This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Mexico v. Sweden
10:00 a.m: Germany v. South Korea
2:00 p.m: Switzerland v. Costa Rica
2:00 p.m: Serbia v. Brazil
FORWARDS
Neymar, BRA v. SRB ($13,000): The steep price makes me weary to include Neymar in my lineup, but he's been as chalky as advertised, scoring 23.3 fantasy points in the draw with Switzerland before a late goal against Costa Rica helped him to 41.6. What's keeping him in my lineup is his ability to create scoring chances, helped by his role as Brazil's primary set-piece taker. Thomas Muller ($11,000), Marco Reus ($10,000) and Timo Werner ($9,000) have a favorable matchup against South Korea and would all be a solid pivot, while Gabriel Jesus ($10,500) is expected to lead the line for Brazil's attack.
Hirving Lozano, MEX v. SWE ($8,000): Lozano has been a breakout player in this World Cup after he scored a match-winner over Germany and then provided an assist in what proved to be a necessary goal as Mexico beat South Korea 2-1. He's justified his starting role in both matches through his work rate and ability to create chances, and while price has grown, Mexico are still favored and Lozano has good goal-scoring odds. Aleksandar Mitrovic ($9,000) is similarly priced and has averaged 25.5 fantasy points despite scoring in just one match. The main reason he's been able to do that is because he's had two shots, at least two tackles and two clearances in both matches. He's more expensive
MATCHES (EDT)
10:00 a.m: Mexico v. Sweden
10:00 a.m: Germany v. South Korea
2:00 p.m: Switzerland v. Costa Rica
2:00 p.m: Serbia v. Brazil
FORWARDS
Neymar, BRA v. SRB ($13,000): The steep price makes me weary to include Neymar in my lineup, but he's been as chalky as advertised, scoring 23.3 fantasy points in the draw with Switzerland before a late goal against Costa Rica helped him to 41.6. What's keeping him in my lineup is his ability to create scoring chances, helped by his role as Brazil's primary set-piece taker. Thomas Muller ($11,000), Marco Reus ($10,000) and Timo Werner ($9,000) have a favorable matchup against South Korea and would all be a solid pivot, while Gabriel Jesus ($10,500) is expected to lead the line for Brazil's attack.
Hirving Lozano, MEX v. SWE ($8,000): Lozano has been a breakout player in this World Cup after he scored a match-winner over Germany and then provided an assist in what proved to be a necessary goal as Mexico beat South Korea 2-1. He's justified his starting role in both matches through his work rate and ability to create chances, and while price has grown, Mexico are still favored and Lozano has good goal-scoring odds. Aleksandar Mitrovic ($9,000) is similarly priced and has averaged 25.5 fantasy points despite scoring in just one match. The main reason he's been able to do that is because he's had two shots, at least two tackles and two clearances in both matches. He's more expensive but could offer a solid floor for players in that price range.
Ola Toivonen, SWE v. MEX ($7,500): After pushing Germany to the brink of elimination with his goal, Toivonen has put together two showings that warrant attention. While there is no shortage of firepower at the top of the pricing structure, there isn't much that is getting me excited in the cheaper forwards. Toivonen has a semi-decent floor and will need to carry the Sweden attack in a must-win against Mexico. Heung-Min Son ($8,000) is a known commodity among Premier League fans, but he will face a tougher matchup than Toivonen.
MIDFIELDERS
Philippe Coutinho, BRA v. SRB ($11,500): Coutinho has won Brazil points in both of their matches after his long-range goal in the opening game with Switzerland gave them a draw, and then his point-blank finish against Costa Rica secured them three points and a share of first-place in the group. He created a mammoth six scoring chances against Costa Rica and may fail to do that against a more organized Serbia defense, but he's clearly a pivotal player in a team that has yet to play up to their ability. Toni Kroos ($10,000) and Xherdan Shaqiri ($9,500) are the next two most-expensive midfielders and offer a comparable skill set to Coutinho.
Dusan Tadic, SRB v. BRA ($8,500): Tadic found Mitrovic for an early goal against Switzerland to help his fantasy bottom line, which has been his most notable contribution in Russia. Tadic and Adem Ljajic ($5,500) have shared set-pieces for the most part, though Ljajic missed the starting XI against Switzerland. Serbia and Tadic will have their work cut out for them, but if they are able to spring the upset, Tadic is likely to have been the reason.
Ki Sung-yueng, KOR v. GER ($7,500): If you look into Ki's game logs, he's been able to score fantasy points in pretty much every category aside from goals and assists. That's a positive sign for fantasy players trying to fit in more notable names in this star-studded slate. Do South Korea have the worst odds on the slate? Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm going to steer clear of a player who thrives on defensive statistics. I'm not saying South Korea will spring an upset, but Ki should be busy throughout the match on the defensive end. Teammate Lee Jae-Sung ($7,000) has also put together similar performances in their first two matches if you are looking for a midfielder with a cheaper price.
DEFENDERS
Joshua Kimmich, GER v. KOR ($6,500): Another slate, another chance to take Kimmich and the highly-favored German side. He had nearly double the number of crosses as anyone else in Germany's win over Sweden, and though FanDuel doesn't reward crosses, Kimmich should still have a good opportunity to provide scoring chances. Jonas Hector ($5,000) is expected to keep his place at left-back after missing the opening match through illness and is a cheaper asset, while Mats Hummels ($6,000) could return to the starting XI after missing the Sweden win due to a neck injury. Aleksandar Kolarov ($7,000) is the most expensive defender and has a high fantasy floor, but he isn't someone I'm considering due the tough matchup with Brazil.
Mikael Lustig, SWE v. MEX ($5,000): Lustig is averaging 16.5 fantasy points through two matches despite failing to register an assist or goal. He had eight and five clearances, respectively, along with one scoring chance created against South Korea and Germany. Lustig's defensive work helps his floor, given he hasn't offered much going forward. Another player to consider in this defensive mold is Giancarlo Gonzalez ($4,500), who had seven clearances in matches with Brazil and Serbia.
Fagner, BRA v. SRB ($4,500): With Danilo already ruled out against Serbia, Fagner should get the call at right-back once again. Brazil are favored and should see a lot of the ball, while Serbia aren't exactly an attacking force, as they've managed one goal in each of their matches. Fagner's compatriot, Marcelo ($6,500), is also a good option and should start again at left-back, but he is considerably more expensive.
GOALKEEPER
Yann Sommer, SUI v. CRC ($5,000): Besides South Korea, Costa Rica are the only other team on the slate with no chance of advancing to the round of 16. Switzerland are coming into the third group stage match allowing just one goal per game, while Costa Rica have failed to score. Sommer and Switzerland have the third-best odds to win and the second-best for a clean sheet, while Sommer comes $1,000 cheaper than Brazil's Alisson ($6,000) and Germany's Manuel Neuer ($6,000). Guillermo Ochoa ($6,000) has been one of the most impressive goalkeepers in the tournament, as he's made 13 saves and allowed just one goal while picking up back-to-back wins. Robin Olsen ($5,000) and Keylor Navas ($4,500) are in the next tier of options, though I prefer Navas over Olsen due to his matchup and slightly cheaper price. If you're looking for goalkeepers with the highest chance of saves, Cho Hyun-Woo ($4,500) and Vladimir Stojkovic ($4,500) should face an attacking onslaught against Germany and Brazil, respectively, but they don't offer enough budget savings for me to consider either.
Editor's note: an earlier version of this article referred to Neymar's fouls drawn for fantasy points, but FanDuel recently changed their scoring rules and no longer awards points for fouls drawn. It has since been updated.
