This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EDT)
2:45 p.m: Belgium v. Gibraltar
2:45 p.m: Cyprus v. Bosnia and Herzegovina
2:45 p.m: France v. Netherlands
2:45 p.m: Portugal v. Faroe Islands
2:45 p.m: Switzerland v. Andorra
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
GOALKEEPER
Rui Patricio, POR v. FAR ($5,900):Thibaut Courtois is the top option of the slate, but even against very poor competition, Belgium have been known to concede a goal. Portugal, on the other hand, is one of the best defenses in the world, if not the best, and head coach Fernando Santos is a perfectionist, and certainly unwilling to concede a goal to an under-matched Faroe Islands side. In a slate where all of the goalkeepers of the favorites are priced above $5,200, it's sharp to pay the extra $600 to get an almost guaranteed clean sheet.
DEFENDER
Ricardo Rodriguez, SUI v. AND ($6,300): It may not be the wisest decision to pay up at defender due to the surplus of attacking talent, but if you do, Rodriguez should be your man. He is always heavily involved in the attack, and he is responsible for taking most set pieces for the Swiss. He shares most dead ball situations with Xherdan Shaqiri, but Rodriguez takes the team's penalty kicks, which gives him a higher ceiling for a defender.
Cedric Soares, POR v. FAR ($5,800): Cedric's sheer volume of crosses is something worth noting. He will certainly be storming up the right side of the field, swinging crosses toward the head of Cristiano Ronaldo all game. Portugal is three points behind Switzerland in Group B, so the team would love to get a resounding win as it looks to leap over the Swiss into first place.
Ermin Bicakcic, BH at CYP ($4,500): Bicakcic plays center-back for Hoffenheim, but he often plays right-back for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Against Gibraltar, Bicakcic swung in 10 crosses and scored a goal. He's not going to score 30 fantasy points every game, but it shows his upside as a $4,500 defender. There is a chance that he slides inside and starts at center-back, but if he starts at right-back, he makes for a solid value play at defender.
MIDFIELDER
Kevin De Bruyne, BEL v. GIB ($10,400): KDB hasn't quite been himself this season, but Gibraltar makes for a great way to break out. Bosnia beat Gibraltar 5-0 last March, so how many goals is Belgium going to put on them?
Xherdan Shaqiri, SUI v. AND ($9,300): Another man that has loads of talent, but is unpredictable, is Shaqiri. Built like a keg, Shaqiri has all of the talent in the world, but his mood of the day determines what performance you will get out of him. He is the man for the Swiss, and if his mood is right, he will blow up Thursday.
Joao Moutinho, POR v. FAR ($5,600): Moutinho will take some set pieces for Portugal, and he will be over all dead balls if Ricardo Quaresma get subbed off or doesn't start. In a game expected to have plenty of goals for the home side, Moutinho is likely going to set at least one up, as he is one of the team's best playmakers. He plays a similar role for his club AS Monaco, and the numbers in his game log in Ligue 1 look solid.
Miralem Pjanic, BH at CYP ($7,100): Pjanic plays a bit of a different role for his country than at his club Juventus, where he plays more as a defensive midfielder. For Bosnia and Herzegovina he is the ideal no. 10 who takes all set pieces and is the center of attack in the run of play. With so many expensive options on the board, Pjanic offers a way to save up a bit in the midfield, and still get exposure to a sky high potential.
FORWARD
Cristiano Ronaldo, POR v. FAR ($11,800): Speaking of blowing up, how can you not pick Ronaldo against the Faroe Islands?
Romelu Lukaku, BEL v. GIB ($10,300): The big Belgian has been on fire since joining Manchester United this summer. It may be hard to fit both CR7 and Lukaku, but if you can, you are giving yourself the greatest chance of getting more than two goals with two players.
Ricardo Quaresma, POR v. FAR ($9,600): Quaresma is a high volume fantasy player with incredible upside and a safe floor. He takes all of the team's set pieces, and his confidence as a goalscorer has always been higher than it should be. But that is a good thing for a fantasy manager because it means that he is sure to fire off a few shots, and you never know where they will end up. With Quaresma, the shots could land 20 rows up into the stands or in the back of the net. One thing is certain: he will hit double-digit crosses if he starts.
Edin Dzeko, BH at CYP ($8,600): The next man up for the highest probability to score is Dzeko. He is the man for Bosnia and Herzegovina up top, and against Cyprus it is hard to see him not finding the back of the net. With so many expensive options, the best thing to do is fill up your attack with guys you think will score because your team will need a ton of goals in order to cash. A player to pair with Dzeko is Miralem Pjanic ($7,100).
