco, ITA - $6,500 vs. Albania
Adding another piece of the Italian defense versus Albania is a strong play for Saturday's contests. However, Federico Dimarco isn't just a clean-sheet merchant. The Inter Milan wingback is one of the most attack-minded defenders in Europe. Last season in Serie A, the 26-year-old bagged five goals and six assists and had some monster DFS performances for the 2023-24 champions.
He pretty much plays left midfield, but is classed as a defender where he produced seven games with at least 20 DraftKings points and 13 matches with over 15 DK points. Dimarco is the most expensive defender in the pool, but he is well worth the investment.
🚨 Goal of the Year candidate
A 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓 from @Inter_en's Federico Dimarco 🤯#InterFrosinone pic.twitter.com/TrjSJWhC3H
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) November 13, 2023
Josko Gvardiol, CRO - $3,500 vs. Spain
Considering the form Josko Gvardiol showed down the stretch for Man City, this is a ridiculous price. He's slated to start in a more defensive position for his country compared to his club, but the potential points on the table for $3.5K is ridiculous.
From April 13-May 6, the 22-year-old played 10 games for the Cityzens, accruing five goals, one assist, 13 chances created, and four games with at least 18 DK points. Spain is a tough test in Croatia's opening game of the tournament, but Gvardiol has the creativity and attacking mindset to make a mockery of his Saturday price tag.
Others To Consider (Cash/ GPP): Alex Grimaldo vs. CRO, Andrea Cambiaso vs. ALB, Manuel Akanji vs. HUN
Join Our League
Once again, join our RotoBaller.com fantasy league. Hit any of our writers up over the next two weeks, we will give you the code (also in the graphic below), and you'll be good to go. Good luck for UEFA Euro 2024 Fantasy, RotoBallers!
Stick around for more Euro Fantasy content coming soon. Is there a question you would like to have answered every week? Hit us up on X @RotoBaller. We would love to hear your feedback and ideas!
