Tattico Fantasy Serie A 2026/2027 Round 1 Preview

Tattico Fantasy Serie A Round 1 preview: best picks, captain and hidden gems

Tattico Fantasy Serie A 2026/2027 kicks off on Saturday 22 August at 18:30, and round 1 is the one round where every manager starts from the same blank slate. There are no transfers to save, no ownership to chase and no template to fall behind — just 100.0m and fifteen picks. Get the shape of the squad right now and you save yourself three rounds of catching up.

One thing decides that shape, and most new managers miss it: in Tattico, defenders are the best-scoring position on the board. Our model has the top 20 defenders averaging 5.24 projected points for round 1, against 4.42 for midfielders, 3.92 for forwards and 3.72 for goalkeepers. That is not a quirk of the fixtures — it is built into the scoring, and it should drive where your money goes.

Why defenders win rounds in Tattico Fantasy Serie A

Three rules do the work. A clean sheet pays 5 points to a defender, exactly what a goalkeeper gets. A defender's goal is worth 6 points, while a forward's is worth only 4. And there is no deduction for goals conceded, so a defender in a leaky side has a floor, not a hole. Add the +1 every player in a winning team collects and a starting full-back in a strong home side is banking points before he touches the ball.

The practical read: buy the best defence in the league, pay up for one elite attacking full-back, and treat forwards as the position where you save money. You can compare every position side by side on the Tattico player picks page, which is where these projections live and update.

Round 1 fixtures: who the model likes

The round is defined by one mismatch. Inter - Monza gives Inter a 79.9% win probability, 2.52 projected goals and a 58.1% clean-sheet chance — the best attacking and defensive numbers of the weekend in the same fixture. Juventus travel to Frosinone as heavy favourites, and Atalanta and Roma both get promoted-or-rebuilding opposition at home.

At the other end, Torino - Milan is the trap game: Torino are given a 20.4% win chance and a 17.9% clean-sheet probability at home, so their defenders are un-ownable this round even at low prices.

Look one round further before you commit. Inter's run softens after the opener ([H]Monza then [A]Cagliari then [H]Napoli), while Juventus improve: [A]Frosinone, [H]Parma, [H]Milan. Roma are the steadiest of the three with [H]Fiorentina, [A]Lecce, [H]Atalanta. The full grid is on the Tattico fixture schedule, and the underlying win and clean-sheet odds are on the market probabilities page.

Best goalkeeper picks for round 1

Josep Martinez (6.0m, Inter) — 5.60 projected points, the highest of any goalkeeper, on the back of that 58.1% clean-sheet probability. He is the only keeper in the round with a better-than-coin-flip shot at a clean sheet.

Alex Meret (5.0m, Napoli) is the value alternative at 4.70 points and a 44.6% clean-sheet chance at Genoa — a full point cheaper for 0.90 less, and he frees money for the defence. If you want to go cheaper still, Filip Stankovic (4.5m, Venezia) projects 4.10 at the floor price, which is a genuinely playable second keeper rather than a throwaway.

Note that Tattico awards no points for saves, so a busy keeper in a bad team has no hidden upside here. Clean sheet probability and the +1 for a win are the whole case.

Best defenders to buy — the position that decides your season

Federico Dimarco (7.5m, Inter) — 8.20 projected points, the highest figure of any player in the game, and 1.70 clear of second place. The model gives him 0.41 projected assists and a 0.53 clean-sheet expectation from left-back against Monza, which is the combination Tattico pays double for: 3 points an assist plus 5 for the clean sheet. At 1.09 points per million he is also better value than every forward in the game. Over six rounds he carries the highest decay-weighted score on the board at 22.02, from a trajectory of 8.20 then 5.60 then 5.00.

Yann Aurel Bisseck (6.0m, Inter) is the efficiency pick at 6.50 points and 1.08 points per million. Manuel Akanji (6.5m, Inter) is the safest of the three on minutes, with 88 projected minutes and the highest clean-sheet expectation of any Inter defender at 0.56.

Here is the round-1 problem, though, and it is worth understanding before you build: the three-players-per-club cap bites long before your budget does. Inter's five best defensive assets project 8.20, 6.50, 6.10, 5.70 and 5.60 — and you may own three of them. The best legal squad we could construct spends only 93.0m of the 100.0m available, because the constraint is the cap, not the cash.

So the interesting question is who fills the other slots:

• Andrea Cambiaso (6.0m, Juventus) — 5.40 now, and the best multi-round defender outside Inter: 5.40 then 5.80 then 4.60, an 18.11 weighted score over six rounds. Buy him for the trajectory, not just the opener.
• Emanuele Valeri (5.0m, Parma) — the differential of the round. He projects 4.90 points at home to Cagliari, and the model gives him a 0.91 penalty share. A penalty-taking defender is a rare asset in a game that pays 6 for a defender's goal, and almost nobody will spot him in round 1. Cross-check the spot-kick order on the Serie A penalty takers page.
• Nadir Zortea (4.5m, Bologna) — the budget enabler. 4.60 points at the floor price is 1.02 points per million, and 88 projected minutes means he is a nailed starter rather than a lottery ticket.
• Lloyd Kelly (5.0m, Juventus) — 4.60 points and the best weighted value of any defender at 3.15 weighted points per million. A quiet six-round hold.
• Giovanni Di Lorenzo (5.5m, Napoli) — 5.00 points, 88 projected minutes and a 43% clean-sheet expectation at Genoa.

One caution. Kaiki (4.5m, Como) shows the best raw value in the entire game at 1.18 points per million and 5.30 projected points, but the model only gives him 53 minutes and a 0.55 starter probability. That is a rotation risk, not a bargain, and it is the one pick in this article that could return nothing through no fault of the projection. If you want the price bracket without the coin-flip, Zortea at the same 4.5m is the safer route. Check the expected XI on predicted lineups for Tattico before the deadline.

Best midfielders for round 1

Midfield is the thinnest position in Tattico, and that is by design: a midfielder's clean sheet is worth 1 point, not 5, so he has to score or assist to justify his price. The top 20 midfielders average 4.42 projected points and the very best only reaches 5.10 — so do not overpay here.

Kenan Yildiz (7.5m, Juventus) tops the position at 5.10 with 0.28 projected goals and 0.26 assists at Frosinone, and he holds up over the horizon (5.10, 4.90, 4.10). Chico Conceicao (7.0m, Juventus) is half a million cheaper for 5.00.

The value plays are better than the premiums here. Samuel Chukwueze (5.5m, Milan) projects 4.60 at 0.84 points per million, and his round 2 figure is identical (4.60) with Venezia at home to come. Éderson (4.5m, Atalanta) is the budget standout: 4.20 points at the floor price is 0.93 points per million, the best of any midfielder, and he carries a 0.80 penalty share for a side favoured at home. Andy Diouf (5.0m, Inter) at 4.60 is the cheapest route into the Inter fixture if your three club slots are not already spoken for.

If you want a premium creator, Hakan Calhanoglu (8.5m, Inter) projects 4.80 with a 0.87 penalty share — but at 0.57 points per million he is paying a lot for that, and he consumes one of your three Inter places that a defender uses better.

Best forwards — and why you should spend less here

A forward's goal pays 4 points and his clean sheet pays nothing, so this is structurally the weakest position in the game. Top-20 forwards average 3.92 projected points. Plan to fill two of the three slots cheaply.

Lautaro Martinez (12.0m, Inter) is the highest-projecting forward at 6.10, with 0.53 projected goals against Monza. He is also the most expensive player in the game, and at 0.51 points per million he is the worst value of any pick in this article. He is a fine captain-adjacent asset if you have the money; he is not a requirement.

Donyell Malen (10.0m, Roma) projects 5.10 and holds a 0.88 penalty share, with 0.56 projected goals against Fiorentina — the strongest goal expectation of any forward outside Inter. Paulo Dybala (8.5m, Roma) is the better-balanced Roma pick at 5.00 with 0.37 goals and 0.34 assists projected.

The pick that actually matters is cheaper. Giacomo Raspadori (5.0m, Atalanta) projects 4.50 points at 0.90 points per million — within 1.60 of the most expensive forward in the game for 7.0m less. Akor Adams (4.5m, Venezia) at 3.70 rounds out a bench that can actually score.

Captain picks for Tattico Fantasy Serie A round 1

Captain Federico Dimarco. This is the clearest captaincy call you will get all season. He projects 8.20 against a Monza side given a 5.5% win probability and an 8.1% clean-sheet chance, so he is doubling the highest single projection in the game in the most lopsided fixture of the round. A captained Dimarco is worth 16.40 projected points.

If you would rather not captain a defender in round 1, Yann Aurel Bisseck (6.50) is the same fixture at a lower price, and Lautaro Martinez (6.10) is the conventional armband if you own him. Manuel Akanji (6.10) is the third Inter route and the one with the most secure minutes. Nothing outside the Inter fixture belongs in this conversation this round — the next-best non-Inter projection is Cambiaso at 5.40.

Who to leave out of your round 1 squad

Nobody owns anything yet, so there is nothing to sell — but there is plenty to avoid, and in round 1 a bad pick costs you more than a missed one.

• Nico Paz (10.5m, Como) — 4.60 projected points for the second-highest price in the game, at 0.44 points per million — budget-midfielder output at a premium-striker price.
• Rasmus Højlund (9.5m, Napoli) — 4.10 points at 0.43 points per million. Napoli's clean sheet is the thing worth buying at Genoa, not their striker.
• Scott McTominay (9.0m, Napoli) — 4.20 points at 0.47 points per million. A 0.94 penalty share is the only argument, and it is not enough at that price.
• Goncalo Ramos (9.0m, Milan) — 4.60 points, but away at Torino in the round's most awkward fixture for a striker.
• Any Monza, Frosinone or Sassuolo asset — all three are away or overmatched with clean-sheet probabilities of 13.0% or worse. Monza's is 8.1%.

The broader trap is spending big on forwards and midfielders because that is what other fantasy games have taught you. In Tattico the scoring points the other way.

A strong round 1 squad

Here is a fully legal 15-man squad — 100.0m budget, two goalkeepers, five defenders, five midfielders, three forwards, maximum three players per club. It costs 93.0m and its starting eleven projects 61.00 points, rising to 69.20 with Dimarco captained. It plays a 1-5-3-2 shape, which is the formation the projections favour for exactly the reasons above.

Two notes on the build. The 7.0m left unspent is not sloppiness — with three Inter players already in, there is no upgrade left that the club cap allows, which is the single most important structural fact about round 1. And if Kaiki is left out of Como's XI, Nadir Zortea (4.5m, Bologna) is the like-for-like swap.

Treat this as a starting point rather than gospel. Our optimal teams solver for Tattico re-solves the squad live against the current projections and is the authoritative version, and you can load your own side on My Team to compare. Per-player breakdowns of goals, assists, minutes and clean sheets are on the Tattico player data page.

Round 1 checklist

• Spend your money on defenders. Clean sheets pay them 5 and their goals pay 6.
• Take three Inter players — the cap, not your budget, is the binding constraint.
• Captain Dimarco at 8.20 projected points.
• Fill two forward slots cheaply; the position tops out at 6.10 and averages 3.92.
• Check the confirmed lineups before the 18:30 deadline on Saturday, especially for Kaiki.

More rounds, more analysis: the Tattico Fantasy Serie A preview hub collects every round preview as the season goes on, and our fantasy football guides cover the strategy concepts — captaincy planning, differentials and squad structure — that apply across every game we model.

FAQ

Who should I captain in Tattico Fantasy Serie A round 1?

Federico Dimarco. He projects 8.20 points, the highest of any player in the game and 1.70 clear of second place, at home to a Monza side given just a 5.5% win probability and an 8.1% clean-sheet chance. Captained, that is 16.40 projected points. Yann Aurel Bisseck (6.50) and Lautaro Martinez (6.10) are the alternatives.

Why are defenders so highly rated in Tattico Fantasy Serie A?

Because the scoring rewards them three times over. A clean sheet is worth 5 points to a defender, the same as to a goalkeeper; a defender's goal is worth 6 against a forward's 4; and there is no deduction for goals conceded. Our model has the top 20 defenders averaging 5.24 projected points for round 1, against 3.92 for forwards.

Which budget players are best for round 1?

Nadir Zortea (4.5m, Bologna) is the safest cheap defender at 4.60 projected points and 88 projected minutes. Éderson (4.5m, Atalanta) is the best value midfielder at 4.20 points and 0.93 points per million, and Giacomo Raspadori (5.0m, Atalanta) is the best value forward at 4.50. Emanuele Valeri (5.0m, Parma) is the differential, with a 0.91 penalty share from defence.

Which players should I avoid in Tattico round 1?

The expensive attackers offer the worst value. Nico Paz (10.5m, Como) projects only 4.60, Rasmus Højlund (9.5m, Napoli) 4.10 and Scott McTominay (9.0m, Napoli) 4.20 — all under 0.50 points per million. Avoid Monza, Frosinone and Sassuolo assets entirely; their clean-sheet probabilities are 13.0% or worse.

How many players can I own from one club in Tattico Fantasy Serie A?

Three. That matters in round 1 because Inter's five best defensive assets project 8.20, 6.50, 6.10, 5.70 and 5.60, and you can only take three of them. The cap is why the strongest legal squad we built spends 93.0m of the 100.0m budget rather than all of it.

This preview was written by TheFantasyTool AI - verified by Nicolai @ TheFantasyTool