This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
8:00 a.m: Costa Rica v. Serbia
11:00 a.m: Germany v. Mexico
2:00 p.m: Brazil v. Switzerland
FORWARDS
Neymar, BRZ v. SWI ($12,500): Similar to Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday's slate, it's going to be tough to steer clear of Neymar. He should see the majority of set-piece opportunities along with Philippe Coutinho ($10,500), and, of course, is Brazil's best player. Neymar and Gabriel Jesus ($11,000) have the best goal-scoring odds on the slate and are expected to torment the Swiss backline throughout Sunday's match. Neymar should play on the left wing, and Jesus makes for a decent pivot because he'll be playing up front.
Timo Werner, GER v. MEX ($11,000): After establishing himself in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig with 34 goals over the past two seasons, the 22-year-old Werner is looking to take his game to a whole new level as Germany's leading attacker. He's surrounded by a team with immense talent and should have no shortage of service in front of net. Thomas Muller ($11,000) will be tough to ignore while building a lineup due to his history in international matches, but Werner's pace and goal-scoring ability make him the choice for me.
Hirving Lozano, MEX v. GER ($7,000): Similar to Werner, Lozano is one of the young players many people are expecting to have a breakout tournament. He lit the Dutch Eredivisie up for PSV Eindhoven last season, providing eight assists and scoring 17 goals in 29 games to help his club
MATCHES (EDT)
8:00 a.m: Costa Rica v. Serbia
11:00 a.m: Germany v. Mexico
2:00 p.m: Brazil v. Switzerland
FORWARDS
Neymar, BRZ v. SWI ($12,500): Similar to Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday's slate, it's going to be tough to steer clear of Neymar. He should see the majority of set-piece opportunities along with Philippe Coutinho ($10,500), and, of course, is Brazil's best player. Neymar and Gabriel Jesus ($11,000) have the best goal-scoring odds on the slate and are expected to torment the Swiss backline throughout Sunday's match. Neymar should play on the left wing, and Jesus makes for a decent pivot because he'll be playing up front.
Timo Werner, GER v. MEX ($11,000): After establishing himself in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig with 34 goals over the past two seasons, the 22-year-old Werner is looking to take his game to a whole new level as Germany's leading attacker. He's surrounded by a team with immense talent and should have no shortage of service in front of net. Thomas Muller ($11,000) will be tough to ignore while building a lineup due to his history in international matches, but Werner's pace and goal-scoring ability make him the choice for me.
Hirving Lozano, MEX v. GER ($7,000): Similar to Werner, Lozano is one of the young players many people are expecting to have a breakout tournament. He lit the Dutch Eredivisie up for PSV Eindhoven last season, providing eight assists and scoring 17 goals in 29 games to help his club lift the Dutch title. Lozano's pace and finishing make him as dangerous as any player at the World Cup and should help him earn a place in the Mexico starting XI on the left wing. He also offers considerable savings in comparison to Brazil and Germany's forwards.
MIDFIELDERS
Philippe Coutinho, BRZ v. SWI ($10,500): I'd be remiss if I didn't list Coutinho as a main option in this slate, as the Brazilian playmaker is coming off one of the more impressive seasons across Europe, scoring 20 goals and adding 13 assists over 37 appearances for Liverpool and Barcelona. He and Neymar will likely split set-piece duty, helping Coutinho's floor, while giving him a good chance to create scoring chances from dead-ball situations. He's also capable of scoring goals out of nowhere and is no stranger to long-range scores.
Xherdan Shaqiri, SWI v. BRZ ($8,500): The Stoke City playmaker will be the centerpiece of the Swiss attack as he looks to put the sixth-ranked country in the world through to the group stage. He should see the majority of set-piece opportunities, with Ricardo Rodriguez possibly taking some of the shares. Remo Freuler ($6,500) offers a significantly cheaper option as an attacker midfielder, but he won't be the focal point that Shaqiri will be. If Switzerland make any noise in this tournament, it will likely come on the shoulders of Shaqiri.
Giovani dos Santos, MEX v. GER ($7,500): The Mexico starting XI is far from confirmed, making it difficult to predict whether dos Santos will be in the lineup or not. He's the most expensive Mexican midfielder on the slate, but also a player with the highest upside. Hector Herrera ($7,500) is the same price but expected to play in a holding midfield role, while Andres Guardado ($7,000) is slightly cheaper and likely to make the starting XI if he can overcome a back injury. Giovani's brother, Jonathan Dos Santos, hasn't seen much playing time for the Los Angeles Galaxy this season due to injuries but is another option. I also considered Ilkay Gundogan ($7,500) and Paulinho ($7,500) at that price range, but wanted to get exposure to the Mexico attack, for better or for worse.
DEFENDERS
Joshua Kimmich, GER v. MEX ($7,500): Coming into the tournament as arguably the top defensive option, Kimmich will have a license to get forward while his considerable defensive talents and support from the talented German side give him a good chance to dominate. He also may have a minor role on set pieces, helping lift his floor and justify his high price. Another option is Jonas Hector ($5,000), who is considerably cheaper and is expected to start at left-back for Germany, though he's not nearly as safe.
Ricardo Rodriguez, SWI v. BRZ ($6,000): The AC Milan defender is coming off a disappointing club season, scoring just one goal and failing to get an assist over 34 starts. That being said, he and Stephan Lichtsteiner ($5,000) offer a veteran presence at outside-back for the Swiss and should be a position of strength. Rodriguez will likely share set-piece duty with the aforementioned Shaqiri, while he is the primary penalty-kick taker for Switzerland.
Rafael Marquez, MEX v. GER ($4,000):Hector Moreno's ($4,500) calf injury leaves uncertainty about who will start at center-back for Mexico. Hugo Ayala ($5,000) is expected get the starting nod in one of the center-back positions, while Marquez is a potential backup to Moreno. If Moreno is unable to play, Marquez could become the third player to feature in five World Cups, and most importantly could offer serious defensive savings while building a lineup. The low price is really appealing, especially considering the Germans will likely provide a ton of clearance opportunities.
GOALKEEPER
Alisson, BRZ v. SWI ($5,500): Brazil have the best odds in tomorrow's main slate, while Alisson is slightly cheaper than Manuel Neuer ($6,000). Germany and Brazil are both expected to win, but it should be noted that Manuel Neuer ($6,000) has played in just one international friendly since breaking his foot while playing for Bayern Munich in September. Meanwhile, Alisson is coming off one of the best seasons of any goalkeeper in Europe, as he kept a whopping 22 clean sheets over 49 appearances. Switzerland's Guillermo Ochoa ($4,500) is the cheapest starting goalkeeper on the slate and could become a hero for Mexico.
