This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
Sunday's World Cup final between France and Argentina has all the makings of an entertaining finish to an exciting month of international DFS action. Both teams sit at exactly 34 percent to win outright and the implied goal total is sitting around 2.35. France have looked every bit the part of the defending champion throughout this tournament, but Argentina will be aiming to help cement its captain's legacy as one of the best to ever grace the pitch.
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CASH GAME STRATEGY
This match will enjoy no shortage of star power, as arguably the two best active players in the world will go toe-to-toe with the ultimate prize on the line. Lionel Messi ($34, +160 to score) is priced one dollar ahead of Kylian Mbappe ($33), but I prefer the latter at +185 to score simply because he has a more potent supporting cast. Mbappe's been effectively bottled up in France's past two matchups against England and Morocco, but it's difficult to see him failing to find the net in three consecutive matches. Conversely, three of Messi's five goals in this tournament have come from the penalty spot and Yahoo heavily rewards goals over any other goal contribution category. If Argentina fail to draw a foul within the area, it's conceivable that Messi ends up taking on a more distributive role and creates opportunities for the likes of striker Julian Alvarez ($26), who scored a brace in the squad's semi-final matchup against Croatia.
Antoine Griezmann ($24) has flown under the radar in Mbappe's shadow at times and quietly established himself as one of the most valuable players in this tournament. He's been elite from box-to-box in all six of France's games and is priced quite fairly for the number of touches he should see. He's logged three assists in six appearances (five starts) and it wouldn't be surprising if he tallied a goal in this contest to help his squad defend its title. Even if he doesn't score, he'll still be on most set pieces which makes him a borderline must-start in this particular format. Two-footed wonder Ousmane Dembele ($16) is also priced reasonably and could provide excellent returns for a player who is sixth (per the odds) amongst all projected starters to locate the back of the net.
If you elect to fade Messi in lieu of rostering Mbappe, Argentina still offer a few other compelling attacking options in Alexis Mac Allister ($23) and Enzo Fernandez ($21). Both players have strengthened their international profiles during this World Cup and are the subject of frequent transfer rumors to some of the largest clubs in Europe. Accordingly, another impressive performance here could boost the midfielders' value even further, and usual Brighton trigger-man Mac Allister at +650 to score feels like strong value (provided he fits the budget). He'll likely take at least a couple indiscriminate attempts on goal from atop the box, particularly if France pay extra attention to Messi. Fernandez is less likely to score at +750 but is a rather safe bet to post strong peripherals across the score-sheet and at both ends of the pitch.
TOURNAMENT STRATEGY
I'm usually inclined to believe that the oddsmakers know best, and this matchup's implied goal total suggests that Sunday could be a low-scoring affair. With all eyes on Messi and Mbappe, I don't mind firing up both keepers and hoping that their stout defensive units are able to keep the game within the middle third. Hugo Lloris ($18) hasn't conceded more than one goal throughout this tournament and should see enough long-range attempts from Mac Allister and Messi to help buoy his fantasy value under multiple outcomes. On the flip side, Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez ($17) hasn't been tested all that frequently in Qatar but has two clean-sheet results in his last three matches.
Another interesting tournament strategy could involve paying the premium for both Mbappe and Messi and fading the rest of the big names further down the lineup. This strategy makes the most sense in two distinct scenarios: one where both superstars shoulder the lion's share of their teams offense or one where Mbappe and Messi take a number of attempts and defensive players like Theo Hernandez ($20), Aurelien Tchouameni ($20) and Rodrigo De Paul ($19) surprisingly play hero on the day. Hernandez and Tchouameni have both already proven to be dangerous scorers within the knockout round (one goal apiece) but are priced rather modestly to reflect their holding positions within the formation.
If neither of these strategies seem particularly compelling, I believe France have a slight edge in terms of both experience and firepower and ultimately come away with a narrow victory Sunday. As such, a French stack with Mbappe, Griezmann, Dembele, Tchouameni and Lloris still provides for plenty of budget to grab Alvarez, Mac Allister or Fernandez (to satisfy lineup requirement purposes) and could very well smash in the event of a 2-1 or 3-1 affair.
