Monday’s single-game Yahoo slate pits tournament favorite Brazil against the rising stars from South Korea in this Round of 16 matchup. After taking down Portugal, the Koreans will look to claim another giant in the Selecao that’s expecting to get Neymar back from injury.
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
DFS Fantasy Soccer: South Korea vs. Brazil Cheat Sheet
CASH GAME STRATEGY
Although Neymar ($30) is likely to be available for Monday’s matchup, manager Tite did not suggest whether or not he’d be picked to start after returning from beating his ankle against Serbia to open the group stage. He still carries the best odds to score at 47.6 percent, so it’s likely that the little he might play could be the most productive of anyone on the pitch. Casemiro ($29) took another jump in price after scoring a fine goal to defeat Switzerland in addition to keeping two clean sheets in two starts. He holds +400 odds to score, which isn’t great for someone who’d take up plenty of space in the salary cap. Until Neymar takes to the pitch, Vinicius Junior ($27) and Richarlison ($24) will be threats for the Brazilians and they are second and third in their odds to score, respectively. The Koreans also hold plenty of names worth tracking after their surge in the group stage with rising star Cho Gue-Sung ($28) having scored twice, but he went scoreless against Portugal. The bigger names of Son Heung-Min ($23) and Hwang Hee-Chan ($23) combined for the winning strike against the Portuguese but will have to work hard to overcome the 53-percent chance for Brazil to secure a clean sheet.
Aside from Casemiro, there aren’t many midfielders with great projections and even a few defenders that surpass them in salary and expected contribution. A few names to consider are Lucas Paqueta ($16), Kang-In Lee ($16) and Hwang In-beom ($17). Paqueta is coming off a poor group stage, while Lee has logged one assist but has also started just once in three games and In-beom took five shots from a deeper midfield role. Rodrygo ($18) is worth considering with one assist and a start as an attacking midfielder during the group stage, along with a low price and improved role without Neymar in the lineup.
Defensive names could be the difference-maker and most are likely to favor the Brazilians and their high chances of picking up a shutout. Alisson ($20) has jumped in cost after conceding no goals in two games and he should return to the lineup for the knockout rounds. Marquinhos’ ($18) odds to score are +500 and those are just behind Son Heung-Min. Thiago Silva ($18) will again have a high chance at a clean sheet while Danilo ($18) could return to the lineup from an injury and Dani Alves ($16) performed well in relief of an injury-filled full-back group. The Koreans await news on Kim Min-Jae’s ($16) fitness, while Kim Jin-su ($18) has one assist in three games and Kim Young-gwon ($17) scored against Portugal before picking up his own injury. Picking any of the three would require a healthy dose of confidence in their ability to hold strong against a talented attacking team, although Brazil have only scored three goals in three group stage games.
TOURNAMENT STRATEGY
Picking anything but a Brazilian for the Superstar (1.6x) bonus is an easy way to be unique in your lineup but it also puts a lot of trust in the Koreans to continue their fine attacking form after scoring four goals in the second and third games of the group stage. If you take that route, Son Heung-Min ($26) and Hwang Hee-Chan ($23) offer more manageable salaries that still provide room to pick among the Brazilians. Among the favorites, everything will be reliant on how much Neymar ($30) can contribute. If he’s not in the lineup, consider one of Vinicius Junior ($27) with eight chances created in three games or Rodrygo ($18), who’s improved with each passing match.