This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Senegal v. Colombia
10:00 a.m: Japan v. Poland
2:00 p.m: Panama v. Tunisia
2:00 p.m: England v. Belgium
FORWARDS
James Rodriguez, COL v. SEN ($9,800): Colombia need a win to secure their spot in the round of 16, and James continues to be their most important chance creator, as we saw in their dominant 3-0 win over Poland when he had two assists. He doesn't shoot a ton, and he hasn't gotten one of his three attempts on goal during the tournament, but there's still no question he's the lynchpin of their attack and will be highly owned because his price isn't that prohibitive, especially on a slate with no players over $10,000. I think it's also reasonable to consider Juan Cuadrado ($8,600) given that Colombia have to win, though you need to be pretty confident in the South Americans if you're going to double up and not try to get exposure to the other side, especially since neither team can afford a loss. Oh, and GPP players can always turn to Radamel Falcao ($8,400), though it's a little disheartening that he's only taken two shots in each of the first two games.
M'Baye Niang, SEN v. COL ($7,000): On the other side of the Colombia match is Niang, who has arguably been Senegal's best player during the World Cup. He came up with a surprising goal in the opening match and then picked up an assist against Japan, which helped him to 17.0
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Senegal v. Colombia
10:00 a.m: Japan v. Poland
2:00 p.m: Panama v. Tunisia
2:00 p.m: England v. Belgium
FORWARDS
James Rodriguez, COL v. SEN ($9,800): Colombia need a win to secure their spot in the round of 16, and James continues to be their most important chance creator, as we saw in their dominant 3-0 win over Poland when he had two assists. He doesn't shoot a ton, and he hasn't gotten one of his three attempts on goal during the tournament, but there's still no question he's the lynchpin of their attack and will be highly owned because his price isn't that prohibitive, especially on a slate with no players over $10,000. I think it's also reasonable to consider Juan Cuadrado ($8,600) given that Colombia have to win, though you need to be pretty confident in the South Americans if you're going to double up and not try to get exposure to the other side, especially since neither team can afford a loss. Oh, and GPP players can always turn to Radamel Falcao ($8,400), though it's a little disheartening that he's only taken two shots in each of the first two games.
M'Baye Niang, SEN v. COL ($7,000): On the other side of the Colombia match is Niang, who has arguably been Senegal's best player during the World Cup. He came up with a surprising goal in the opening match and then picked up an assist against Japan, which helped him to 17.0 fantasy points in each game. We saw his versatility against Japan, putting three of four shots on goal while also sending in six crosses. He's carrying a bit of a knock, but in a game that Senegal also should win (a draw could see them through), there's every reason to think he'll be active in the attack again. The upside play still seems to be Sadio Mane ($7,400), but he's been awful on any free kick he's taken and so he'll need to do all of his damage in open play, making him a less-than-optimal cash-game option.
Wahbi Khazri, TUN v. PAN ($8,300): If I told you at the beginning of the tournament that I'd be recommending Khazri at $8,300, you'd probably ask for a subscription refund and I would totally understand. But he sets up perfectly Wednesday, with Tunisia actually coming in as the biggest favorite on the slate. Khazri has shown that he can hang with the likes of Belgium and England, and he'll now get to face a Panama side that's allowed a tournament-high nine goals, a very high total given that they've only played twice while most teams in the tournament have played thrice. With no five-figure salaries to worry about, paying this much for Khazri isn't as crazy as it seems, but if you're more interested in getting a rotated center-forward who won't have any set pieces for GPPs, Belgium's Michy Batshuayi ($7,800) could be considered, along with England's Jamie Vardy ($6,500). However, I think my favorite GPP forward, if he starts, is Robert Lewandowski ($9,200), who comes in with the best anytime goal scorer odds, even if he hasn't found the back of the net in Russia despite taking seven shots, including three on goal, in two games.
MIDFIELDERS
Gaku Shibasaki, JPN v. POL ($4,300): Japan can still win their group with a victory, and given they've had success so far with their starting XI it's entirely possible we see the same unit out there, which means Shibasaki could be on set pieces until Keisuke Honda ($7,300) subs in, as he's done in both games. Honda would get serious consideration if he starts because he'll presumably be on all set pieces, and given the lack of high-priced options, he shouldn't be tough to fit in.
Youri Tielemans, BEL v. ENG ($4,100): With Belgium expected to heavily rotate against an also-rotated England side, Tielemans could get a start in the attack. He is a versatile player who can also play as a defensive midfielder, so it's worth checking out the Belgium formation before locking him in, though at this price it's tough to really hesitate. With Kevin De Bruyne ($7,800), Eden Hazard ($8,800, midfielder/forward), Dries Mertens ($8,100, midfielder/forward) and Yannick Carrasco ($5,600, midfielder/forward) all expected to be on the bench, it's possible we see Nacer Chadli ($5,000, midfielder/forward) and Adnan Januzaj ($5,700) line up as wingbacks, with the additional possibility one or both get the set pieces left over from De Bruyne, Hazard and Mertens. It's a big question, one that I'd rather not jump into while being able to get Tielemans for around $1,000 less.
Ricardo Avila, PAN v. TUN ($3,500): Panama have been the worst defensive side in the tournament, and they're likely to go home with zero points out of three games. However, Avila was a great spark off the bench in their 6-1 loss to England, picking up an assist off a free kick and finishing with 8.75 fantasy points in only 27 minutes. With Panama and Tunisia only playing for fun (or pride, whatever), we could see a very open game that could allow Avila to really pay off his low salary. The only consideration will be if fantasy players even need the extra funds he provides.
DEFENDERS
Johan Mojica, COL v. SEN ($5,600): Colombia still have everything to play for, and while Mojica comes in with the highest price of any defender, we probably have money to spend. His fantasy returns have mostly been limited to crosses, but that doesn't mean he won't be involved if he can connect on a few more (one of his 12 crosses this tournament have been accurate). He'll have his hands full defensively with the Senegal attack, but we almost don't have to worry about his salary knowing Colombia have to go for it, too.
Danny Rose, ENG v. BEL ($5,300): A rotated England back line is likely to see Rose start in place of Ashley Young ($4,300) while Trent Alexander-Arnold ($5,200) moves in for Kieran Trippier ($5,500). Given the trend we saw during their friendlies before the tournament, the expectation is that Rose and Alexander-Arnold will share corners like Young and Trippier did in the first two games. The rotated England squad is probably better than what Belgium will throw out there, and while it's tough depending on one side of the field or the other, Rose is the slightly safer attacker.
Maciej Rybus, POL v. JPN ($4,600): Poland have nothing to play for after losing their first two matches, and while Japan can still qualify for the knockout round, Poland are definitely the better side. Rybus has been playing as a left wingback, and while his crossing upside hasn't been that great, he still has a good setup Thursday. I wouldn't prioritize him over the attacking defenders above, but if you're looking for some salary savings, he could be a decent pivot.
GOALKEEPER
Wojciech Szczesny, POL v. JPN ($4,600): Because of the salary scale and likely value wherever you want it, Thursday is pretty much a "play who you want" goalkeeper day, except this time you can probably afford anyone. If the Belgium-England match plays out like what we saw with France-Denmark on Tuesday (i.e. two teams who have already qualified for the round of 16) then going with either keeper works, even if it's the backup. Otherwise you're taking your chances on the starters for Colombia or Senegal in a game both sides need a result in, while the Tunisia-Panama game could be very open because both teams have been eliminated and YOLO (I also can't believe I just wrote that). The Poland-Japan match is a bit interesting if only because Poland would be heavy favorites in this match if they hadn't already been eliminated from round of 16 contention, and while Japan still have a chance, their only win in the tournament was a 2-1 result over Colombia, with one goal coming on a penalty and they were playing up a man for 87 minutes. If Poland come out with their regular starters, they should win.
