Best Defenders in EURO 2024 Fantasy

In this article we pick out the best defenders in EURO 2024 Fantasy. Get ready for the new campaign as we take a look through the fixtures, player and team form, underlying data and more to decide which defenders we should buy in the Group Stage.

Highlighting the best defenders in EURO 2024 Fantasy could be hugely beneficial when it comes to making a first draft. Whilst many have different chip strategies, knowing who the best defenders to buy can help plan and get ahead of your mini-league rivals early on.

Timothy Castagne

According to our fixture ticker Belgium have three green fixtures with matches against Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine ahead.

Belgium won six of their eight EURO Qualifiers and conceded just four goals during that time, helping them to bank an impressive five clean sheets. They also kept a clean sheet in three of their four friendlies leading up to the tournament.

Belgium have several great options to pick between at the back but none more stable in terms of gametime than Timothy Castagne (€5m). The Fulham right-back managed one goal and three assists for club last season and followed that up with two assists in EURO Qualifying. He also managed a rate of around five ball recoveries per game which boosts his potential overall.

Maximilian Mittelstädt

Germany come into the competition as one of several favourites win the trophy. The hosts also have a green stretch of fixtures according to the fixture ticker, facing Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland.

EURO Qualifying wasn’t a convincing campaign for their backline after failing to keep a single sheet. However, with two clean sheets in their last four matches, we have some recent improvements.

As well as clean sheet potential Maximilian Mittelstädt comes in with a budget busting €4m price-tag. Although quite new on the international scene Mittelstädt impressed in his four back-to-back starts for country. Two goals and four assists for Stuttgart last season also suggests Mittelstädt has plenty of attacking potential.

João Cancelo

The only other side with three ‘easy’ fixtures when using the fixture difficulty ticker is Portugal. They come up against an inconsistent Czechia, a Türkiye side who failed to win any of their last five matches and a Georgia whom have never played in EURO’ or World Cup campaign.

Portugal were perfect in Qualifying, winning all 10 of their matches and keeping a jaw-dropping nine clean sheets. They go into the tournament with the strongest defence and taking into account the fixtures, defensive investment could be seen as essential.

The standout option at the back is Barcelona full-back João Cancelo (€6m). As well as racking up two goals and four assists in La Liga last season, two goals and one assist in his recent Champions League campaign and three goals in Qualifying Cancelo also ranks top for ball recoveries when compared to all other defenders playing for the ‘bigger nations’

Cancelo’ fixtures, ball recovery rate, clean sheet potential and attacking threat makes him an easy addition amongst the best defenders in EURO 2024 Fantasy.

Theo Hernández

France are another side going into the tournament with high expectations. ‘Les Bleus’ were brilliant in their Qualifying Group, winning seven of their eight fixtures, finishing four points ahead of Netherlands, conceding just three goals and keeping six clean sheets.

Rotation and doubts at the back have produced more questions than answers. But one player who will start barring injury is left-back Theo Hernandez (€5.5m). Unlike other successful attacking defenders Hernandez doesn’t have the fortune of playing in a wing-back role, but that doesn’t seem to stop him. Hernandez managed an impressive five goals and four assists in Serie A last season, and has showed that same attacking quality for France in recent competitions.

Denzel Dumfries

Netherlands were also very good in their Group and if it wasn’t for France they probably would have topped the Group. In fact, the only matches they did lose both came against France.

During their EURO Qualifying campaign they also managed to keep five clean sheets. Add that to the three clean sheets they kept in the last four matches with their fixtures ahead and it could be hugely beneficial to buy into their backline.

Most of Denzel Dumfries (€5.5m) appeal comes from his attacking prowess. During his title winning season with Inter Dumfries produced four goals and four assists. His international form however is something to take note of. In fact, as well as collecting a goal and two assists in his recent World Cup and two goals and one assist in his recent Nations League campaign, he also registered a fantastic five assists in just six EURO Qualifiers.