RADIO
Perhaps the most viewed global sporting event, the World Cup brings more than a billion fans to their television screens to watch a month of the world's most popular sport. With this comes the inevitable fantasy variant of the sport - a month-long competition that pits you against the rest of the planet. The most popular site for World Cup fantasy is the McDonalds sponsored World Cup Fantasy competition on FIFA's own website. Although it has some different rules to traditional fantasy soccer games (roll-on roll-off substitutions, unique formations, and different boosts), the basic premise of the game is the same: score as many points as you can and beat your opponents.
Here at RotoBaller, we will try to give you the best analysis possible so that you can beat your friends and take on the rest of the world by managing your team in the fantasy version of the beautiful game.
Here is the team analysis and lineup picks for fantasy drafts heading into Round Three. At the end of the day, remember to make the decision you feel is best for the team. Good luck, and enjoy!
Six Names To Look At - Fantasy World Cup
Gabriel Jesus - F, Brazil (Price: 9M)
Gabriel Jesus had a good last minute assist in this week's game against Costa Rica, but we still haven't seen the best of this Brazil side. Jesus is the go-ahead starter for the team, making him an excellent option to score against a suspect Serbia side. Jesus still hasn't scored for his side this tournament, but has ten goals in nineteen national team appearances. Odds are he will score against Serbia, or at the very least be a key contributor to the team's attack. Therefore, he is worth the price tag as he can provide similar value to the elite options at a slightly lower price point.
Mohamed Salah - F, Egypt (Price: 8.5M)
Despite struggling for much of the match against Russia, Salah still was able to convert a penalty kick and did his best in last week's game. However, Salah will have a better opportunity to produce against a weak Saudi Arabia side where he is the focal point of attack. The Egyptian winger will hope to play to the best of his abilities in a game that ultimately means nothing except for national pride.
Luka Modric - M, Croatia (Price: 9M)
Modric scored an absolute wonder-goal against Argentina in Croatia's dominant 3-0 victory. The team's captain has been an offensive mainstay and the main creative outlet in the team's midfield. Modric may not have another strike in him like the one we witnessed against Willy Caballero, but he is still likely to have decent involvement with the team's goals in their next game against Iceland. Croatia is expected to dominate the game, making Modric an interesting option in Round 3 and worthy of a high-priced midfield selection.
Miguel Layun - M, Mexico (5.5M)
Mexico are two for two in their games against Germany and South Korea. With a game against Sweden that is expected to follow a similar script to the one with South Korea, experienced midfielder Miguel Layun becomes a fantastic option due to his creativity from the midfield and penchant for shooting. Expect Layun to see the face of goal quite a few times in their game against the Scandinavian side, making him a good buy for fantasy owners at $5.5M.
Cedric - D, Portugal (5.5M)
Portugal has performed well against Spain and Morocco, but need a win against Iran to build confidence ahead of the Round of 16. Therefore, a win and a clean sheet against Iran is almost a must, making their defensive options a good choice as part of your backline next round. Cedric, the right back who plays for Southampton, is an attacking fullback in the modern game who could swing in a cross for striker Cristiano Ronaldo in the next game and therefore find his way into the assist column as well as a potential clean sheet against a non-threatening Iranian side.
Ricardo Rodriguez - D, Switzerland (5.5M)
Switzerland came up big against Serbia in their game last week, scoring twice after falling 1-0 early in the game. Now, with a game against Costa Rica coming up, they will have to rely on the playmaking presence of fullback Ricardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez has five goals for his national side and numerous assists, making the AC Milan option perfect for fantasy owners in next week's games. Look for a set piece goal for Rodriguez if you are lucky as well as a much more likely clean sheet.
RotoBaller Weekly XV
Team:
GK: Yann Sommer (5M), Francis Uzoho (4M)
DF: Joshua Kimmich (6.5M), Henrik Dalsgaard (4.5M), Ricardo Rodriguez (5.5M), Benjamin Pavard (4.5M), Hiroki Sakai (4M)
MF: Miguel Layun (5.5M), Mile Jedinak (6M), Christian Eriksen (9M), Aleksandr Golovin (6.5M), Sergej Milinkovic-Saric (7M)
FW: Romelu Lukaku (10M), Cristiano Ronaldo (12M) , Edinson Cavani (9.5M)
Analysis:
With elite forwards and defenders as well as high-upside midfielders, Rotoballer's team is focusing on the conventional strategy of stocking up in defense and shying away from selecting high-priced midfielders as the main source for points. Expect all four of the defenders not named Hiroki Sakai to likely keep clean sheets in what are all easy matchups, making them ideal choices for a back line in Round 3. In the midfield, Eriksen and Golovin highlight high-upside options once again that are balanced by solid center midfielders in Layun, Jedinak, and Milinkovic-Saric. Finally, up top, you are left with elite options such as Lukaku, Ronaldo, and Cavani, who should all generate excellent goalscoring upside in their team's final matches of the group.
That's all for this week - good luck!
