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The Round of 16 of the 2022 FIFA World Cup has drawn to a close and only eight teams remain in the competition as of now. The Round of 16 was every bit as exciting as the final phase of the group stage and there was no shortage of exhilarating action, drama and surprises.
But one thing about the Round of 16 was that there was only one upset. The Netherlands, Argentina, France, England, Croatia, Brazil and Portugal progressed as expected. Meanwhile, Spain were knocked out on penalties by Morocco.
Now we await the start of the quarter-finals and here, we take a look at five must-have players in your fantasy team for the same.
#5 Diogo Dalot (Portugal) - $5.5 million
It's advisable for Fantasy players to take players from teams that are most likely to progress. Portugal will square off against Morocco in the quarter-finals. While Morocco have shown that they are far from being pushovers, Portugal have been in freescoring form.
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Too many of Portugal's players are in good form and it will be quite difficult for Morocco to get the better of them. Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot was given his second start at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Portugal's 6-1 thumping of Switzerland in the Round of 16.
Dalot justified his selection by providing an assist for Goncalo Ramos' second goal of the game. Dalot also provided the assist for Portugal's only goal in their 2-1 loss to South Korea in their final group stage game. He is excellent in defense and attack and is very likely to start against Morocco.
At $5.5, he offers great value for money and is a must have for Fantasy players.
#4 Richarlison (Brazil) - $7.5 million
Richarlison was one of Brazil's best players on the pitch as they thrashed South Korea 4-1. He has three goals from three appearances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Richarlison will lead the attack against Croatia in the quarter-finals and is expected to make a difference for his side yet again.
At $7.5 million, he continues to be a pretty economical option. Brazil turned in an attacking masterclass against South Korea while Croatia had to go to penalties to grind out a win against Japan. Richarlison will get opportunities to score against the Croats and he is a great value-for-money purchase.
#3 Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) - $9.5 million
Bruno Fernandes has five goal contributions from just three appearances so far at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The talismanic Portuguese midfielder has been in incredible playmaking form and has either scored or assisted in all three of his appearances.
He picked up an assist in Portugal's 6-1 win over Switzerland and should have had more. Fernandes played a lovely through ball to Ramos which released him into a one-on-one situation but the forward had his shot saved by Yann Sommer.
Fernandes is almost certain to impact proceedings in a major way against Morocco and that's why he is a must-have player in your fantasy team.
#2 Lionel Messi (Argentina) - $10.5 million
Lionel Messi delivering the goods in crunch encounters is becoming a bit of a theme in Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign. He looked to be in great touch in the game against Australia, scoring a sensational goal and running rings around the opposition courtesy of his exquisite dribbling skills.
Messi is rolling back the years in Qatar and has three goals and an assist to his name from four appearances in the tournament. Had he not missed a penalty against Poland, he'd have had four goals to his name. The 35-year-old will have his say in the game against the Netherlands on Friday.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (France) - $11.5 million
This is a no-brainer. Kylian Mbappe has scored five goals and provided two assists in four appearances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The crown prince of football has simply been unstoppable and will look to wreak havoc as Les Bleus lock horns with the Three Lions in the quarter-finals.
Mbappe has failed to score in only one appearance in the tournament so far and it was in France's 1-0 loss to Tunisia. He came on as a substitute in that game and only played 27 minutes. Mbappe picked up 15 points in the Round of 16 and should be one of the first names on everyone's Fantasy team.
