Free Today Only! World Cup DFS Picks & Strategy: Thursday, June 11th
The World Cup kicks off Thursday with a pair of games on the main slate on DraftKings. The first game starts at 3:00 PM ET when Mexico hosts South Africa at Estadio Banorte in Mexico City, and the second game is between South Korea and Czechia at 10:00 PM ET in Guadalajara, Mexico. The two games offer some fun options when it comes to building lineups, so let’s run down some of the top plays to consider from the four squads beginning their World Cup journeys.
If you’re new to soccer DFS, don’t worry! We have you covered with my Beginner’s Guide to Daily Fantasy Soccer, our soccer player projections, and our soccer optimizer (LineupHQ). So you should be set if you are wanting to sweat any or all of the 104 matches in the 2026 World Cup.
These four teams make up Group A in this year’s Group Stage. Just a reminder that the tournament has been expanded this year, with the top two teams moving on from each group and eight 3rd-place teams earning a spot in the Round of 32 as well.
Mexico is the overwhelming favorite to win the group, with South Korea and Czechia about even and South Africa seen as a long shot. Based on world rankings, the matchup against South Africa should be a good spot to lean into a Mexico stack, although there should be good value from the late game as well since both South Korea and Czechia have several strong players to build around.
Forwards
Top Play: Raul Jimenez, Mexico ($10,000)
Jimenez remains the focal point of the Mexico attack and has the highest projections of all players on the slate. The 35-year-old World Cup veteran has the highest xG on the board and is tied for the 2nd-highest OPTO% in our projections tool.
He spent the last 3 seasons with Fulham in the EPL but recently signed a 2-year contract with a 1-year option to return to the Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Champions League (the second tier of English soccer). He thrived with the Wolves earlier in his career, scoring 57 goals in 166 appearances from 2018–2023.
Mexico will be looking for him to bring some of that elite goal-scoring upside to Group A. He is the clear first-choice center forward in the team’s current offense and ranks 3rd in the national team’s all-time scoring list, with 45 goals in his 125 caps.
While he isn’t likely to be a top-tier option on every slate or one of the top players in the tournament overall, our projections indicate that he’s worth paying up for in this favorable matchup as he kits up for his home country to kick off the huge tournament. His likely heavy involvement makes him a great spend-up play to start your lineup with.
Top Value: Roberto Alvarado, Mexico ($7,000)
Based on our projections, the cheap value on this slate is mostly in the midfield, so don’t get too crazy going with a bargain play up top when there is better value elsewhere (which I will highlight below). Most of the teams on this slate are actually projected to start players with midfield eligibility in their forward spots, leaving only a few options to run alongside Jimenez.
Alvarado is a key piece in the Mexico offense as both a creator and scorer, and he comes at a relatively affordable price tag. His 45% OPTO% is the highest of any player on the slate, and he is one of the best point-per-dollar options as well.
The 27-year-old winger is projected to be involved in set pieces and corner kicks, which boosts his overall projections to some of the best on the slate. Stacking him with Jimenez should put your lineup in a good place to take advantage of the talent differential between Mexico and South Africa.
If you opt to go cheaper, Lyle Foster ($4,300) and Hwang Hee-Chan ($5,800) are affordable plays with solid involvement expected.
Midfielders
Top Play: Brian Gutierrez, Mexico ($5,400)
Before we move on from the Mexico stack, Gutierrez is another great piece to add to the mix. He also has excellent minutes and involvement projections and should also be one of the team’s top corner and set-piece takers.
The 22-year-old played his way through the U.S. National team system before moving to the Mexican national team toward the end of 2025. He scored his first goal for Mexico in a friendly match against Iceland in stoppage time in February. He’ll be making his first World Cup appearance and is part of the next wave of the core of the Mexican national team.
Gutierrez is expected to be a chalky play along with Jimenez and Alvarado, but the trio should be so instrumental in Mexico’s offense that there are other places we should look to find pivot plays.
Other top plays at the position include Oswin Appollis ($5,900), who will carry the load in the South African midfield, and Lee Kang-In ($7,600), who has the 2nd-highest fantasy projection for South Korea (and the 4th highest on the slate).
Top Value: Michal Sadilek, Czechia ($3,100)
Sadilek is the best point-per-dollar option on the slate in our projections. He is a bargain at just over $3,000 and should be in the mix for his squad as they look to play their defense-first style but still generate chances.
Sadilek plays his club soccer for Slavia Prague, and he has played in each of the 4 games for his national team in 2026. He started their most recent international friendly against Guatemala, and he’ll be a great value if he gets another start on Thursday.
For Slavia Prague, he had 2 goals in 38 games during the 2025–26 season. In his international career, he has played 33 games, with 1 goal and 3 assists. He was selected for the Euro 2024 squad but had to withdraw due to an injury before the tournament, so he’ll be eager to get on the pitch for this year’s World Cup now that he’s recovered and ready to roll.
Other value options to consider in the midfield include Tshepang Moremi ($3,300) and Thalente Mbatha ($3,200) of South Africa.
Defenders
Top Play: Jesus Gallardo, Mexico ($5,400)
Of all defenders on the slate, Gallardo has the highest fantasy projection and is one of the best point-per-dollar options. He is very involved from his role at left back for Mexico and presses forward to get involved in the attack.
He had 5 goals and 5 assists in his club action for Liga MX over the last year, and he scored in Mexico’s win over Iceland in a recent friendly. Gallardo is a well-established defender and creator from the back line and is worth paying up for if you have the salary available.
If Gallardo is too pricey or you’re looking to temper your exposure to a Mexico stack, Vladimir Coufal ($4,400) is very involved out of the back for Czechia and brings great upside as well.
Top Value: Lee Tae-Seok, South Korea ($3,700)
Tae-Seok is questionable with a calf injury, but if he plays, he could be one of the best value plays available. The left-footed winger and fullback can get very involved in the attack when he’s at his best, and he found the back of the net against Ghana in a friendly last November.
He is a little risky because of the injury, but if he plays, he can differentiate your lineup. Be sure to have a Plan B in place for this late game though in case he ends up not in the starting XI, which won’t be announced until well after the first game is over.
Goalies
Top Play: Raul Rangel, Mexico ($5,800)
Rangel is the highest-priced keeper on this slate, and it makes sense considering he has the most-favorable matchup against a team not expected to score. Rangel is getting the start after a highly-publicized goalkeeper debate. The team went back and forth between Rangel and Luis Angel Malagon before Malagon suffered a torn Achilles, ending his World Cup before it began.
Rangel has been very solid and should get the nod, but World Cup legend Guillermo Ochoa is lurking as a potential option if Rangel struggles. For this match though, Rangel should have a great on-ramp to his role and a good chance at a clean sheet. The only negative is that he may not face many shots if South Africa’s attack can’t get going.
Top Value: Matej Kovar, Czechia ($4,500)
Kovar has the 2nd-highest fantasy projection among the goalkeepers, edging out Kim Seung-Gyu ($4,800), who is also slightly more expensive. Kovar’s lower salary gives him the highest P/$ of all the goalkeepers on this slate.
Kovar plays as a goalkeeper for Eredivisie club PSV and has been a key part of his national team since 2024. He was solid through the team’s World Cup qualifying, starting all 9 games and giving up 12 goals while going 4-3-2 with 4 clean sheets.
If you think that Kovar will be able to keep South Korea off the board, he is a solid (and more affordable) play, especially since he should get more save opportunities than Rangel.
Image Credit: Imagn