EURO 2024 Fantasy Germany Preview and Top Picks

In this article we take a look at the EURO 2024 Fantasy Germany Preview and top picks. Here we touch upon the recent form of Germany, highlight their best picks and anything else of relevance. To help us do that we have brought in Germany expert @FPLGunnersaurus.

Our Germany preview and top picks could be crucial for managers. Knowing how a team has been performing recently can be helpful. But, knowing who the best picks from each team can be essential for the tournament ahead.

Introduction

To start our Germany Preview and top picks we look at a recent but significant change. After a turbulent period for the national team the hosts come into this tournament as one of the hot favourites to lift the Henri Delaunay Cup at Olypmiastadion Berlin. Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann appears to be turning things around just at the right time for the DFB-Team. He also looks to have already established his core starting XI ahead even of the upcoming warm-up friendlies.

Recent Form

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – A 2-1 defeat to Japan in their opening game was inevitably too much to come back from. Despite earning a draw versus Spain and beating Costa Rica they exited at the group stage in another disastrous World Cup campaign.

UEFA Euro 2020 – A win against Portugal and a draw against Hungary was enough to see them progress from the group stage on four points. In the round of 16 they were dumped out of the tournament by eventual runners-up England in a 2-0 loss at Wembley.

FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 – A tournament all Germans will want to forget. Losses to Mexico on the opening match day and to South Korea in the final group game meant Germany finished bottom of Group F and exited the World Cup at the earliest point.

UEFA Euro France 2016 – The last time Germany progressed to the last four of a national tournament. They topped their group and knocked out Slovakia and Italy en-route to the semi-final. However, they were put to the sword by hosts France there.

As you can see, recent tournaments haven’t been kind to the hosts. But, there is a renewed optimism ahead of Euro 2024. This is especially when considering they are forecasted to win Group A which features Scotland, Hungary and Switzerland.

Since Nagelsmann took over in September 2023 the team have lost two and then won two. Those two victories are significant to note however, coming against European powerhouses France and Netherlands.

Furthermore, Nagelsmann started the same starting XI in both of those wins. This indicates he has potentially already settled on his starting line-up. Germany face Ukraine and Greece in two more pre-tournament friendlies ahead of the opening game in 14th June against Scotland. This will give fantasy managers an even clearer idea of what to expect when the tournament kicks off.

Top Picks

This is the part you’re all really here for. Here I look at the best fantasy assets in each position with the exception of the goalkeeping position (which I would always suggest going as cheap as possible on thus excluding Germany’s shot stoppers):

Defence – Maximilian Mittelstädt – €4.0m

Euro Fantasy have already given us a gift. That gift comes in the form of €4.0m STARTING left-back Mittelstädt. Stuttgart picked up Mittelstädt for the 2023-2024 campaign for only €500k after he suffered relegation with Hertha Berlin the season prior.

Mittelstädt hasn’t looked back since and has been an integral part of the Stuttgart team who will be playing UEFA Champions League football next season. He picked up two goals and four assists in a marvellous Bundesliga campaign. The full-back has already registered an assist for Germany in their 2-1 win over The Netherlands recently too. He is an absolute banker in my fantasy squad.

Jonathan Tah – €4.5m

For only €0.5m more you can pick up Leverkusen’s title winning captain who Nagelsmann has already stated will partner Rüdiger in the heart of defence. Tah scored six goals this season and registered one assist too. So, routes to attacking returns are available for him.

Tah has kept 13 clean sheets in the Bundesliga this season and given Germany’s fixtures, could well keep a complete shut out throughout the group stage too.

Players also score one point for every three ball recoveries made. Tah, on average, has made 5.2 ball recoveries per game in the league this season. So, he’s pretty much a shoe-in to secure that extra point each game which could prove vital.

Note – Although Kimmich will play as a right-back for the national side, he has been listed as a midfielder in the fantasy game with a €6.5m price-tag. This which makes him an avoid for me.

Midfield – Florian Wirtz – €7.5m

Two midfielders stand head and shoulders above the rest in terms of prospective fantasy returns. One of those is Leverkusen’s ‘Wunderkind’ or wonder kid Florian Wirtz. Wirtz has by far had the season of his career and also comes in at a relatively nice price of €7.5m.

Across all competitions so far this season (this being written prior to the DFB Pokal Final) Wirtz has scored 18 goals and supplied 19 assists for his Bundesliga winning side. Wirtz will play behind the striker on the left side of the pitch but it very likely to drift into a central role from time to time. This is very much like the next pick.

Jamal Musiala – €8.5m

Coming in at €1m more is Bayern Munich’s midfield maestro Musiala. Despite a season disrupted by injuries and a poor season in general by Bayern Musiala has still managed to shine in his 38 club appearances.

Bambi, as he is affectionately known, comes into the Euros with 12 goals and seven assists for his club this season. With next pick Havertz likely to act as the ‘big man’ up front to knock balls on, players like Wirtz and Musiala will be looking to make those mazey runs in behind the opposition’s defence.

Forwards – Kai Havertz – €7.5m

Given that Nagelsmann will only play one forward it is likely that Havertz fulfils that role. This is in a very similar way to what he has been doing for his club Arsenal. Signed for £65m from Chelsea in the summer of 2023 many choked at the price the Gunners paid. Roll forward to the end of the season and I would say they got their money’s worth out of him.

Havertz scored 14 times and returned seven assists across all competitions last season. This also saw his Arsenal side come up just short to the might of Manchester City. Havertz given his fair price may slot reasonably well into your forward line.

Joker Pick – Ilkay Gündoğan – €7.0m

Someone who may not be the popular pick but could do very well fantasy wide is Germany’s captain Gündoğan. For the national team he plays behind the striker in a number 10 position. For his club Barcelona this season he has returned five goals and 12 assists in all appearances as of writing (prior to the final weekend in La Liga).

Gundogan is likely to be on penalties too which may give him extra opportunities to return fantasy points. Consider Gündoğan as an alternative to Musiala should you need to place the additional €1.5m elsewhere.