RADIO
Happy Match Day 20, RotoBallers! It's time for the semi-finals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After a nerve-wracking first couple of knockout rounds, we are left with Croatia-Argentina and Morocco-France in the penultimate round. With one game per day, we are rolling with Showdown slates for the remainder of the tournament. While it doesn't change the analysis too much, it certainly brings a different vibe to our DraftKings contests.
In Showdown slates, you roster one Captain and five FLEX spots. The Captain costs 1.5 times his regular salary, but he also gains 1.5 times the number of points. If you've been playing Showdown slates during the World Cup, you know how vital it is to grab goal scorers and set-piece takers as your Captain. You must also roster a player from both sides to avoid an insane six-player stack for one country.
The DraftKings World Cup DFS Soccer contests lock at 2:00 PM ET for the 12/13/22 slate. Make sure to get your lineups in early. Also, don't forget to check out the rest of our World Cup coverage on Rotoballer with team and match previews, along with our betting and DFS advice. If you have any further questions or want to chat about the World Cup, feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @EuanOrYouOut.
Featured Promo: Get any full-season Props Premium Pass for 10% off using code BALLER. Win big with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!
World Cup DraftKings DFS Captain Options
Lionel Messi - $19,200
There is no better play in this game than Lionel Messi. The 35-year-old has played every minute of every match for Argentina, and that won't change with a place in the World Cup Final on the line. Across his five games, Messi has four goals and two assists while averaging 27 fantasy points per game. Even if you take away his attacking returns, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner provides a 15.6-point floor thanks to his role as the set-piece and corner-taker for his country.
The sky blue and white squad is a heavy favorite for this contest, with form (and history) on their side. Argentina has played in five World Cup semi-finals and won all of them. In addition, Messi has the best goal-scoring odds among the two sides, and his country has a 1.46 implied goal total compared to 0.86 for Croatia. So if Argentina is going to make it 6-for-6 in the semi-finals, it will be because of Lionel Messi's exploits.
Julian Alvarez - $15,000
Argentina will score goals in this semi-final contest, opening the door for Julian Alvarez as your Captain in tournaments. The 22-year-old forward started the last three games for his country, and he's collected two goals on seven shots. However, he is a substitute risk because of the number of Argentine attackers available to manager Lionel Scaloni. Still, I prefer Alvarez to any other Argentinian (besides Messi) as my Captain due to his goal-scoring upside and slightly cheaper price point.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Angel Di Maria ($16,800), Ivan Perisic ($13,200), Luka Modric ($12,600)
Sportsbook Promo Offers
If you are new to any of these sportsbooks, be sure to take advantage of these great offers:
Featured Promo: Get any VIP Betting Premium Pass for 10% off using code BALLER. Win more with exclusive betting picks from proven winners across 9 sports! Find optimal bets with our Betting Picks Tool and Bet Weighting Tool and follow along in our VIP chat rooms! Go Premium, Win More!
World Cup DraftKings DFS FLEX Options
Ivan Perisic - $8,800
English Premier League fans were treated to the attacking style of Ivan Perisic in the first half of this season when he came over to Tottenham Hotspurs from Italy. However, it's cranked up a notch in Qatar as he's become one of the primary creative options for this Croatian outfit. In five matches, the 33-year-old has a goal and an assist, but those don't fully reward his overall attacking prowess.
CROATIA LEVELS THE SCORE 🇭🇷
Perišić with an absolute beauty of a header 🎯 pic.twitter.com/ZO3yuXGIm4
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) December 5, 2022
Perisic averages four shots and 4.25 crosses per contest in the last four games. He's played at least 86 minutes in every match and went the full 120 minutes in the upset against Brazil. He's a great Captain pick in GPPs, but a solid cash option if you're going the Messi route.
Enzo Fernandez - $8,000
Argentina's made it to the semi-finals for the sixth time in its storied World Cup history, but it hasn't been because of Enzo Fernandez. Before the tournament, many highlighted him as a potential breakout star for the sky blue and white. However, despite a goal and an assist in the group stage, that pre-tournament promise hasn't come through in the knockout rounds.
Still, DFS managers shouldn't hop off the train too soon. His quiet performances in the previous two games will lower his roster rate and make him a viable tournament option, especially with Ivan Perisic so close and tempting in price. Of course, this isn't the end for Enzo Fernandez, and his 1.27 shots/90 is the fourth-highest mark in this game among players in this game with at least 300 minutes under their belts in Qatar.
Dominik Livakovic - $4,800
The man of the hour in the streets of Zagreb and across the Croatian countryside deserves mention in this article. Dominik Livakovic kept his country in the game against a blazing Brazil attack with 11 saves in 120 minutes. Argentina will likely come out with a similar game plan to pepper the man between the chequered sticks with plenty of shots. Fortunately, the 27-year-old has proved time and time again that he can stop those attempts. He can return value even if he allows multiple goals in this game.
Marcelo Brozovic - $4,400
Finding those cheap enablers to fit in the heavy hitters on two-game slates got more challenging in the knockout rounds. Marcelo Brozovic was identified as a player with upside, and he has come through for our DFS lineups in the last two games. Against Japan and Brazil, the Inter Milan midfielder averaged 10.15 fantasy points. We will easily take that against Argentina, and at $4,400, he's well worth another gamble in the semi-finals.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP): Emiliano Martinez ($7,400), Marko Livaja ($6,800), Mateo Kovacic ($4,000)
