DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (EST)

• 3:00 pm: Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain
• 3:00 pm: RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool

For detailed odds and stats, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Lionel Messi, BAR v. PSG ($12,300): Messi is by far the most expensive player on the slate, but there's little doubt he will be the most popular in cash games and GPPs. Barcelona are favored, he has the highest anytime goal scorer odds on the slate, and he's facing a Paris Saint-Germain side without two of their best attackers. The real consideration for GPPs is how you build if you decide to fade Messi, which likely has people looking toward the Liverpool attackers like Mohamed Salah ($10,800) and/or Sadio Mane ($9,300), or simply stacking Messi with teammates Antoine Griezmann ($6,900) and Ousmane Dembele ($8,100) with the hope they destroy PSG.

Pedri, BAR v. PSG ($5,200): Pedri is mostly likely to play in the Barcelona midfield, and he doesn't have the attacking upside of Messi, Griezmann and Dembele, but he's a forward-eligible player at a reduced price for a favorite, so he'll surely be a consideration for some, especially with the perceived correlation with Messi. You could make a similar argument for Thiago Alcantara ($4,800) in terms of being a cheap forward option, and his correlation is with Salah and Mane versus Messi, but he really doesn't attack much and is in a slightly tougher matchup.

Yussuf Poulsen, RBL v. LIV ($7,300): Christopher Nkunku ($8,700) is really the RB Leipzig forward worth targeting, and he could be popular in cash games because of his role on set pieces. Poulsen is the more likely goal scorer on the team, and those who generally want to avoid the chalk at all costs have to consider RB Leipzig. Playing at a neutral site likely pushed the odds closer to Liverpool, who have struggled recently and won't have an easy time against the potent Leipzig attack. Leipzig figure to be the least-popular team on the slate, so getting access to their attackers could be solid leverage in tournaments.

MIDFIELDERS

Leandro Paredes, PSG at BAR ($3,400): The midfield-only players on this slate are pretty brutal, so it seems like the position most people will try to save salary. The absence of Neymar (groin) and Angel Di Maria (thigh) open up PSG's set pieces, which partially went to Paredes this past weekend. They probably won't win that many against Barcelona, who figure to dominate possession, but Paredes also does enough defensive work to make his salary extremely useful without it being a total punt. Julian Draxler ($6,500) could also be an option for set pieces, though that price for an underdog seems unnecessary, especially since Paredes could make value without a single dead-ball opportunity.

Dani Olmo, RBL v. LIV ($5,600): Olmo fits in the category with Poulsen and Nkunku in terms of players likely to be avoided, but he makes for an interesting leverage play in the midfield, especially since he has goal upside that the Liverpool midfielders don't really have. Marcel Sabitzer ($5,900) is an interesting option as well, though Olmo has taken many more shots and created more chances recently. The biggest difficulty with midfielders in this price range is that there are defenders who are much safer fantasy options, so it could be a range that's mostly ignored in cash games and some GPPs.

DEFENDERS

Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV at RBL ($6,700): Alexander-Arnold is the most expensive defender on the slate, but with a decent role on set pieces for a favorite, he's going to be popular, particularly in cash games. Teammate Andrew Robertson ($5,900) could also be a worthwhile target since he's usually the one sharing set pieces with Alexander-Arnold, though if Xherdan Shaqiri ($5,400, midfielder/forward) starts then he could take Robertson's opportunities. It definitely seems like a slate where people pay up at both defender spots, and it's even possible to play three higher-priced ones because the midfield options are so poor.

Angelino, RBL v. LIV ($6,400): On the other side of that game is Angelino, who provides a cheaper path to Leipzig's set pieces than Nkunku and also more open-play attacking than almost any defender in the world. Pairing Alexander-Arnold and Angelino together could be popular in cash games, and even some GPPs, as there may not be two players on the slate with higher floors (Messi, excluded).

Oscar Mingueza, BAR v. PSG ($3,200): Minguez has been starting at right-back for Barcelona, and he could be very popular if he gets the call again. However, it's important to check lineups because he could move to center-back if Gerard Pique ($2,500) isn't fit to start, which could allow Sergino Dest ($4,400) to start out wide. Minguez will get a lot of attention as a full-back for a favorite at his price, but the expectation has to be that he isn't a huge crosser simply because Barcelona don't usually play that style anyway.

GOALKEEPER

Marc-Andre ter Stegen, BAR v. PSG ($5,000): Because both games on the slate are close, goalkeeper pricing is pretty narrow, with ter Stegen $100 less than the most expensive starter and only $600 more than the cheapest, Peter Gulacsi. ter Stegen has the benefit of facing a PSG side without Neymar and di Maria, and while Mbappe can always wreck havoc, it might be too much to ask him to do everything, which should help Barcelona's win and clean sheet chances.