This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
World Cup Qualifying will resume for the UEFA zone Friday with a batch of games that is unique, to say the least. A couple of apparent stacking opportunities present themselves with Italy hosting Albania and Spain welcoming Israel, but there are some other exploitable matchups for lesser-known nations who have enjoyed successful qualifying campaigns to this point, as well as some individual stars who enjoy increased usage when playing for their nations. This puts options from all over the price spectrum in play, affording owners several routes to take when filling out lineups.
MATCHES (EDT)
3:45 p.m: Austria v. Moldova
3:45 p.m: Croatia v. Ukraine
3:45 p.m: Spain v. Israel
3:45 p.m: Ireland v. Wales
3:45 p.m: Italy v. Albania
3:45 p.m: Kosovo v. Iceland
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
GOALKEEPER
David De Gea, ESP v. ISR ($6,000): De Gea is enjoying another fine season with Manchester United and will benefit from perhaps the most lopsided matchup of Friday's slate. Spain have conceded just once through four qualifiers and will host an Isreal side who in no way can match their depth and quality. De Gea might not face many shots, as his side is expected to dominate possession, but his odds for a victory and a clean sheet are quite high.
Wayne Hennessey, WAL at IRL ($4,500): Hennessey has been in tremendous form at the club level, allowing just one goal in his last four appearances for Crystal Palace. Ireland currently sit on top of the group but they are third in scoring and managed just one goal against Georgia in their first home match of qualifying. Hennessey should have more save opportunities than some of the high-priced alternatives and could be in for solid returns if Wales can eek out a victory.
DEFENDER
Seamus Coleman, IRL v. WAL ($5,800): Coleman has been an attacking force with Everton in the Premier League, racking up four goals and three assists while averaging of 3.6 crosses and 1.7 tackles per game this season. He is even more involved in the attack for Ireland and should see plenty of chances to rack up peripheral stats on both sides of the ball as they play host to Wales.
Ben Davies, WAL at IRL ($4,300): Davies has gotten a run of games under his belt with Tottenham due to Danny Rose's injury, and he has responded with an average of 4.5 crosses per game while contributing to three clean sheets over his last six appearances. The Welsh team places an extensive amount of usage on the few players they have at big-name clubs, meaning Davies should see plenty of touches going forward as Wales try to narrow the gap on group leaders Ireland.
Sergio Ramos, ESP v. ISR ($4,200): Ramos may not have as many opportunities for peripheral stats as some of his more expensive counterparts, but his absurd knack for scoring goals makes him tough to ignore. He already has eight tallies for Real Madrid this season, including some extremely important ones, and should have plenty of chances to capitalize from set pieces versus an inferior Israel squad. Spain's increased likelihood of a clean sheet adds to his upside.
MIDFIELDER
Antonio Candreva, ITA v. ALB ($8,500): Candreva has enjoyed a solid season with Inter Milan and comes into Friday's match with a goal and two assists in his last two club appearances. His propensity for pumping in crosses at a high rate affords him a high floor, while his chances of factoring into the scoring against a weak Albania side make him a particularly attractive selection.
Marko Arnautovic, AUT v. MOL ($7,000): Arnautovic has flashed his ability with some productive stretches in the Premier League and is just a couple of weeks removed from a brace against Middlesbrough. He already has two goals in two home qualifiers and will be among the favorites to get on the scoresheet against Moldova, who have allowed 11 goals through just four matches this campaign.
Ruslan Malinovskiy, UKR at CRO ($3,500): Malinovskiy is a central midfielder who is capable of piling up crosses on set pieces and contributing useful counting stats on the defensive side of the ball. He sometimes shifts out wide with the national team, but regardless of the difficult matchup or where he lines up he will offer value due to his involvement and his extremely low salary.
FORWARD
Gylfi Sigurdsson, ISL at KOS ($10,300): Sigurdsson has been nothing short of outstanding with Swansea this season and has virtually lifted the club out of the relegation zone by himself with eight goals and 11 assists in league play. He plays a similar role with his national side, piling up shots and crosses at almost an unmatched rate, and he will draw a matchup with one of the most anonymous sides in European football in Kosovo. Sigurdsson carries the highest price on this slate, but he is one of the safest bets to produce at a high level.
Andrea Belotti, ITA v. ALB ($7,800): Belotti has become one of the most sought-after strikers in Europe and currently leads Serie A with 22 goals, including 10 in his last 10 matches ahead of Friday's matchup with struggling Albania. Furthermore, he has three goals in his last two qualifiers and will be one of the favorites to find the back of the net as the campaign resumes, with multiple tallies a plausible outcome.
Nikola Kalinic, CRO v. UKR ($7,500): Kalinic is having a terrific season with Fiorentina, and he has five goals on a whopping 23 shot attempts during his last six club matches. Ukraine sit second in the group, but they allowed two goals to Turkey in their only previous road qualifier and will find it difficult to contain a loaded Croatian attack that features the in-form Kailinic at the head of it.
