Ismael Saibari scored for Morocco against Brazil in fifa matches while listed as a midfielder, but he spent the game as the forward in a 4-2-3-1 shape. That role switch turned a 0.8 per cent-owned pick into one of the sharpest early fantasy plays from Friday’s Group C action.
Saibari had three shots and delivered Morocco’s goal in the draw with Brazil. For managers hunting out-of-position value, that is the kind of return that can separate a line-up from the field without paying up for a marquee name.
Morocco’s Forward Line
Morocco used Saibari at the point of attack rather than in midfield, and he rewarded that move by scoring against a Brazil side that lined up in a 4-2-3-1 under Carlo Ancelotti. He was listed in the fantasy game as a midfielder, which made his attacking usage the key detail for managers scanning for points beyond the obvious starters.
His three shots were the clearest sign that the role was not temporary window dressing. Saibari was involved enough to finish with the sort of volume fantasy managers usually want from a forward, not a midfielder placed out of position on paper.
Brazil’s Set-Piece Threat
Raphinha offered the same type of value on the other side of the match. He was listed as a midfielder but played high and central for Brazil, took two shots, created three chances, and remained on set pieces, including penalties.
That mix kept him involved even as Brazil took only a point from the match against Morocco. His role matters to fantasy managers for the same reason Saibari’s does: the listed position and the on-pitch job are not the same thing, and the gap can produce points quickly.
Low Ownership, Clear Upside
Saibari was not alone among the low-owned options making a case early in the tournament. South Korea’s Lee Tae-seok, listed as a defender, played high on the left in a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic and created two chances while being owned by less than five per cent of managers.
Vladimir Coufal was also pushed high on the right for the Czech Republic, picked up the assist on their goal, and sat at just three per cent ownership. In the United States’ 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, Sergino Dest was deployed incredibly high on the right, went off in the 72nd minute, banked clean-sheet points, and was owned by 2.4 per cent of managers.
The pattern is straightforward for the next round of fantasy decisions: target the players whose listed slot does not match their role, then check whether the ownership is low enough to turn a hit into a scouting bonus. Morocco face Scotland and Haiti next, Brazil meet Haiti, South Korea move on to Mexico and then South Africa, and the United States can secure qualification from the group with a result against Australia.
