World Cup 2014 – Fox Sports Budget Players

As previously mentioned, the Fox Sports Fantasy Football game has picked up plenty of interest on site. With a scoring system and squad selection process that are virtually identical to the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, Fantasy managers looking for a familiar, hassle-free game to play have been willing to join up ahead of this evening’s deadline.

In our initial article on the Fox Sports game, we established just how similar the scoring system is to FPL – unsurprising, given that it’s made by the same team behind FPL. Given that the main difference surrounds the distribution of bonus points (handed out to the top three players on the pitch, at Fox Sports’ discretion), the selection process is pretty straightforward when assessing our likely targets.

Analysing the Player Price List, we take a look at some budget-friendly options, listed below in accordance with position. For keepers and defenders, we’ve set the bar at $150k, whilst midfielders and forwards are priced no greater than $200k:

Defence

Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois and Toby Alderweireld set you back $150k apiece ahead of games against Algeria, Russia and South Korea. Both are nailed on in goal and at right-back respectively – Marc Wilmots’ side have registered back-to-back clean sheets and looks poised for major investment at both ends of the pitch. Indeed, with save points also factored in, fielding Courtois for all three fixtures seems a viable option.

Costa Rica’s Keylor Navas is one of the cheapest first-choice keepers around. Available for only $110k, the Levante stopper was in superb form in La Liga last term, though with games against Uruguay, England and Italy, he may be best as a bench-warmer, though save points certainly look on the cards.

Ivory Coast’s Serge Aurier comes in at just $120k in the Fox Sports game. The highly-rated youngster has a number of big-name clubs eyeing up his acquisition after serving up six goals and six assists for French club Toulouse in 2013/14.

France’s trio of fixtures against Honduras, Switzerland and Ecuador offer the chance of a clean sheet or two. Les Bleus have conceded once in their last five fixtures and are in fine defensive form – Hugo Lloris and Mathieu Debuchy set you back $150k and $135k respectively.

Germany left-back Erik Durm is available for $135k ahead of clashes with Portugal, Ghana and USA. The Dortmund youngster offers Fantasy managers a budget-friendly route into Joachim Low’s backline – some may consider his acquisition after the opener with Cristiano Ronaldo and co, allowing us time to assess the line-ups and take advantage of the kind remaining couple of fixtures.

If you reckon Greece can serve up the clean sheets against Colombia, Japan and Ivory Coast, there are a number of options amongst Fernando Santos’ backline. Keeper Orestis Karnezis is available for $120k – the same price as Giannis Maniatis, who is classified as a defender but is expected to be utilised in central midfield. At $135k, Vasilis Torisidis is dearer than his team-mates, though his attacking potential is highlighted by a trio of assists over the qualifiers.

Mattia De Sciglio is the cheapest route into Italy’s defence. Coming in at just $120k, the Milan defender is expected to be handed the left-back role for games against England, Costa Rica and Uruguay – there’d be no real surprise if Cesare Prandelli’s troops squeezed a couple of clean sheets out of those fixtures.

Japan offer Fantasy managers a number of budget options at the back. Perhaps the most enticing is Yuto Nagatomo, who produced five goals and six assists for Inter last season – he’s available for $135k, the same price as keeper Eiji Kawashima, though fellow full-back Atsuto Uchida is even less expensive at $120k for games with Ivory Coast, Greece and Colombia.

Mexico’s Miguel Layun is likely to be utilised as a wing-back in a 5-3-2 system for games against Croatia, Brazil and Cameroon. The defender bagged a brace in a friendly win over Israel last month to underline his threat from deep – he will set you back just $120k.

Holland face a tough task to qualify in a group that also contains Spain, Chile and Australia. If the Dutch are to prevail, though, they’ll need to step up in resilience at the back – keeper Jasper Cillessen and goal-scoring centre-halfBruno Martins Indi are priced at $150k, though versatile Daley Blind is cheaper at $135k and may be selected in central midfield.

Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama is available for just $120k. Outstanding for French side Lille in 2013/14, he’ll need to be at his very best for games against Iran, Bosnia and Argentina – he could be used as a cheap, back-up option, with saves looking guaranteed.
Portugal full-backs Fabio Coentrao and Joao Pereira will set you back $150k apiece. Granted, an opener with Germany is tricky but the subsequent fixtures with USA and Ghana bode well for returns at both ends of the pitch.

Dmitri Kombarov seems a real option at the back for Russia. The left-back seems to have spot-kick duties in his locker and, priced at a mere $120k, could prove to be a real snip for the fixtures against South Korea, Belgium and Algeria.

Spain’s Cesar Azpilicueta is available for $150k ahead of a trio of fixtures Holland, Chile and Australia. As we’ve seen in past tournaments, the Spanish defence has been a hugely profitable source of points and if they can maintain their resilience in Brazil, their backline will be set for significant investment.

Diego Benaglio, Fabian Schar and Ricardo Rodriguez offer Fantasy managers a number of options for Switzerland’s games against Ecuador, France and Honduras. The former is available for $135k, though the latter two – at $120k and $135k respectively – look far more enticing options, with Rodriguez’ runs down the left, in particular, offering us strong hopes of attacking returns.

Midfield

Priced at a mere $110k, Nabil Bentaleb is a viable cheap fifth midfielder. The Algeria midfielder faces Belgium, South Korea and Russia over the group stages and fired the opener in a friendly win over Romania last week.

Bosnia’s Miralem Pjanic comes in at just $175k for a trio of fixtures against Argentina, Nigeria and Iran. Certainly, the latter two matches look far more prosperous for the Roma midfielder – he grabbed three goals and four assists over the qualifiers and is likely to handed the role in “the hole” behind a front two.

Croatia pairIvan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic are priced at $190k and $160k respectively. Both look nailed-on for games against Brazil, Cameroon and Mexico – Rakitic in the double-pivot and Perisic on the left of a 4-2-3-1. Both are in excellent form – Rakitic produced 12 goals and 10 assists for Sevilla last season, whilst Perisic impressed at Wolfsburg, with 10 goals and four assists. If, as many expect, Mateo Kovacic is selected for the role in “the hole”, though, he looks a snip and excellent enabler at just $120k.

Colombia’s Juan Cuadrado is a budget buy for games against Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan. Coming in at a mere $150k, the winger arrives in excellent form – 11 goals and five assists for Fiorentina underlines his attacking potential as the South Americans look to recover from the loss of Radamel Falcao through injury.

Iran’s Ashkan Dejagah is another cheap fifth midfielder option at $120k. The Fulham midfielder impressed towards the end of last season with a handful of strikes and is likely to be handed the right wing role for matches against Nigeria, Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

South Korea’s Son Heung-min comes in at $150k for games against Russia, Algeria and Belgium. Having scored 10 times for Bayer Leverkusen last term, he’s more than proven his capabilities in one of Europe’s main leagues.

Portugal’s Joao Moutinho produced more assists (nine) than any player amongst the European qualifiers. Coming in at $190k, he looks a viable option for the showdowns with Germany, USA and Ghana.

With Roman Shirokov injured and Alan Dzagoev uncertain to start, Alexander Samedov and Viktor Faizulin offer alternatives in Russia’s midfield. The latter notched three times during quliafying, whilst right winger Samedov served up two goals and three assists in four starts – Faizulin is slightly more expensive at $160k to $150k for games with South Korea, Belgium and Algeria.

Valentin Stocker is the cheapest of Switzerland’s attacking midfield regulars at $160k. Nailed-on down the left, he delivered 13 goals and eight assists for Basel in 2013/14 and is the form midfielder for Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side.

Forwards

Vincent Aboubakar sets you back a mere $135,000. The Cameroon striker doesn’t have it easy – games against Mexico, Croatia and Brazil will be taxing but if he can replicate the form that saw him register 16 goals and seven assists for Lorient last season, he could prove a bargain buy on the right of the Africans’ front three.

France’s Jonathan Griezmann is available for just $175k. With Franck Ribery sidelined through injury, the youngster’s chances of the start on the left have taken a turn for the better ahead of clashes with Honduras, Switzerland and Ecuador – he’s maintained the form that saw him score 16 times for Real Sociedad last term, with three goals in the last two friendlies.

Ghana youngster Abdul Majeed Waris is priced at $150k for games with USA, Germany and Portugal. Undoubtedly, his trio of fixtures are testing but having excelled on loan to Valenciennes in the latter part of last term, he could appeal to those willing to take a punt on a budget third forward.

The Fantasy Football Scout League

Finally, a heads-up that we’ve set up an official Scout league for those looking to get involved. The league name is Fantasy Football Scout and the code to join is 1096-822.

Please also be aware that, as mentioned on the official site, whilst any person is permitted to participate in the Fox Sports game, only permanent residents of Australia are eligible for any official prizes.