2026 World Cup Fantasy Bargains: Best Undervalued Players for Round 1
The 2026 World Cup is just a few days away, which means fantasy managers are running out of time to finalize their squads for Round 1.
Premium players will take up most of the budget, so finding the right World Cup Fantasy bargains is crucial. Below are 10 undervalued players who could help free up salary while still offering strong upside in the group stage.
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More 2026 World Cup Content
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Group Previews A to L
RotoWire World Cup Hub: Links to News, Stats, Depth Charts & More
Best World Cup Fantasy Bargains for Round 1
| Player | Team | Position | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camilo Vargas | Colombia | Goalkeeper | $4.3m |
| Yahia Fofana | Ivory Coast | Goalkeeper | $4.2m |
| Julian Ryerson | Norway | Defender | $4.2m |
| Daniel Munoz | Colombia | Defender | $4.6m |
| Marc Cucurella | Spain | Defender | $5.1m |
| Scott McTominay | Scotland | Midfielder | $6.5m |
| Antonio Nusa | Norway | Midfielder | $6.1m |
| Florian Wirtz | Germany | Midfielder | $7.5m |
| Darwin Nunez | Uruguay | Forward | $7.5m |
| Mehdi Taremi | Iran | Forward | $6.1m |
World Cup Fantasy Bargain Goalkeepers
Camilo Vargas (Colombia, $4.3m)
Vargas started 14 games during qualifying and kept five clean sheets. Colombia also kept a clean sheet in each of the knockout matches in the Copa America in 2024, only losing to a Lautaro Martinez goal in extra time.
Colombia have Portugal in their group, but they start the tournament with their easier games of Uzbekistan and DR Congo. It wouldn't be surprising if Vargas got at least one clean sheet in group stages, if not two.
Yahia Fofana (Ivory Coast, $4.2m)
Ivory Coast went through qualifying without conceding a goal. Their qualifying group wasn't the most difficult, but to go 10 games without conceding is unbelievable. Their opening game comes against Ecuador, who are also defensively solid, and this game feels like a potential 0-0 as both teams don't want to get stretched too much early in the tournament. In Round 3, they face the projected worst team in the group, Curacao.
World Cup Fantasy Bargain Defenders
Julian Ryerson (Norway, $4.2m)
Ryerson is an attacking machine for both Dortmund and Norway. He loves to hit the by-line and cross. He finished the season with 15 assists for Dortmund, and when you consider that his crosses will be finding Erling Haaland, it feels like a no-brainer.
In eight qualifying games for the tournament, he scored once and provided four assists. Norway have a brilliant Round 1 game against Iraq, so he should be a good bet for a clean sheet, too.
Daniel Munoz (Colombia, $4.6m)
Similar to Vargas, Munoz has a great set of fixtures with Uzbekistan and DR Congo in the first two games. Munoz was heavily involved in qualifying, playing 13 games albeit without a goal involvement.
As seen at Crystal Palace, he can provide attacking impact from the wing. In the Premier League this season, he scored four and provided three assists in 29 games.
Marc Cucurella (Spain, $5.1m)
At $5.1m, Cucurella might seem too expensive to be considered undervalued. The left-back was crucial to Spain's Euro 2024 title and is outside the top 20 most expensive defenders. He is also the cheapest expected starter for Spain in defence by $0.4m.
Despite a difficult season for Chelsea, he finished with one goal and four assists. He created seven chances in six games in the last Euros, providing one assist.
World Cup Fantasy Bargain Midfielders
Scott McTominay (Scotland, $6.5m)
McTominay is Scotland's talisman. He scored one of the four goals against Bolivia in the warm-up game and had three goal involvements in six qualifying games. In the lead-up to Euro 2024, McTominay scored seven in qualifying. Scotland open the tournament with a game against Haiti, theoretically their best spot in the opening stages.
Antonio Nusa (Norway, $6.1m)
Nusa, like Ryerson, has a great opening fixture against Iraq and then a reasonable game against Senegal in the second round. The winger scored two and assisted three in qualifying, with two goals and an assist coming against Italy. A lot of defensive efforts will be focused on Erling Haaland, and this may open up extra space for Nusa to exploit out wide.
Florian Wirtz (Germany, $7.5m)
Wirtz has had a difficult first season at Liverpool, scoring five goals and providing three assists in 33 Premier League games. His form for Germany, however, has been brilliant throughout the year, scoring three and providing two assists in four international friendlies this year.
He has a great opening fixture against Curacao, and the group should see Germany as heavy favourites, with the remaining games also being strong against Ecuador and the Ivory Coast.
World Cup Fantasy Bargain Forwards
Darwin Nunez (Uruguay, $7.5m)
Nunez feels like a toxic choice for many fantasy managers, as they know how wasteful he can be. Still, he's one of the focal points of the Uruguay attack. Uruguay start the tournament against Saudi Arabia and then play Cape Verde in Round 2.
At Al-Hilal this season, he scored nine goals and provided five assists. In World Cup qualifying, he scored five goals, the same number as Raphinha, who is a must in many Round 1 squads, and only five players scored more goals.
Mehdi Taremi (Iran, $6.1m)
Taremi is Iran's goalscoring talisman. They have one of the best fixtures of the opening round of the tournament facing the lowest-ranked nation, New Zealand. Taremi scored four goals and provided an assist in the last four friendlies, and he scored five and assisted four in qualifying for the tournament. In total, he has scored 58 goals in 103 caps, including two at the last World Cup.
Finding the right cheap players can be the difference between squeezing in one premium star or being forced into a more balanced squad. Round 1 value will depend heavily on confirmed lineups, so check back for updates once starting XIs and team news become clearer.
