SOCCER

World Cup Daily Fantasy Helper: Saturday 6/23/18

Germany's title defense got off to a rough start, but Toni Kroos proved to be their catalyst. Who else should you target for Saturday's FanDuel lineups?

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.

Saturday's main slate features pivotal matches in Group F. Mexico hope to improve to six points against South Korea while Sweden look to extend the woes of defending-champion Germany. The 8 a.m. EST Group G clash between Belgium and Tunisia is not on the slate.

Let's go through the four positions and look at some players to target at various price points.

Forwards To Target

Javier Hernandez ($8,500) -- Chicharito did not score the goal for Mexico in their win over Germany, but he did get the assist. He continues to show the ability to hold up the play, and he's willing to come back into midfield to receive the ball. He did manage two shots in the first match of the group as well, which tied for the most on the team. Mexico are the clear favorite and Hernandez is the odds-on favorite to score a goal in the match against South Korea. The odds of Mexico scoring two or more goals are only 5/6, so goals are expected from El Tri.

Marcus Berg ($8,000) -- Berg played the full match in Sweden’s first group game with Ola Toivonen coming off in the second half after being the target of more physical play against Korea. Before joining Sweden for World Cup preparation, Berg scored 10 goals in his last 3 matches for his club team. Our projections have the match against Germany very equal with both teams projected around one goal. According to Paddy Power, Berg has the best odds to score on the Swedish squad, just edging out Toivonen. German center back Mats Hummels is also expected to miss the game, which is good news for Berg and Sweden.

Midfielders To Target

Toni Kroos ($9,500) -- Kroos led the German squad with six shots in their opening match of group play. He also had a 92.9% pass success rate while attempting the most passes on the team. He added one cross and six long balls, which was the most of any midfielder. Clearly, the attack for Germany runs through Kroos, but the shots are of most value given the lack of passing points in the FanDuel scoring. Kroos played every minute of the 2014 World Cup and had two goals and four assists in a productive showing.

Emil Forsberg ($8,000) -- Forsberg is the catalyst for Sweden. He came alive in the second half against South Korea and finished with four shots, which led the team. Forsberg is better known for his dribbling and crossing, but he did score two goals in the Champions League this season. He averaged nearly two shots per match across all competitions and did have two goals and two assists in a shortened Bundesliga season. He will be familiar with many of the players on the German side, which should work to his advantage.

Ki Sung-yueng ($7,500) -- Given his industrious play, Ki was the best player on the field for South Korea in their opening game. The midfielder has embraced his role as captain and led by example. He was credited with 14 defensive actions, leading the team with 5 interceptions in the match against Sweden. South Korea will be fighting for possession again, which means Ki must be active in trying to thwart the Mexico attack. His engine should be on display as he continues to rack up points defensively.

Defenders To Target

Joshua Kimmich ($7,500) -- Kimmich is not afraid to get involved offensively, but still managed three defensive actions in the loss to Mexico. He also had two shots and tied for the team lead with five key passes. He was fouled five times, showing that the World Cup stage was not too big for the young defender. He was indirectly criticized for not putting in work on the defensive side against Mexico, so he should increase his defensive actions as well this match.

Jang Hyun-soo ($5,500) -- Jang led South Korea in fouls, but those do not hurt in the FanDuel scoring. He also led the team in clearances with eight against Sweden. South Korea only had 44% of possession against Sweden and that will likely continue Saturday against Mexico, giving Jang many opportunities to rack up defensive actions. It would be no surprise if Jang and the next target finish with similar stats on Saturday as they fall under constant pressure.

Victor Lindelof ($4,500) -- Pontus Jansson started the first game of the group, but Lindelof is expected to be ready to start at center back against a German side that is looking to change their recent fortunes. The Manchester United player started the warmup matches prior to group play and helped Sweden keep clean sheets in both. Even though Germany lost to Mexico, they owned possession and should do the same against Sweden. Lindelof will have a chance to show why he plays for one of the biggest teams in Europe. If Lindelof cannot go, Jansson is a good play at the same price.

Keeper To Target

Guillermo Ochoa ($6,000) -- Mexico have the edge in the group, and a win will give them one foot into the knockout round. Ochoa’s form in the opener against Germany was reminiscent of his showing in the 2014 World Cup against Brazil as he continued to step up against some of the best competition. He made a couple very agile saves, including one on a free kick by Kroos. Mexico should win, according to our projections, giving Ochoa at least seven points, but there is also a chance for a clean sheet against South Korea.



Douglas 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.