SOCCER

FanDuel Women's World Cup Single-Game Helper: United States vs. Chile

Samantha Mewis put her stamp on the Americans' first match and will likely be one of the main cogs against Chile. How should you attack this single-game slate?

The World Cup is here, and FanDuel is offering daily fantasy contests. They will feature the game between the record-breaking United States Women's National Team and Chile on a single-game slate.

The USWNT have a 97.83% implied win probability via the FanDuel Sportsbook. While this game is unlikely to get to 13-0, like the match against Thailand, scores of 3-0 and 4-0 in favor of the USWNT share top odds for the most likely result. There are four players with an implied probability of 33% to score two more more goals in this match, which is actually higher than the figure going into the match against Thailand. Regardless, it is not wise to expect the same type of FanDuel totals as what we saw in the opening match.

FanDuel has altered its soccer format for the Women's World Cup for the multi-match offerings, and it's important to know how those changes impact things. The single-match slates, however, are the same format as usual.

Be sure to check out the Sunday main slate match primer, but for now, let's look at some players across different price points that can shine for either the United States or Chile.

Forwards/Midfielders

Samantha Mewis ($13)

Obviously, any of the United States' front three -- Alex Morgan ($17), Megan Rapinoe ($14) and Tobin Heath ($9) -- are firmly in play, and you can make an argument for each to be in the captain spot. But let's focus on the players outside of those three, since you don't need me to tell you that trio has a ton of DFS upside.

Mewis put in a great performance against Thailand. She had two goals and two assists to go along with four chances created. Mewis only took five shots, but three of those were on target. She did not have to wait long for her first World Cup goal. Mewis has 13 goals in 50 appearances and is one of the taller targets in central midfield. She also has one of the better shots from outside of the box.


While she may not be one of the more recognizable players on the team, Mewis has the ability to control the midfield. Chile will provide a bigger test through the middle than Thailand did, but Mewis should still shine. She may even be a sneaky-good pick for captain.

Mallory Pugh, United States ($7)

The USWNT have incredible depth in their front six, and this game would be perfect for rotation with Sweden up next. However, Pugh is a good candidate to potentially replace Rose Lavelle ($12), if the U.S. do opt for some rotation. Pugh entered the first match in the 69th minute and scored 16 minutes later. She finished with 33 FanDuel points in her World Cup debut. Mewis and Pugh may go under-owned as they are not in the attacking front three, so there is a chance of leveraging ownership of two very talented attacking players.

Francisca Lara, Chile ($7)

Lara's club teammate, Karen Araya ($10), was highlighted for their first match against Sweden and led all Chilean forwards and midfielders in FanDuel points, but it is Lara's turn. Lara finished the first match with four tackles, tying Araya. She will need to at least duplicate that performance to keep Mewis and the USWNT midfielders at bay. Lara added three other defensive actions in the match, with Sweden owning 64% of possession. With the USWNT likely to at least replicate those possession numbers, Lara will find herself shielding the back line much of the match.

Defenders

Kelley O'Hara, United States ($10)

Much like against Thailand, USWNT defenders should mainly be targeted for their offensive output. Although O'Hara recorded two of the USWNT's three total clearances against Thailand, her points were supplemented by an assist and two chances created. O'Hara holds her defensive positioning well by generally staying wide and providing overlapping runs for Heath. O'Hara had three other defensive actions and drew one foul against Thailand. If this game gets out of hand, look for O'Hara to launch a shot or two from outside the box or take her runs deeper. Her first international goal came against Germany in the 2015 Women's World Cup semifinal, just three yards out from goal.

Javiera Toro, Chile ($7)

Toro finished the match against Sweden with six tackles, four clearances, four interceptions, and one foul drawn. It was a great shift under constant pressure that earned Toro 18.2 FanDuel points, which was second among all Chilean defenders. Toro should start at left-back and be tasked with containing Heath and O'Hara. She will be under constant pressure again and have a chance to match her stats from the Sweden game.

Becky Sauerbrunn, United States ($6)

Sauerbrunn missed the first match with a minor quad injury, with the USWNT training staff likely making sure she could play into the knockout rounds. Assuming she is recovered, the coaching staff would probably love for her and Abby Dahlkemper ($5) to work together in the center of defense. If one wants to target a U.S. player for defensive actions, Sauerbrunn is a great choice. Sauerbrunn has earned a clean sheet in six straight matches across all competitions, including two with the Utah Royals in the NWSL. Defenders get a five-point clean-sheet bonus, and Sauerbrunn will have plenty of fuel after missing the opening match.



Doug Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Douglas Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username aquemini03. 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.