Best Bargain Picks for Fantasy Draft Mode

The best bargain picks (mostly below €30m) for Fantasy Draft Mode (24.3 version), according to my own experience~

Introduction

Hi Community! I am a player from China, and I have been playing Fantasy Draft mode for quite a few times. Since there is very little information about Fantasy Draft mode here and among the entire FM24 players community, I wish to share with you my preferred players-to-pick. I hope it helps you whenever you try Fantasy Draft mode :)

Background Information

Transfer Fund Cap Matters

Before getting into the topic, I would like to first clarify some background knowledge. As you can see after you enter the Fantasy Draft mode,

1. each player takes turn to pick one footballer at a time from the same pool;
   
2. the transfer fund cap for each player is exactly the same;
   
3. in most cases, a player's ability is proportional to his transfer price;
   
4. the transfer price is fixed. (which means you have to accept a relatively high price for picking, e.g., Ángel Di María, even if he has entered the final years of his career, because his remaining ability still earns him a relatively high transfer price)

Therefore, the more money the transfer fund cap allows, the better the players you can sign. If you create a game with an over €600 million or a unlimited transfer fund cap, basically you and all AI are competing for the most expensive footballers on all 11 positions. In that case, the best picks are always the most expensive ones.

However, if the transfer fund cap you set is relatively low, e.g., around €300 million (which is my favourite), you cannot spend huge money on footballers like Kylian Mbappé or Erling Håland without hesitation, because you will have to save money to pick bargains to fill both the starting lineup and the bench. This is the starting point of my recommendation. I will share with you some footballers who do not come on top on the high-to-low price list, yet are capable to fit in my formation and tactics.

My Ideal Formation, and the Footballers It Requires

I usually play a 4-1-3-2 aggressive formation, with only 1 defensive midfielder and 3 attacking midfielders. My formation seeks to create the following circumstance as an ideal scoring opportunity:

• either attacking full back dribbles the ball along the sideline, through the middle of the pitch, towards the byline, and make the cross; (when the full back finds difficulty to dribble the ball forward, the nearest attacking midfielder of striker may go to the sideline and do the dribble plus cross from byline)
  
• 2 strikers press the opponent's center backs towards the goal line, seeking opportunities to make a tap-in;
  
• 3 attacking midfielders find different gaps in the opponent's box, also seeking opportunities to shoot or make a final, risky pass;
  
• the other full back and the defensive midfielder wait outside the box to try recovering lost ball;
  
• 2 ball-playing center backs maintain a high offside line near the middle of the pitch.

As you can easily tell, I rely on Gegenpressing tactics to win back ball possession. The winning strategy of my tactical style of play is to always score more than the opponent, rather than conceding fewer. That is to say, I need the entire squad to be fast, so that the front can keep pressing and the back can chase back in time to deal with the ball that penetrates the defense. I also need the defensive midfielder to be good, hopefully in every aspects. Last but not least, at least 1 striker and 1 center back have to be good at heading and jumping reach, because my tactics create a lot of corners, and I need to make good use of them.

As a result, I choose my preferred picks according to the following requirements:

• goalkeeper: reflexes, aerial reach
  
• center back: pace, positioning, heading, jumping reach
  
• full back: acceleration, pace, dribbling, crossing, passing
  
• defensive midfielder: pace, positioning, determination
  
• attacking midfielder: pace, decisions, determination, technique, finishing
  
• striker: pace, finishing, heading, jumping reach

Best Bargains for Me (ver. 24.3 Database)

Goalkeeper

I tend to pick a goalkeeper cheaper than €25m.

• Dominik Livaković, CRO, €22.5m
  
• Andriy Lunin, UKR, €21m
  
• Giorgi Mamardashvili, GEO, €19.75m (my favourite)
  
• David De Gea, ESP, €18.25m
  
• Jeremías Ledesma, ARG, €17m (love from China, for saving my a$$ more than once)
  
• David Soria, ESP, €15.75m
  
• Yassine Bounou, MAR, €13m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Caoimhin Kelleher, IRL, €12.25m
  
• Lucas Perri, BRA, €9.5m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Kevin Trapp, GER, €4.4m
  
• Alphonse Areola, FRA, €4.4m
  
• Rui Patrício, POR, €4.4m
  
• Michele Di Gregorio, ITA, €4.4m (the AI managers love to pick him)

Center Back

I tend to pick a goalkeeper cheaper than €30m.

• Jonathan Tah, GER, €30m (love from China, for saving my a$$ more than once)
  
• Axel Disasi, FRA, €28.5m
  
• Amir Rrahmani, KOS, €28.5m
  
• Chris Smalling, ENG, €25m (Seriously, NERF THIS DUDE! Incredible header!)
  
• Mohamed Simakan, FRA, €23.5m
  
• Tyrone Mings, ENG, €23.5m
  
• Harry Maguire, ENG, €23.5m
  
• Nico Schlotterbeck, GER, €12.25m
  
• Nicola Milenković, SRB, €22m
  
• Lucas Klostermann, GER, €20.5m (can play right full back as well)
  
• Matthias Ginter, GER, €20.5m
  
• David Garcia, ESP, €19m
  
• Mouctar Diakhaby, GUI, €19m
  
• Benoît Badiashile, FRA, €19m (the AI managers are DEFINITELY going for him)
  
• Berat Djimsiti, ALB, €17.25m
  
• Aymeric Laporte, ESP, €15.75m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Kalidou Koulibaly, SEN, €15.75m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Niklas Süle, GER, €15.75m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Kurt Zouma, FRA, €15.75m
  
• Danilho Doekhi, NED, €13.75m
  
• Robin Koch, GER, €13.75m
  
• Craig Dawson, ENG, €13.75m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Alejandro Catena, ESP, €12.5m
  
• Jannik Vestergaard, DEN, €10.5m
  
• Tanguy Nianzou, FRA, €9.5m
  
• Jeff Chabot, GER, €9.5m
  
• Pascal Struijk, NED, €8.5m
  
• Jaka Bijol, SVN, €8.5m
  
• Sebastiaan Bournauw, BEL, €6.25m
  
• Philipp Lienhart, AUT, €5.25m
  
• Konstantinos Mavropanos, GRE, €5.25m
  
• Patric Pfeiffer, GHA, €3.6m

Left Full Back

I tend to pick a left full back cheaper than €25m.

• Filip Kostić, SRB, €25m
  
• Destiny Udogie, ITA, €24m
  
• Caio Henrique, BRA, €21m
  
• Leonardo Spinazzola, ITA, €20m
  
• David Raum, GER, €19.25m
  
• Javi Galán, ESP, €17.75m
  
• Matteo Ruggeri, ITA, €17.75m
  
• Micky van de Ven, NED, €17.25m (my favourite; can play center back as well)
  
• Kostas Tsimikas, GRE, €14.75m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Álex Moreno, ESP, €14.75m (another hero that saved my a$$ multiple times)
  
• Benjamin Mendy, FRA, €13m
  
• Fran García, ESP, €10m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Alex Telles, BRA, €10m
  
• Sergiño Dest, USA, €5m (can play both left and right; I often sign him as a helpful substitute)
  
• Iago, BRA, €4.6m
  
• Niels Nkounkou, FRA, €4.2m

Right Full Back

I tend to pick a right full back cheaper than €30m, because there are some amazing players between €25m and €30m that you may wish to see.

• Noussair Mazraoui, MAR, €28.5m (dude plays almost everywhere on the pitch; a worthy baller for every tactic, I promise)
  
• Nahuel Molina, ARG, €28.5m
  
• Yan Couto, BRA, €27m (one of AI's top choices; I love his hair in reality :) )
  
• Jeremie Frimpong, NED, €24m (ABSOLUTE ROBBERY)
  
• Jonathan Clauss, FRA, €22.5m
  
• Kyle Walker-Peters, ENG, €19.25m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Vanderson, BRA, €14m
  
• Rick Karsdorp, NED, €11m (I love him personally)
  
• Mitchell Weiser, GER, €9m
  
• Sergiño Dest, USA, €5m (can play both left and right; I often sign him as a helpful substitute)

Defensive Midfielder

I tend to pick a right full back cheaper than €35m. I know my formation always concedes goals, but spending a little more on the only defensive midfielder always helps.

• N'Golo Kanté, FRA, €33m (still one of the elites)
  
• Ederson, BRA, €31.5m
  
• Pape Matar Sarr, SEN, €30m
  
• Boubacar Kamara, FRA, €28.5m
  
• Noussair Mazraoui, MAR, €28.5m (like I said, he appears here again :) )
  
• Dani Parejo, ESP, €28.5m
  
• Marten de Roon, NED, €26.5m
  
• Ali Al Musrati, LBY, €26.5m
  
• Jordan Henderson, ENG, €25m
  
• Oriol Romeu, ESP, €21.5m
  
• Julian Weigl, GER, €20m
  
• Mateus Uribe, COL, €16.5m
  
• Fabinho, BRA, €16.5m
  
• Marco Verratti, ITA, €16.5m (his being here is also a robbery; AI managers love him)
  
• Óscar Valentín, ESP, €14.5m (love from China)
  
• Nicolas Höfler, GER, €14.5m
  
• Atakan Karazor, GER, €12.25m
  
• Oliver Skipp, ENG, €12.25m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Kobbie Mainoo, ENG, €12.25m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Rani Khedira, GER, €11m
  
• Lucas Torró, ESP, €7.75m
  
• Monchu, ESP, €7.75m
  
• Edoardo Bove, ITA, €5.5m (the AI managers love to pick him; speedy recovery!!!)
  
• Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, DEN, €5.5m (the AI managers love to pick him)

Attacking Midfielder

I tend to pick a right full back cheaper than €30m. Cole Palmer is the only exception :)
Tips: some attacking midfielders can play strikers as well; make good use of them.

• Cole Palmer, ENG, €31.5m
  
• Martin Terrier, FRA, €29.5m
  
• Cristian Eriksen, DEN, €26.5m (stay healthy!!!)
  
• Matheus Cunha, BRA, €24.5m (one of my favourites)
  
• Lazar Samardžić, SRB, €23.5m
  
• Álex Baena, ESP, €22.5m
  
• Takefusa Kubo, JPN, €22.5m (one of my favourites; amazing left foot)
  
• Isco, ESP, €17.5m (still one of the elites)
  
• Xavi Simons, NED, €17.5m (one of my favourites; another savior for me :) )
  
• Talisca, BRA, €17.5m (love from China)
  
• Michael Olise, FRA, €17.5m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• James Rodríguez, COL, €17.5m (wondering why the AI managers are sometimes reluctant to pick him; James's pace & acceleration might be problematic)
  
• Ademola Lookman, NGA, €17.5m (one of my favourites)
  
• Brahim Díaz, MAR, €17.5m (amazing at BOTH left and right feet; wondering why the AI managers are sometimes reluctant to pick him)
  
• Calvin Stengs, NED, €11.75m
  
• Carles Aleñá, ESP, €11m (another savior for me :) )
  
• Raúl García, ESP, €7m (LEGEND)
  
• Thiago Almada, ARG, €5.75m (dude kicked my a$$ hard when on the other team :( )
  
• Arda Güler, TUR, €3.75m
  
• Hans Vanaken, BEL, €1.2m

Striker

I tend to pick a right full back cheaper than €30m.

• Martin Terrier, FRA, €29.5m
  
• Joselu, ESP, €29.5m
  
• Danny Welbeck, ENG, €28m
  
• Wissam Ben Yedder, FRA, €28m
  
• Matheus Cunha, BRA, €24.5m (one of my favourites)
  
• Ollie Watkins, ENG, €24.5m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Borja Iglesias, ESP, €24.5m (love from China)
  
• Alexander Sørloth, NOR, €22.5m
  
• Gianluca Scamacca, ITA, €22.5m
  
• Deniz Undav, GER, €21m
  
• Terem Moffi, NGA, €19.25m
  
• Dominic Calvert-Lewin, ENG, €17.5m (one of my favourites)
  
• Ivan Toney, ENG, €17.5m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Aleksandar Mitrović, SRB, €17.5m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Niclas Füllkrug, GER, €17.5m
  
• Serhou Guirassy, GUI, €17.5m (saved my a$$ more than once)
  
• Ademola Lookman, NGA, €17.5m (one of my favourites)
  
• Evan Ferguson, IRL, €12.75m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Jamie Vardy, ENG, €8.25m (LEGEND; the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Joshua King, NOR, €7m
  
• Raúl García, ESP, €7m (LEGEND)
  
• Vangelis Pavlidis, GRE, €5.75m (the AI managers love to pick him)
  
• Radamel Falcao, COL, €1.6m

P.S.

The recommendation list misses a lot of talented footballers who may find their space in a different style of tactics. The recommendation list also misses a lot of talented footballers whom I have never picked into my squad and tested. You are welcome to leave comment(s)!