This article is part of our DFS Soccer 101 series.
One of the goals of this article is to shine a light on roster construction and help guide you toward selecting the best players for your DFS lineups. Last week we looked at cash game roster construction and this week I want to spend some time looking at effective uses of the utility spots for both GPPs and cash games.
The first thing to consider is that there are now 11 spots to complete your team on DraftKings: one goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders, two forwards and two utility spots. Ignoring the goalkeeper, you are given the opportunity to figure out the "formation" of your squad when you hit "submit" on your lineup and enter it into a contest. The possible formations are:
- 5-3-2 (two defenders in utility)
- 4-4-2 (one defender, one midfielder)
- 3-5-2 (two midfielders)
- 3-4-3 (one midfielder, one forward)
- 3-3-4 (two forwards)
- 4-3-3 (one defender, one forward)
5-3-2: Two Defenders
This is a very conservative approach, as defenders are no longer awarded five points for clean sheets nor two points for conceding one goal. With the current scoring system, defenders carry value by scoring goals, sending in crosses or piling up a significant number of tackles and interceptions. For GPP-winning purposes, you want to average close to 20 fantasy points from each position leading to a score north of 200. For cash games you likely are okay with 15 fantasy points from the majority of your players leading to a score north of 140.
Through 22 gameweeks, there have been 1,977 defender appearances (those playing at least one minute), and only 105 have scored at least 15 fantasy points in a game on DraftKings (not including clean sheet bonuses). The numbers look even worse for defenders who have scored more than 20 points, as the number dwindles down to just 22.
Result: This strategy is unsuitable for cash games and tournaments as the chance of getting a single defender over 15 points is very slim, and the prospects of having FIVE on the same team are not good.
4-4-2: One Defender and One Midfielder
The only situation that I would advocate using a defender with a midfielder in the utility spots is if there are several value options at defense who allow you to take multiple $6K+ midfielders who send in lots of crosses. This type of roster could result in 3-4 defenders who are value plays and can each reach 5-15 fantasy points but would cost very little. That would allow you to stack the team with midfielders who can each reach 20+ points easily, with upside of 35+ if they are involved in any goals.
Result: This strategy could be utilized in tournaments or cash games, but I caution using it except in extreme circumstances when there are multiple defenders priced below $2,500.
3-5-2: Two Midfielders
This might be the most common strategy used by daily fantasy soccer players when building their cash lineups because midfielders are the highest scoring players on a week-to-week basis on DraftKings. While forwards are the most likely to score goals, there are very few who contribute in other categories, while midfielders are usually on corner duty as well as other tasks that translate to fantasy production.
There have been 2,744 midfielder appearances (those playing at least one minute) this season, and 410 have scored at least 15 fantasy points. Of those, 204 eclipsed 20 fantasy points. The methodology of choosing two midfielders at least gives us the high floor and the upside that we look for in cash games and large tournaments.
Result: While this seems like the ideal strategy to utilize in both cash games and GPPs, midfielder upside is still a bit limited and it is very tough to successfully pick five midfielders who can eclipse 20 fantasy points, which is what you need to finish near the top of a tournament. This is, however, the ideal methodology for small cash games such as head-to-heads or double-ups.
3-4-3: One Midfielder and One Forward
This option is for those who wish to reap the safety of the 3-5-2 approach while trying to tap into the potential of the 3-3-4 approach that will be discussed next. This "middle ground" strategy depends on your ability to pair two players in the utility spot who can score and provide peripheral stats that are key in building cash game lineups. However, lineups like this can look very different based on which midfielders you decide to target. If you choose to target an attacking midfielder who is also on corner duty then this is more suited for a cash game approach. If you decide to target a midfielder who plays a more reserved role but is known to take some chances and can occasionally net a goal or two for his team (like Yaya Toure) then that is more of a GPP approach.
Result: This method is a mixed bag as it can vary in its execution and results based on the selections. Players like Yaya Toure and Jonjo Shelvey carry a very low floor but high ceiling, while others such as Kevin De Bruyne and Willian carry a high floor and a high ceiling. Both methodologies can be utilized in different game types.
3-3-4: Two Forwards
Using two forwards is the high-risk, high-reward strategy that relies on successfully choosing the forwards who score goals. These lineups are usually successful on high-scoring days when multiple forwards can reach the 20-point plateau. In fact, of the 1,008 forward appearances this season, 83 have exceeded 20 fantasy points, while 176 have exceeded the 15-point mark. Forwards exceed the threshold of 15 and 20 fantasy points at a higher rate than midfielders. However, there were 48 unique forwards who exceeded that threshold, while 108 unique midfielders (out of 410 instances) did so. This indicates that midfielders are more consistent, while there is a higher percentage of forwards who achieve the minimum point total we need.
Result: Forwards are high variance and thus highly volatile. This is a big GPP-only strategy as forwards don't achieve the minimum-points threshold we often get from midfielders.
4-3-4: One Forward and One Defender
While forwards are highly volatile, defenders are even less reliable in terms of fantasy production. The only situation I would consider using a defender in a flex spot is in a GPP and only when a very cheap option emerges. In return, I want to ensure that my forward utility selection is a top level player who is very likely to score and would then pay off the potential low return I'll get from my other utility spot.
Result: This is a GPP strategy and a lesser one at that. It should only be used in extreme circumstances (example: three high-dollar forwards in good spots)
It's important to remember that this is a general guideline for constructing DFS soccer lineups. It is possible to build a solid cash game lineup with any of these strategies, and it is also possible to finish at the top of a GPP using any of them. The end result highly depends on which players you put together; however, there is an element of game theory that is used when constructing these lineups that you must consider.
