World Cup Fantasy: Players and teams to target ahead of the quarter-finals

We are now into the quarter-finals of Qatar 2022 and with only eight sides left the player pool is decreasing, which means it is going to be harder to score points in the World Cup fantasy game.

Also, with it being in the knockout phase, you really could end up in a bit of a pickle if you have a few players from a team who gets eliminated.

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When it comes to this losers-go-home format, we really need to look at both a potential signing and the team that they play for, and predict who we think is going to progress to the next round. In normal circumstances, players such as Hakim Ziyech and Luka Modric, for example, would still be decent options, but the chances of them being knocked out in this weekend’s ties are high, meaning that you would then need to use your transfers to take these players out for the semi-finals.

It’s best to load up on the best assets from the four teams you think will win and hope they go far in the tournament. We are now allowed five players per country and have five free transfers for the quarter-finals.

Here, I will pick out my top picks for the remainder of the World Cup.

France

Kylian Mbappe ($11.5m) is still one of the best options in the game despite a tough fixture against England. He is the current top scorer and favourite for the Golden Boot. The Paris Saint-Germain forward has five goals and two assists in his four appearances and is also currently the highest World Cup Fantasy points scorer.

France vs England looks like the toughest quarter-final to predict. The bookmakers have France as slight favourites and they will face Morocco or Portugal in the semi-finals if they win.

Mbappe is arguably the best player in the world right now and can score against any opposition. This is exactly why we need this type of superstar in our teams at a point when there are really no easy games left anymore. France are also on the kind side of the draw and will avoid the top two favourites for the tournament — Brazil and Argentina. They can only meet either of those two in the final.

From the French defence, Theo Hernandez ($5.0m) is the best bet for your team, due to his attacking threat and cheap price.

Brazil

Richarlison ($7.5m) has been the surprise package of the tournament so far. He has been a squad player for Tottenham Hotspur since signing for them from Everton in the summer but has been one of Brazil’s most important players this World Cup, and is their highest scorer.

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He has three goals so far and is playing up top for the best team in the tournament. Brazil are strong favourites to win this World Cup, currently sitting at a 33 per cent chance, according to fivethirtyeight.com — also, Brazil have one of the least difficult quarter-final fixtures on paper as they take on Croatia. They are massive favourites to win that game, rated at 71 per cent.

Richarlison’s price makes him an absolute bargain. With the likes of Vinicius Jnr ($10.5m), Neymar ($10.5m) and Raphinha ($8.5m) alongside him, he is going to get plenty of more chances to score. A double-up in attack with one of those three is also a good idea for you.

Be wary that Brazil don’t have many good midfield options, as all of the players above are listed as forwards. Lucas Paqueta ($7.0m) is the best bet but he isn’t completely nailed-on to be in coach Tite’s starting XI. I would instead look to their defence with a double= or triple-up.

Goalkeeper Alisson ($6.0m) and defenders Thiago Silva ($6.0m), Danilo ($5.5m) and Marquinhos ($5.5m) are all good options and are first-team players. Brazil are favourites to lift the trophy on December 18 and also the favourites to keep a clean sheet this weekend at 52 per cent.

Argentina

Funnily enough, Lionel Messi ($10.5m) is still worth inclusion. He and Argentina have improved as the tournament has gone on and they play the Netherlands in their quarter-final, in which they are favourites to win (58 per cent chance).

Messi has three goals and one assist so far, and is Argentina’s talisman and penalty-taker. If they beat the Dutch, they are likely to play arch-rivals Brazil in the semi-finals but if anyone can lead them to victory in such a tie, it’s one of the best players ever to have kicked a football.

I would probably only look to have Messi from Argentina’s squad as he is their focal point and is their only real likely goalscorer.

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The game against the Netherlands won’t be a walk in the park and if they do end up with Brazil in the semis, it doesn’t get much tougher. Therefore, it’s probably best to look elsewhere for midfield and defensive assets.

Portugal

Goncalo Ramos ($6.5m) announced himself in the round of 16 with a hat-trick against Switzerland. Portugal look to be one of the best attacking sides in the tournament, scoring the joint-most goals so far, alongside England (12).

Ramos looks fantastic value and will no doubt start against Morocco in the quarter-finals. Although there are no easy games when it comes to the knockouts, Portugal do have the kindest fixture on paper against the North Africans. They have a 65 per cent chance of progressing to the semi-finals, according to fivethirtyeight.com.

In midfield, Bruno Fernandes ($9.5m) also looks like a great option. He is certain to start if fit and is pulling the strings for Portugal. The Manchester United man is the highest-scoring midfielder in the game with two goals and three assists in three games.

I also like the Portuguese defence. Raphael Guerreiro ($5.0m), Ruben Dias ($5.5m) and goalkeeper Diogo Costa ($5.0m) are all very tempting options.