DraftKings DFS World Cup Picks for Wednesday, July 1: England and the USA Headline a Three-Game Knockout Slate

England and the USA are the favorites on Wednesday's three-game World Cup knockout slate, but the build comes together by leaning on the cheap value and saving the studs for tournaments.

Wednesday is a three-game knockout board on DraftKings. England and the USA are the two big favorites: England are around 75 percent to beat DR Congo with the best clean-sheet chance on the slate, and the USA are around 70 percent over Bosnia, both implied for better than two goals. Belgium vs. Senegal is the tight game, with Belgium a modest favorite and Senegal live as the underdog, and that's where a lot of the value lives.

It's win-or-go-home, so there's no resting. England are at full strength with Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice all in, and the USA have Christian Pulisic back in their front line. The way I'd attack it is to pay up for one or two of the set-piece hubs in De Bruyne, Rice and Tillman, then fill in with cheap Senegal pieces that are strong value at the price. The expensive strikers carry the ceiling but not the floor, so I'd use them more in tournaments. Nothing's official until lineups drop, and these prices don't account for minutes, so confirm before lock.

Come talk lineups in the RotoWire Discord before lock. Here's how I'm attacking it.

WORLD CUP MATCHES (ET)

• 12:00 pm: England vs. DR Congo
• 4:00 pm: Belgium vs. Senegal
• 8:00 pm: USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

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

Hit up our Discord with more questions.

FORWARDS

Christian Pulisic (USA vs BIH, $9,000)

Pulisic is intriguing. He was deadly in 45 minutes of the opener but hasn't been 100 percent since. At $9,000 he has the ability to post 20-plus points from open play if he gets a goal or assist. The downside for cash games is that set pieces aren't guaranteed. He went 32 minutes last game and seems in a good place to reach close to 70 if needed. He's the creative hub for a USA side around 70 percent to beat Bosnia. Even better, Bosnia have rotated their right-back throughout the World Cup, meaning more trouble could be their way if Pulisic is at his best. The downside is that corners aren't a lock for Pulisic anymore, so he's far from guaranteed to hit a certain floor.

Harry Kane (ENG vs COD, $9,900)

Kane has the best goal odds on the board at -140 and will be the most popular forward, but at $9,900 his floor lags the price because so much of it rides on him scoring. I'd use him more as a tournament play than a cash anchor, the ceiling swing in England's blowout spot rather than the safe base of the build. He's had similar spots the last two games and hasn't hit the needed levels, while Bukayo Saka ($8,400) has a better floor but less certain minutes.

Malik Tillman (USA vs BIH, $7,500)

Tillman is the somewhat cheaper way to stack the USA attack. He took eight corners and free kicks across the group stage and gets forward against Bosnia, so at $7,500 he pairs a set-piece floor with real upside in a spot the USA should control. The question is who to play him over with a couple nice midfielders a tad more expensive.

Folarin Balogun ($8,300) is the USA striker at even money if you want the pure forward. He expects to be popular given his price compared to Kane's. Marcus Rashford ($8,100) is also intriguing as a tournament option who may be overlooked again.

Jeremy Doku ($7,700) hasn't had the best tournament, but against a defense that has made a ton of mistakes, it could be his moment. The downside is that he completely busts and isn't 100 percent to go 90 minutes.

If you think Bosnia get some action, both Kerim Alajbegovic ($5,000) and Esmir Bajraktarevic ($4,800) could have real floors with upside.

MIDFIELDERS

Declan Rice (ENG vs COD, $8,800)

Rice is the highest-floor play on the slate and you'll know if he starts or not being in the early game. He took 19 corners and free kicks across the group stage, the most of any player on the board, so even with his own shots slow to come, that dead-ball role gives him a floor nobody else at the position can match in the best matchup. In cash games, he'll be hard to fade since a 20-point floor is in play if the game plays out a certain way.

Kevin De Bruyne (BEL vs SEN, $8,700)

De Bruyne has had a good tournament in terms of DFS and added a goal last slate, which seemed to be coming. He took 14 corners and free kicks across the group stage and runs everything for Belgium, and that's not going to change in this spot. If you have to decide between Rice and De Bruyne, the Belgian has more upside even in a more difficult matchup.

The Senegal pieces are where the cheap value is: Iliman Ndiaye ($3,300) and Pape Gueye ($3,400, 1.6 shots on goal per 90) are both strong value at the price in the tight game, and Lamine Camara ($4,600) takes a share of their set pieces. There are questions about who will start on the right wing for Senegal, so don't build your team around Ndiaye being in the XI.

Sadio Mane ($7,200) and Ismaila Sarr ($7,000) will be good tournament routes because they're expensive enough that they can't fit with most of the high-end options.

For the USA, Serginio Dest ($5,500) is now a midfielder and Tyler Adams ($4,200) is the defensive midfielder punt.

Ivan Basic ($3,500) took nine corners and free kicks across the group stage for Bosnia, a contrarian dart in the USA game.

DEFENDERS

Krepin Diatta (SEN vs BEL, $3,700)

I think I've talked about Diatta every slate and will do so again. He deserves a mention because of price, providing a relevant floor especially since he's finally listed as a defender. If you can get another eight-point floor from Diatta that may be enough in cash games and also get you to the studs in tournaments.

Maxim De Cuyper (BEL vs SEN, $5,200)

De Cuyper is the defender with the most attacking juice. He pushes high from the back for Belgium and gets shots himself at better than two on goal per 90, rare for a defender, so at $5,200 you pair that output with a clean-sheet chance in the tight game. Again, given the matchup, he isn't guaranteed to start for Belgium.

Arthur Masuaku ($3,900) took seven corners and free kicks across the group stage for DR Congo and is another cheap value, with El Hadji Malick Diouf ($3,600) the same idea for Senegal. Marc Guehi ($4,300) is the cheap way into England's slate-best clean sheet near 58 percent, and Antonee Robinson ($5,500) is on a share of the USA set pieces.

GOALKEEPER

Lionel Mpasi (COD vs ENG, $3,700)

If you'd rather save, Mpasi ($3,700) faces an England side that should pour shots on him and has averaged three saves a game, a cheap saves angle. Jordan Pickford ($5,800) feels most likely to get a win and clean sheet, but if he only has 12 points, that may not be worth it. Despite being smaller three-game slates, I'd still rather play cheaper keepers in most situations.