One of the most interesting trends I have noticed early on in the 2023 Women’s World Cup is how much of the talent pool is concentrated at forward. Often in our EPL DFS Playbook we are desperate to find anyone who forward eligibility who will consistently produce fantasy points. That is not the case in the women’s game, especially at the World Cup. Big teams like England and the USWNT have so many forwards that top goal scorers like Rachel Daly and Crystal Dunn often have to play at outside back just to get on the field. For smaller countries like Jamaica and South Africa, their best player is often a forward playing in one of the top domestic leagues. Of course, this phenomenon matters less on FanDuel, where forwards and midfielders are lumped together. The main takeaway is on that site is that you probably need to be more willing to play cheap defenders in an effort to spend as much as possible on attackers. On DraftKings, anyone with M/F eligibility will probably be in one of your midfielder slots. Also, your UTIL will most likely be a forward. These are not hard and fast rules, but I would probably need a good reason to deviate from them, especially in this slate.
Goalkeepers
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Daphne van Domselaar
NED
POR
5300
0
12
0.00
Van Domselaar was the best keeper at the Euros, conceding just three goals on six xGOT. Netherlands faces a tougher test than Sweden or France but van Domselaar has a good chance to provide a win and a clean sheet at a cheaper price. She could have more saves than Jennifer Falk and Pauline Peyraud-Magnin as well.
Jennifer Falk
SWE
RSA
5900
0
13
0.00
Speaking of Falk, Sweden seems more stable than France heading into the tournament and Sweden doesn't have to contend with anyone who can match the quality of Bunny Shaw. As an added bonus, Falk is cheaper than Peyraud-Magnin on FanDuel.
Ines Pereira
POR
NED
4100
0
8
0.00
I think Portugal probably peaked at Euro 2022 and will regress a bit at the World Cup, but I could be wrong. They have a better chance to pull an upset than any of the other underdogs. More importantly, Netherlands is missing Vivianne Miedema, and I think there is a good chance they create a bunch of chances but can't finish. That could lead to a bunch of saves at a discount price.
Forwards
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Kika Nazareth
POR
NED
5000
0
16
0.00
Jessica Silva rightfully gets all the headlines for Portugal, but Nazareth has a chance to break out after playing great for Benfica last season. I would probably pivot to Silva on FanDuel, especially for tournaments, but Nazareth should create more chances.
Stina Blackstenius
SWE
RSA
9200
0
18
0.00
I don't know why she is so cheap on FanDuel. Blackstenius was great after signing with Arsenal in January, scoring six goals in 11 WSL games. I think I like her better than Fridolina Rolfo on both sites and Blackstenius is a solid pivot if you cannot afford Asllani on DraftKings.
Jody Brown
JAM
FRA
3600
0
9
0.00
Brown is just 19 years old and she has a chance to break out next to Bunny Shaw. I'm not really expecting it in this game but none of the other punt plays in this slate offer her kind of upside.
Kadidiatou Diani
FRA
JAM
9500
0
20
0.00
I might pivot to one of her teammates on FanDuel depending on how much money I have to spend. On DraftKings, however, she is my favorite top-tier target outside of Kosovare Asllani. Attacking from the right side, I think she will fill the box score against Jamaica's suspect defense.
Thembi Kgatlana
RSA
SWE
3900
0
15
0.00
She has been great for Racing Louisville this season, and she is too cheap on DraftKings. I'm not expecting a ton against one of the tournament favorites but if South Africa can surprise Sweden, Kgatlana will likely be involved.
Midfielders
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Jill Roord
NED
POR
5400
0
13
0.00
Roord is as good a bet as any to step up for Netherlands with Vivianne Miedema out. She is a versatile midfielder who typically plays in the center of the pitch but has a knack for finding space within a defense. She is risky on DraftKings due to a lack of crosses but I think she should create at least a couple of chances while possibly adding a goal as well.
Kosovare Asllani
SWE
RSA
9800
0
16
0.00
Asllani is underpriced on FanDuel, and she may be the safest attacker on the DraftKings slate. Only two players created more chances at Euro 2022 and when you combine that tournament with qualifying, she had nearly double the assists of any other player. Asllani had the most xA at the last World Cup and she is on set pieces as well.
Sherida Spitse
NED
POR
4200
0
18
0.00
On Friday night we had success playing Lindsay Horan as a midfielder who will get involved in attack at times and is lethal on free kicks. That pretty much describes Spitse, and while I'm not necessarily expecting her to score in her opening match like Horan did, I'm not ruling it out, either. I'll probably pivot to one of her teammates on FanDuel but Spitse looks like a fantastic value on DraftKings. Just know that if you're not staying up late Sunday morning, there is a reasonable chance Spitse doesn't start.
Grace Geyoro
FRA
JAM
7100
0
19
0.00
I'll pay up for Eugenie Le Sommer or Kadidiatou Diani if I can, but Geyoro has a chance to produce just as much as a discount. She led the European Championships in goals scored, and while she may be riskier on DraftKings, I like her for both sites.
Defenders
Player
Team
Opp.
DK $
DK FPPG
FD $
FD FPPG
Allyson Swaby
JAM
FRA
2500
0
9
0.00
Cheap central defenders with good matchups are surprisingly hard to come by, but Swaby stands out in that regard. France should have an overwhelming possession advantage, giving Swaby plenty of opportunities for clearances and blocked shots.
Diana Gomes
POR
NED
4900
0
10
0.00
Gomes isn't as cheap as Swaby and I don't like the matchup as much, but I would still rather chase defensive stats than hope that a higher-priced defender has a goal involvement.
Sakina Karchaoui
FRA
JAM
5200
0
12
0.00
Karchaoui was named to the 2022 Euro team of the tournament and led all defenders with 22 take-ons. She should get forward quite a bit, especially against Jamaica. I like her on both sites, though she may be a bit risky on FanDuel. If Selma Bacha starts instead, Bacha would be a must-play on DraftKings.
Kerstin Casparij
NED
POR
2800
0
8
0.00
Anytime you can get outside back for a team expected to have most of the possession dirt-cheap on DraftKings, you have to consider that. I would feel more confident in Lynn Wilms getting forward if she starts but Casparij is $1,100 cheaper and it wouldn't take much to return value.
