<p>Who are the best players in World Cup Fantasy 2022 for the Round of 16?</p>
<p>Four-time top 1k and six-time top 5k FPL finisher <a href="https://twitter.com/FPL_Salah">Abdul Rehman</a> identifies the best picks in each position, looking at their fixtures and <a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c="1" title="FPL Stats by OPTA - Player and Team Stats">stats</a>.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/world-cup-fantasy-2022-tips-the-ultimate-guide"><strong>Ultimate Guide to World Cup Fantasy 2022: Everything you need to know</strong></a></li>
<li><a href="http://fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/world-cup-fantasy-2022-team-reveals/"><strong>Expert World Cup Fantasy team reveals</strong></a></li>
</ul>
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Best World Cup Fantasy players for the round of 16</h2>
<p class="mceTemp">Here are my top three picks in each position:</p>
<h2>Best goalkeepers</h2>
<h3><strong>Andries Noppert ($4.5m) – Netherlands: Fixture &#8211; USA</strong></h3>
<p>The Netherlands have a very good defence in <strong>Nathan Ake ($5.0m), Virgil Van Dijk ($6.0m) and Jurrien Timber ($5.5m)</strong>.</p>
<p>Noppert has been a great option at $4.5m and has kept two clean sheets, while making 11 saves in his first three group games.</p>
<p>The Dutch aren’t going to be an easy side to break down and with a fixture against the USA, you would think a win was very probable and a clean sheet likely too.</p>
<h3><strong>Emiliano Martinez ($5.5m) – Argentina: Fixture &#8211; Australia</strong></h3>
<p>Argentina are still the second favourites to win the World Cup and their chances will be compounded by the fact they have probably the best fixture of this round.</p>
<p>Argentina don’t concede too many goals and will be the most likely to keep a clean sheet here too. They have only conceded three shots on goal in their group games.</p>
<p>Martinez is nailed to start is a very good shot-stopper, as we know from his club exploits.</p>
<h3><strong>Jordan Pickford ($5.5m) – England: Fixture &#8211; Senegal</strong></h3>
<p>England kept two clean sheets during the group stages and Pickford was solid in all three games.</p>
<p>He only conceded two goals which were in the first game vs Iran.</p>
<p>The Three Lions are a good defensive side and have a good goalkeeper in Pickford, who always plays well for his country.</p>
<p>Pickford looks one of the best-value premium goalkeepers for the next round and he has proven over the years he is a very reliable option for England. This should bode well for his save points too.</p>
<div id="attachment_47364" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-47364" class="size-full wp-image-47364" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1409387720.jpg" alt="Jordan Pickford. Picture by Getty Images" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1409387720.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1409387720-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1409387720-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1409387720-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-47364" class="wp-caption-text">Jordan Pickford. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
<h2></h2>
<h2><strong>Best defenders</strong></h2>
<h3><strong>Denzel Dumfries ($6.0m) – Netherlands: Fixture &#8211; USA</strong></h3>
<p>Dumfries hasn’t picked up any attacking points so far but he is still one of the most attacking defenders in the game.</p>
<p>The Netherlands kept two clean sheets out of three during the group stages and have one of the best fixtures for the round of 16.</p>
<p>Dumfries has one goal and three assists this season already in 15 appearances for Inter Milan and 29 goals and 43 assists in his club career and also has five goals for his country.</p>
<p>He also has managed five goals for his country in 37 appearances.</p>
<p>They have a 44% chance of keeping a clean sheet and 66% chance of making it through to the next round, according to the bookmakers.</p>
<div id="attachment_50979" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-50979" class="size-full wp-image-50979" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/World-Cup-Denzel-Dumfries.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/World-Cup-Denzel-Dumfries.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/World-Cup-Denzel-Dumfries-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/World-Cup-Denzel-Dumfries-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/World-Cup-Denzel-Dumfries-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-50979" class="wp-caption-text">Denzel Dumfries. Picture by Getty Images.</p></div>
<h3></h3>
<h3><strong>Nicolas Otamendi ($5.0m) – Argentina: Fixture &#8211; Australia<br />
</strong></h3>
<p>Argentina look to be a solid defensive side. They only conceded two goals during the group stages and kept two clean sheets. They also only conceded eight goals in their 17 matches during qualifying, keeping 10 clean sheets</p>
<p>Otamendi has also proven himself to be nailed in that backline, starting all of the group games while other defenders were rotated. He is also at a bargain price of $5.0m.</p>
<p>They have the kindest round of 16 fixture as they take on Australia. They are at 67% to keep a clean sheet and at 85% to go through to the quarter-finals, which puts them first for both.</p>
<p>Otamendi also has a goal in him too. He has four for his country and 34 over his career.</p>
<h3><strong>Luke Shaw ($5.0m) – England: Fixture &#8211; Senegal</strong></h3>
<p>Shaw is also a great value option at $5.0m. He has had a great tournament so far, picking up one assist and keeping two clean sheets.</p>
<p>England are one of the best defensive sides in the tournament and also have quite a favourable fixture in the round of 16 as they take on Senegal.</p>
<p>They are the clear favourites to qualify for the quarter-finals at 68% and are also at 50% for a clean sheet.</p>
<p>England were also one of the best defensive sides during qualification. They kept seven clean sheets, while only conceding three goals.</p>
<p>Shaw will have opportunities for both attacking and defensive returns.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2>Best midfielders</h2>
<h3><strong>Angel Di Maria ($8.5m) – Argentina: Fixture &#8211; Australia</strong></h3>
<p>Di Maria has one assist so far and probably should have more attacking returns. However, he does have a very kind fixture from an attacking point of view.</p>
<p>Argentina are strong favourites to win and the team most likely to score 2.5-plus goals this round.</p>
<p>Di Maria is a proven and experienced player which will really help his country in these phases.</p>
<p>They scored 27 goals in the qualifiers, where Di Maria picked up three goals and one assist.</p>
<p>He has 25 goals for his country so far and has a great opportunity to add to that tally here.</p>
<p>Over his career, Di Maria has 155 goals and 248 assists.</p>
<div id="attachment_51060" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-51060" class="size-full wp-image-51060" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1241040582.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1241040582.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1241040582-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1241040582-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1241040582-610x406.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-51060" class="wp-caption-text">Angel Di Maria. Picture by Getty Images.</p></div>
<h3></h3>
<h3><strong>Bukayo Saka ($8.0m) – England: Fixture &#8211; Senegal</strong></h3>
<p>England also have a kind fixture from an attacking point of view and will be very happy with their opponents for the round of 16 considering.</p>
<p>They have proven this tournament they can score as well as defend. No country scored more goals than them (nine) during the group stages.</p>
<p>Saka has had a great tournament so far, scoring two goals and putting in some solid performances. He was rested against Wales due to the depth England have in midfield but he will surely start against Senegal.</p>
<p>He will be one of the best options for the round of 16 if he starts. He has both goal and assist threat.</p>
<p>He has six goals in total for England and four goals and six assists for Arsenal this season in 14 games.</p>
<h3><strong>Bruno Fernandes ($9.5m) – Portugal: Fixture &#8211; TBD</strong></h3>
<p>Fernandes is the top-scoring player in the game so far after only two games. He has two goals and two assists and has been Portugal’s best player.</p>
<p>Portugal will play one of Switzerland, Serbia or Cameroon in the round of 16 which are all decent fixtures in my opinion.</p>
<p>They have looked like one of the best attacking sides so far, scoring five goals in two games.</p>
<p>The Manchester United man has 141 goals and 110 assists in his club career and 13 goals for his country and we have already seen he is capable of big hauls.</p>
<p>He is also on a lot of set pieces too.</p>
<div id="attachment_51222" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-51222" class="size-full wp-image-51222" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="679" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal-610x404.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-51222" class="wp-caption-text">Bruno Fernandes. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
<h2></h2>
<h2>Best forwards</h2>
<h3><strong>Kylian Mbappe ($11.5) – France: Fixture &#8211; Poland</strong></h3>
<p>World Cup holders France are the third favourites to win the tournament and Mbappe is the favourite to finish with the golden boot at 22%.</p>
<p>France were impressive during the group games, scoring six goals in their first two matches. They played a B team in their third match as qualification and top spot were already guaranteed.</p>
<p>Mbappe scored five goals and made two assists during the qualifying stages and has also netted 31 times in 56 games for his country. He has taken that form with him, with three goals in only two starts so far in the World Cup, and is the joint-top scorer.</p>
<p>France have a favourable fixture against Poland and are huge favourites to win at 81%. Mbappe is also at 49% to score anytime.</p>
<p>I see him as the best captain pick for the round of 16 and should be one of the first names in our teams.</p>
<p>He can score and assist and also has penalties.</p>
<div id="attachment_51221" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-51221" class="size-full wp-image-51221" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mbappe-World-Cup-2022.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="681" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mbappe-World-Cup-2022.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mbappe-World-Cup-2022-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mbappe-World-Cup-2022-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Mbappe-World-Cup-2022-610x406.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-51221" class="wp-caption-text"> Kylian Mbappe. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
<h3></h3>
<h3><strong>Richarlison ($7.5m) – Brazil: Fixture &#8211; TBD</strong></h3>
<p>After two games, Brazil have scored three goals and look to be living up to their reputation as tournament favourites.</p>
<p>Richarlison has been great, scoring two goals so far, and playing as the lone centre-forward.</p>
<p>With a whole host of talented players behind him, he is always going to have plenty of chances to score.</p>
<p>Brazil are pretty much guaranteed to finish top of their group, which means they will take on one of Ghana, South Korea or Uruguay in the last 16 &#8211; all good fixtures for them.</p>
<p>After his performances so far, Richarlison will surely start as their centre-forward again.</p>
<h3><strong>Lionel Messi ($10.5m) – Argentina: Fixture &#8211; Australia</strong></h3>
<p>Messi has had a decent tournament so far, with two goals and one assist. He has 12 goals and 14 assists in 19 games this season in all competitions for Paris Saint-Germain.</p>
<p>Argentina’s favourable game against Australia makes Messi one of the best captain picks for the round of 16.</p>
<p>He can score and assist, will play 90 minutes and is also on penalties.</p>
<p>He also scored seven goals during qualification and has 92 goals in 167 games for his country. He is their clear talisman.</p>
<p>He will be favourite to add to those tallies against the Aussies. He is at 52% (first) to score at anytime according to the bookmakers.</p>
<div id="attachment_50551" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-50551" class="size-full wp-image-50551" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Messi-Laughing.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Messi-Laughing.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Messi-Laughing-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Messi-Laughing-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Messi-Laughing-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-50551" class="wp-caption-text">Lionel Messi. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
<h2></h2>
<h2>Check out more World Cup and Premier League fantasy coverage</h2>
<p>As well as the official <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/world-cup-fantasy-2022-tips-the-ultimate-guide">FIFA World Cup Fantasy</a> game Ultimate Guide, we’ve got coverage on <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/sky-sports-fantasy-football-world-cup-2022-tips-the-ultimate-guide-2">Sky Sports Fantasy Football World Cup</a>, <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/dream-team-world-cup-2022-tips-the-ultimate-guide">Dream Team World Cup</a> and <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/telegraph-fantasy-football-world-cup-2022-tips-the-ultimate-guide">Telegraph Fantasy Football World Cup</a> too.</p>
<p>And either side of the World Cup, we have <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-ultimate-guide-fpl-tips">FPL</a>, <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/sky-fantasy-football-tips">Sky</a>, <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/category/sun-dream-team">Sun</a> and <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/category/telegraph">Telegraph</a> covered in-depth on a weekly basis.</p>
<p>Coupled with all our other cool features, including our multi-functional <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/my-team">My Team</a> tool, <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta">Opta</a> <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta" aria-label="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/opta/">stats</a>, <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/predictions">predicted points</a>, <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/fantasy-premier-league-live-rank">live rank</a> and <a href="https://www.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/tools">more</a>, Fantasy Football Hub is the place to be if you want to win your mini-leagues.</p>
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World Cup Fantasy 2022: Best players in each position for the round of 16

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