The World Cup has an exciting four-game slate of action this Friday from Group C and Group D. All eight of the teams in action are playing their second match of the tournament. While some squads are looking to continue their dominance, others are looking to bounce back and show they can truly contend. The United States is one of the eight teams taking the pitch this Friday, but they may not have their full top team available. Let’s take a look at the eight national teams taking the pitch and find some strong World Cup DFS picks for DraftKings contests.
This is the second matchweek of the Group Stage, which was expanded from 32 teams to 48 teams for the first time. The teams have been placed into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams in each group automatically advancing to the Knockout Stage along with the eight best third-place teams. After each team has played one game, Brazil and the USA are favored to win their groups, while Australia, Turkey, Morocco and Scotland are all favored to advance, as well, according to the current odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
This article was written before starting lineups were announced, so be sure to check back before kickoff and adjust accordingly if needed. Brazil is the heaviest favorite on the slate as they face off against Haiti, but they do have some injury questions to manage along with the United States, who could be without some key pieces on offense, allowing other players a chance to step up.
Make your DraftKings World Cup DFS picks here: WC $80K Chip Pass [$20K to 1st]
Forward
Stud
Malik Tillman, United States, $8,800 — The big injury story to watch leading up to kickoff is Christian Pulisic ($9,800; calf), who has been training the whole week individually rather than with the rest of the team. He left the team’s impressive 4-1 win over Paraguay after 45 minutes with 11.3 FPTS.
Tillman will be one of several players asked to step into a bigger role if Pulisic is out, or at less than full strength. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder looked strong in his World Cup debut before making way in the 82nd minute. He finished with an assist, five shots (two on goal), three shots assisted and one cross. He racked up a solid 21.3 FPTS and was extremely involved in the offense both before and after Pulisic’s early departure.
The Bayern Leverkusen player scored six goals in his 29 appearances in the Bundesliga last season, and he could be a key contributor as Team USA tries to build on its impressive opening of the touranment in a tough matchup against Australia.
Value
Nestory Irankunda, Australia, $5,000 — On the other side of the early game, Irankunda is a great value option as he works at forward for Australia. The 20-year-old Aussie became the youngest Socceroo to score in the World Cup when he got the team’s first goal of the tournament less than 30 minutes into their match with Turkey.
He finished with 14.6 FPTS after scoring that one goal and posting two shots (two on goal). He should be very involved again on Friday, and he brings a high ceiling as one of the primary scoring options for a young and promising Australian squad. He had four goals and four assists in his season for Watford in the English League Championship (second-highest tier). While he has drawn some criticism for his propensity to accrue yellow cards, he has an incredible amount of raw potential and could continue to emerge as a key contributor with another big game on Friday.
Midfielder
Stud
Arda Guler, Turkey, $9,000 — Even though Turkey was upset 2-0 by Irankunda and the Socceroos, Guler still had an outstanding opening match. He was his team’s most impressive offensive force, playing all over the pitch and racking up 21.4 FPTS on eight shots (three on goal), five crosses and two chances created.
Guler was over the ball on set pieces throughout the match and also was the primary creative force in the regular flow of play. He posted that impressive 20+ FPTS without a goal contribution, and he brings a very high ceiling if he and the Turkish attack can flourish against a Paraguay defense that struggled to find answers against the U.S.
The 21-year-old Real Madrid star claimed the UCL Young Player award and LaLiga Goal of the Season. Even though he only had six goals in his 51 appearances for his club team last season, he is an impressive, young emerging star, and he has both a high floor and a high ceiling as his team looks to get back on track after an opening match defeat.
Value
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Haiti, $4,600 — Bellegarde is Haiti’s primary set-piece taker and was also very involved throughout the team’s loss to Scotland as the primary center midfielder running the offense. He piled up a solid 11.8 FPTS with three shots (none on goal), two shots assisted, and six crosses.
His yellow card did hurt his FPTS, but his heavy involvement should allow him to return value even though he’ll be leading Haiti against Brazil as the biggest underdog of the day. Like Guler, he did all his production without the boost of assists or goals, which makes him fairly reliable with a high ceiling if he does break through with a goal contribution.
Defender
Stud
Achraf Hakimi, Morocco, $6,700 — When selecting pay-up stud defenders, be sure to target options who press forward and get involved on offense whenever possible. Hakimi did just that for Morocco in their impressive draw of Brazil. He totaled 19.2 FPTS with three shots (none on goal), four crosses, and five shots assisted.
Morocco is favored over Scotland in the second match of the day, and Hakimi should be able to press forward even more since Scotland’s attack won’t be as intense as Brazil’s was. Hakimi is the captain of the squad, and the 27-year-old is coming off a huge year for PSG in Ligue 1. He racked up three goals, nine assists, and 46 chances created in his 31 games in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, helping PSG win both titles for a second straight season.
Value
Abdülkerim Bardakci, Turkey, $3,800 — Bardacki earned 9.0 FPTS in his team’s loss to Australia and came very close to leveling the match in the 30th minute. His one shot (one on goal) came from that header attempt that Patrick Beach ($3,800) gathered in, and he added in one cross and two fouls drawn.
The big center back should press forward again in this matchup against Paraguay, and he has a good chance to return value at this minimal salary on Friday in the late game.
If you want to go even cheaper Cameron Burgess ($2,700) of Australia and Jack Hendry ($3,100) of Scotland can also be worth a look at their bargain rates.
Goalkeeper
Stud
Alisson Becker, Brazil, $5,900 — Alisson had a rough first game in this World Cup, allowing a goal on one of the two shots he faced against Morocco and earning only 2.4 FPTS. However, he should be in a great bounce-back spot in this matchup against Haiti. With Brazil heavily favored and likely to keep a clean sheet, Alisson is a solid pay-up play who has a good chance at earning the clean sheet and win bonuses if Brazil dominates, as expected.
Value
Patrick Beach, Australia, $3,800 — Beach could quickly become one of the biggest stories of this entire World Cup if he can build on his momentum from last week. He was called on to take on Turkey, and he shut down the strong offense on his way to 26.3 FPTS in just his third career international start.
He’ll be a high-risk, high-reward play against the United States on Friday, and he brings a lot of upside even though he’s still fairly unproven. The 22-year-old has been very good for Melbourne City in the Isuzu UTE A-League, the top professional league in Australia, but this is his first major splash on the international scene. He could be the key to fitting in the high-salary plays you want in the rest of your lineup this Friday, or he could struggle against Team USA, even if they’re at less than 100%.
