DraftKings DFS World Cup Picks for Tuesday, June 16: Messi and Haaland Lead a Four-Game Slate

Four heavy favorites headline Tuesday's four-game DraftKings World Cup slate, led by Norway and Lionel Messi's Argentina, with value at every position.

Tuesday is a different kind of slate, four games from 3:00 PM ET to a midnight kickoff, and all four favorites are legit. Norway are near 80 percent to beat Iraq, Austria are around 70 percent against Jordan, Argentina are around 70 percent over Algeria, and France are around 65 percent against Senegal. There's no single team to hammer, so this is about finding the right floors and values across all four.

A few tags to watch: Emiliano Martinez is questionable in goal for Argentina but is likely to start. Jules Kounde is questionable for France but also is likely to start. David Alaba is questionable for Austria and may be replaced in the XI.

FanDuel build is in a separate writeup. Come talk lineups in the RotoWire Discord before lock. Here's how I'm attacking it.

WORLD CUP MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: France vs. Senegal
• 6:00 pm: Iraq vs. Norway
• 9:00 pm: Argentina vs. Algeria
• 12:00 am: Austria vs. Jordan

For detailed stats and odds, check out the DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: World Cup Cheat Sheet.

Hit up our Discord with more questions.

FORWARDS

The top of the slate is stacked at forward, with Messi, Haaland, Mbappe and Lautaro Martinez all over $10,000. You can't fit them all, so it comes down to picking an anchor or two and funding them.

Lionel Messi (ARG vs ALG, $11,000)

Messi has the highest floor on the board and it isn't close. He's eligible at forward, but there's plenty of reasons to use him at midfield on this slate. He's -125 to score with Argentina around 70 percent to win, and the production shows up even if the game gets ugly. It makes sense to go with some of the other high-end forwards in tournaments, but Messi is the cash play. Based on matchup, Erling Haaland ($10,700) is the way to go for most likely player to bag a brace. Teammate Alexander Sorloth is much cheaper at $7,800, but you're paying for a reduction in likelihood to score.

Antoion Nusa ($7,400) is a cheaper way into Norway and he figures to have a real floor playing from the wing. There are minutes concerns if he subs off early, but he's maybe more intriguing for cash games.

Kylian Mbappe ($10,500) and Lautaro Martinez ($10,200) are both +100 if you want a different stud. Marko Arnautovic ($9,000) is +105 and Michael Gregoritsch ($10,000) is +120 for a sneaky-strong Austria.

Everything else for Argentina will depend on who starts and what their formation is. As the third game on the slate, it'll be difficult to play around with that too much.

Riyad Mahrez ($4,800) and Kreppin Diatta ($3,600) are cheap, likely set-piece takers if you need a flex.

MIDFIELDERS

The midfield is where the value lives, and Austria's game is full of it.

Martin Odegaard (NOR vs IRQ, $8,800)

Odegaard carries one of the top midfield floors on the slate and runs everything for the biggest favorite. He's a tier under the most expensive mids at $8,800, and with this matchup I'm fine paying it. However, playing Messi, Haaland and Odegaard will make the rest of your squad terrible. 

Xaver Schlager (AUT vs JOR, $4,000)

Schlager is one of the many value midfielders. He's a cheap piece of an Austria side around 70 percent to win, and Austria's whole lineup is priced like nobody noticed they're a big favorite. Compared to someone like Rodigo De Paul at $5,700, Schalger is noticably cheap, while Alexis Mac Allister is close at $4,300 and will draw interest.

Ali Jasim is interesting at $4,000 is he takes set pieces against a Norway team that I don't trust defensively. 

Marcel Sabitzer ($9,400) could have the highest midfield floor of anyone here and is +150 to score, but the price is extreme given the other players on this slate. Michael Olise ($9,800) is the France play who could drop 30 points and may not be overly popular. Romano Schmid ($8,400) is the other Austria mid worth a look.

DEFENDERS

Julian Ryerson is the defender to know on this slate.

Julian Ryerson (NOR vs IRQ, $6,700)

Ryerson is Norway's right-back and the best defender floor on the board by a wide margin. He gets forward for an 80 percent favorite with a clean sheet better than 50 percent, and his floor sits where some midfielders' do. He's the one defender I'm prioritizing even on a slate with some big prices. If you don't play Ryerson, you're at risk of not having a defender with a 15-point floor and possible assist.

Given what you're paying elsewhere, this is a slate where many will probably pay down at second forward. Mohannad Abu Taha ($2,800) could line up on the wing for Jordan, while Rafik Belghali ($2,700) and Hussein Ali ($2,600) project as full-backs.

GOALKEEPER

Luca Zidane (ALG vs. ARG, $4,000)

My lean on this slate is playing either Zidane or Edouard Mendy (4,200). I think Algeria could give a real fight to Argentina, leading to a hopefully decent score for Zidane. The game goes for Senegal, as they are the best underdog on the slate. Emiliano Martinez ($5,600) is my pick if you plan on spending up.