World Cup 2014 – FantasyiTeam Budget Options

As mentioned previously, FantasyiTeam (FiT) have released one of the first available Fantasy Football games geared towards the Brazil 2014 World Cup:

A free Fantasy football app, FiT is available on a number of mobile devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPodTouch and Android. It’s free to download and play, so you can already go in and start drafting up your starting XI with unlimited transfers.

We’ll be supporting FiT throughout the summer and have an official Fantasy Football Scout League, with a £500 Amazon voucher available to the winner. There’s also the small matter of a £5k holiday available as the prize to the overall FiT World Cup winner.

Having rolled out a Rule Guide last week, we now turn our attentions to the player price list and scour the market in an attempt to dig up some budget gems for your perusal. Setting the ceiling at 5.5 for defenders, 6.0 for midfielders and 8.0 for strikers, we take a closer look at some of the better value options across the outfield positions.

Defenders

While a showdown with Brazil is far from enticing in terms of defensive returns, Mexico’s Miguel Layun still has his merits. Coming in at just 5.2, he delivered three assists as a left wing-back in a 5-3-2 formation in the play-off win over New Zealand and scored twice as a full-back in last month’s friendly win over Israel. With Croatia and Cameroon also on his radar, Layun’s foraging runs down the left could come to fruition again.

Holland’s versatile Daley Blind is priced at just 5.3 ahead of showdowns with Spain, Chile and Australia. The Ajax player has been fielded as a left-wing back and central midfielder over the last couple of matches and bearing in mind the Dutch have produced three clean sheets in their last five friendlies, his budget-friendly price tag could prove real value.

Ivory Coast’s Serge Aurier sets you back a mere 4.6 ahead of games against Colombia, Greece and Japan. The highly-rated right-back has been strongly linked with Arsenal this summer and arrives on the back of some superb attacking form, having delivered six goals and six assists for French outfit Toulouse in 2013/14 – if his side fail to serve up the clean sheets, he still looks a good bet to prosper further up the pitch.

In the same group as Aurier, Japan’s Yuto Nagatomo looks a potential bargain. Available for just 4.7, the Inter Milan right-back produced five goals and six assists in the previous domestic campaign – given that his country have one clean sheet in the last eight, though, he may have to rely on attacking potential to reward his Fantasy owners.

Switzerland duo Ricardo Rodriguez and Fabian Schar both afford Fantasy managers reason for optimism. The former (priced at 5.4) is nailed-on as a left-back and rolls up to the tournament on the back of five goals and nine assists for German side Wolfsburg, whilst the 5.1-priced Schar could well get the nod at centre-half – his ability at set-pieces and threat in the box saw him score four times in 22 appearances for Basel and net on three occasions over the qualifiers. Games against Ecuador and Honduras bode well for defensive returns, though a showdown with France may prove more testing.

Germany’s Erik Durm is an under-the-radar option. He’s leapt ahead of Marcel Schmelzer for club Borussia Dortmund and country in the left-back berth and whilst the rest of his defensive team-mates are priced significantly higher, the 22-year-old will set you back just 5.4 ahead of games against Portugal, Ghana and USA, with hopes of defensive points high over the latter couple of fixtures.

Midfielders

With Mario Mandzukic suspended for Croatia’s opener with Brazil, Fantasy managers will perhaps be best served by a couple of midfield options instead. The Croatians have scored twice in three of their four fixtures under new manager Niko Kovac and will be looking to Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic to unlock opposition backlines from his central midfield berth. Rakitic produced 12 goals and 10 assists in La Liga last term and looks key to his side’s progress, though Ivan Perisic offers an alternative. The Wolfsburg man arrives on the back of 10 goals and four assists in 2013/14 and bagged a brace in last week’s friendly win over Mali – he’s the dearest of the two at 5.9 to 5.6.

Colombia’s Juan Cuadrado could be another great value option at just 5.3. Placed alongside Ivory Coast, Japan and Greece, the South Americans will fancy their chances of progressing and with team-mate James Rodriguez priced at 6.5, Cuadrado offers Fantasy managers an alternative route into Jose Pekerman’s midfield. Scoring 11 goals and providing five assists for Serie A side Fiorentina in 2013/14, there’s certainly no questioning his abilities to deliver.

In the same group as Cuadrado, Keisuke Honda is fielded in “the hole” behind a lone striker for Japan. With uncertainty over his side’s first-choice forward, Honda – who finished top scorer in qualifying, with penalties boosting his haul to five goals – seems a safe option for those looking to invest in Alberto Zaccheroni’s side and will set you back 5.9.

Italy’s Antonio Candreva may be the man to benefit from an injury to Riccardo Montolivo. If Cesare Prandelli retains a 4-3-1-2 formation, the Fiorentina man (available for 5.3) could be handed the role in “the hole” behind a front two and also offers an option wide right in a 4-3-3 – another system his manager is considering. Indeed, Candreva produced 12 goals and six assist for his club on the right of a front three last term and, whilst his starting place is by no means guaranteed, he will surely see some game time against England, Uruguay and Costa Rica.

Valentin Stocker is the most kindly-priced of Switzerland’s trio of attacking midfielders ahead of the games against France, Ecuador and Honduras. Unbeaten during the qualifying period, Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side will fancy their chances of reaching the knockout stages and, with 13 goals and eight assists for Basel in the previous campaign, Stoker, at 5.7, is undoubtedly the form midfielder.

Miralem Pjanic and Zvjedan Misimovic are very favourably-priced options for those looking to invest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Safet Susic’s team scored 30 times in 10 qualifying games and whilst their opener with Argentina may probe problematic, clashes with Nigeria and Iran surely bode well for attacking returns. Both players come in at 5.3 in FantasyiTeam and produced four assists apiece over the qualifiers, with the latter notching five times to Pjanic’s three – a sign of their important contributions in the attacking third.

Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne produced at least double the number of goals (four) and assists (four) than any team-mate over the group qualifiers. A pivotal figure on the right of a front three for Marc Wilmots’ side, he served up a goal and two assists in back-to-back friendly wins over Luxembourg and Sweden last week – available for only 5.9 to Eden Hazard’s 7.5 ahead of games against Russia, South Korea and Algeria, he looks set for significant investment for the group stages, at least.

Elsewhere in Group H, Algeria have some cut-price options which may also be worth considering if you’re struggling for budget. Valencia’s Sofiane Feghouli delivered four goals and eight assists in La Liga last term – the playmaker’s contribution from wide right also served up a trio of strikes over qualifying and, if his country are to upset the odds and progress, he’ll be vital to their chances. Both Feghouli and Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb – who has arrived on one or two Fantasy radars after scoring in a friendly win over Romania in the last few days – set you back just 4.8 in FantasyiTeam.

South Korea also offer us an option in the final group. Bayer Leverkusen’s Son Heung-min is nailed-on down the left flank and delviered 10 goals and four assist in the previous Bundesliga campaign – he also notched in a recent friendly win over Greece and can be snapped up for just 5.3.

Forwards

Mexico’s chances of escaping from a group that includes Brazil, Croatia and Cameroon may ultimately come down to Oribe Peralta. Top scorer in qualifying with eight goals, he arrives on the back of 10 goals in 11 appearances for club Santos and comes in at just 7.8 in Fantasy iTeam – with Miguel Herrera’s men set to play two fixtures in Matchday 1, early investment looks a wise idea.

Placed in a group with Spain, Holland and Australia, Chile don’t have it easy. Nonetheless, the South Americans have turned in some impressive displays under Jorge Sampaoli and could be earmarked for investment in attacking areas. Whilst Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez sets you back a hefty 9.4, his fellow forward Eduardo Vargas is far kinder on the budget at a mere 6.7 in FantasyiTeam. Vargas has suffered a miserable season at Valencia but seems to have found his form, scoring three times in two friendlies over the last week.

In the same group, Holland’s Jermaine Lens is another kindly-priced option. Available for 8.0, he served up five goals and five assists across the qualifiers and started all but one of the 10 matches. The Dynamo Kiev frontman also found the net in the recent friendly win over Wales last week and is versatile enough to be fielded on the flank or through the middle alongside Robin Van Persie if Louis Van Gaal opts for a two-man frontline.

Both Salomon Kalou and Gervinho make their way to Brazil 2014 in exceptional form. The former delivered 16 goals and six assists for Lille last term, whilst Gervinho’s nine goals and 10 assists for Roma underlines his transformation since departing the Emirates – priced at just 7.6 and 7.8 respectively, they face up to Japan, Greece and Columbia in the group stages.

Fielded on the right of the attacking midfield three, Japan’s Shinji Ozazaki loses some appeal as a reverse out of position option. Nonetheless, a record of 15 goals in the Bundesliga for seventh-placed Mainz is indicative of his eye for goal and at just 6.9, he could be worth a flutter if he can bring his domestic form to the biggest stage of all.

The unfortunate death of Christian Benitez means Ecuador will be relying on Felipe Caicedo to fire them through the group stages. Available for 7.5 in FantasyiTeam, he finished as top scorer in qualifying with spot-kick duties helping him notched seven times in 10 appearances – his pace and strength up top will be crucial for games against France, Switzerland and Honduras.

In the same group as Caicedo, an injury to Franck Ribery could promote Antoine Griezmann to the France first XI. With the Bayern Munich man sidelined, Griezmann started two of the last three friendlies on the left of a front three and, having scored 16 goals for Real Sociedad on the left of a 4-2-3-1, is certainly an able deputy. Available for 7.7, his chances of game time look to have been strengthened after Ribery was ruled out of the tournament earlier today.

Another Group E forward to consider is Switzerland’s Josip Drmic. Plying his trade for relegated Nuremburg last season, the 6.3-priced frontman scored 17 times in the Bundesliga and was resultantly handed his debut in a friendly against Croatia in March – he scored a double that day and followed it up with the winner against Jamaica last week.

Vedad Ibisevic is a tempting alternative to Edin Dzeko for Bosnia and Herzegovina. With Dzeko setting you back 8.5, his strike-partner is far more easy on the budget at just 6.7 in FantasyiTeam and scored seven times over the qualifiers, whilst 10 strikes for Stuttgart in the season gone by sums highlights his form. The game against Argentina will be testing but Iran and Nigeria may struggle to keep out Safet Susic’s side.

Russia’s Alexander Kokorin looks an enticing choice. Priced at a kind 7.3, he’s expected to get the nod over Alexander Kerzhakov for the central role in a 4-3-3, though can also be moved to the left of the front three – with 10 goals and nine assists in just 22 matches for Dynamo Moscow last season, he’s the form forward for Fabio Capello’s side.

Fantasy Football Scout League

We’ve already set up an official Fantasy Football Scout league for you to join – the league name is Fantasy Football Scout and the pin is 4915.