The fourth day of the Euro 2016 tournament will feature an intriguing slate of games beginning early on in the day when Spain clashes with Czech Republic. Ireland and Spain will follow before Italy and Belgium compete in the feature match of the night. We took the time to break down the rosters and build what we feel is the perfect lineup for Monday’s games. Here is a look at the optimal lineup for Monday’s DraftKings Euro fantasy tournaments.
GK: David de Gea, Spain
Salary: $5,300
Spain is easily the biggest favorite to win on Monday and we won’t try to outsmart the sportsbook or anybody else with our selection in net. De Gea is expected to start for Spain against the Czech Republic and it should lead to a win with the potential for a clean sheet as well. Spain has a lot to prove after a lackluster showing at the 2014 World Cup and you can expect that to start here. They should have strong stats for ball possession and that should keep the Czech Republic’s scoring chances to a minimum. Whatever does get through, De Gea should stop.
D: Leonardo Bonucci, Italy
Salary: $3,600
As tempted as we were to roll with the Spanish defense it simply made more sense to take a chance on a pair of Italian defenders based on their matchup and price points. Italy will defend first and then look to build its attack on the counter so Bonucci should be a strong choice versus Belgium.
D: Georgio Chiellini, Italy
Salary: $3,500
Chiellini is in the same boat as Bonucci for around the same price as the veteran defender will be relied on to hold down the fort in the heart of the Italy defense. Chiellini has shown an ability to move up on corner kicks where he has the potential to score goals off headers and we can hope that he capitalizes on one of those opportunities versus Belgium on Monday.
M: David Silva, Spain
Salary: $7,800
It didn’t take long for us to turn back to the Spanish attack with Silva as a central force in the midfield. Spain has a wealth of attacking talent that will find ways to contribute and Silva should be the link that holds them all together in the middle.
M: Daniele De Rossi, Italy
Salary: $4,700
Italy doesn’t have the same level of firepower on their roster that they did in the previous Euro Cup but they do have some capable players that will be relied on heavily to produce in this tournament. De Rossi is one of those players and at under $5K he represents the perfect value option to slide in to one of our midfield spots in Euro fantasy.
F: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden
Salary: $11,000
Our first and lone inclusion from Sweden’s match with Ireland is the star striker and most expensive player on the board for Monday in Ibrahimovic. The legendary striker won’t need much room to make Ireland pay and the smart value options that we plugged in at the other positions allowed us to spend big on him up front as our top forward for Monday’s DraftKings competitions. If Sweden was playing someone else, we’d probably avoid him in Euro fantasy at that cost, but Ireland isn’t exactly a defensive stalwart. He should find plenty of opportunities to break through.
F: Nolito, Spain
Salary: $7,100
Nolito has spent the past few years preparing for his chance to shine for Spain in a major tournament competition and he will get it in 2016 as a starting striker. Nolito impressed in the lead up to the tournament and his youth and skill will be a welcome addition in to the Spain starting XI.
FLEX: Cesc Fabregas, Spain
Salary: $6,800
With $7k left over to spend on our final FLEX spot in Euro fantasy, it makes a lot of sense to roll with Fabregas as the player with the highest upside that we can still afford. Fabregas is still very capable as a playmaker and has an outstanding touch on free kick balls so he fits in nicely as the final player on our optimal roster for Monday’s competitions.
