World Cup 2026 Fantasy Scoring Rules

The most valuable single event across all platforms. FanDuel awards the most per goal (+9), making strikers slightly premium on FanDuel slates vs. DraftKings (+8). FIFA Official and Underdog both award +6 for forwards.

FIFA Official reduces goal points by position - midfielders earn +5, reflecting that scoring is less expected than for forwards. DraftKings and FanDuel do not differentiate by position, making midfielders who score equally valuable to forwards on DFS platforms.

On FIFA Official, a defensive goal earns +4 - recognising rarity. DFS platforms (DraftKings, FanDuel) award full goal points regardless of position, making set-piece-scoring defenders high-value in salary-cap formats when they notch a goal.

Assists are the second most important scoring event on every platform. DraftKings and FanDuel both award +5, while FIFA Official awards +3. Players with set-piece delivery duties (corners, free kicks) accumulate assists more reliably than pure goal-scorers.

A clean sheet is awarded when the goalkeeper's team concedes zero goals. FanDuel values this most at +6, making GKs from low-conceding nations premium picks. On FIFA Official the +4 equals a defender goal, incentivising GK selection from teams with strong defensive expected-conceded ratings.

Defenders on FIFA Official earn +4 for a clean sheet - identical to a GK - making them valuable dual-source scorers (clean sheet + possible assist or bonus). Target defenders from nations with high clean-sheet probability and a fixture against weak attacking opposition.

Only FIFA Official awards midfielders a clean-sheet bonus (+1). On DFS platforms (DraftKings, FanDuel), clean sheets are restricted to goalkeepers. The FIFA Official MID clean-sheet bonus is a minor income source but rarely influences selection decisions on its own.

FanDuel awards the most per save (+1 per save), making GKs in high-shot matches most valuable on FanDuel. DraftKings awards +0.5 per save. FIFA Official and Underdog use the per-3-saves model (+1 every three saves), which reduces the individual impact of any single shot saved.

FIFA Official is the only major platform with a standalone penalty save bonus (+5). It represents one of the highest single-event rewards in the entire scoring system. GKs from nations likely to face penalty kicks (tight knockout matches) carry an extra upside ceiling on FIFA Official.

FIFA Official deducts 2 points when a player misses a penalty. This is a key risk consideration for designated penalty takers - the upside of scoring from the spot (+6/+5/+4 depending on position) must be weighed against the -2 penalty miss risk on FIFA Official.

DraftKings (+0.5) and FanDuel (+1) both reward tackles won - a key reason why hard-working central midfielders and fullbacks are disproportionately valuable in DFS formats. On FIFA Official there is no tackle bonus, so defensive contributions only score via clean sheet.

DraftKings and FanDuel both award points for interceptions, further elevating the value of high-activity defensive midfielders. A defensive midfielder who logs 2-3 interceptions per match on FanDuel can accumulate +2-3 additional points on top of any goals or assists.

Only DraftKings awards points for clearances (+0.3 per clearance). Centre-backs who clear frequently in defensive matches accumulate small bonus increments. While individually minor, high-volume clearance events across a full match can add +1-2 points per game for busy defenders.

DFS platforms reward shots on target, making high-volume attackers more valuable than their goal count alone suggests. A striker who fires 4 shots on target earns +2 on DraftKings or +4 on FanDuel from shots alone before any goal or assist. On FIFA Official, only goals and assists generate direct points.

A key pass is one that directly creates a shot. DraftKings (+0.5) and FanDuel (+1) both include key passes, significantly boosting the value of creative midfielders and playmakers. A midfielder with 3 key passes per match adds +1.5 (DK) or +3 (FD) from passes alone.

FanDuel is the only major platform to award points for crosses (+0.5). Wide midfielders and fullbacks who deliver high cross volumes (typically 5-8 per match) earn +2.5-4 additional points on FanDuel. This makes crossing specialists more valuable on FanDuel than equivalent DraftKings slates.

Every platform rewards confirmed starters. DraftKings is most generous (+2 for 90 mins), making guaranteed 90-minute starters meaningfully more valuable than rotation risks. Always check confirmed lineup news before finalising your selection on DFS platforms.

DraftKings awards +1 for 60-89 minutes, creating a two-tier minutes bonus. Players likely to be substituted near the 75-80 minute mark still earn the 60-minute tier on DraftKings. On FIFA Official, only the flat +1 for any playing time applies regardless of minutes.

Yellow cards deduct points on every platform. Underdog is mildest at -0.5. All others deduct -1. Targeting physically disciplined players and avoiding card-prone midfielders in high-intensity fixtures reduces downside risk on all platforms.

Red cards are high-impact negative events. FIFA Official and FanDuel deduct -3 per red card, DraftKings -2. A red card eliminates all future minutes-played and clean-sheet points for that match. Players in high-pressure knockout fixtures with a history of reckless challenges carry meaningful red-card risk.

FIFA Official's Bonus Points System (BPS) awards +1, +2, or +3 bonus points to the top three performing players in each match based on a composite performance score. High-touch players - penalty takers, set-piece specialists, and captains in dominant winning teams - correlate with higher BPS outcomes.

FIFA Official's captain earns 2x all points; the Triple Captain chip gives 3x. DraftKings uses a CPT position at 1.5x at higher salary cost. FanDuel, Underdog, PrizePicks, and Sleeper do not use captain multipliers. On FIFA Official, captain selection is the single highest-leverage decision each gameweek.

PrizePicks is not traditional fantasy. Players predict whether individual players exceed or fall short of a statistical line for goals, shots on target, assists, saves, or minutes. Pick 2-6 players and combine for multiplied payouts. Lines are set at market expectation - value comes from identifying mispriced lines via team news and fixture context.