Group play continues from the 2026 World Cup on Saturday with four more exciting matches on the DraftKings main slate. The action starts at 1:00 p.m. ET and continues through a midnight kickoff, providing managers with plenty of options from Group E and Group F. All eight teams will be taking the pitch for their second match of the tournament. In Group E, Germany and the Ivory Coast got huge wins to start the tournament, while Sweden was the only winner in Group F. It will be fascinating to see the outcomes on Saturday as teams look to improve their standings and ultimately advance to the knockout round. Let’s take a look at the eight national teams taking the pitch and find some strong World Cup DFS picks for DraftKings contests.

Saturday’s action continues the second matchweek of the Group Stage, which was expanded from 32 teams to 48 teams this year for the first time. The teams have been placed into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams in each group automatically advancing to the Knockout Stage along with the eight best third-place teams. After each team has played one game, Germany is heavily favored to win Group E, while the Netherlands remains a slight favorite in Group F, even after an opening draw. Japan, Sweden, the Ivory Coast and Ecuador are each favored to advance as well, according to the current odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.

This article was written before starting lineups were announced, so be sure to check back before kickoff and adjust accordingly if needed. Ecuador is the heaviest favorite on the slate by a wide margin as they face off against Curacao, which was overmatched against Germany in their first game. With great options in the player pool from that matchup and a few others, let’s dive in and pinout my top World Cup DFS picks this Saturday.

Make your DraftKings World Cup DFS picks here: WC $80K Chip Pass [$20K to 1st]

Forward

Stud

Deniz Undav, Germany, $7,700 — The Netherlands-Sweden matchup is full of big-name and high-priced forwards, but both defenses are solid enough to make it a difficult spot to attack with confidence. Undav was impressive in the tournament opener, coming off the bench and quickly piling up 26.7 FPTS in just 26 minutes. He finished with one goal on one shot and two assists on three chances created.

Undav assisted Nathaniel Brown ($5,800) for a goal just four minutes after subbing in and added a goal of his own in the 78th minute. He also assisted Kai Havertz ($10,000) towards the end of regulation as Germany piled on Curacao in their 7-1 win.

Undav’s strong showing could earn him more playing time with Germany still sorting out which of their excellent attacking options will start. Leroy Sane ($8,000) got the start in their first game and will be a solid play up top against the Ivory Coast if he starts, but Undav’s strong showing could help him move into the starting XI.

The 27-year-old has been excellent over his last three seasons in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart, amassing 46 goals and 18 assists in 86 league appearances (68 starts). Last season, he had 19 goals and six assists in 29 games. Watch the starting lineup, and play Undav with confidence if he’s ready for an expanded role on Saturday.

Value

Keito Nakamura, Japan, $6,600 — Nakamura and the Japanese offense got off to an impressive start to the World Cup, earning a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, and they’re in a very favorable matchup in the nightcap against Tunisia, who struggled against Sweden. Nakamura scored the first goal of the game for Samurai Blue and finished with 20.6 FPTS by adding three shots (one on goal), five crosses, and one chance created.

The 25-year-old Nakamura started just four of the team’s 10 games in the third round of the Asian qualifiers but stepped into a larger role due to multiple injuries ahead of him on the roster. He rose to the challenge with a breakout performance and is already drawing attention for a potential move to a higher-level club team as a result. He played last season in France’s Ligue 2 (second-highest tier) for Reims, and he impressed with 14 goals and three assists in 32 appearances.

Nakamura is a very affordable option at forward who is in a position to continue his strong World Cup emergence on Saturday in the late game.

Midfielder

Stud

Jamal Musiala, Germany, $8,800 — Musiala got in on Germany’s great offensive start to the tournament with one goal on three shots (one on goal) along with two chances created. He finished with 19.3 FPTS in just 64 minutes before giving way to the subs with the game well in hand.

Musiala has scored 10 times during his 43 career appearances for Germany and is playing for them in his second World Cup. He starred in the 2024 UEFA European Championships, emerging as the joint winner of the Golden Boot by finding the back of the net three times in the tournament.

For Bayern Munich, he missed significant time last season after an ankle injury, but he returned with five goals and five assists in 21 games (13 starts) in the UCL and league play. He seemed very fit in the opener and will continue to play a key role in Germany’s offense again on Saturday against the Ivory Coast. Germany is replete with offensive depth, but Musiala is secure in his role as one of the team’s top contributors.

Value

Moises Caicedo, Ecuador, $4,600 — Ecuador should be a great source of value across the board as they take on Curacao, which is the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup. They debuted with a 7-1 loss to Germany in the opener. Caicedo’s Ecuador squad also lost in a close, 1-0 match against the Ivory Coast. In that loss, Caicedo had 11.4 FPTS on one shot (none on goal), four crosses, three chances created and four crosses.

Caicedo was over the ball on set pieces and corners, and the Chelsea midfielder will likely play a main creative role again on Saturday evening in Kansas City. Caicedo’s primary role isn’t typically on offense pressing forward, but his balanced workload and defensive production give him a very high floor in this matchup. If Curacao isn’t pressing him defensively, that could also allow him to move up and get more involved, and his good work as a creator gives him a high ceiling on Saturday as well, even if he doesn’t score goals himself. One bargain play that could contribute goals for Ecuador is 19-year-old phenom Kendry Paez ($3,500), who was surprisingly left out of the lineup and did not appear in the team’s opener. If Paez plays on Saturday, he’ll be a great punt play.

Another great value play in the midfield is Hannibal Mejbri ($5,500), who was the key creator and one of the most dangerous options in Tunisia’s offense, racking up 19.2 FPTS in their loss to Sweden. He’ll have a tougher matchup than Caicedo as he faces Japan, but both players are very strong value plays as heavily involved options for their squads at affordable salaries.

Defender

Stud

Nathaniel Brown, Germany, $5,800 — Brown is exactly the kind of attacking defender to target for fantasy, and his attacking role continued in the opening match against Curacao. He pressed forward from his spot in the back left, recording an assist in the 38th minute and then scoring his goal in the 68th minute. He racked up 26.6 FPTS, more than any other defender on this slate by a wide margin, and he also took four corner kicks, indicating he’ll have a big role even if those goal contributions don’t come in every match.

Brown is only 23 years old and is making his World Cup debut, but even though he only has six international appearances, he is already locking himself in as one of the defensive options with a signficant offensive role as well.

Value

Joel Ordóñez, Ecuador, $3,200 — Ordóñez stood out with 5.6 FPTS to lead Ecuador’s defense in their World Cup opener, when La Tri held the Ivory Coast scoreless until a 90th-minute strike. While he fell short of that clean sheet, he should have a strong chance at a clean sheet against Curacao on Saturday night in a much more favorable matchup.

From his spot at center back, Ordóñez pressed forward and took two shots (none on goal) and added two tackles won and an interception. The 22-year-old is a physical force in the middle of the field at well over six feet and currenty anchors the back line of Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League, where he had four goals in 43 appearances across all competitions in the 2025-26 season.

With a good shot at a clean sheet and continued involvement in his team’s attack, Ordóñez is a solid play with a good floor and a little bit of goal-scoring potential out of the back.

Goalkeeper

Stud

Hernán Galíndez, Ecuador, $6,000 — While he may not be the most skilled goalkeeper on the slate, Galíndez is the most expensive fantasy option to build around since he has that extremely favorable matchup against Curacao. Galíndez was solid against the Ivory Coast right up until the final minute, making three saves and finishing with 4.4 FPTS.

Since Ecuador is heavily favored to win and keep a clean sheet, Galíndez is expected to deliver both bonuses and pick up a few saves. The 39-year-old veteran is serving as Ecuador’s net minder for the second straight World Cup and has logged 36 caps since 2021. He plays his club ball for Huracán in the Primera División in Argentina.

Value

Zion Suzuki, Japan, $5,600 — With so many high-risk keepers facing top offenses, it’s not a good slate to go cheap at keeper. It’s too risky to take on Japan, the Netherlands or Sweden’s strong offense, leaving only Suzuki or Curacao’s Eloy Room ($3,600) as bargain options. Room gave up seven goals, so Suzuki is the best alternative if you don’t roll with Galíndez.

Suzuki had 4.2 FPTS in his tournament opener, even though he gave up two goals against the Netherlands. He had four saves in the draw and looked very strong overall, and he’ll be in a more favorable spot against Tunisia Saturday night. He’s a solid pivot play if you think Curacao has the ability to get a goal against Galíndez or that Suzuki can match the win and clean sheet but with possibly more saves.