This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Russia v. Spain
2:00 p.m: Denmark v. Croatia
FORWARDS
Diego Costa, ESP v. RUS ($9,900): Costa is the most expensive forward on the slate, which comes from the fact he's expected to lead the line for the biggest favorite with the highest implied goal total. Costa's GPP appeal is obvious because he has the highest anytime goal scorer odds, but he's also a realistic cash-game consideration because the forward pool lacks high-floor players. That isn't to say that Costa has a high floor -- in fact, it's impressively low -- but again, the forwards on this slate are brutal for cash, so there's an understandable reason to roster the guy with possibly the highest upside at the position.
Ivan Perisic, CRO v. DEN ($7,700): Perisic may have the highest floor at the position thanks to his shots, crosses and fouls drawn, though it's not like he's incredibly safe. Playing for one of the two favorites certainly helps, and while I don't think I'd consider Perisic much if he was only midfield-eligible, he's incredibly attractive as a forward. I mean, Diego Costa is an actual cash-game possibility, and it's not like Spain are playing Liechtenstein. Rostering Perisic likely makes the midfielder decisions a little easier, unless you want a ton of Croatia, though I don't think you'll see many Costa-Perisic lineups in cash games. If you want more upside for GPPs, Mario Mandzukic ($7,100) is expected to lead the line after being quite active in
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Russia v. Spain
2:00 p.m: Denmark v. Croatia
FORWARDS
Diego Costa, ESP v. RUS ($9,900): Costa is the most expensive forward on the slate, which comes from the fact he's expected to lead the line for the biggest favorite with the highest implied goal total. Costa's GPP appeal is obvious because he has the highest anytime goal scorer odds, but he's also a realistic cash-game consideration because the forward pool lacks high-floor players. That isn't to say that Costa has a high floor -- in fact, it's impressively low -- but again, the forwards on this slate are brutal for cash, so there's an understandable reason to roster the guy with possibly the highest upside at the position.
Ivan Perisic, CRO v. DEN ($7,700): Perisic may have the highest floor at the position thanks to his shots, crosses and fouls drawn, though it's not like he's incredibly safe. Playing for one of the two favorites certainly helps, and while I don't think I'd consider Perisic much if he was only midfield-eligible, he's incredibly attractive as a forward. I mean, Diego Costa is an actual cash-game possibility, and it's not like Spain are playing Liechtenstein. Rostering Perisic likely makes the midfielder decisions a little easier, unless you want a ton of Croatia, though I don't think you'll see many Costa-Perisic lineups in cash games. If you want more upside for GPPs, Mario Mandzukic ($7,100) is expected to lead the line after being quite active in his first two starts of the tournament, and if you want cheap Croatia exposure you might be able to grab Ante Rebic ($5,800), who has impressively committed 10 fouls in two games and scored 11.5 fantasy points against Argentina despite getting 12.0 points for the goal he scored (10 for the goal, one for the shot, one for the shot on goal).
Pione Sisto, DEN v. CRO ($5,400): This is where it gets ugly. When Costa and Perisic are arguably the safest cash-game plays you're going to have to get be comfortable with a punt if you want to pay up at midfielder (and on this slate, you're going to want to pay up at midfielder). Sisto, Yussuf Poulsen ($5,200), Nicolai Jorgensen ($4,900) or Kasper Dolberg ($4,700) come in to play because I don't think targeting the Russia forwards will lead to safer points. Sisto is the slightly better option in my mind, if only because he's been the most active during the tournament, but if saving the $500 to get down to Dolberg (if he starts) helps elsewhere, I don't think there's a marginal difference in cash games to stay with Sisto. Whoever starts for Russia, likely Artem Dzyuba ($6,300), will be really low owned in GPPs, but they're also big underdogs against a Spanish side tipped by many to win the World Cup.
MIDFIELDERS
Isco, ESP v. RUS ($10,300): Only Neymar has scored more fantasy points, not including goals or assists, during the World Cup than Isco, who is rightfully the most expensive player on Sunday's slate. We also saw his upside in Spain's draw with Morocco to close out the group stage, with a goal helping him to 29.0 fantasy points. With his role on free kicks for Spain, not to mention his open-play shots, crosses and fouls drawn, Isco has the best floor on the slate and it's tough to argue against his upside. Teammate David Silva ($7,400) comes in considerably cheaper, but given how well Isco has played, I'd be more inclined to roster both than to use Silva instead of Isco (even with Silva expected to be the primary penalty taker).
Christian Eriksen, DEN v. CRO ($9,200): The second-safest floor on the slate belongs to Eriksen, who does it all for Denmark but will need some help if they're to topple Croatia. Paying this much for an underdog isn't ideal, but Eriksen will be on all free kicks and corners while still likely ripping off a few shots of his own. Paying up for Eriksen and Isco is likely to be a popular cash-play, and while those who roster the latter could theoretically try to get enough value out of Silva to make up for it, Denmark has no other player who can provide a safe floor like Eriksen, and no one on the team -- including the forwards -- have a better upside.
Marcelo Brozovic, CRO v. DEN ($4,600): Brozovic is one of the cheapest Croatian players you can get other than the defenders, and his spot in the starting XI is hardly guaranteed. Croatia being favored against Denmark should lead you to Luka Modric ($8,700) because he's expected to take set pieces and is the clear engine of their attack. Brozovic starting would actually make Modric more attractive because he'll be playing higher up the pitch, but paying that much for Modric is really tough if you want Isco and Eriksen, particularly because you still need a forward to play. That could make Modric a lower-owned option than he should be, though you could play him instead of Eriksen and hope the Croatian defense can figure out a way to stop the Danes' only good player.
DEFENDERS
Sergio Ramos, ESP v. RUS ($4,300): The Spanish fullbacks are pretty expensive for how little they attack versus the centerbacks, so I'd be more inclined to pay down for Ramos and/or Gerard Pique ($4,100). Spain have the best clean sheet odds on the slate, and while they aren't huge favorites over Russia, it's mostly because the game is in Russia and not because these teams are on the same level. Ramos is always a threat on set pieces, though Pique is actually the one with three shots in each of the past two games.
Andreas Christensen, DEN v. CRO ($3,100): If you're looking to pay up for multiple attacking pieces, paying down for Christensen and/or Simon Kjaer ($3,000) is where you're going to end up, unless you really don't care and roster the Russian centeracks, who theoretically will have plenty of interceptions opportunities because Spain will be passing a ton. Kjaer has been pretty worthless in the World Cup, with zero shots, zero crosses and zero fouls drawn in three games, while Christensen...hasn't really done much either, taking zero shots, sending in zero crosses and drawing two fouls. But this is who you are targeting if you want to pay up for Isco, Eriksen and Modric, or two of them and a forward with a positive floor. The Danish fullbacks aren't bad players either, but you're probably not taking either of them if you could have the Spanish centerbacks instead.
GOALKEEPER
Kasper Schmeichel, DEN v. CRO ($4,200): I totally understand paying up for David de Gea ($5,600), who has a pretty clear path to 10 points thanks to Spain's win and clean sheet odds. That being said, it's far from a guarantee, especially facing the host nation, and if you don't want to punt at other spots, you can pay down for Schmeichel, who has made at least three saves in each World Cup game and shut out France in the group stage finale (in fairness, neither team had anything to play for at that point).
