England’s vital lunchtime meeting with Wales provides the highlight on Thursday’s menu as DraftKings managers prepare squads for another round of contests.
With Wales claiming three points with victory against Slovakia, England must push for a win having suffered frustration at the hands of Russia on Saturday. Beautifully poised, the clash presents a narrative that is likely to see Roy Hodgson’s side press, whilst battling to contain the threat of Gareth Bale on the break.
Meanwhile, over in Group C, Northern Ireland are left fighting for survival having suffered a first defeat to Poland. They will face a “six-pointer” against Ukraine who are also looking to get their first point on the board after their 2-0 reverse against Germany. Goals surely have to be on the agenda in Lyon, with both sides forced to seek the victory.
There are no such issues for Germany, who will now take on Poland in a two-way battle for Group C dominance. This one looks more difficult to predict but, given the wealth of attacking talent on show, there could yet be fireworks.
We’ve assessed all three fixtures and analysed past performances to come up with a recommended cast of assets for your DraftKings contests.
Kyle Walker – England, – $4800
The Spurs full-back impressed against the Russian’s, working effectively in tandem with the lively Adam Lallana. Walker looked more ambitious than Danny Rose on the opposite flank, drawing three fouls, winning two tackles and providing a single cross. We’d expect the same pattern to emerge against the Welsh, with improved output from Walker.
Ben Davies – Wales, – $3600
Chris Coleman seems likely to set his side up to soak up pressure and break on England. Should that be the case, Ben Davies is likely to be a key man in the Welsh three-man backline. Playing on the left of three centre-backs, Davies built on some impressive numbers during qualifying with a stand-out performance against Slovakia. He pulled off a vital goal line clearance from Marek Hamsik’s effort, made six interceptions and won two tackles. Davies will likely be kept busy again in Thursday’s encounter and could present a viable low-price enabler in the utility slot.
Vyacheslav Shevchuk – Ukraine, – $3900
The veteran campaigner pushed high up the pitch in the 2-0 defeat to Germany, despite Ukraine spending much of that match on the back foot. The 37-year-old was far more attacking from left-back than his team-mate Artem Fedetskiy on the right, producing two crossed balls and an attempt on goal. Given that Northern Ireland produced just three efforts on goal in their opener, Shevchuk could prove a canny DraftKings investment.
Andriy Yarmolenko – Ukraine, – $8100
We tipped Yevhen Konoplyanka in Ukraine’s opener and he duly delivered, producing 14 crosses – more than any other player in the first round of matches. In contrast, Yarmolenko was largely silenced by the Germans but, with Ukraine seeking a vital three points, we’re backing the Dynamo Kiev forward to take his turn to come to the fore. His pace and power was involved in 50% of Ukraine’s goals in qualifying, notching on six occasions.
Oliver Norwood – Northern Ireland, – $4600
Norwood played more minutes in qualifying than any other team-mate and topped their ranks for crossed balls and chances created. While he was restricted in attacking terms in the defeat to Poland, Norwood earned three fouls, won five of ten tackles made and claimed two interceptions. Michael O’Neill’s team are forced to attack against Ukraine and will look to Norwood to produce an all-action display that should result in strong returns for his DraftKings owners.
Arkadiusz Milik – Poland, – $8700
With attentions drawn to the considerable threat of Robert Lewandowski, it was Milik who emerged as match winner against Northern Ireland. The Ajax striker not only delivered the telling strike, he also produced some hugely impressive numbers that included five attempts on goal and seven crossed balls – including four corner kicks, having provided just three throughout qualifying. Milik takes form into the clash with Germany and is again a cheaper alternative to his illustrious strike partner.
Thomas Muller – Germany, – $10,200
The Bayern Munich man cut a peripheral figure against Ukraine, despite Germany’s dominance. Muller mustered just a single effort on goal and provided two crosses but he’ll be expected to improve on that given his contribution in qualifying. With nine goals in as many starts, Muller was involved in 58% of Germany’s goals which would suggest that Poland may now be on the receiving end as Germany look to claim the Group C top spot.
DraftKings contests for Thursday’s matches are now available, including a $3 entry “Striker” with a $10k prize pot.
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