SOCCER

World Cup Daily Fantasy Helper: The Final

Zack Bussiere  —  @ZackBussiere Jul 14th, 2018
Our numbers see France as the favorite on Sunday, which puts Antoine Griezmann in an excellent spot against Croatia. Who else should you target in the World Cup final?

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.

This article will cover the single-game slate for the World Cup final between France and Croatia, which starts at 11 a.m. EST on Sunday.

For single-game slates, FanDuel uses a five-man roster with one captain's slot, which multiplies a player's points by 1.5.

With that in mind, here are some players to target for the 2018 World Cup final.

Antoine Griezmann, France

FanDuel Salary: $16

After a slow start in the group stage, Griezmann has turned it on in the knockout rounds. He has two goals and two assists in France's three knockout-stage matches, producing FanDuel point totals of 22.6, 43.8, and 22.3.

After the scintillating display by Kylian Mbappe ($15) against Belgium, ownership on Sunday may shift back to Griezmann's teammate. With our numbers projecting France as heavy favorites, both are in an excellent spot, but Griezmann has been the more consistent of the two.

With France's implied goal total of 1.53 goals, Griezmann should have every opportunity to add to his impressive performance in Russia and make a final push for the Golden Ball.

Paul Pogba, France

FanDuel Salary: $11

While it hasn't shown up on the scoresheet, Pogba is having an excellent World Cup. His contributions on both ends of the pitch have been vital to France's success, and against Croatia, he should be able to continue his excellent run of form.

Croatia's midfield is impressive, but they shouldn't be able to control the match against France like they did against England. Pogba will be on the ball, and on a single-game slate, his ability to produce moments of magic through a long shot or defense-splitting pass can be all the difference.

Due to his lack of goals to this point, he should carry less ownership than many of his teammates. That makes him an interesting choice for the captain slot. With FanDuel point totals of 12.1, 13.4, and 15.5 in the knockout stages, Pogba's floor is established. He has yet to reach his ceiling in Russia, but it is certainly there.

Ante Rebic, Croatia

FanDuel Salary: $7

Rebic is quietly having an excellent World Cup for Croatia, both on the pitch and from a DFS perspective. He has only a single goal, but his defensive contributions have been vital.

Against England, he had two shots on goal to go with his defensive actions, producing 19.1 FanDuel points. Lined up on the right side of Croatia's formation, he will avoid being terrorized by Kylian Mbappe, and instead will contend with Blaise Matuidi ($5).

In a match that will primarily demand defensive focus from Croatia, Rebic is well positioned to produce on Sunday. His offensive chances may be limited, but that applies to Croatia as a whole. With a higher floor than most of his teammates and a history of putting shots on target, Rebic is intriguing for large-field tournaments.

Domagoj Vida, Croatia

FanDuel Salary: $10

Despite his teammate Dejan Lovern's ($9) outlandish claims this week that he is one of the best defenders in the world, Vida is actually the guy who has spearheaded the Croatian defense. With all of the focus on the more well-known Lovern, Vida should be the lesser-owned of the two, despite their similar production in Russia.

Vida's FanDuel point totals in the knockout stages are 20.8, 27.8, and 18.2. He had 12 clearances against Denmark, scored a goal against Russia, and had an excellent all-around performance against England.

With France expected to control the match, Vida should be busy on Sunday. While Griezmann and Mbappe are almost impossible to stop on the wings, Vida will contend primarily with Olivier Giroud ($9), who has been France's worst attacker this summer by a wide margin.

Benjamin Pavard, France

FanDuel Salary: $8

With the exception of England's Kieran Trippier, Pavard has been the best right-back in the tournament. Defensively, he has been sound, and his involvement in the final third has been crucial to France's success thus far.

Croatia's left side of Ivan Perisic ($8) and Ivan Strinic ($5) is weaker than their right, which bodes well for Pavard, whose link-up play with Mbappe has been excellent this summer. That should continue on Sunday against a Croatian defense that hasn't kept a clean sheet since their second match of the World Cup.

Pavard has produced double-digit FanDuel points in each of his five matches in Russia, including FanDuel point totals of 30.4, 16.7, and 14.3 in the knockout stages. He should be able to extend that streak on Sunday.


Zack Bussiere is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Zack Bussiere also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username zbuss1. 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.