Seriously, I love the World Cup. It’s a month of Christmas for us Soccer fans and it has the added benefit of bringing in so many causal sports fans and DFS players. Speaking of which, Slack Chat for VIP members continues to pay off, especially yesterday with our list of top three plays for each team and order of preference for rostering multiple players from a team – that being said, those lists will remain exclusively for VIP members. The below is a preview of each mach and my thought on the top player from each team. Remember, a ton changes based on confirmed lineups & formations. Not a VIP? Join now and use code “SNIPER” for 10% off membership. See you in Slack!
For those of you new to DFS soccer, I’ve created an introductory video: DFS Soccer Introduction & Strategy
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Game-By-Game Breakdown
Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt
Not the prettiest place to start on this slate as both of these teams as already been eliminated after losing both of their first two games. That being said, Egypt is the better said and is a healthy favorite to win the game at -117. While Saudi Arabia only conceded once to Uruguay that was in large part because of the Uruguians lack of a playmaker (we’ll get to that again later). Saudi Arabia is most likely the worst team in the tournament and I suspect they will have a lot of trouble with Mohammed Salah, who is actually one of the players I’m most comfortable paying up for. Even though they are not good, don’t dismiss the Saudis as a place of value especially with Taisser Al Jassim out with a hamstring injury. Salman Al-Faraj is cheap and most of the offense should run through him, making him ideal as a punt midfield play.
Uruguay vs. Russia
Taking a look at the other side of Group A to the two teams that have already punched their ticket to the round of 16. Heading into the tournament the Uruguians would have been a bigger favorite than they are currently, which is basically a pick’em. Uruguay has also proven to be plain bad for DFS. They haven’t had any midfield play makers on the pitch and are reliant on their two strikers, Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani. But goal dependent forwards can only get you so far unless they score a brace (two goals) and for that reason both of the players I just mentioned are GPP only targets in my book. Continuing on that theme, the Russian midfielders have played great in this tournament and should have an advantage in this game. All three are in play but one of the break out stars of the tournament is Aleksandr Golovin and he will be my favorite cash target from the Russian side.
Iran vs. Portugal
Group B is much more congested than group A as both of these teams can be in the next round or going home as a result of this game. Iran needs a win to secure a spot in the round of 16 though they could advance with a draw and help. Portugal only needs the one point from a draw to advance but obviously Cristiano Ronaldo will be hunting for more goals and a win. This may be a very unpopular opinion but I may be saving Ronaldo as a GPP option. It’s not that he’s not cash viable with how often he shoots for a Portuguese team that is a -150 favorite. He’s just so (bleepin’) expensive on DraftKings that I don’t want to sacrifice the rest of my lineup. If you can find a way to fit him in and feel comfortable with the rest of your team, go for it. Hopefully some more value opens up when lineups are released in the early games. Alireza Jahanbakhsh is the top option for the Iranians, don’t let his Fantasy Points per Game fool you as he only played 16 minutes in the opener. He’s a little more expensive than I want, but he is a solid option as a dynamic player who could find some room on the wings against the Portuguese fullbacks that like to push up the wings.
Spain vs. Morocco
Oh Spain. Again, they are the largest favorites on the board at -285 and as always it’s so hard to predict their source of DFS output. They need at least one point to guarantee themselves another match while Morocco already knows this is their last game of the World Cup. I refuse to list Diego Costa as the top play for this team, he’s just so goal dependent that I can’t bring myself to do it. Isco though, while expensive he has a solid floor, reaching double digit DK points in each of the first two games without the aid of a goal or an assist. He’s plenty involved in the attack to make that change and with the odds on Spain to win he’s likely to end up in my cash lineup. Hakim Ziyech is definitely the Moroccans best player, but he is cost prohibitive, making me more interested in Younes Belhanda who has taken three shots in each of the first two games, giving him a solid floor for the price point. I’m not sure how much Morocco I’ll have but I’m 100% more likely to punt with this team than use any of the play makers or strikers.
That’s what I have for you today, good luck and I’ll see you in Slack tomorrow morning!