This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed odds and stats, check out the Fantasy Champions League: Tuesday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EDT)
3:45 p.m: Olympiacos v. Barcelona
3:45 p.m: Paris Saint-Germain v. Anderlecht
3:45 p.m: Roma v. Chelsea
3:45 p.m: Manchester United v. Benfica
3:45 p.m: Celtic v. Bayern Munich
3:45 p.m: Sporting CP v. Juventus
3:45 p.m: Atletico Madrid v. Qarabag
3:45 p.m: FC Basel v. CSKA Moscow
PLAYER RECOMMENDATIONS
FORWARD
Lionel Messi, BAR at OLY ($15,000): The price is ridiculous and the matchup in Greece isn't nearly as favorable as the one Neymar ($13,000) has at home against Anderlecht, but it's just too tough to argue against Messi, who is averaging 3.0 shots on goal and 2.3 chances created per 90 minute this season (not that Neymar's 1.76 and 4.27 marks, respectively are poor). Messi hasn't been quite as dominant as he was early in the season, but there's little reason to think Olympiacos can slow him down, especially after he had one goal on seven shots (three on target) and one assist on five chances created against them in their last match. Playing both isn't out of the question, but it'll take some significant savings elsewhere.
Antoine Griezmann, ATL v. FKQ ($10,000): The absence of Koke (groin) this past weekend allowed us to see what Griezmann looks like as a playmaker, as he carved up Villarreal for one assist on five chances created while also taking six shots (only one on target). Griezmann doesn't have the fantasy upside of the elite players on this slate, but he could provide a solid floor and at least one-goal upside against a highly overmatched Qarabag. Teammate Kevin Gameiro is also a possibility because of his $5,500 salary, though his upside pales in comparison.
Gonzalo Higuain, JUV at LIS ($8,500): Higuain has bounced out of his slump by scoring three goals on seven shots in his last two league games, including a brace at AC Milan this past weekend. He's never one to fire a ton of shots, but he makes each one count and comes in with solid anytime goal scoring odds for a player in this price range.
MIDFIELDER
Angel Di Maria, PSG v. ADL ($9,000): Getting just his second start since August, Di Maria was a force in last Friday's Ligue 1 match against Nice, finishing with two assists on four chances created and two of five shots on target. PSG come in as the biggest favorites on the slate, and getting exposure to their attacking front at less than a five-figure salary is a tremendous opportunity. It's worth noting that Di Maria is probably a long shot to play all 90 minutes with Kylian Mbappe ($10,500, forward) and Julian Draxler ($8,500) available off the bench, but PSG's attack is strong enough that it could be 4-0 by halftime. That being said, if Draxler gets the start ahead of Di Maria and Mbappe, he makes for a solid play as well.
Kingsley Coman, BAY at CEL ($7,000): Bayern will look significantly different without Robert Lewandowski (thigh) or Thomas Muller (hamstring), but that doesn't mean they can't put up a big fight against Celtic, who they beat 3-0 back in Munich two weeks ago. Most of the Bayern attacking options are expensive, but Coman provides some salary relief while coming in with a goal and two assists in his last three appearances.
Douglas Costa, JUV at SPO ($6,000): Costa will battle Juan Cuadrado ($8,500) for a start in the attacking front for Juventus, and he provides solid exposure to a side that should have plenty of chances. Costa created six in his last start, finishing with two assists in a 4-1 win over SPAL. The matchup against Sporting CP is definitely harder, but Juventus have too many attacking weapons around Costa to help him reach value.
DEFENDER
Filipe Luis, ATL v. FKQ ($5,500): Luis has scored no fewer than 17 fantasy points in his three Champions League appearances this season, and he could be closer to his ceiling Tuesday against Qarabag, despite the latter's surprising shutout of Atletico Madrid in their last match. With Chelsea and Roma still ahead of them in the group table, Atletico will need a dominant performance, which should allow Luis to get more involved in the attack while still putting up his solid array of defensive stats.
Stefan Ristovski, LIS v. JUV ($4,000): Sporting will be missing two regular defenders in their match against Serie A's leader in goals scored this season, with Ristovski and Andre Pinto ($4,500) slated to start in their places. Neither has realistic attacking upside, but Juventus should give them plenty of opportunities to pile up the clearances, blocked shots and interceptions, with their low prices providing needed salary relief on a slate with expensive attackers worth pursuing.
GOALKEEPER
Matz Sels, ADL at PSG ($4,000): If you're looking for saves, look no further than the goalkeeper likely to have the most shots sent his way. Sels is likely to give up a few, but with the powerful PSG attack peppering him with shots, it's certainly possible he gets double the number of saves than goals allowed.
