SOCCER

World Cup Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 7/6/18

Neymar has had a great World Cup and should have opportunities against Belgium. Which other players should you target for Friday's slate?

After a four-year wait, the World Cup is back, and FanDuel is offering daily fantasy contests for the entirety of the tournament. For those who played DFS during the Premier League season, FanDuel has made some changes to their scoring system, so make sure you're up to date on how the new settings impact things.

Both of Friday’s quarterfinal matches will be on the main slate, which starts at 10 a.m EST.

Let's go through the four positions and look at some players to target at various price points.

Forwards to Target

Neymar ($13,000) -- Neymar has scored more than 20 FanDuel points in each of his four World Cup matches while scoring at least 30 FanDuel points in three straight, including his top performance of 53.9 FanDuel points in the Round-of-16 match against Mexico. Neymar has been the focal point for the Brazilian attack, doing a bit of everything on the left side. He has totaled 23 shots and 12 shots on target in four matches while recording 16 chances created, and at +130 to find the back of the net, his high price tag may be worth the gamble. Gabriel Jesus ($8,500) has the same odds as an anytime goalscorer while offering a reprieve in salary, but he has yet to find the net in four matches while averaging just 10.45 FanDuel points per match.

Kylian Mbappe ($10,500) -- After scoring two goals in France’s win over Argentina, Mbappe will likely be popular, but the studs priced above him should keep his ownership fairly reasonable. Our numbers project Les Bleus to win 1.73-0.97 while oddsmakers have France with a 1.25-goal implied total. The 19-year-old PSG star showed off his speed against Argentina, and France will need that pace to come through again against a Uruguay squad that has conceded just one goal this tournament. Antoine Griezmann ($11,500) occupies the penalty-taking role for the French, but Mbappe has averaged more FanDuel points this tournament than Griezmann has while taking the same amount of shots on target in open play (not including penalties) and tallying one more chance created.

Cristhian Stuani ($6,000) -- If Edinson Cavani ($9,500) is unable to play against France due to the calf injury he sustained against Portugal, Stuani could be in line for the start alongside Luis Suarez ($10,500). At $6,000, Stuani -- especially in cash -- would not have to do much to reach value and would give DFS players the option to pay up for more studs. Despite his price, Stuani would still be a high-risk play -- especially in large field tournaments -- as both our numbers and the oddsmakers project Uruguay to score less than one goal, and DFS players should not expect Stuani to replace the production Cavani has delivered in the last two matches.

Midfielders to Target

Eden Hazard ($10,000) and Kevin de Bruyne ($8,500) -- Hazard is the top-priced midfielder for good reason. He has averaged 36.17 FanDuel points in his three matches while showing his floor to be 26.2 FanDuel points and tallying an assist or a goal in each match so far this tournament. With an over/under set at 2.5 goals, this match offers the highest projected total on the slate while our numbers project Belgium to score 1.41 goals. Hazard has created at least three chances in his three matches while de Bruyne has created at least four in all three of his outings. De Bruyne should take the majority of set pieces for Belgium, which helps his floor, while Hazard offers more upside.

Coutinho ($9,000) -- Coutinho was on fire in Brazil’s first two matches, scoring two goals and averaging 38.65 FanDuel points per game. Despite taking five shots, Coutinho showed his floor -- 10.6 FanDuel points -- against Mexico, but he has taken at least two shots in each of Brazil’s four matches. Coutinho is +190 to find the back of the net and should have opportunities against Belgium as our numbers have Brazil scoring 2.15 goals. Coutinho is not solely dependent on a goal to reach value as he has created 11 chances and recorded 1 assist this tournament and should be viable in all formats.

Lucas Torreira ($5,500) -- Torreira has started Uruguay’s previous two matches as they have switched to a 4-1-2-1-2 formation after deploying a 4-4-2 in the first two matches of the World Cup. Strictly a floor play as a defensive midfielder, Torreira offers salary relief, and he has averaged 11.05 FanDuel points in his two starts. As a 0.5-goal underdog by oddsmakers -- and a larger underdog according to our numbers -- Torreira will likely be in line for a good number of defensive actions against an attacking French side. That should make the Serie A player a safe play, especially in cash.

Defenders to Target

Diego Godin ($7,000) and Jose Gimenez ($6,000) -- As a 0.5-goal underdog and almost a full goal underdog in our projections, both Uruguayan center-backs should see a large number of defensive actions. Both players have scored at least 10 FanDuel points in each of their starts while recording more than five clearances in every match minus the tilt against Saudi Arabia. Both Godin and Gimenez do offer value on set pieces, but the reason for rostering them would be their high floor with defensive actions against France.

Thomas Meunier ($6,500) -- Playing on the right side of Belgium’s midfield in their 3-4-2-1 formation, Meunier has totaled 12 crosses, 7 chances created, 4 shots off target and 2 assists in three matches for the Red Devils. With the highest-projected total on the slate, this match could turn into a fairly wide open battle between two title contenders, and Meunier will look to capture his third assist of the World Cup as Belgium will likely need to score in regulation time in order to advance past the World Cup favorites.

Goalies to Target

Hugo Lloris ($5,500) -- According to both the odds and our numbers, Uruguay is the only squad on the slate that is projected to score less than a goal, and their attack takes a major blow if Edinson Cavani is unable to play. Scoring more than 10 FanDuel points just once, Lloris will likely be very dependent on picking up the win and the clean sheet as saves may be at a premium for the French keeper. However, if France does keep Uruguay out of the net and advance, Lloris could be in line for his second performance of more than 20 FanDuel points this tournament.

Fernando Muslera ($5,000) -- Muslera is the second-cheapest option at the keeper position, and he has averaged 21.38 FanDuel points in four matches while picking up three clean sheets. While a clean sheet may be unlikely, Uruguay have conceded just once this entire tournament, and France will likely be on the attack throughout the match, which should lead to a large number of save opportunities for Muslera.



Ben Fisher is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Ben Fisher also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Gvsubrickwall. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.