This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 3:00 pm: Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich
- 3:00 pm: Napoli vs. Barcelona
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Lionel Messi, BAR at NAP ($24): This slate revolves around two players, and while you can use both Messi and Robert Lewandowski ($23), the rest of your squad will be hampered. Messi is my choice because of his higher floor, having racked up five goals on 22 shots on target and six assists on 18 chances created in six starts under the new manager. It's hard to beat those numbers, and Napoli oddly have a losing record (4-2-6) at home in league play. Lewandowski has better odds to score and could easily bag a hat trick, but he also doesn't create as much as Messi, which limits his floor if he doesn't find the back of the net.
Serge Gnabry, BAY at CHE ($18): It may be better to back Lewandowski with Gnabry, but it also makes sense to use the latter by himself because he's the best option in this range. Gnabry is back in a starting role after coming off the bench early in the year, and he also has just as much upside as the high-priced options. He's made the score-sheet multiple times in three of his last five starts and surpassed 100 fantasy points the last time he was in London (7-2 win at Tottenham). There are other viable options in this range like Thomas
MATCHES (EST)
- 3:00 pm: Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich
- 3:00 pm: Napoli vs. Barcelona
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Lionel Messi, BAR at NAP ($24): This slate revolves around two players, and while you can use both Messi and Robert Lewandowski ($23), the rest of your squad will be hampered. Messi is my choice because of his higher floor, having racked up five goals on 22 shots on target and six assists on 18 chances created in six starts under the new manager. It's hard to beat those numbers, and Napoli oddly have a losing record (4-2-6) at home in league play. Lewandowski has better odds to score and could easily bag a hat trick, but he also doesn't create as much as Messi, which limits his floor if he doesn't find the back of the net.
Serge Gnabry, BAY at CHE ($18): It may be better to back Lewandowski with Gnabry, but it also makes sense to use the latter by himself because he's the best option in this range. Gnabry is back in a starting role after coming off the bench early in the year, and he also has just as much upside as the high-priced options. He's made the score-sheet multiple times in three of his last five starts and surpassed 100 fantasy points the last time he was in London (7-2 win at Tottenham). There are other viable options in this range like Thomas Muller ($19), Dries Mertens ($18) and Willian ($17), but the added upside from Gnabry makes him easier to back.
Lorenzo Insigne, NAP v. BAR ($15): Barcelona are favored, but the glaring stat is that they haven't defended well away from home this season, including the last six matches under Quique Setien. In addition to winning just five of 12 away league matches, they've given up multiple goals in four of their last six trips in all competitions. Insigne doesn't have the same goal odds as some of his teammates, but he's fairly cheap for splitting set pieces and averages 1.50 shots on goal per 90 minutes in league play. Sure, anyone in this range can make the score-sheet like Mason Mount ($16), Corentin Tolisso ($15) and Jose Maria Callejon ($14), but the guaranteed playing time and added set pieces make him a better cash option.
Fabian Ruiz, NAP v. BAR ($10): The difference between Ruiz and other midfielders at minimum pricing is that he gets forward in addition to supplying consistent defensive stats. I don't often write about two players on the same underdog, but the slate is small and the touch of upside to go with a floor of 10 points is worth considering. He's averaging 2.54 shots and 1.54 chances created per 90 minutes in league play, and if Barcelona continue to allow goals, he should get an opportunity or two in the attack. Maybe you don't want to use a midfielder this cheap, but if you want a roster that includes either Messi or Lewandowski, you'll need to save money somewhere and Ruiz provides something extra.
DEFENDERS
Clement Lenglet, BAR at NAP ($9): You don't know what you're getting from Lenglet on a match-by-match basis, but he's had decent floor performances against better competition, reaching 14.1 fantasy points last league match, as well as close to 20.0 against both Madrid clubs. That's at least worth a bet at this price, especially because Barcelona don't force many clearances and the Chelsea center-backs are more unreliable than Lenglet in terms of accruing defensive numbers. Because of Messi and Lewandowski, there won't be many who spend on Joshua Kimmich ($14) or Gerard Pique ($14), but that also means they're decent routes for GPPs, especially Kimmich because of his set-piece upside.
Reece James, CHE v. BAY ($10): Bayern Munich have forced the most clearances and second-most interceptions in the Bundesliga, and while James doesn't supply much in terms of clearances, he can do other things defensively in addition to the attack unlike Antonio Rudiger ($9) and Andreas Christensen ($8). If you're looking at Napoli defenders, Giovanni Di Lorenzo ($12) and Mario Rui ($11) are the best routes because Barcelona don't force many clearances, but they allow a ton of tackles and interceptions, which usually benefits the full-backs.
GOALKEEPER
Alex Meret, NAP v. BAR ($11): If one of the matches is lower scoring, I'd bet on it being Napoli-Barcelona. Even if you have Messi, Meret is a viable play because there will be plenty of save opportunities, and Messi's floor seems to be safe no matter the matchup. The other part is that Barca were held scoreless in two of their last three away games. I'd rather go cheaper because even if you spend up, it'll be hard to bank on a clean sheet away from home for the two favorites, especially Barcelona. Of note, David Ospina ($8) has started the last few league matches and could be a popular option if he starts for Napoli instead.
