This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
Thursday's single-game Yahoo slate features a tournament favorite in Brazil against potential spoiler Serbia. The Selecao are nearly a 66-percent favorite to win outright, but the Serbians bring one of the most in-form strikers in the world and a squad capable of taking out Switzerland or Cameroon.
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
DFS Fantasy Soccer: Brazil vs. Serbia Cheat Sheet
Cash Game Strategy
Neymar ($29) should rightly be a highly-picked player, as he comes into the tournament with some of his best form and fitness since his time at Barcelona. He holds the highest anytime scoring odds of any player in this matchup, outpacing the high-cost Aleksandar Mitrovic ($30). Mitrovic has recently overcome a foot injury with nine goals in 12 Premier League starts but ranks seventh-best in his scoring chances. This reflects the lopsided expectations of the result, though if the Serbs are to be next in line for an upset it will almost certainly be Mitrovic or Dusan Vlahovic ($27) who makes it happen. The cheaper options all come down to the starting lineup, though it will be Brazilians that are heavily drafted with Richarlison ($25), Gabriel Jesus ($24) and Raphinha ($26) all ranking top-five in their goalscoring odds. It's worth keeping Dusan Tadic ($23) in mind, as he comes in below the star options in price but has scored twice and logged five assists in his last six national team starts in addition to his exceptional performances for Ajax.
The midfield options also lean Brazilian as well, with Lucas Paqueta ($25) the most expensive player in his position thanks to a growing role with the national team dating back to November of 2020. More names to watch are Bruno Guimaraes ($20), and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic ($20), with the former ranking just one spot behind Paqueta in scoring odds while the Serb is an undisputed star. This will be an interesting tournament for Milinkovic-Savic, who has scored three times in his last 13 national team matches but, perhaps more impressively, has scored five times and logged seven assists in 20 league and UEL appearances for Lazio. If he can overcome a tough matchup, there won't be many players harder to stop in the coming games.
It wouldn't be wrong to consider including Alisson ($19), Marquinhos ($19) or Thiago Silva ($19) as the Brazilians have over 40 percent odds to secure a clean sheet. Of the two defenders, Marquinhos far outstrips his captain in his chance to score. Another name to keep track of is Filip Mladenovic ($14) who won't break the bank and could get the start if Filip Kostic ($23) isn't fit and has to cede his role as the secondary set-piece taker.
Tournament Strategy
Forming the perfect lineup with Neymar in the side could be difficult, as his outsized role in Brazil's tactics means that most are likely to pick him for the Superstar (1.6x pts) bonus. This is where Vinicius Junior is one name to consider if he starts, as his +200 odds to score are still quite good but his lower cost makes all the difference in constructing a lineup. The same goes for the aforementioned Dusan Tadic, who has lower scoring odds of +550 but gets to be the primary set piece taker for one of the best attacks he's ever had if Serbia's golden generation overcomes their underwhelming record since winning the U-20 World Cup seven years ago. Fitting Tadic, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Filip Kostic or Filip Mladenovic would then be a notable stack on a slate likely to be rife with Brazilian lineups.
