With 48 matches completed, we're now in the final week of Euro 2020 with semi-finals and the final to come.
It's also three final opportunities to score fantasy football points before the tournament is completed. It's a chance to move up mini-leagues and improve overall rankings with ten free transfers split over two windows available.
England are the outright favourites to win the tournament and it's worth playing to the odds slightly to maximise potential for points. Having players already in ahead of the final means transfers can be used elsewhere.
We're not saying overload on England assets but the Three Lions and Italy are fancied to make the final. Strategically making moves now will leave the majority of the five free transfers ahead of the final available for taking out players who are now longer involved and still in your squad.
Of course, the final only requires 11 players but it's better to have the options available ahead of kick-off on Sunday. That means using pre-semi-final transfers as best as possible.
With five free available before 20:00 on Tuesday, Tom Carnduff looks at four players to bring in.
Raheem Sterling
- Position: Midfielder
- Nation: England
- Cost: €9.8m
- Fixture: Denmark
England head into their semi-final meeting against Denmark with real momentum after a 4-0 hammering of Ukraine in the quarter-finals. They are the favourites to lift the trophy and - with the greatest of respect - the Three Lions would have preferred a game against Wednesday's opponents rather than facing one of Italy or Spain.
Raheem Sterling is a regular in this England side which is fairly open to rotation in every position. He's started all five, scored three from an Expected Goals (xG) figure of 2.12 and also got an assist. His Expected Assists figure (xA) standing at 1.12 shows that he could have had more on this tally.
At €9.8m, Sterling is the most expensive midfielder remaining in the tournament but he is justifying that price tag. Budget should be available after a number of big-hitters exited the tournament at the round of 16 and quarter-final stages.
While five transfers are also available for free prior to the final, having as many players available as possible will maximise potential points return and give options depending on the team news. England are fancied to progress and having players from that squad in fantasy football teams means we don't have to concern ourselves with moving them out.
Luke Shaw
- Position: Defender
- Nation: England
- Cost: €6.2m
- Fixture: Denmark
An outsider for Player of the Tournament but one who could be among the frontrunners with a strong semi-final appearance - Luke Shaw has been a real presence down the left and he finds himself as one of a few 'redemption' stories in this England squad.
He's also one of the competitions biggest creators with three assists from four appearances - Shaw grabbed a helper from left wing-back against Germany and then two when the Three Lions reverted to a back-four against Ukraine.
His €6.2m price tag looks like a bargain when we consider he is posting attacking returns and has picked up clean sheet points in all four of his games so far. No defender remaining in the tournament has posted more points at this stage.
You will have to use a fair bit of budget for a defender - he is the third-most expensive behind Spain duo Aymeric Laporte and Jordi Alba - but Shaw is delivering and could easily get another assist over the next two games if England are involved until the very end.
Emerson
- Position: Defender
- Nation: Italy
- Cost: €5.5m
- Fixture: Spain
Leonardo Spinazzola's injury was unfortunate for both Italy and the tournament as a whole. You want the best players available and he has been a joy to watch but will spend a lengthy spell on the sideline after being injured in the quarter-final victory over Belgium.
That means we should see Emerson slot into the left-back position and he could prove to be a key differential player if he can replicate Spinazzola's style of play. Italy may not keep a clean sheet but the Chelsea man can post attacking returns with either a goal or assist.
Despite playing just 112 minutes of the tournament so far, Emerson has managed to post an xG figure of 0.12 alongside 0.05 xA. Limited opportunity on the pitch hasn't meant limited chances and he also saw an effort on target.
The left-back role should be his now and Emerson may remain a player overlooked going into the semi-final - his selection rate is just 1% at the time of writing.
Lorenzo Insigne
- Position: Midfielder
- Nation: Italy
- Cost: €8.6m
- Fixture: Spain
He caught the eye with a wonderful goal against Belgium last time out and Lorenzo Insigne can pose yet more threat in attack as they face Spain for a spot in the final.
Insigne's performances so far have brought 22 points and he's living up to his €8.6m price tag - it's why 37% of teams currently have him heading into Italy's potential penultimate game of the tournament.
What is interesting is the fact that Insigne hasn't yet registered an assist. He's been getting bonus points for clean sheets while also scoring but he should have had some assists in there too.
His xA figure is a significant 1.96 with 11 key passes across his four games so far. It's only a matter of time before he grabs a helper with numbers like that and the extra few points gained there could be crucial come the conclusion of the competition.
