FanDuel World Cup DFS analysis – Friday July 6 2018
By David Gate
Welcome to the FanDuel World Cup analysis column on Fantasy CPR. We have you covered for the tips and picks for the Quarter-Final round on soccer DFS!
This has been an incredible World Cup and the round of 16 did not disappoint with drama and surprises. Now we are down to last 8 in the Quarter-Final round. There are no soft teams left and draw has given us some very even matchups.
You can argue that the four best teams left are all playing today in this half of the draw. Brazil, the tournament favorites, are against the heavily tipped Belgium side. There will be no other game in the competition with as much attacking talent on display.
The other game is France v Uruguay. Two teams that have been professional and organized while able to turn on some attacking flair when needed.
These will be close games decided by moments of brilliance. Make sure you read my Guide to World Cup Set Piece Takers to help you increase your chances for goals and assists in your lines.
You will need to keep an eye on team sheets throughout the day which will come out an hour before kickoff of each game. The first game on the slate is starting at 10am EST and the last at 2pm EST. You can follow me on Twitter – @davidgatesports – for updates.
Check out my picks and strategies for FanDuel World Cup action for the France v Uruguay and Brazil v Belgium quarter-final matchups!
FanDuel World Cup Goalkeepers
I don’t love the chances of any of these keepers picking up a clean sheet bonus. Possibly Hugo Loris (5500) could do it – especially if Cavani doesn’t start – but I see all of these teams having enough attacking talent to get a goal at some point during these games.
Therefore I’m looking at the win bonus. Remember that the keepers don’t get that bonus if they win on penalties; only if they get in 90 minutes of regular time or 30 minutes of extra time. Alisson (6000) and Loris are the favorites in these games to get the win.
Because the games are tight – and their will be goals – I prefer to look to saves to create a floor for my keeper tomorrow. That means I am much higher on the cheaper keepers.
Fernando Muslera (5000) has made ten saves in his four games and France have players like Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe who like to shoot from distance. Thibaut Courtois (4500) has made nine saves in the same time against weaker opposition. I see no reason to ‘upgrade’ from the Belgian keeper on this slate.
.
FanDuel World Cup Defenders
There are four defenders on this slate who deserve your consideration for ‘paying up’. The obvious one is Diego Godin (7000) who is as dependable as they come in soccer DFS. He will grab you 17 points no questions. Add to that he is likely to be busy with France’s three-man attack and he is a solid piece for your lineup, especially in cash.
His partner Jose Gimenez (6000) has similar upside – though not as safe a floor – but comes with $1k savings. I think there will be plenty of defensive stats to go round for this pair.
Thiago Silva (7000) has been excellent in this tournament and will have the job of keeping Romelu Lukaku in check against Belgium. If the Europeans find themselves down late on then they will be pumping the ball to their striker and Marouane Fellaini. Silva could stack up a ton of points in that scenario.
While Marcelo (6000) is considered to be the best left back in the world this has been an underwhelming tournament for the Real Madrid star. He has been struggling with injury but is expected to start. If he is fit this is the matchup to play him; Brazil will overload the left to take advantage of Thomas Meunier. Big player for a big game.
FanDuel World Cup Midfield
I can’t get over how easy it is to stack Brazil on this slate. It should be impossible but you can squeeze in all the major performers into one attacking stack. But surely everyone will be doing that? With so many other big, talented names on this slate I feel like ownership will not be crazy.
Philippe Coutinho (9000) has been the best player in the tournament so far. This is his time to cement himself as one of the best players of this generation. He has set-piece upside and is at least $1k under-priced in my opinion.
Willian (8000) is probably my favorite pick of the day. He was excellent against Mexico, grabbing an assist to complement his defensive contributions for 29 FanDuel points. This matchup is excellent for him – he will be needed to help cover Fagner at right back but will have space to attack behind Carrasco.
Casemiro is out due to picking up his second yellow card of the competition, opening the door for Fernandinho (6000). He will be chasing down his club teammate Kevin de Bruyne (8500) for 90 minutes (or more). He is an excellent value play.
The only other cheap MID play I am interested in is Lucas Torreira (5500) I think he is a lock for 2x value and could get even more if the game opens up to be a more attacking spectacle.
FanDuel World Cup Forwards
There is some real pressure for Brazil manager Tite to drop Gabriel Jesus (8500) for Roberto Firmino (8500). The Man City man has no goals or assists despite starting every game for Brazil. Firmino has a goal and assist and has looked sharper. Jesus will start against Belgium and is due some luck – he hasn’t actually played badly. I love him in a Brazil stack.
(Firmino is a very sneaky, high risk, GPP play from the bench – someone will try it!)
I can’t find any lineup I like without Neymar (13000). He managed four goals and an assist in five games at the last World Cup and has two goals and assist in his four games at this tournament.He loves this stage. He also has a secure floor as the penalty taker and creating an average of four chances per game. Also I think people are annoyed at him rolling around after fouls – a lot of people will fade him just for that!
Japan easily isolated Romelu Lukaku (11000) and Brazil will look to do the same. He is an easy fade for me at that price.
Kylian Mbappe (10500) is the one that frightens me. As we saw in the last round he has the pace and talent to blow up. I’m going with Neymar and banking on a stingy Uruguay side to keep the French forwards from doing too much.
FanDuel World Cup Lineups
NOTE: I will be using both lines in at least one GPP and Cash competition. This is pretty normal for me with Cash lines but because this is a little more experimental I want a full spread of options to see how it does.
More from FanSided
- Cardinals Rumors: Surprise extension, Dylan Carlson-Yankees link, Rays trade idea
- USWNT vs. Vietnam: Key takeaways before they take on the Dutch
- NFL rumors: 49ers trending toward contract drama with defensive star
- Steelers avoid any camp drama with latest roster move
- MLB Rumors: Potential Braves reunion, Lance Lynn no-trade clause and Orioles deadline intentions
Suggested Lineup 1
FWD: Neymar – Brazil
FWD: Jesus – Brazil
MID: Willian – Brazil
MlD: Coutinho – Brazil
MID: Torreira – Uruguay
DEF: Godin – Uruguay
DEF: Hernandez – France
GK: Courtois – Belgium
Suggested Lineup 2
FWD: Neymar – Brazil
FWD: Mbappe – France
MID: Willian – Brazil
MlD: Fernandinho – Brazil
MID: Torreira – Uruguay
DEF: Gimenez – Uruguay
DEF: Marcelo – Brazil
GK: Courtois – Belgium
Next: World Cup DFS Strategy Guide
Best of luck in your FanDuel World Cup contests and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all the latets DFS news and analysis!