DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Picks

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Published on October 18, 2021

MATCHES (ET)

3:00 pm: Ajax vs. Borussia Dortmund
3:00 pm: Atlético Madrid vs. Liverpool
3:00 pm: FC Porto vs. AC Milan
3:00 pm: FC Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Real Madrid
3:00 pm: Inter Milan vs. Sheriff Tiraspol
3:00 pm: Paris Saint-Germain vs. RB Leipzig

FORWARDS

Lionel Messi, PSG v. RBL ($9,500): You could make an argument for any of the PSG strikers. Messi has the best anytime goalscoring odds on the slate at -170. Kylian Mbappe ($9,100) will be plenty popular and is -135 to score, while Mauro Icardi ($5,500) is extremely cheap if he starts. Neymar being out means Messi and Mbappe will play alone together for the first time ever, and it's likely they'll split set pieces. PSG are the second-biggest favorite and have the second-highest implied goal total. With the salaries relatively affordable, I'd expect many lineups to have at least one of Messi or Mbappe.

Lautaro Martinez, INT v. TIR ($8,300): Only Messi has better goal scoring odds than Edin Dzeko ($8,700) and Martinez. Inter Milan are the biggest favorite and have the highest-implied total at home against the Moldovan minnows, Sheriff Tiraspol. If Joaquin Correa ($7,500) starts ahead of Dzeko, he'd be a good option, too. I prefer Martinez because he's the most talented of three, while having the highest floor and the most hat-trick upside. Looking elsewhere, Karim Benzema ($10,500) and Erling Haaland ($10,300) will be less popular than usual and both are in good spots. The Ajax-Dortmund matchup has the highest total on the slate. Steven Berghuis ($9,200) has been taking most of the set pieces and scoring goals for Ajax. Marco Reus ($6,500) is cheap for Dortmund. I think it makes sense to roster two expensive forwards. There are plenty of good options up top and a lack of expensive options at midfield. If I was to go cheap, Porto's front three seems a bit underpriced for a home matchup with AC Milan. Mehdi Taremi ($5,800), Luis Diaz ($4,900) and Toni Martinez ($4,300) are all decent options.

MIDFIELDERS

Hakan Calhanoglu, INT v. TIR ($7,600) or Federico Dimarco, INT v. TIR ($7,400): I've seen different projected lineups for Inter but at least one of Calhanoglu or Dimarco is likely to start. They've been splitting set pieces this season. Inter are the biggest favorite on the slate and are expected to dominate Sheriff. I'd probably prefer Dimarco as Calhanoglu always gets subbed off early. I think they're more suited as cash plays but the great matchup gives them upside for tournaments, too. I'd rather save salary and take a chance on Ivan Perisic ($6,600) or Nicolo Barella ($6,100) in GPPs.

Toni Kroos, RMA at SHK ($6,500): This is one of the weaker midfield pools in recent memory. Sandro Tonali ($6,300) and Sergio Oliveira ($5,500) take corners but both play defensive midfield and the AC Milan-Porto match has the second-lowest total. I'd feel safest with Kroos in cash games given the matchup against Shakhtar. He hasn't played much this season after recently recovering from a groin injury so there's some added sub risk.

Julian Brandt, BVB at AJA ($5,000): Brandt has been taking most of the corners with Raphael Guerreiro out injured. He's cheap and the matchup with Ajax is likely to be back and forth and produce goals. Looking elsewhere, Emil Forsberg ($4,800) would take most of set pieces if Dominik Szoboszlai doesn't start and shouldn't be popular with Leipzig playing away to PSG.

DEFENDERS

Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV at ATL ($8,100): Alexander-Arnold has a higher floor than any of the midfielders on this slate. His salary is expensive, but I'd rather spend here opposed to midfield. Saving $2,400 and rostering Andrew Robertson ($5,700) would make sense, as well. Liverpool aren't in the greatest spot away to Atletico Madrid, but the two full-backs have high floors and upside in any matchup because of their role on corners and free kicks. Looking elsewhere, Angelino ($5,000) would take a few corners if Szoboszlai isn't in the lineup. Nuno Mendes ($4,500) is an ultra-talented left-back and the salary is affordable for a favorable matchup at home against Leipzig.

Fode Ballo-Toure, ACM at POR ($3,400): If you're looking for a cheap full-back, Ballo-Toure filled in for Theo Hernandez (COVID-19) at left-back over the weekend and put up seven floor points despite picking up a yellow card. As for center-backs, Stefan de Vrij ($3,200) looks like relatively decent value as the cheapest defender for Inter, who are just under 50 percent to keep a clean sheet.

Goalkeepers

Samir Handanovic, INT v. TIR ($5,900): Inter Milan have around a 46-percent chance to keep a clean sheet at home against Sherrif. Normally, I don't spend up at keeper on bigger slates but Handanovic makes sense if you can afford it. I'd rather save salary here and spend it on expensive forwards and defenders.

Giorgos Athanasiadis, TIR at INT ($3,600): Athanasiadis is the cheapest keeper and has the most save upside with Sheriff being big underdogs away to Inter. He's coming off 10 saves in a similar spot against Real Madrid last time out. If you'd rather target a cheap clean sheet, Jan Oblak ($4,600) has better odds than the AC Milan and Dortmund keepers priced above him, but I'd rather avoid his matchup against Liverpool and find the $100 to roster Agustin Marchesin ($4,700) at home to Milan.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.