SOCCER

FanDuel Women's World Cup Daily Fantasy Helper: Wednesday 6/19/19

The dangerous Nikita Parris has been a key cog for England, and she'll have a good shot to keep rolling on Wednesday. Who else should you target?

The World Cup is here, and FanDuel is offering daily fantasy contests. The Wednesday main slate will consist of the two matches that finish off Group D play, starting at 3:00 p.m. EST.

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.

Group Stage
Wednesday, June 19
Japan vs. England
Scotland vs. Argentina


Japan and England are through to the knockout round, with England needing a tie or a win to come out on top of the group. The winner of the Scotland-Argentina clash still has a chance to advance as a third-place team.

Scotland and England are slight favorites, but judging by the action in the group thus far, both games should be hard-fought affairs. Argentina managed to draw versus Japan in their opening match while Scotland have lost both their matches by a count of 2-1. England have scored just three goals in two games as they prep for Japan, the team that knocked them out of the 2015 Women's World Cup in the semifinals.

Let's look at players from these four squads across different price points who can shine in these tough matchups.

Forwards/Midfielders

Nikita Parris, England ($22)

Parris has stepped over the ball for both penalty kicks that England have received thus far, and that role is a big boost to her DFS value. She failed to convert one of them, but it is clear that she is in charge of spot kicks. Parris scored 19 goals in 19 appearances in the Women's Super League, finding success at Manchester City. She has scored in every competition she has been a part of, including six tallies across six World Cup qualifiers for England. She recently signed with Lyon, what many consider the best women's football team in the world, and is being called world class by her manager, Phil Neville. This past season was her breakout year, and the form has continued into the World Cup.

Yuika Sugasawa, Japan ($20)

Sugasawa scored on a penalty kick in the win over Scotland. It was her second goal in the World Cup after scoring once in the 2015 World Cup. Sugasawa is the veteran among the forwards on Japan's roster, and her physical play in the box is noticeable. Her traits are different from what is normally seen in the Japan attack as Sugasawa loves to attack crosses. Sugasawa was quiet in the opening match against Argentina, but she bounced back with four chances created and three clearances against Scotland. Japan may have taken Argentina lightly, but they will not do so against an England team that beat them 3-0 in March in the SheBelieves Cup.

Caroline Weir, Scotland ($14)

The Scotland midfielder was very good against Japan. She sent in five crosses, drew one foul, completed a tackle, and took two shots (with one being on target). Weir lines up behind the front two of Scotland and generally plays more of an offensive role than Kim Little ($14) does, but the two often interchange. Weir has become known for her ability in free-kick and dead-ball situations, which only adds to her DFS outlook.


This is not to say that Weir avoids defensive responsibilities. She has a clearance in each match and has completed six tackles thus far. Weir is averaging 11.1 FanDuel points through the first two matches.

Toni Duggan, England ($10)

Duggan is set to return for the match against Japan. She has resumed full training after dealing with a thigh issue that kept her out of the first two matches of the group stage. The FC Barcelona player has scored nine goals in the Champions League but is still looking for her first in the World Cup. Duggan does have 14 goals in 13 World Cup qualifiers. Duggan's return may move Jodie Taylor ($20), the goal-scorer from last match, to the bench. Japan allowed 12 attempts to Scotland and were edged on possession, as well, so this isn't a bad matchup for England. Duggan may not be able to play the entire match, but she should be out to prove that she deserves a starting nod in the knockout rounds.

Defenders

Rachel Corsie, Scotland ($12)

The Utah Royals defender tied for the team lead in tackles against Japan. She is team captain with over 100 caps and continues to be a keystone for the backline. Being the captain for a country that makes their debut in the World Cup means a little more, so knowing that Scotland can still advance with a win should be even more motivation for Corsie. She has scored 14.3 FanDuel points in both matches of the group stage, racking up points in the game against England mainly through clearances but turning to tackles as the main source of FanDuel points in her second outing. Corsie has had at least one interception and one block in each game, as well.

Adriana Sachs, Argentina ($12)

Sachs led the team in tackles against England and added two interceptions. She also completed seven clearances and drew one foul. She did not play in the match against Japan, so there is no guarantee she will see the starting lineup in this one. However, Sachs is the cheapest of four Argentina defenders who are averaging at least 16 FanDuel points per match. Her performance likely warrants another start, but whoever is cheapest option in the Argentina back line will make a good play as Scotland should hold more possession in this fixture.

Saki Kumagai, Japan ($10)

Kumagai has committed just one foul combined in two matches despite being in both games until the final whistle. Although she is a defender, Kumagai managed two shots against Scotland and also drew a foul to pad her line. She should be known by USWNT fans as the player who scored the winning penalty in the 2011 World Cup, but there is much more to the story. She often wears the captain's armband, amassing more than 100 caps for Japan, and has been with powerhouse Lyon during their incredible run of four straight Champions League titles. Kumagai scored more points in her second match despite being less involved in the passing game.

Keepers

Karen Bardsley, England ($14)

Bardsley did not start last match, but no news of injury has crossed the wire. The FanDuel Sportsbook expects this to be a close match, with a 1-1 draw or a 1-0 England victory being the most likely result, per the odds. Japan are averaging 4.5 shots on target per 90 minutes through the first two games, so Bardsley should find action if she starts. She finished with 10.5 FanDuel points in the first match despite allowing a goal. She made two saves and had one successful clearance in that one.

Vanina Correa, Argentina ($12)

The 35-year-old keeper has been a standout performer to this point. She has faced nine shots thus far, allowing just one to get behind her. She saved a Parris penalty early in the match against England by guessing right and flashing a strong hand. Only China's Peng Shimeng has a better save percentage in this event among keepers who have seen at least nine shots, but Shimeng's total came over three matches. Correa has the best points per game average of the four expected starting keepers on this slate. She has made a name for herself in the first two matches and should be motivated by the chance to move onto the next round when most did not expect Argentina to be competitive.



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.