This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
Wednesday's single-game Yahoo contest features the reigning champions France (62 percent to win) versus a resilient Morocco squad that has been elite on the defensive side of the ball in this tournament. The implied goal total is roughly two-and-a-half, but the Northern Africans will no doubt be looking to turn the matchup into a low-scoring affair. Depending on how things shake out, a few different DFS strategies will be in play during this crucial semi-final clash.
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
CASH GAME STRATEGY
Youssef En-Nesyri ($20) is the undisputed tip of the spear for Morocco, but he's still being priced well below his French attacking counterparts. This makes him nearly a must-start in this format and his +500 odds to score appear an excellent value as well. Be reminded that Yahoo rewards goals over assists rather handsomely (8 points vs 4 points) relative to other formats, so if En-Nesyri finds the net, you're going to want him in your lineup. Teammate and set-piece extraordinaire Hakim Ziyech is also a compelling value at $22 given his key role in the middle of the pitch.
Golden Boot leader Kylian Mbappe ($33) will predictably be present in a large percentage of lineups despite his price at the top end of the slate. I'm not necessarily going to recommend fading the French phenom, but it should be noted that he'll have his hands full lining up against PSG teammate Achraf Hakimi. He does hold the shortest odds to score at just +120 but was rather contained during the squad's win Saturday against England. Morocco will be keen to study England's anti-Mbappe gameplan, which opened up opportunities for Antoine Griezmann ($25), Aurelien Tchouameni ($19), and striker Olivier Giroud ($29). Of this trio, Giroud has the best scoring odds at +175 and would be my choice of the three if you can afford him.
Further down the lineup, French winger Ousmane Dembele is a tremendous value at only $17 and will probably be heavily rostered as an easy lineup-building piece. He's only +350 to score, so his price just appears too low to pass up in this type of contest. As mentioned, Mbappe typically garners most of the defensive attention when France are attacking and Dembele will be keen to find his first goal of this World Cup. The aforementioned Tchouameni isn't a pure scorer but found lightning in a bottle against England. Perhaps Dembele can play the role of this week's Tchouameni by opening his World Cup account in a big spot. Holding midfielder Eduardo Camavinga ($20) also may enjoy an expanded role with teammates Adrien Rabiot and Dayot Upamecano battling illness.
TOURNAMENT STRATEGY
If you decide to Superstar (1.6x points) Mbappe, you're likely going to have to be nearly perfect with the rest of your lineup. Given how prices fit together in this contest, the optimal lineup is almost guaranteed to leave at least some budget on the table. As such, the only viable team stack in this matchup is France with either En-Nesyri or Ziyech (or both) on the other side to fulfill roster requirements. In the event both teams score at least once, this type of lineup should be sitting pretty at the end of the evening.
As with many of these single-game contests, the final result can often come down to selecting the proper keeper and leaping ahead of the field via clean sheet bonus. This game has the feel of a potentially defensive slugfest, so both Bono ($18) and Hugo Lloris ($18) are certainly in play. I'm inclined to believe that France is simply too much for Morocco here, as Morocco is currently battling several lingering injury questions. With that in mind, I would fire up Lloris along with Dembele, Griezmann, Tchouameni, and Camavinga in hopes that France wins without a Mbappe goal, similar to its most recent result with England.
