START7: Becoming a champion with the latest insights

Around ten per cent of the Faroe Islands' total population watched their national team's preliminary round matches in Berlin, making it one of the outstanding stories of the tournament. The two THW and Füchse youngsters Elias Ellefsen a Skipagotu (148 total points (tp), market value: 778 thousand euros) and Hákun West av Teigum (20 tp, market value: 538 thousand euros), who took on a lot of responsibility at their first major international tournament and will probably continue to cause a stir in the LIQUI MOLY HBL, were also involved in the historic first points win for the archipelago against the top team from Norway.

In addition to the northerners from Scandinavia, the Austrians in particular sparked a wave of euphoria in their own country. LIQUI MOLY HBL stars Nikola Bilyk (256 tp, market value: 1.2 million euros) and Lukas Hutecek (273 tp, market value: 1.1 million euros), who not only collected the most playing time of all players at this European Championship, but also ended up as the two top scorers in the Alpine republic, were particularly in the spotlight. Not only Kiel and Lemgo can therefore look forward to the return of their top performers, but the START7 managers can also count on guaranteed points from both of them.

Speaking of Lemgo: Niels Versteijnen (179 tp, market value: 487 thousand euros) also enjoyed a successful European Championship with his Dutch team. Anyone looking for a solid right back at an attractive price will have already found what they were looking for with him before the tournament; his strong form in the national team is likely to have further boosted his prospects in the squad. This is undoubtedly also true for Göppingen's Bart Ravensbergen (270 tp, market value: 689 thousand euros), who recorded the sixth most saves of all the goalkeepers and was therefore a reliable back-up for the Dutch. Furthermore, it's never a bad idea to have Dani Baijens (149 tp, market value: €538 thousand) in your front seven - with 26 goals, he was the team's third-best scorer.

Away from the surprise teams, the spectacular tournament victory of Samir Bellahcene (133 tp, market value: 559 thousand euros) with his French team should be mentioned first. With a save rate of 31 per cent, the Kiel player played a key role in the triumph of the French star ensemble and is likely to have received a considerable boost for the upcoming tasks with THW.

At the same time, Denmark's top players also enjoyed a successful tournament despite missing out on the title. Magnus Saugstrup (362 tp, market value: 1.8 million euros) made it into the EHF All-Star Team, as did high-flyer Mathias Gidsel (848 tp, market value: 2.4 million euros), who not only stood out as the top scorer at the European Championship, but is also the current measure of all things at START7. The list could go on and on, as START7 top centre Felix Claar (587 tp, market value: €1.4m) has also carried his Swedish team, as has Klemen Ferlin (56 tp, €288k) for the Slovenians or, despite all the disappointment of the early tournament exit, Viggo Kristjansson (155 tp, €474k) for the Icelanders.

And then there was the DHB team, which was able to advance to the semi-finals thanks to a lot of passion and a rousing fight. Andreas Wolff and Juri Knorr (20 tp, market value: 1.3 million euros) were even honoured with a place in the team of the tournament for their outstanding performances, but key players such as Julian Köster (302 tp, market value: 1 million euros) and Johannes Golla (231 tp, market value: 2.3 million euros) also delivered. Players such as Sebastian Heymann (47 tp, market value: €494 thousand), Renars Uscins (141 tp, €509 thousand) and Kai Häfner (277 tp, €661 thousand) could be of particular interest to fantasy managers, as they also caused quite a stir at the plate and rounded off the positive overall picture of the German team.

League action now resumes on 7 February 2024. The team will then once again include big names such as Lasse Andersson (491 tp, market value: €2 million), Kevin Möller (383 tp, market value: €683 thousand), Casper U. Mortensen (482 tp, market value: €2.5 million) and the THW trio of Hendrik Pekeler (82 tp, market value: €499 thousand), Patrick Wiencek (176 tp, market value: €867 thousand) and Niclas Ekberg (374 tp, market value: €730 thousand).

If you want to make a quick top transfer for less than 700 thousand euros, you should keep an eye on Möller, Daniel Fernandez Jimenez (362 tp, market value: 652 thousand euros), Vincent Büchner (341 tp, market value: 593 thousand euros) or Marcel Schiller (329 tp, market value: 660 thousand euros). Oddur Gretarsson (244 tp, market value: 429 thousand euros), Noah Beyer (219 tp, market value: 362 thousand euros), Karl Wallinius (157 tp, market value: 387 thousand euros), Hampus Olsson (156 tp, market value: 361 thousand euros) and Joel Birlehm (241 tp, market value: 462 thousand euros) can also be mentioned as even cheaper and therefore almost as "snappers".

It remains to be seen whether a player from the two top teams from Berlin and Magdeburg will once again make it to the top of the best points scorers on matchday 20 or, as on the last matchday before the international break, a representative of another club will rise to become a START7 jewel (at that time the now injured Ivan Martinovic from MTM). What is certain, however, is that things will remain exciting in the digital world of handball!

• G: Dejan Milosavljev (Füchse Berlin) – 540 points
• LW: Casper Ulrich Mortensen (Handball Sport Verein Hamburg) – 482 points
• LB: Lasse Andersson (Füchse Berlin) – 491 points
• CB: Felix Claar (SC Magdeburg) – 587 points
• RB: Mathias Gidsel (Füchse Berlin) – 848 points
• RW: Domen Novak (HSG Wetzler) – 453 points
• P: Magnus Saugstrup Jensen (SC Magdeburg) – 362 points