FIFA World Cup Fantasy Round 3 Tips: Best Players, Captaincy Picks And Wildcard Options
We have officially reached Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup, and with unlimited transfers available ahead of the Round of 32, many World Cup Fantasy managers are now considering whether this is the best time to activate the Wildcard chip.
This World Cup Fantasy analysis aims to help you make that decision by discussing why the Wildcard could be particularly useful this week.
We also take a look at some of the standout Fantasy World Cup options ahead of the final group-stage fixtures, before finally discussing the best captaincy picks and a potential Wildcard squad.
FIFA World Cup Fantasy Round 3 Fixtures
Bosnia and Herzegovina face Qatar.
Switzerland face Canada.
Czech Republic face Mexico.
South Africa face South Korea.
Curaçao face Ivory Coast.
Tunisia face the Netherlands.
Turkey face the United States.
Cape Verde face Saudi Arabia.
New Zealand face Belgium.
DR Congo face Uzbekistan.
Why Many Fantasy World Cup Managers Are Activating Their Wildcard
One of the biggest advantages of using the Wildcard in Round 3 is that managers can focus entirely on the upcoming fixtures without needing to think too much about the knockout stages.
That is because unlimited transfers will be available ahead of the Round of 32.
It is also worth noting that several nations have already secured qualification for the next round.
Mexico, the United States, Germany, Argentina, France and Norway have all mathematically qualified for the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, only Mexico, the United States, Germany and Argentina have secured top spot in their groups.
That could become important when selecting players this week.
With some teams potentially having less to play for than others, many fantasy managers may prefer to target players from nations that still have important objectives heading into the final group-stage fixtures.
Looking at the Round 3 fixtures, four matches stand out in particular.
Ivory Coast's game against Curaçao, Morocco's against Haiti, the Netherlands' match against Tunisia, and Senegal's against Iraq.
The opposition is a major factor here.
Curaçao and Tunisia have scored just two goals combined at the World Cup so far, while Iraq have already conceded seven goals.
Lionel Messi Continues To Deliver
There is no shortage of premium forwards available heading into Round 3.
Kylian Mbappé faces Norway.
Harry Kane could also become an interesting option if England still have something to play for heading into the final round of fixtures.
However, Lionel Messi has become one of the most talked-about players ahead of Round 3.
There is, of course, some rotation risk.
Argentina have already secured top spot in their group, and many fantasy managers will understandably be wondering whether that could affect Messi's minutes.
However, his recent form has been difficult to ignore.
Messi has scored five goals in his first two matches of the tournament and now faces a Jordan side that has already conceded five goals against both Austria and Algeria.
Even if Messi does not play the full match, those numbers alone suggest he could still be capable of producing attacking returns.
Morocco Assets Are Becoming Difficult To Ignore
Morocco have become one of the more interesting teams to target ahead of Round 3.
They face a Haitian side that is still searching for its first goal of the tournament, and several Moroccan players have produced encouraging numbers over the opening two matches.
Brahim Díaz has supplied assists in consecutive matches and is also on penalties.
The midfielder has created five key passes at the tournament so far, which is the highest total among Moroccan players.
Meanwhile, Ismail Saibari has already scored against both Brazil and Scotland.
Saibari has also recorded five shots across his first two matches, which is the joint-highest total among Morocco players alongside Achraf Hakimi.
With Morocco facing Haiti in Round 3, both players will be hoping to continue their strong starts to the tournament.
Achraf Hakimi has also become an increasingly popular option.
While he is yet to register an attacking return, his underlying numbers remain encouraging.
The defender has recorded five shots and created four chances across Morocco's first two matches.
With Haiti yet to score at the World Cup, Hakimi could appeal to managers who are looking for both clean-sheet potential and attacking upside.
Vinícius Júnior Vs Lamine Yamal
Vinícius Júnior and Lamine Yamal are two of the premium midfielders attracting attention ahead of Round 3.
Both players are priced at $10.0m, and both have important fixtures coming up.
Vinícius has already collected 20 fantasy points after scoring against Morocco and Haiti.
Brazil also still have plenty to play for.
They need to equal or better Morocco's result while maintaining a superior goal difference if they want to finish top of Group C.
Yamal, meanwhile, made an immediate impact during his first start of the tournament.
The Spanish winger scored just 10 minutes into the match against Saudi Arabia and was particularly impressive during the first half.
Spain now faces Uruguay, knowing that a victory would secure top spot in the group.
It is also worth noting that Uruguay have already conceded goals against both Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.
Both players have strong cases ahead of Round 3, although Vinícius currently holds the advantage from a fantasy perspective with 20 points already to his name.
Top FIFA World Cup Fantasy Round 3 Captain Picks
Lionel Messi vs Jordan
Achraf Hakimi vs Haiti
Sadio Mané vs Iraq
Differential Captain Pick Of The Week
Yan Diomande
There are plenty of premium captaincy options available this week, but fantasy managers looking for a differential may find Yan Diomande worth considering.
The Ivory Coast forward faces Curaçao in one of the most attractive fixtures of the round.
Although Diomande is yet to score at this World Cup, he has already produced seven key passes across his first two matches.
It is also worth noting that Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room was forced to make a record-equalling 15 saves against Ecuador in Round 2.
Meanwhile, Curaçao currently rank second-bottom for expected goals conceded.
With Ivory Coast still needing a result, Diomande could be one of the more interesting differential options available this week.
Best FIFA World Cup Fantasy Wildcard Team For Round 3
Many fantasy managers are expected to activate the Wildcard chip ahead of Round 3.
Those who do may find some value in the squad below:
GK: Bart Verbruggen ($4.7m)
DEF: El Hadji Malick Diouf ($4.1m)
DEF: Achraf Hakimi ($6.0m)
DEF: Denzel Dumfries ($5.7m)
MID: Brahim Díaz ($6.4m)
MID: Ismail Saibari ($6.8m)
MID: Sadio Mané ($7.6m)
MID: Vinícius Júnior ($10.0m)
MID: Florian Wirtz ($7.5m)
FWD: Lionel Messi ($10.0m)
FWD: Yan Diomande ($5.9m)
BENCH: Yahia Fofana ($4.2m)
BENCH: Alexander Isak ($8.0m)
BENCH: Ramin Rezaeian ($4.0m)
BENCH: Nikola Katic ($3.8m)
Final Thoughts
Round 3 has given fantasy managers a very interesting decision to make.
With unlimited transfers arriving ahead of the knockout stages, many will see this as the ideal opportunity to activate the Wildcard and focus entirely on the final round of group-stage fixtures.
Ivory Coast, Morocco, the Netherlands and Senegal all have fixtures that will naturally appeal to fantasy managers, while players such as Messi, Vinícius Júnior, Hakimi, Yamal and Mané are likely to feature heavily in transfer plans this week.
Motivation could also become an important factor during the final round of group-stage action, particularly with some nations still chasing qualification or top spot in their groups.
As always, balancing fixtures, form and team motivation may prove crucial when attempting to finish the group stage strongly before attention turns to the knockout rounds.
