With the Group Stage behind us, it’s on to the Knockout rounds in this year’s World Cup. After Canada booked its trip to the Round of 16 with a late goal on Sunday, three more teams will move on with a win this Monday. Japan and Brazil kick off the three-game slate at 1:00 p.m. ET, with Paraguay taking on Germany at 4:30 p.m. ET and the Netherlands are facing Morocco in the nightcap at 9:00 p.m. ET. With plenty of great drama in store, DraftKings is ready to start the work week with a strong slate of DFS soccer contests as well. Let’s take a look at the six teams taking the pitch this Monday and highlight some strong World Cup DFS picks for your lineups
Now that we’ve reached the knockout stage, 30 minutes of extra time (plus stoppage) will follow regulation if the match is tied. There is no more “Golden Goal” format, with the full 30 minutes played, even if a team scores. A penalty kick shootout will follow if the match is still tied at the end of extra time. Germany is the heaviest favorite on the board this Monday, while the Morocco-Netherlands match is the closest contest, based on the current odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
This article was written before starting lineups were announced, so be sure to check back as lineups are announced and adjust your squad if necessary. With plenty of high-priced superstar options and some great value plays, it should be another great day of fantasy action at the World Cup, so let’s dive in and pick out my top World Cup DFS picks this Saturday.
Make your DraftKings World Cup DFS picks here: WC $100K Chip Pass [$20K to 1st]
Forward
Stud
Matheus Cunha, Brazil, $7,600 — Cunha came off the bench in Brazil’s opener against Morocco, when the team was held to a 1-1 draw. He joined the starting lineup for the team’s last two games and helped lead a very effective attack that resulted in a pair of 3-0 victories over Haiti and Scotland. He had two goals on two shots (two on target) on his way to 26.7 FPTS against Haiti. Cunha did sub out but secured his role as a starter.
The Manchester United forward had another goal against Scotland, while taking five shots (two on goal) and creating one chance for 19.0 FPTS. The 27-year-old will look to continue his key role as both scorer and creator on Monday against Japan in the first game of the day, and he’s a solid stud to build around up top on this slate.
Value
Ismael Saibari, Morocco, $6,300 — Another key player in his nation’s offense with a very high ceiling is 25-year-old Ismael Saibari. So far in the World Cup, Saibari has put together an impressive start to the tournament, carrying over his momentum from a great season for PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie, the top league in the Netherlands. He earned Player of the Year honors with 15 goals and 8 assists, totaling 42 goals in 142 appearances for PSV Eindhoven since 2020. The rising star is set to move to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga once all the paperwork is finalized.
He has scored in each of Morocco’s three games this World Cup, starting with 14.4 FPTS against Brazil on three shots (one on goal). He had another goal against Scotland, finishing with 15.4 FPTS on two shots (one on goal), one chance created and one tackle won. His best fantasy game, though, was on Wednesday against Haiti, when he had 22.4 FPTS with five shots (one on goal), one chance created, and five crosses.
He’ll look to stay hot as Morocco looks to pull off the upset against the Netherlands. The Atlas Lions have looked very strong in this tournament and should give the Dutch a great matchup Monday night.
Midfielder
Stud
Vinicius Junior, Brazil, $10,000 — With big names like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane all lined up for later in the week, Vinicius Junior stands out as the top stud to pay up for this Monday. Vini Jr. has been excellent for Brazil, and if you have salary available, he’s a great option to build around. He brings both a high ceiling and a high floor for the new-look Brazil, and he has been carrying more of the workload with Raphinha ($9,000; blisters) and Neymar ($6,600; calf) at less than 100%.
Vinicius has scored four times already in the World Cup, placing him second in the race for the Golden Boot behind only Messi. He started the tournament with 17.1 FPTS against Morocco on one goal, one chance created and three crosses. He followed that up with one goal, one assist and 24 FPTS against Haiti. His strongest showing, though, was in Brazil’s win over Scotland. He had two more goals and a third was called back due to a foul. He finished with 38 FPTS on eight shots (five on target) and two chances created.
When he’s at his best running Brazil’s offense, he has an extremely high upside from his goal-scoring, along with a very solid floor from all his work on set pieces and in the regular flow of play. The Samurai Blue will not be an easy matchup for Brazil, but they did allow two goals to the Netherlands and one to Sweden in Group Play. With Brazil starting to find its form and get pieces back healthy, Vini Jr. is a great pay-up play to build around on Monday.
Value
Felix Nmecha, Germany, $5,100 — Germany hasn’t been trending the right way, but will be in a good spot to get back on track against Paraguay. After a dominant 7-1 win in the tournament opener, they barely escaped Cote d’Ivoire with a late, 2-1 win, and then they lost to Ecuador 2-1 to end group play. While the team definitely has things to address and adjust, Nmecha has been one of the bright spots.
The 25-year-old from Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga had a goal in the opener and ended up with 20.3 FPTS on four shots (three on goal). He added the game-winning assist in stoppage time in the team’s second game, finishing with 18.9 FPTS with two shots (none on goal), a cross and two chances created.
Ecuador held Nmecha and the rest of Germany in check, and he only managed 4.4 FPTS with two shots (none on goal). He’ll look to help his team bounce back from that showing on Monday, and his role in the center of the midfield gives him plenty of chances to press forward and create scoring chances and shots for himself or for his teammates.
Defender
Stud
Achraf Hakimi, Morocco, $7,300 — I’ve been calling Hakimi a cheat code this World Cup since using him as a defender basically gives your team an extra star midfielder. He has been very solid throughout the three matches for Morocco, posting at least 14 FPTS in each game and going off for 40.4 FPTS on Wednesday.
Hakimi opened the tournament with a solid 19.2 FPTS against a tough Brazil offense. He had 14.5 FPTS against Scotland and then went off against Haiti. In total, he has one goal, one assist, 10 shots (three on goal), 11 chances created and 18 crosses and is averaging 24.7 FPTS per contest.
Before the World Cup, Hakimi starred for PSG in their run to another title in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League, and the 27-year-old right back will continue to be a key part for Morocco.
Value
Jan Paul van Hecke, Netherlands, $3,300 — Van Hecke has been very solid in the middle of the back line for the Dutch and scored one of the team’s goals in its 3-1 win over Tunisia. He had two shots (one on goal), and a shot created as well for 17.1 FPTS.
He also had a strong showing as a value with 6.2 FPTS against Japan with one shot on goal as well. He didn’t get much on the board against Sweden with only 0.9 FPTS, so he isn’t a lock, but he does bring enough upside to be worth his very low salary on Monday night’s slate.
Goalkeeper
Stud
Alisson Becker, Brazil, $5,500 — Alisson is only the second-most expensive keeper on the slate since Manuel Neuer ($5,800) is a heavier favorite with Germany against Paraguay. However, of the two established keepers, Alisson has stronger form.
He did only manage 2.4 FPTS points in the opener against Morocco, but then posted back-to-back clean sheets with 16.5 FPTS on 3 saves against Haiti and was even better with 20.3 FPTS with 5 saves against Scotland.
The Liverpool keeper has logged seven clean sheets in his 12 appearances across three World Cups. Japan will be a tough test, but Alisson is a solid play on Monday’s slate.
Value
Bart Verbruggen, Netherlands, $5,000 — Verbruggen is an alternative option that brings lots of upside, even though he’ll also be in a tough matchup against Morocco. He has averaged 8.4 FPTS in his three games even though he hasn’t kept a clean sheet in any of his three matches.
He struggled to -1.6 FPTS against Japan but had 17.5 FPTS against Sweden and 9.4 FPTS against Tunisia in the two wins for the Dutch. The 23-year-old who played for Brighton & Hove Albion last season is hoping to grow into a long-term option for the Oranje, and a clean sheet against a tough Morocco team would definitely be a huge step in that direction.
