Copa America: Wednesday-Thursday Cheat Sheet

Copa America: Wednesday-Thursday Cheat Sheet

This article is part of our Copa America series.

MATCHES (EDT):

Wednesday, 7:00 p.m: Brazil v. Haiti
Wednesday, 10:00 p.m: Ecuador v. Peru
Thursday, 7:30 p.m: Uruguay v. Venezuela
Thursday, 10:00 p.m: Mexico v. Jamaica

The combined Wednesday-Thursday Copa America contests will be very interesting with so many lopsided matches. While the odds suggest that Ecuador and Peru will be the closest affair, La Tricolor still have better than a 50 percent chance to grab a victory after an impressive clean sheet draw against Brazil.

ODDS REPORT

CORNER TAKERS

Brazil: Willian
Haiti: Jeff Louis
Ecuador: Miller Bolanos, Antonio Valencia
Peru: Alejandro Hohberg
Uruguay: Carlos Sanchez
Venezuela: Alejandro Guerra
Mexico: Miguel Layun, Andres Guardado (suspended)
Jamaica: Garath McCleary

PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS

GOALKEEPER

Alisson, Brazil v. Haiti ($5,400): Who you select as your keeper likely depends on how much spare change you have lying around after selecting attackers. With Brazil and Mexico's clean sheet chances floating around 60 percent, according to the odds, and Uruguay's just a hair below 50 percent, we have three great options within $400 of each other. Alisson of Brazil is the safest bet facing Haiti, however, he may not face many shots, and therefore not score many points for saves. A higher upside choice maybe Esteban Dreer, who just stonewalled Brazil, yet still gets a frisky Peruvian team who are perched atop the group standings. Also, keep an eye on Mexico's rumored goalkeeper rotation. All three are similarly talented, but the cheaper two would be a bargain if given the opportunity.

DEFENDER

Filipe

MATCHES (EDT):

Wednesday, 7:00 p.m: Brazil v. Haiti
Wednesday, 10:00 p.m: Ecuador v. Peru
Thursday, 7:30 p.m: Uruguay v. Venezuela
Thursday, 10:00 p.m: Mexico v. Jamaica

The combined Wednesday-Thursday Copa America contests will be very interesting with so many lopsided matches. While the odds suggest that Ecuador and Peru will be the closest affair, La Tricolor still have better than a 50 percent chance to grab a victory after an impressive clean sheet draw against Brazil.

ODDS REPORT

CORNER TAKERS

Brazil: Willian
Haiti: Jeff Louis
Ecuador: Miller Bolanos, Antonio Valencia
Peru: Alejandro Hohberg
Uruguay: Carlos Sanchez
Venezuela: Alejandro Guerra
Mexico: Miguel Layun, Andres Guardado (suspended)
Jamaica: Garath McCleary

PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS

GOALKEEPER

Alisson, Brazil v. Haiti ($5,400): Who you select as your keeper likely depends on how much spare change you have lying around after selecting attackers. With Brazil and Mexico's clean sheet chances floating around 60 percent, according to the odds, and Uruguay's just a hair below 50 percent, we have three great options within $400 of each other. Alisson of Brazil is the safest bet facing Haiti, however, he may not face many shots, and therefore not score many points for saves. A higher upside choice maybe Esteban Dreer, who just stonewalled Brazil, yet still gets a frisky Peruvian team who are perched atop the group standings. Also, keep an eye on Mexico's rumored goalkeeper rotation. All three are similarly talented, but the cheaper two would be a bargain if given the opportunity.

DEFENDER

Filipe Luis, Brazil v. Haiti ($5,600): If you want to spend on a defender, Luis is your guy. Brazil out-possessed Ecuador 70-30 and get a much easier fixture in their second match. Haiti might forget what a ball at their feet feels like by the end this upcoming 90 minutes. This spells good news for the Brazilian fullbacks, who have never been mistaken as shy to join the attack. Look for Luis to approach double-digit crosses and hope he can connect with one of his many talented teammates.

Miguel Trauco, Ecuador v. Peru ($4,000): I was very impressed in my first match watching this young fullback out of the Peruvian domestic league. With stiffer competition this time around, I still think Peru will want Trauco to get up the field and help create some offense with his impressive dribbling and passing chops. Ideally, we wouldn't need to spend this much for a fullback on a side not favored to win, but few viable options exist below $4,000.

Juan Carlos Paredes, Ecuador v. Peru ($3,800): On the favored side of the critical match between Ecuador and Peru is Paredes, who will bring his newfound Premier League experience to a match that will let him open up a bit more than the Brazil game. Look for Paredes to join the attack, and if Ecuador can blank Paolo Guerrero, also earn a clean sheet. He should earn enough points to keep us in the running, but also let's us spend more salary on attackers, which is even more important than usual on this slate.

MIDFIELDER

Carlos Sanchez, Uruguay v. Venezuela ($9,800): It's difficult to pinpoint what exactly we can take away from Uruguay's Round 1 rodeo with Mexico, but one certainty is that La Celeste are a group with plenty of fight in them. Much like the United States against Costa Rica, Uruguay are moving on from a tough first fixture in desperate need of three points and with some frustrations to take out on their next opponent. Sanchez had 10 crosses and drew four fouls against Mexico, even with Uruguay playing a man down for a considerable portion of the match. The price is considerable, but the former Liverpool man brings one of the highest floors on the slate. He scored 10 goals in 20 Liga MX appearances with Monterrey this season, so the potential for a serious outburst is there.

Philippe Coutinho, Brazil v. Haiti ($7,200): In a match like this, all Brazilian midfielders are in play, even the defensive ones. It's feels like a youth match where the kids who typically don't get goal-scoring chances can see that this might be their risk-free opportunity. That said, Brazil still need three points and Haiti are still going to put their best foot forward. Coutinho looks to be the best bang for your buck, as he functioned as the main creator against Ecuador and frequently looked head and shoulders Brazil's most dangerous player. Premier League fans are well aware of his shooting abilities from distance, but it shouldn't be difficult to get even closer looks at goal in this match.

Javier Aquino, Mexico v. Jamaica ($6,600): While his DraftKings output may not suggest as much, Uruguay had little answer for Aquino in his 55 minutes on the pitch. Much like his replacement Hirving Lozano, Aquino is incredibly quick on the wing, but he also perfectly knows his role in Mexico's dynamic system. With plenty of passing ability, and a softer opponent, look for Aquino to provide Chicharito and company with plenty of scoring opportunities against Jamaica.

Alejandro Hohberg, Ecuador v. Peru ($4,400): If you have to roster a cheap midfielder, the Peruvian wingers jump out as good values. While they're underdogs and only beat Haiti by one goal, Peru placed third in last year's Copa America and are certainly capable of producing against stiffer opponents. Hohberg may just be warming up as he acclimates to international play, and he appears ready to take another step against Ecuador. Expect a handful of crosses and fouls drawn, and hope that his eagerness to attack defenders pays off with even more production.

Carlos Pena, Mexico v. Jamaica ($4,400): With the caveat that nobody seems to know who Mexican manager Juan Carlos Osorio will use in place of Andres Guardado, Pena is the best midfield value on this slate. He is the closest like-for-like replacement if Mexico stick to their system, but keep in mind that El Tri are a highly technical and flexible group. If Pena starts, look for him to shoot early and often against a Jamaica side that should be multiple steps behind one of the Copa America favorites.

FORWARD

Edinson Cavani, Uruguay v. Venezuela ($10,100): The forwards on this slate are tricky in that many of the best options are very goal dependent. That said, there should be plenty of goals! I'm not shying away from Cavani even with his five-figure price. His passion was on display against Mexico, both during the game, as he displayed one of the highest work rates for either side, and afterwards as he berated the officials well past the final whistle. Cavani simply looks like a man who is not going to let Uruguay falter in the group stage, and that's exactly the type of player I want to roster.

Chicharito, Mexico v. Jamaica ($9,700): Mexico handily dispatched Jamaica in last year's Gold Cup final and should do so once more in this group stage. While Jamaica's defense boasts Leicester City captain Wes Morgan, El Tri will be attacking from all angles and the focal point will be Chicharito. One of the smartest off-the-ball runners in the tournament, Chicharito will benefit from Jamaican defenders getting overwhelmed by Mexico's free-form and relentless attack. The risk is that Mexico's brightest star is held off the score sheet and provides few other ways of scoring points, but the upside is immense.

Paolo Guerrero, Ecuador v. Peru ($6,800): Last year's leading Copa America scorer started off the tournament brightly, with a classy diving header to beat Haiti in the opening match and to secure his nation's goal-scoring record. If Guerrero played in Europe, it's very possible that he'd be widely considered one of the best strikers in the world. In fact, he made the 2015 Ballon d'Or list despite playing on a Brazilian club! Peru will lean heavily on Guerrero once more, as they'll feel that they need at least a point from Ecuador to progress to the knock-out rounds. If you want to grab an attacker from one of the underdogs on this slate, I think this is the best bet for success.

Miller Bolanos, Ecuador v. Peru ($5,500): Ecuador need three points in this match if they are to move forward in Copa America, and that means scoring some goals! Both Enner Valencia and Bolanos make great plays, but the exciting Bolanos is $1,600 cheaper. Much like Guerrero, Bolanos is somewhat overlooked due to playing his club soccer in Brazil. However, he appears poised for a move to Europe soon and this may well be his breakout tournament. Even with Ecuador possessing just 30 percent of the ball against Brazil, Bolanos tallied six crosses. Against Peru, that number could grow enough to justify his price.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JD Bazzo
JD is a contributing soccer writer at RotoWire and was a finalist for the 2017 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year award. JD has been writing for RotoWire since 2015. He is a proud Pittsburgh native, purveyor of fantasy sports, and likely the first Penn State Basketball fan you've ever met.
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