The 2022 World Cup is finally here and it's time to dig into the DFS soccer picks and top plays for Monday's slate of matches. You can build daily fantasy soccer lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel with the first match between England and Iran starting at 8 AM ET. We also have USA and Wales facing off in their World Cup opener while Netherlands takes on Senegal. Let's take a closer look at the DFS World Cup top picks, lineup strategies & players to target for Monday, November 21st. 

 

2022 World Cup DFS Soccer Preview November 21

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I began researching the first DFS slate of the 2022 World Cup, but what I found was six teams that all rely heavily on their full-backs and wing-backs. Whenever we get a DFS slate that appears to be loaded at a particular position, my general strategy is to play the cheapest option available. If all of the players are good, you might as well save some money. That is indeed the case for this slate, though we will of course keep an eye out for higher-scoring games or players who appear to be particularly undervalued.

With that in mind, the highest-scoring game on the slate should be Senegal vs. Netherlands. It has the best odds to go over 2.5 goals at +110, and for a good reason. Only two sides scored more goals than the Netherlands in European qualifying but 14 teams conceded fewer. The Netherlands has conceded at least once in nine of 15 games under manager Louis van Gaal. Both teams are missing their best players and while Netherlands has more talent to cope with the loss of Memphis Depay, I still think Senegal will avoid getting shut out even without Sadio Mane.

With Depay and Mane out, Harry Kane and Gareth Bale are by far the best remaining fantasy plays. Kane scored 12 goals in World Cup qualifying, three times as many as the next-highest score, Harry Maguire. England should score at least once and it should involve Kane or a set piece, or perhaps both.

Gareth Bale led Wales in goals and assists in qualifying despite playing just 63 percent of available minutes. I don’t think the U.S. has any answer for Bale on set pieces or for his teammates on the counter-attack. You could do a lot worse than a lineup built around Kane, Bale and as many wing-backs as you can fit in your lineup.

2022 World Cup DFS Soccer Picks November 21

Goalkeepers

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Wayne HennesseyWALUSA4300010 
Wales is content to sit back and defend but they aren't always great at it. Hennessey had to make nine saves to get Wales through against Ukraine and with the Americans' lack of finishing we could get a lot of saves and even a clean sheet.
Jordan PickfordENGIRN59006.2138.43
England kept clean sheets in five consecutive games to begin Euro 2020 and England is -170 to win and keep a clean sheet. The back line looks more vulnerable than it did last summer but I still don't think Iran can get through it.
Alireza BeyranvandIRNENG35009.15712
While England is one of the best teams in the tournament, they are not prolific offensively. They are often content to hold possession after they score their first goal, and that totally matches Iran's style. They have conceded more than once in just 12 of 99 games under manager Carlos Queiroz. If Beyranvand can pick up a few saves to go with one goal conceded, he will be just fine for his price.

Forwards

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Kieffer MooreWALUSA6700016 
Moore is second to Gareth Bale in goals since manager Rob Page took over in November 2020. He offers a big target on crosses and set pieces at a reasonable price.
Steven BergwijnNEDSEN8800016 
Whoever starts for Memphis Depay will certainly be in consideration but Bergwijn is probably safer. He has seven goals in 11 league games for Ajax and two more in the Champions League. He also has two goals in six games for the Netherlands in 2022.
Josh SargentUSAWAL6800014 
Sargent has been the most in-form U.S. striker and I believe he is the most versatile. I don't trust any American players for cash games outside of Antonee Robinson but Sargent is a strong GPP play and I think his ownership will be lower than several of his teammates.
Vincent JanssenNEDSEN7100015 
Janssen looks like the most likely candidate to start for Memphis Depay, and he is also the cheapest on DraftKings. Janssen had two assists in 156 minutes in the Nations League this summer. He is a tournament play on both sites.
Harry KaneENGIRN1020018.182223.08
Kane scored 12 goals in qualifying, eight more than Harry Maguire, who was second. He is on penalties, and is two goals away from Wayne Rooney's goalscoring record. He is riskier on DraftKings but he looks like the best player on either slate.

Midfielders

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Gareth BaleWALUSA8000017 
I don't think the U.S. team has any answer for Gareth Bale, especially on set pieces. At the very least, he should be super safe on DraftKings.
Denzel DumfriesNEDSEN7200012 
With Memphis Depay unable to start, Dumfries could be even more pivotal in his spot on the right wing. He should be one of the safer midfielders on the DK slate, and he has a nice ceiling as a defender on FD.
Ismaila SarrSENNED50006.36166.93
Sarr was in every draft of this playbook even before Sadio Mane was ruled out but now he looks essential, even on FanDuel where his price is higher. In their run to the AFCON Championship, 42 percent of Senegal's attacks came down the left-hand side, compared to 34 percent on the right. I would expect those percentages to flip, or at the very least even out with Mane out. Netherlands does not keep many clean sheets and Sarr is my bet to score for Senegal.
Phil FodenENGIRN7900021 
If I knew for certain that Foden would be on corners, he would be a must-play. That being said, I am pretty confident he is, and even if he isn't, I don't know why he is so much cheaper than Bukayo Saka on DraftKings. If you need a forward you can pivot to Sterling but Foden looks like a really nice value.
Iliman NdiayeSENNED460009 
Whoever starts for Sadio Mane figures to be dirt cheap on one of the sites, though I would probably prefer if Pathe Ciss got the start. I'm definitely playing Sarr over Ndiaye on DK but I could easily play them both together, and Ndiaye is my favorite punt play on FD if he starts.
Alireza JahanbakhshIRNENG51004.89148.00
If you are going this cheap you are either playing someone who doesn't attack much for a good team or you are playing a good attacker with a tough matchup. Jahanbakhsh is certainly the latter. He has three assists in 313 minutes for Feyenoord in Eredivisie and he has eight attacking returns in 16 games for Iran this year.
Iliman NdiayeSENNED460009 
Whoever starts for Sadio Mane figures to be dirt cheap on one of the sites, though I would probably prefer if Pathe Ciss got the start. I'm definitely playing Sarr over Ndiaye on DK but I could easily play them both together, and Ndiaye is my favorite punt play on FD if he starts.

Defenders

PlayerTeamOpp.DK $DK FPPGFD $FD FPPG
Antonee RobinsonUSAWAL4800011 
Robinson led the Americans with three assists in qualifying and he also created 18 chances. He gets forward more for his country than he does for Fulham, and he is probably a better bet to play 90 minutes than Sergino Dest.
Harry MaguireENGIRN39007.561014.89
Maguire was second on the team with four goals in World Cup qualifying. He may not get enough defensive stats to be in cash lineups on either site but we are getting a fantastic price to chase a set-piece goal in tournaments.
Ehsan HajsafiIRNENG31004.987.73
Both of Iran's goals in their September friendlies involved building out from the back with the full-backs getting forward. I don't really expect them to score in this game but we just need a few crosses or shots for Hajsafi to return value.
Luke ShawENGIRN6100013 
I'm not sure there is a good reason for Shaw to cost $1,200 less than Kieran Trippier, especially if Phil Foden is going to be on set pieces. This is the best matchup on the slate and Shaw isn't that much more expensive than the other top-tier defenders.
Youssouf SabalySENNED44002.4698.43
Senegal likes to get their wing-backs into the attack, sometimes even getting behind the opposing back-line for long balls from Koulibaly. Among the underdogs on the slate, I think Senegal is most likely to score at least one goal, which makes Sabaly a nice value.
Kalidou KoulibalySENNED32001.59138.23
Koulibaly is a better play on FD thanks to the defensive stats but if you need a punt on DK you could do much worse. Koulibaly completed the most long passes in AFCON 2021 and the Netherlands' high line should give him plenty of space to send Mane, Sarr or the wing-backs in behind the defense. Those passes don't always lead directly to shots and hockey assists don't count in our game but if Koulibaly provides an assist or a couple of chances created he will be a great value.

2022 World Cup DFS Soccer Core Plays November 21

DraftKings Core Plays
Top TierHarry Kane$10,200
Gareth Bale$8,000
Mid TierLuke Shaw$6,100
Denzel Dumfries$7,200
Value TierAntonee Robinson$4,800
Ismaila Sarr$5,000
   
FanDuel Core Plays
Top Tier  
Harry Kane$22
Mid TierSteven Bergwijn$16
Ismaila Sarr$16
Value TierKalidou Koulibaly$13
Iliman Ndiaye$9
 

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