This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
Saturday's two-game FanDuel slate features what figure to be two highly-competitive quarterfinals World Cup matchups between Morocco versus Portugal (57 percent to win) and England versus France (39 percent to win). Both matchups have relatively average expected goal totals at 2.54 and 2.64 goals, respectively. Although many eyes will be locked in on the all-European match at 2:00 pm ET, both contests are loaded with talent and should make for an interesting day full of DFS action.
MATCHES (ET)
- 10:00 am: Morocco vs. Portugal
- 2:00 pm: England vs. France
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: World Cup Cheat Sheet
FORWARDS / MIDFIELDERS
Harry Kane, ENG vs. FRA ($18): The England striker is surprisingly cheap for being one of the most likely players on the docket to find the back of the net at +180. So is Jude Bellingham ($13), who's less likely to net but more likely to contribute across the scoresheet. France will be perhaps the toughest test England have faced in the tournament to date, but the Three Lions have proven that they can score against just about any opponent. Kane scored in the team's 3-0 victory against Senegal in the Round of 16 and he'll probably need to keep the brief streak alive Saturday should his squad hope to advance to the semifinal round. France have few weaknesses but their back line is one of the youngest remaining units in the tournament and have conceded at least once during each of the past four contests.
Kylian Mbappe, FRA vs. ENG ($21): The current Golden Boot leader will garner most of the attention on the other side of Saturday afternoon's tilt and is just +170 to tally, but apparently England manager Gareth Southgate has been formulating an anti-Mbappe game plan for more than a year. This could easily open up opportunities and space for the more affordable Antoine Griezmann ($17) and Ousmane Dembele ($16) to go to work against Manchester United duo Luke Shaw ($11) and Harry Maguire ($11). Shaw is known more for his offensive prowess than anything else and Maguire's prone to making a cheap error on occasion. France may well exploit this potential weakness early and often and Griezmann and Dembele would be the greatest beneficiaries.
Bruno Fernandes, POR vs MOR ($20): Arguably Fernandes, not Cristiano Ronaldo, has been the focal point for Portugal through four World Cup matches and his quality in the middle of the pitch is crucial to his squad's success. Given that he also takes most of the team's corner kicks and penalties, I prefer Fernandes to striker Goncalo Ramos ($19) at similar prices. Ramos will be a trendy selection after logging a hat trick against an overmatched Switzerland squad, but that performance could be difficult to replicate against a Morocco side that has conceded the least goals of any team remaining in the tournament. It feels more likely that Portugal generate offense from the midfield in this contest, which also opens up opportunities for the likes of Bernardo Silva ($12) and Joao Felix ($18).
Youssef En-Nesyri, MOR vs POR ($13): The striker for the only African side left remaining, he's priced more like a defender while holding just +350 odds to score against his Iberian neighbors. Morocco has struggled to score in this World Cup, but they might be inclined to press a bit higher against a Portugal side that is known for squandering early leads. Accordingly, the Sevilla star En Nesyri and set-piece specialist Hakim Ziyech ($15) are the Moroccans to target Saturday and they'll need to once again be at the top of their games.
DEFENDERS
Diogo Dalot, POR vs. MOR ($13): Dalot opens the day as one of three Manchester United defenders to presumably be active during Saturday's festivities. He's pretty expensive considering he'll be facing a Moroccan team that have only scored four goals in this World Cup and might be rotated for Joao Cancelo, but he's earned the price by logging two assists in two starts in Qatar. If he starts, chances are high for some offensive activity up-and-down the right wing and a clean sheet bonus to boot. Cancelo is only $10 and presents tremendous value in his own right, again provided he finds the starting XI. As mentioned, Morocco might not be at full health in this one and Portugal demonstrated just what they're capable of against a sick squad by drubbing Switzerland 6-1 in the Round of 16.
Jules Kounde, FRA vs ENG ($8): Despite being terrific for France in this tournament, Kounde is somewhat surprisingly priced near the bottom of the slate. He has the goal-contribution upside of a full-back while being priced more like a centre-half. On the other side of this matchup, Kyle Walker is only $7 and while he'll be tasked with defending Mbappe, this could lend itself to a busy afternoon of tackles, clearances and counters.
Luke Shaw, ENG vs FRA ($11): Although the aforementioned Shaw and Maguire tandem will no doubt have their hands full on the defensive side of the pitch, they're both skilled at getting forward when appropriate. England might just try to play keep-away from Mbappe, so at the current prices, they're both affordable exposure to the opposite side of the field. Shaw would be my preference and is the most likely of the two to find a goal contribution, whereas Maguire will probably be lively posting tackles and clearances. Just be warned, neither is terribly likely to grab a clean sheet as that percentage sits at only 25 percent.
GOALKEEPERS
Diogo Costa, POR vs MOR ($13): The Portugal keepers are predictably the most expensive but also have the highest clean sheet percentage on the day at over 43 percent. As mentioned, Morocco's only found the back of the net four times in four matches and probably won't be at full health. As such, I'm not going to overthink this one too much since England vs. France could yield some goals. That said, if you're looking to that particular matchup for your GK selection, Jordan Pickford ($9) has looked absolutely elite in Qatar and might just be on a mission to cement himself as an English legend of sorts. One could do worse than wager (rather affordably) that Pickford continues his stellar run of form and impresses once again in a tough spot against the vaunted French attack.
