FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Saturday World Cup Targets

MATCHES (EDT)

10:00 a.m: England v. Sweden
2:00 p.m: Russia v. Croatia

FORWARDS

Harry Kane, ENG v. SWE ($13,000): Kane is the most expensive player on the slate, and with good reason, as he has the highest anytime goal scorer odds while leading the line for the team with the highest win chances and implied goal total. He's the World Cup Golden Boot leader after scoring six goals in three games (three from the penalty spot), and is the likeliest scorer if England find the back of the net. Fading Kane leaves plenty of salary for the other positions, and while there are theoretically alternatives at forward, none of them have Kane's upside. Teammate Raheem Sterling ($8,500) could be one of the cheapest available forwards, but he has really struggled during the tournament in terms of fantasy production, and he's unlikely to deliver much at all if he can't score a goal.

Mario Mandzukic, CRO v. RUS ($10,500): Mandzukic will lead the line for the second-biggest favorite on the slate, and while he's quite goal dependent, he's a little bit safer than fellow Croatian forward Ante Rebic ($9,000), though that's why he's a little more expensive. Mandzukic scored a goal against Denmark in the quarterfinal, but even without that he managed 15.8 fantasy points, his second time with at least 12.9 floor points. It's not huge production, but with no clear floor forwards on the slate, Mandzukic makes sense with the second-highest goal odds among expected starters. On the other side of this game is Artem Dzyuba ($11,000), who is theoretically on penalties for Russia after bagging one against Spain (his third goal in four games) during their quarterfinal win, but he's failed to score more than eight fantasy points without the goal.

Marcus Berg, SWE v. ENG ($7,500): Berg has been a very consistent attacker for Sweden, but he hasn't been able to put it all together and put one in the back of the net. He's taken at least three shots in every game (13 total) and gotten six on goal, giving him a decent floor for a player in this price range. Teammate Ola Toivonen ($9,000) does have a goal (on four shots, including three on goal) and an assist, which is why he's more expensive, but there's no question that Berg is really the spear of the Swedish attack.

MIDFIELDERS

Luka Modric, CRO v. RUS ($9,500): Modric is the most expensive midfielder on the slate, but rightfully so after scoring a goal in each of the first two games and then hitting for 28.9 fantasy points against Denmark in the quarterfinal, which included a missed penalty. A big part of his production came from two shots on goal and five chances created, and there's no doubt that he's the most consistent fantasy midfielder on the slate. Teammate Ivan Rakitic ($9,000) has been really solid during his three starts, scoring 14.5, 20.8 and 23.8 fantasy points, respectively, and given how good they've been together, it's definitely viabel to pair them in a fantasy lineup with some appropriate salary savers elsewhere. If you're looking for a little more upside, Ivan Perisic ($6,500) is an interesting option, though his floor is particularly low because he doesn't get a lot of shots on target and he's not really a chance creator.

Viktor Claesson, SWE v. ENG ($8,000):Emil Forsberg ($9,000) is the more popular Swedish midfielder, but Claesson has been the more reliable fantasy scorer, finishing with at least 13.8 floor points in three of four games. He's done it through a variety of categories, but it's worth noting that he's created two chances in every game he's played in Russia while picking up assists against Germany and Mexico. England aren't the easiest of opponents, but Claesson should still be active enough in the attack to warrant consideration over Forsberg, who is pretty goal/assist dependent to provide any kind of reasonable return.

Denis Cheryshev, RUS v. CRO ($8,500): If you think Russia continues their magical run, it seems more than likely that Cheryshev will be involved, if he starts (or maybe even if he doesn't!). The difficulty with rostering him is that you pretty much need a goal or assist to make value, which is the same with teammates Aleksandr Golvin ($8,000) and Aleksandr Samedov ($6,000). You at least get some salary savings with Samedov, but again, his floor is virtually nothing, which means you're relying on that assist, something that isn't really expected to happen against a strong Croatia side.

DEFENDERS

Kieran Trippier, ENG v. SWE ($6,500): Trippier's role on set pieces gives him a very solid floor, one that's produced more than 20.0 fantasy points in two of three games. He created six chances in England's opening match against Tunisia and then had five more in their quarterfinal win over Colombia. The cost is high for a defender, but Trippier's role would make him a steal at this price if he were a midfielder, and it only helps that England come in with the highest clean sheet odds.

Sergei Ignashevich, RUS v. CRO ($5,000): Ignashevich has been a nice source of fantasy points, scoring at least 15.4 in each of his four starts, including more than 19.0 in each of his last two. He gets most of his production from clearances, blocked shots and tackles, and there's little reason to believe he won't continue to get those opportunities against Croatia on Saturday. Teammate Ilya Kutepov ($6,500) has shown to have a higher floor at times, but the big difference in salary is enough to push me toward Ignashevich. In fact, I'd also consider Mario Fernandes ($4,500), who plays out on the wing but has still managed to score at least 16.9 fantasy points in three of four games, with only one assist over that span.

Emil Krafth, SWE v. ENG ($4,000): Krafth looks set to start at right-back in place of the suspended Mikael Lustig ($5,000), who has actually been a very consistent fantasy producer, scoring at least 13.4 floor points in each match while hitting a high of 30.9 against Mexico. Krafth's expected points shouldn't be as high, but his near-minimum salary helps make up for it. If you're depending on another penalty, centerback Andreas Granqvist ($7,000) would be your guy, and while he's the most expensive defender on the slate, he has scored more than 15.0 fantasy points in three of his four starts, not including goals, assists and clean sheets.

GOALKEEPER

Danijel Subasic, CRO v. RUS ($5,000): Subsasic has the second-highest win and clean sheet odds, trailing England's Jordan Pickford ($4,500) in both categories, but he has arguably the higher save upside given that Russia could come out firing in front of their home fans, while Sweden's attack doesn't rely on getting a lot of shots on goal. Given that no team on the slate is an overwhelming favorite and expected to create a ton of save opportunities, paying down a little bit for a better clean sheet and win chance is enticing.