World Cup fantasy football is getting us excited. With the tournament just months away, we’re getting a nice preview of the action with the Playoffs for the European Qualifiers.
With so much at stake, typical calculations are useless. What you need are players who will show up on the big day.
These are the player cards that I think will improve your fantasy football World Cup selection, and the ones best avoided.
Remember to sign up for FootballCoin’s free World Cup contest and win prizes!
These Are the Players You Need for
The “Must-Haves”
The whole point about these EU play-offs is that the teams playing each other are of similar calibre. This means that there are no “easy picks” this time.
However, sad as it pains me to say, Turkiye looks pretty comfortable going against Romania in a match played under much pressure in Istanbul. Guler and Yildiz are in great form and are fine picks.
Yilmaz should have an outside chance for your selection. However, Bardakci, Demiral and Celik could score big if Bayindir manages to keep a clean sheet, which is a real possibility.
Slovakia plays Kosovo with, I think, strong chances of an offset. Yes, with national pride I’d stake, you’d expect Skriniar, Hancko, and Lobotka to show up for the hosts. All are decent picks.
However, Kosovo is in great form, and usually good for a narrow, scrappy win. Dellova is a good budget pick. Rrahmani and Gallapeni are must-haves. And goalie Saipi could keep a clean sheet here.
Denmark has had a great decade of performances. However, it’s North Macedonia that’s the hungrier side. Still, the opportunity to pick Hjulmand, Hojbjerg, and Damsgaard should not be ignored. From the opposing side, I like Bardhi and Zajkov, but it’s the collective strength that could secure a historic victory.
And, the Republic of Ireland goes in with confidence against Czechia. Coufal, Holes, Soucek and Schik are always good picks. However, starting your team without Parott and O’Shea seems inconceivable to me.
The “Might As Well Try ‘Em”
Can we really enjoy the World Cup without Italy? Another loss would be quite the embarrassment, but Northern Ireland will be a tough opponent.
Frankly, few of the names in Squadra Azzura jump out. Donnarumma may come in handy if you can afford the card. Barella and Fratessi are typically excellent. However, I’ve been disappointed by the defenders and striker, even if victory in the first game should still be easy to achieve, I think.
Meanwhile, Wales are slight favourites against a plucky Bosnia-Herzegovina side. I like B. Johnson and D. James for this one. H. Wilson is also one of the better strikers you can get. However, the same can be said about the ageless Dzeko (yes, the same one!)
Neither Ukraine nor Sweden are playing inspiring football lately. However, the Swedes should be the favourites here. Sema, Svensson, and Lindelof are good, unexciting choices. And Gyokeres is maybe one to take a risk on.
The “Need One More Player for a Full Squad”
Romania’s Ratiu, Man, and Dragusin should see plenty of action and score a good number of points regardless of the team’s result. Having said that, there are likely better options available overall.
Poland is a team that you have gotten used to seeing in international tournaments. But is it any good anymore? Not better than underdogs Albania, most likely. You should still get Lewandowski if you can afford the card. I also like Kiwior, and, especially, Kaminsky.
However, while risky, there’s a case to be made for picking Asslani and Laci in midfield, Djimsiti in defence, and Hoxha (no, not that one!) in attack. This is a team that has the potential to surprise observers.
The Players You Could Do Without!
Calhanoglu is Turkiye’s most famous player. However, recent injuries mean that there’s no guarantee he will play most of the game. There are better options out there.
Di Marco, Bastoni (if available), Retegui, and Raspadori are among the more famous names here. However, all have been disappointing in recent matches in an Italy shirt.
Ukraine, still, has a star-studded side. However, talented players like Tsyganov, Shaparenko, and even Yaremchuk haven’t quite shown their best in the national team shirt just yet.
Finally, Hojlund and Isaksen are strikers that I like. However, recent form doesn’t suggest they’re the ideal picks for World Cup fantasy football this week.
