DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Atlético Madrid vs. Manchester City
• 3:00 pm: Liverpool vs. Benfica

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Riyad Mahrez, MCI at ATL ($10,600): Manchester City have an implied goal total of around 1.7 for their away matchup in Madrid. They're defending a one-goal lead so I'm not necessarily expecting them to go all out for goals, but they will dominate possession and should create the majority of chances. I don't think Mahrez is a lock by any means, but he's the safest of the forward options based on his set-piece floor and penalty-kick responsibility. The expensive price will probably have me looking elsewhere for tournaments. Mohamed Salah ($10,300) has the best goalscoring odds on the slate for Liverpool's home match against Benfica. He hasn't been in the greatest form recently and probably won't last the full 90 minutes, assuming Liverpool's two-goal lead isn't in danger. Liverpool's 2.4-implied goal total is considerably higher than Manchester City's and all of their forwards have better goalscoring odds than City's. Sadio Mane ($9,100) and Diogo Jota ($8,800) look like good tournament options as they're significantly cheaper than Salah. 

Luis Diaz, LIV vs. BEN ($8,300): Based on Liverpool being in a slightly better spot than Manchester City and Mahrez being rather expensive, Diaz is probably the first forward in my lineup. He's the cheapest of the Liverpool forwards and seems most likely to go 90 minutes after he came off the bench over the weekend. Even though he doesn't take set pieces, his floor is still relatively high and he has plenty of upside with Liverpool expected to score multiple goals. Elsewhere in this range, Raheem Sterling ($7,000) is cheaper than we normally see, but he doesn't have much of a floor, making him a better option for GPPs than cash games. The same could be said about Roberto Firmino ($7,700), who's started only one match since February but could be called upon Wednesday.

Moving away from the two favorites and analyzing the underdogs, Benfica look more appealing than Atletico Madrid. Not only are the Benfica options cheaper, but they are likely to see a bit more of the ball, as well. Darwin Nunez ($6,000) is most likely to score while Everton ($4,200) and Goncalo Ramos ($3,500) are especially cheap. Everton looked dangerous in the first leg as he put up 13 floor points in 82 minutes. He's a good option for both cash games and tournaments based on his combination of floor and upside for a cheap salary. Atletico Madrid will need at least one goal if they have any chance of advancing. Joao Felix ($6,800) and Antoine Griezmann ($5,900) offer the most hope and neither will be popular. I'm more likely to take a chance on Felix, as I think he's more likely to score and he'll be a bit less popular considering he's more expensive. 

MIDFIELDERS

Kevin De Bruyne, MCI at ATL ($10,000): De Bruyne, similar to most slates, will be the first player in my lineups. He has the highest floor and he continues to show incredible form. He's scored goals in three-consecutive matches and has five in his last five. Manchester City will dominate possession, even in Madrid, and De Bruyne's floor is safer than anyone else's. Moving to the midrange, Jack Grealish ($6,400) seems too cheap, despite his struggles. He hasn't scored or assisted since December, but there just aren't many appealing options besides the more expensive ones.

Yannick Carrasco, ATL vs. MCI ($4,800): Second midfielder looks like the best spot to pay down at considering there are expensive forwards and defenders worth spending up for. Carrasco took the majority of Atletico's corners over the weekend and he played all 90 minutes. They'll need to be more attacking than they were in the first leg with a one-goal deficit to make up and a Carrasco set piece might offer their best chance of scoring. Looking elsewhere, Naby Keita ($4,300) was exceptional against Benfica last week and was unlucky not to score as he took four shots and constantly got forward. He's probably a better GPP option than Carrasco since he's more likely to be involved in a goal. If you're looking for a full punt, Marcos Llorente ($3,000) could be a good option. He doesn't have much of a floor, but he gets forward and it wouldn't be shocking to see him come up with a goal or assist. 

DEFENDERS

Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV vs. BEN ($7,500): Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson ($7,300) may not be as prolific in the Champions League as they are in the Premier League, but it's still worth rostering one of them. At least one of them is likely to score double digits and the differential between that and what the majority of the other defenders on the slate score will be important for both tournaments and cash games. Alejandro Grimaldo ($5,200) is a viable option in the midrange as he will split corners with Everton. I probably wouldn't roster him in cash games based on the tough matchup in Liverpool but the upside is there for GPPs.

Sime Vrsaljko, ATL vs. MCI ($3,400): Vrsaljko, assuming he starts on the right wing, is cheap enough to take a chance on. He should send in a few crosses and he's played the full 90 minutes in each of his last five starts. The second defender position looks like another good spot to punt. Gilberto ($4,000) would be viable after he won six tackles in the first leg to score 10 floor points. Pairing Alexander-Arnold or Robertson with a Liverpool center-back makes sense, too. They have better clean sheet odds than Manchester City and Ibrahima Konate ($3,600) scored from a Robertson corner last week. 

GOALKEEPERS

Jan Oblak, ATL vs. MCI ($4,000): Liverpool and Manchester City have similar clean sheet odds with both hovering around 45 percent. Ederson ($5,500) is cheaper and he might have more save upside than Alisson ($5,900), playing on the road against stronger opposition. We've seen Atletico Madrid stifle great teams many times over the years. Oblak is cheap and he's playing at home against a Manchester City team who might not be as aggressive as usual as they're defending a one-goal lead. Odisseas Vlachodimos ($3,800) has the most save upside on the slate but almost certainly won't keep a clean sheet away to Liverpool. That may not matter, however, if he makes enough saves or if none of the other teams keep a clean sheet, either.