The Round of 16 continues this Sunday with two more featured matchups, as two more teams punch their tickets to the Quarterfinals. At 4:00 p.m. ET, Norway takes on Brazil at MetLife Stadium to kick off the slate, with Mexico taking on England at 8:00 p.m. ET in Mexico City in the nightcap. DraftKings is rolling out another solid set of contests for DFS fantasy soccer. Let’s examine the four teams taking the pitch this Sunday 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. Brazil (-255) is the heaviest favorite of the day in the early game, with England (-125) slightly favored to advance over the host nation south of the border, 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 Sunday.
Make your DraftKings World Cup DFS picks here: WC $80K Chip Pass [$20K to 1st]
Forward
Stud
Vinicius Junior, Brazil, $9,500 — Even though he didn’t get a goal in Brazil’s win over Japan, it was still a strong showing for Vini Jr., who had three shots (two on goal), seven crosses and one corner. He finished with 16.1 FPTS, which was actually his lowest total of the tournament, but he narrowly missed a spectacular goal and looked very close to scoring multiple times.
The 25-year-old star for Real Madrid has been the focal point of the offense for Brazil, with four goals and an assist. He had a brace against Scotland for 38 FPTS in his best game of the tournament, and he is in a favorable matchup against Norway, which has had a strong offense in the tournament but struggled on the back end at times, allowing eight goals in four matches.
He serves a key role as both creator and finisher, and he is a great piece to build around on Sunday afternoon.
Value
Julian Quinones, Mexico, $7,300 — Based on the lineups and typical production, forward probably isn’t the spot to go ultra-cheap. Quinones does offer a little bit of a salary break and has been a great value in the tournament as one of the breakout stars for El Tri, who have impressed all tournament long.
Quinones has at least 15+ FPTS in three of his four games, and he had 21.3 FPTS in the last round against Ecuador, scoring one of his team’s two goals and assisting on the other. He has a total of 11 shots (five on goal) and seven chances created, which gives him plenty of opportunities for goals or assists as he looks to help his team win again at home.
The 29-year-old has played the last few seasons with Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League, where he has racked up 62 goals in 68 appearances over the last two seasons. He’s a very strong finisher but also has shown the ability to create for his teammates, and his responsibilites in each role give him a high floor and a high ceiling against England, who has done enough to get this far in the tournament but has definitely not looked unbeatable.
Midfielder
Stud
Roberto Alvarado, Mexico, $7,000 — Alvarado has also been a key contributor for Mexico, and even though he doesn’t have the scoring upside of Quinones, he makes sense at this salary since he is so involved in the buildup in both open play and from set pieces.
Alvarado works on the right wing and has set up three goals this tournament, including Quinones in the team’s win over Ecuador. He has taken five shots of his own (none on goal) while creating 10 chances and hitting 13 crosses in his four games this tournament. He had at least 13 FPTS in three of his four games and is coming off a personal tournament-high with 16.3 FPTS.
He doesn’t offer as much goal-scoring upside as the elite, pay-up plays, but he has been very consistent and involved in Mexico’s offense. He’s a great option to build around in the midfield, especially since you don’t have to pay all the way up to one of the most expensive salaries.
Value
Elliot Anderson, England, $5,700 — Anderson has been a critical part of England’s offense this World Cup, starting all four games for the team and supporting Jude Bellingham ($8,600) alongside Declan Rice ($8,000) in the central midfield. Anderson is the cheapest option of the trio by a wide margin but has put up excellent numbers, averaging 11 FPTS per game. He had double-digit FPTS in the three games in the Group Stage and then posted 8.4 FPTS against Congo DR.
Anderson had an assist in the first game of the tournament and has created four chances and hit seven crosses while also taking seven shots himself (one on goal). He has put up good defensive stats and passing numbers and also taken advantage of his opportunities to press forward when called upon.
The 23-year-old had an outstanding season in the English Premier League for Nottingham Forest, playing all 38 league matches and recording four goals and four assists while leading the entire EPL in touches, duels won, fouls won and possessions won. Manchester City just secured him in a deal for the upcoming season, so he’ll look to slot in as the next wave of Man City talent going forward.
He’s one of the rising stars for the Three Lions and will need to step up to help his nation advance in a hostile environment in Mexico.
Defender
Stud
Douglas Santos, Brazil, $4,300 — With Norway’s Julian Ryerson ($5,400; thigh) and England’s Reece James ($5,300; hamstring) battling injury, defensive players who play significant roles in their team’s offense are hard to find this Sunday. Santos has been involved out of the back for Brazil, though, and the 32-year-old left back is a good spot to target on Sunday against Norway.
Santos is a captain for Zenit St. Petersburg in the Russian Premier League in addition to his work for the Brazil national squad. He actually briefly transferred to the Russian international team in 2025 after winning the gold medal with Brazil in Rio in 2016. He transferred his allegiance back to Brazil before the World Cup, though, and he has played well this tournament, averaging 6.7 FPTS per match.
He had two chances created and five crosses for a personal tournament-high 8.3 FPTS against Japan in the last round and will look to press forward against Norway and create more chances with his crosses from the left. If Brazil dominates possession, look for Santos to be a good option for your World Cup DFS picks at defender.
Value
Ezri Konsa, England, $3,300 — Konsa has started and played all 90 minutes for the Three Lions in each of their four games. He isn’t as involved offensively, for the most part, but he has posted over 7.0 FPTS in two of his four games, which makes him attractive at this bargain salary.
He only had 1.9 FPTS against Japan after a solid 7.4 FPTS against Panama and 7.3 FPTS against Ghana. If England can keep Mexico scoreless, Konsa will likely be a great value with the clean sheet bonus coming his way. He is a little high-risk since his offensive upside is limited, but he only needs one or two big plays to be worth his bargain salary of only $3,300.
Goalkeeper
Stud
Alisson Becker, Brazil, $5,500 — Since Brazil is the heaviest favorite of the day, Alisson is the top keeper with the highest salary. He has had two excellent games in clean-sheet wins over Haiti (16.5 FPTS) and Scotland (20.3 FPTS), but he struggled to just 5.3 FPTS against Japan while allowing one goal on just two shots on target.
Norway will likely get more chances against Becker, but he’ll have the challenge of dealing with Erling Haaland ($8,900) and the rest of Norway’s strong offense. He’ll likely get more chances for saves as a result of their pressure but will also have to work much harder to keep a clean sheet. If he does, he’ll be a solid but chalky option in the early game.
Value
Raul Rangel, Mexico, $4,500 — Rangel has not allowed a goal yet in the tournament, starting the World Cup with four straight clean sheets against South Africa, Korea, Czechia and Ecuador. He’ll be up against his toughest test yet as he takes on England, and he has only been rarely tested with just six saves in his four clean sheets.
He is a higher risk than Becker or England’s Jordan Pickford ($5,000) since he hasn’t gotten much action yet. However, the star keeper for Guadalajara in Liga MX has been impressive enough to bring a high ceiling at this low salary as he tries to keep Harry Kane ($9,000) and the English offense off the board this Sunday night in Mexico City.
