Women’s World Cup DFS Breakdown – Tuesday, June 11

Welcome to my first Women’s World Cup DFS Breakdown of 2019!  I’m pumped that both FanDuel and DraftKings were able to create contests for us to enjoy this summer.  I already nailed some plays in the opening game of the tournament on Friday with a tread on my Twitter (@vdray5 if you don’t already follow).  I’ll be posting articles whenever I can.

Tuesday should be a popular DFS day given that it is the first time the USWNT will take the field in France.  They’re astonishing 5.0 goal favorites and are -10000 on the money line to win.  They will be highly owned, and I would recommend stacking them as well.

However, if you’re looking to avoid the chalk there are still several great plays on the board.  The other two games Tuesday feature 2 more top 10 teams facing 2 bottom 10 teams.  Sweden are 2-goal favorites over Chile, and the Netherlands are favored by 1.5 over New Zealand.  Fading the US would be bold and no fun, but it’s a worthy strategy on Tuesday.

Let’s move on to the specific plays.

Women’s World Cup DFS Breakdown – Forward/Midfield Targets

Alex Morgan (USA v. THA, $24) – I’m sure no one reading this needs justification to play Alex Morgan.  She’s the most well-known star on a USA team that is HEAVILY favored against Thailand.  At the beginning of the tournament, the USA had the highest odds to win and Thailand had the worst odds.  This game could get ugly quick, and Morgan will likely appear on the scoresheet at least once.  She should be able to pick up plenty of shots on goal and chances created on top of that.  She’s a top-notch play, but you’ll have to spend nearly 25% of your salary cap on her which will severely hamper your ability to stack the American women.  Speaking of stacking the US, Megan Rapinoe ($22) and Tobin Heath ($20) are tremendous plays as well.  There will be many lineups with some combination of these three attackers.

Sofia Jakobsson (SWE v. CHI, $22) – If you’re looking for a goal scorer that is cheaper and will be less owned, Jakobsson is a solid place to start.  Her international stats don’t stand out due to some inconsistency, but she has been a prolific scorer for Montpellier since 2014 scoring in 55% of her team’s games.  Sweden (-700) is also a heavy favorite on Tuesday, so getting some exposure at lower ownership that US players should pay off.  If Jakobsson is too expensive for you, Kosovare Asllani ($18) will save you a few bucks plus you’re getting an experienced member of the team with 32 international goals to her name.  Stina Blackstenius ($20) is another good play in this plus matchup.

Vivianne Miedema (NED v. NZL, $20) – What makes this slate so difficult is the number of good players on top teams that all happen to be playing weak teams on the same day.  There is no shortage of elite plays and that list continues with Miedema.  She’s scoring goals at an incredible clip (already 57 in 74 games for her country), and she’s only 22.  The Netherlands play a very aggressive style, one that could trouble New Zealand.

They should be able to create a lot of opportunities against the New Zealand defense, and Miedema is the front runner to score.  However, after trying to make lineups that focus on the USA (like I’m sure many of you will), finding the right value exposure to the Netherlands is crucial.  For that, I would look at Lieke Martens ($14) who was FIFA’s women’s player of the year in 2017 and Jackie Groenen ($12).

Women’s World Cup DFS Breakdown – Forward/Midfield Value

Samantha Mewis (USA v. THA, $8) – The most popular punt on Tuesday is probably going to be Mewis.  For minimum price, you can get super cheap exposure to a team that are massive favorites.  Mewis is no slouch either.  She has 12 goals for the US in 50 games, including 4 goals so far in 2019.  If there’s any game to play Mewis, it’s probably this one purely based on how this game should play out.  A bold move on Tuesday would be to play Christen Press ($10) in hopes that she comes in as a substitute and makes a meaningful contribution to the game.  Press is good enough to start on any other team out there, but the USWNT just has too much attacking power to fit on the field at one time.

Rosie White (NED v. NZL, $12) – This game intrigues me the most.  New Zealand was 8-0 in qualifying, but they were in the easiest group.  It will be fun to see how the fare against a good Netherlands squad.  White is 2nd on the team in goals scored behind Sarah Gregorius ($18), but she’s a whole $6 cheaper.  It is not like the Netherlands (men or women) to play conservative, so there should be goals on both ends in this game and White makes sense to me as a dollar-for-dollar value play here.

Women’s World Cup DFS Breakdown – Defender Targets

Crystal Dunn (USA v. THA, $12) – Chasing after a likely clean sheet from US defenders is a good strategy, but it’s not cheap.  The US has the best odds at keeping a clean sheet, and those 5 bonus points could always come up big.  That’s why I am recommending rostering one of these cheap US defenders, namely Dunn.  Her and Kelley O’Hara ($12) are regular starters, with Dunn having more attacking upside, and for that reason I would prefer her over O’Hara.

Sunisa Srangthaisong (USA v. THA, $10) – Over on the other end of the field, all Thailand defenders are possibly going to have the busiest days of their lives.  They will be under constant pressure from the American side.  If you play soccer DFS regularly on FanDuel, you’ll know that this generally sets up well for defenders on heavy underdogs.  Srangthaisong is a true defender for Thailand, while Natthakarn Chinwong ($12) and Warunee Phetwiset ($14) occasionally play as midfielders.  All three will be busy honestly, but I’ll take the $2 savings with Srangthaisong.

Abby Erceg (NED v. NZL, $16) – I don’t like to pay up for defenders often, and I especially don’t love it on this slate with the sheer number of forwards and midfielders in great spots.  However, if you’ve made your lineup with enough cash to spend on a defender, Erceg is a top option.  She’s arguably one of the best straight up defenders in the tournament.  As mentioned above, the Netherlands will play aggressive, and Erceg should collect plenty of peripheral stats.  A clean sheet is relatively unlikely though.  If you’re looking for another top defender, USA’s Becky Sauerbrunn ($14) is $2 less and should get a clean sheet.

Women’s World Cup DFS Breakdown – Goalkeepers

Alyssa Naeher (USA v. THA, $18) – This is going to be the first World Cup since 1991 where someone not named Briana Scurry or Hope Solo will not be defending the net for the USWNT.  The theory behind this one is simple.  A win and a clean sheet bonus are highly likely and that’s a big 17 points that any other GK might not get on Tuesday.

Hedvig Lindahl (SWE v. CHI, $16) – For $2 savings, you can get Sweden’s goalkeeper who also has a good shot and both bonuses.  She should be able to score more save points than Naeher, but there’s also a little more risk that Chile might score compared to Thailand scoring on the United States.  An added bonus to playing Lindahl, is it let’s you get one more US field player in your lineup before maxing them out.

Thanks for checking out my Women’s World Cup DFS Breakdown, and good luck to everyone.  Stayed tuned for more content in the coming days.