This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Champions League: Tuesday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EST)
2:45 p.m: Manchester United v. CSKA Moscow
2:45 p.m: Chelsea v. Atletico Madrid
2:45 p.m: Roma v. Qarabag
2:45 p.m: Celtic v. Anderlecht
2:45 p.m: Benfica v. Basel
2:45 p.m: Bayern Munich v. Paris Saint-Germain
2:45 p.m: Barcelona v. Sporting CP
2:45 p.m: Olympiacos v. Juventus
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
FORWARDS
Edin Dzeko, ROM v. FKQ ($9,900) and/or Stephan El Shaarawy, ROM v. FKQ ($8,400): The final matchday of the group stage is upon us, with several teams still vying for a spot in the knockout rounds. For Roma, it's quite simple: win and you're in. At home against last-place Qarabag puts Roma in prime position to advance and, with that in mind, Dzeko is at the top of the anytime goal scorer odds chart. He's coming off a 27-point outburst against SPAL in Serie A on Friday, in which he bagged a goal on 11 shots (five on goal). El Shaarawy isn't far behind, checking in ahead of the likes of Neymar, Robert Lewandowski and Romelu Lukaku. Given the circumstances, both should be considered but -- if I'm picking one -- I don't mind paying up for Dzeko as the main man that Roma looks to for goals.
Moussa Dembele, CEL v. AND ($6,100): Dembele has been declared fit for Celtic's final UCL match at home against Anderlecht, where they'll look to lock up a spot in the Europa League by finishing third in Group B. In his absence, 19-year-old Odsonne Edouard ($4,800) turned up with a hat trick in Scottish Premiership action Saturday, but with Dembele fit again he should slot right back into the starting lineup. Considering his impressive strike rate, having scored 39 goals in 63 appearances for Celtic, the Frenchman provides a bit of salary relief while carrying tournament-winning upside.
MIDFIELDERS
Paulo Dybala, JUV at OLY ($10,400): It's natural to gravitate toward Lionel Messi ($12,300) and Neymar ($10,600) anytime they're in the player pool, but don't be so quick to overlook Dybala. Messi didn't start Barca's last UCL game and, having already qualified in first place, it's possible that he comes off the bench again or gets pulled early. In Neymar's case, he could become the first player to ever score in all six UCL group stage games if he finds the net in a tough fixture at Bayern Munich. While Dybala has yet to make an impact on the scoresheet through five UCL games, he continues to pile up the peripheral stats and has double-digit points in 10 straight games across all competitions. With Juventus hanging on to a one-point lead for second place in Group D, a draw at Olympiacos would be enough to punch their ticket, and even a loss might see them advance considering how unlikely it would be for Sporting Lisbon to knock Barcelona off on the road. I expect Juventus to make no mistake and get a result in Greece, with Dybala at the heart of the attack once again.
James Rodriguez, BAY v. PSG ($6,700): James was electric in Saturday's Bundesliga win over Hannover, sending in 11 crosses and firing off six shots. With both Bayern and PSG having already qualified for the next round, a lack of motivation is certainly worth questioning, but in general players like to perform when given the chance to play in a Champions League match and all signs points to James getting another start. He'll likely have a share of Bayern's set pieces, and with his salary as low as we've seen it all season, James is back on the fantasy radar.
Renato Steffen, BAS at BEN ($5,700): Steffen has a combined six shots, 11 crosses, seven fouls drawn and 25 fantasy points over his previous two UCL outings, including a 13-point effort in Basel's shock win over Manchester United. While teammate Luca Zuffi ($5,000) takes the majority of Basel's set pieces, Steffen takes the occasional corner and is more involved in the attack playing higher up the field. Basel dispatched of Benfica 5-0 the first time these teams met, and while this one is in Portugal, we can expect a spirited road effort from Basel with a spot in the knockout round on the line.
DEFENDERS
Aleksandar Kolarov, ROM v. FKQ ($7,100): Kolarov's fantasy output benefits from his role as Roma's primary set piece taker, and he's notched double-digit fantasy points in nine straight across all competitions. The $7,100 salary is a tough pill to swallow, but once it kicks in and the points start rolling in you'll remember why you took that pill in the first place. This is a must-win spot for Roma, and it's hard to envision a letdown from Kolarov with what's at stake.
Davide Zappacosta, CHE v. ATL ($5,300): Zappacosta was rested for Saturday's 3-1 win over Newcastle, so there's a good chance he's back in the lineup for Tuesday's clash with Atletico Madrid. While he hasn't hit double digits in his last two UCL starts, he's flashed his fantasy appeal with 10 crosses in back-to-back Premier League appearances and has at least 10 points in four straight league contests.
Michael Lang, BAS at BEN ($4,600): Lang shocked Manchester United with an 89th minute winner in their last UCL match to put Basel in good position to advance to the knockout stage. He also swung in seven crosses and finished with 24 points, the second time he's topped 20 points in five UCL appearances. He scored a goal and took three shots the last time he faced Benfica, and with Basel on the brink of the round of 16, look for Lang to continue to be involved.
GOALKEEPERS
Alisson, ROM v.FKQ ($6,000): With Roma simply needing a 1-0 result to qualify for the round of 16, Alisson appears to be the safest option on the board, at home against a Qarabag attack that has scored just two goals in five Group C matches. The possibility to add more points through saves is low, so by paying all the way up for Alisson we're essentially hoping to lock in at least 10 points through win and clean sheet bonuses.
Jan Oblak, ATL at CHE ($4,400): Despite allowing just three goals through five UCL games, Atletico are on the brink of elimination unless they knock off Chelsea on the road and Qarabag manage to get a result at Roma. Oblak conceded his first goal in five appearance over the weekend, and Atletico's stout defense always puts Oblak in fantasy consideration regardless of the opponent.
