FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: World Cup Picks for Friday, June 12: USA and Canada Headline a Two-Game Slate
Christian Pulisic headlines a more balanced two-game FanDuel World Cup slate Friday, with cheap Bosnia starters and the USA defenders the way to fund him.
The World Cup rolls into a second day, and FanDuel has another two-game slate. Canada host Bosnia at 3:00 PM ET, then the USA take on Paraguay at 9:00 PM ET. The Full Roster build is seven players for a $100 cap, four forward/midfielders, two defenders and a goalkeeper, with a three-team minimum and a max of four from any one side.
The difference from Thursday is there's no runaway favorite. Canada at -125 and the USA at -105 are only modest home favorites, and both games sit around a 2.5 total, so this one plays more open. That makes the cheap starters and the FanDuel defensive-stat plays matter more than any single clean sheet.
If you want the cash-based DraftKings build, I broke that down in a separate writeup. Come talk lineups in the RotoWire Discord before lock. Here's how I'm attacking the FanDuel side.
WORLD CUP MATCHES (ET)
- 3:00 pm: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- 9:00 pm: USA vs. Paraguay
For detailed stats and odds, check out the FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: World Cup Cheat Sheet.
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Christian Pulisic, USA vs. PAR ($21)
Pulisic is the best player on the slate and the safest floor on the board, and the USA are home as slight favorites. At $21 he's the priciest piece, so the case is locking him in and finding the savings underneath. He'll be the most popular player no matter the format, but that doesn't matter. You need him in your team unless you plan on rooting for everyone else but Pulisic to touch the ball, which would be a poor strategy.
Kerim-Sam Alajbegovic, BIH at CAN ($6)
At $6, Alajbegovic is basically free, and that's what lets you fit two of the studs above him. Even better, assuming he starts, he should have a split of set pieces, so the reasons not to play him are minimal. Early in the World Cup there will be some freebies, and Alajbegovic is one of them, priced like a bench player who never sees the pitch.
Malik Tillman, USA vs. PAR ($16)
Tillman is the cheaper way into the USA attack next to Pulisic. Again, assuming he starts. One of the better floors on the slate at $16 since he'll split sets and in an attacking role for a side that should boss the ball at home. Folarin Balogun ($20) is the play if you'd rather pay up for the striker and the goal odds, but at $16 Tillman is the better cash play.
Jonathan David ($19) is the way into Canada goals, while teammate Cyle Larin ($15) the cheaper version. After watching them in qualifiers, I'm not keen on anyone in this game scoring, but someone has to, right?
On the Bosnia side, pay up for Esmir Bajraktarevic ($14) or go another cheaper route with Jovo Lukic ($8). Diego Gomez ($16) carries a double-digit floor for Paraguay, while Miguel Almiron ($14) probably has more upside. Tajon Buchanan ($16) and Stephen Eustaquio ($18) cover Canada's midfield, but you're paying up for what you can get cheaper elsewhere.
DEFENDERS
Sergino Dest, USA vs. PAR ($10)
At $10 Dest is a wing-back, which on FanDuel means tackles, interceptions and crosses that actually pay. He's cheaper than Antonee Robinson ($14) on the other side is maybe the only reason you need. Dest should provide a nice floor with as much upside as any other defender on the slate.
Richie Laryea, CAN vs. BIH ($8)
Laryea is the cheap side of the Canada defense. Canada are the biggest favorite on the slate, and an $8 full-back getting forward gives you the defending plus whatever he adds up the wing. Alistair Johnston ($10) is the steadier Canada full-back if you'd rather not punt the spot.
Amar Dedic ($12) and Sead Kolasinac ($10) are the contrarian Bosnia angles. Tim Ream ($9) is the cheap USA center-back if you're pairing your keeper, and Juan Jose Caceres ($9) is the way in if you're stacking Paraguay center-backs.
GOALKEEPER
Maxime Crepeau, CAN vs. BIH ($12)
There's no runaway clean sheet here, but I still want one of the two favorites on a smaller slate. Matt Freese ($11) is cheaper, so if you need the money I don't think it matters. In the end, I'd rather correlate with one or both of the defenders. The odds are so similar that there's not a massive edge on either one and it's unlikely one will be much more popular than the other.
