FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Targets

MATCHES (EST)

• 3:00 pm: Atalanta vs. Liverpool
• 3:00 pm: FC Midtjylland vs. Ajax
• 3:00 pm: FC Porto vs. Marseille
• 3:00 pm: Manchester City vs. Olympiacos
• 3:00 pm: Real Madrid vs. Inter Milan
• 3:00 pm: Red Bull Salzburg vs. Bayern Munich

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

FanDuel Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS

Robert Lewandowski, BAY at RBS ($23): Things have yet to click for Lewandowski in the Champions League this season and hopefully that'll keep some people away from him despite having better than -300 odds to hit the back of the net. He was rested over the weekend and should be ready to add his first UCL goal or two having 10 goals and three assists in four Bundesliga starts. More intriguing is that Salzburg love to attack, which opens up numerous opportunities for opposing forwards. They gave up three goals to a defensive Atletico Madrid side last match and gave up six goals in two matches against Liverpool last season. Considering Lewandowski isn't that much more expensive than anyone else on the slate, he's easy to use in all formats. The main question may be how many Bayern players to roster because there's a chance they go off for at least four of five goals. Kingsley Coman ($20) will draw attention after scoring twice and assisting against Atletico, but Thomas Muller ($18) feels a bit under-priced and has slightly better odds to score than Sadio Mane ($19). Joshua Kimmich ($16) is always in play because of his role on set pieces, while Javi Martinez ($8) is a shot in the dark for a random goal. Some will consider fading Bayern in tournaments, but it's hard to see that working.

Mohamed Salah, LIV at ATA ($21): Liverpool aren't big favorites, but their match has the second-highest implied goal total and Salah is cheaper than usual because of the other players on the slate. Liverpool have played a bit more defensively in recent weeks, but that could change against Atalanta, who usually throw everything forward and only care about scoring. They've given up 13 goals in six league matches and gave up two to Ajax last week. It seems like the perfect spot for Salah and Mane to find some form in what could be a 4-3 type match, similar to last season's game against Salzburg. Even though Salah's numbers have slowed, he has eight goals in nine appearances in all competitions, while Mane is averaging close to a combined four shots on target and chances created per 90 minutes. In another matchup, I wouldn't consider Liverpool, but in a spot that could feature a lot of counterattacks and numerous chances for goals, a Salah-Mane stack could be viable, even with Bayern Munich and Manchester City on the slate. If you want to stack this match, Alejandro Gomez ($20) and Duvan Zapata ($17) give you a nice Atalanta duo who combine a solid floor with goal-scoring upside.

Lassina Traore, AJA at MCH ($7): I was higher on Ajax earlier, but a slew of COVID-19 cases has me a tad worried. While guys like Dusan Tadic ($18) and Davy Klaassen ($10) could start, that may not be made known until Tuesday morning. Despite those absences, Traore, Antony ($14) and David Neres ($15) are all healthy and should be starting against a back line that allowed six goals in two matches. While Midtjylland were somewhat improved against Liverpool, it's hard to overlook the 10 shots on goal allowed to Atalanta. Traore is known for bagging five goals in a recent league match, but he also scored against Atalanta last week. More importantly, he's a starting forward on a favorite and is one of the cheapest options on the slate. He allows you to stack Lewandowski with whoever you want and should be one of the more popular players. If you don't need to save that much money, I think Antony is viable in all formats after racking up four shots on goal and two chances created last match. He also has four goals in league play compared to zero for Neres. Ajax know they need three points in both matches against Midtjylland and will attack as usual in this spot, pointing to more production from the forwards. If Tadic misses out, set pieces will be up for grabs and may end up being split between a couple players.

Kevin De Bruyne, MCI v. OLY ($22): I haven't mentioned Manchester City yet, but they're the biggest favorite on the slate and have a similar implied goal total to Bayern Munich. My main worry is that De Bruyne may not start and even if he does, he could be subbed off early. Pep Guardiola doesn't care about injuries, but De Bruyne has played 172 minutes in less than a week and another start would push that number close to 250, which comes following an injury. That said, De Bruyne has created 20 chances in five starts this season and may have the highest floor of anyone. If you don't want to play it as safe, Raheem Sterling ($20) has the best odds to score for Man City. The downside is that he has six shots on target in eight starts this season and I'm not sure that's worth it compared to similarly priced Liverpool and Bayern players. The bigger move would be to go after cheaper players like Riyad Mahrez ($17), Ferran Torres ($16) or Phil Foden ($15). Any one of them could find the back of the net, especially with the odds implying Man City will score more than two goals. Olympiacos haven't shown much through two matches, and they lost 2-0 at Porto in their lone away match, so it wouldn't be surprising if City won 3-0.

DEFENDERS

Rafael Toloi, ATA at LIV ($6): Whether because of COVID-19 or injuries, there are eight expected starting defenders who are six bucks or less. Toloi and Rafinha ($6) probably have the best floors because of their opponents, facing Liverpool and Man City, respectively. I prefer Toloi since his floor is more predictable. He's hit at least eight fantasy points in his last five starts and should be plenty busy against Liverpool. The same goes for Rafinha, who should be busier than he was the prior two matches against Porto and Marseille. Otherwise, it's pretty much a grab bag, though Nathaniel Phillips ($5) could get some attention because he plays for Liverpool.

Andrew Robertson, LIV v. ATA ($14): Because of cheaper forwards like Traore, Antony and Torres, it's possible to get both Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold ($15) into a reasonable cash lineup. The worry is that even though Atalanta love to attack, their formation doesn't allow for many crosses and they don't allow an overwhelming number of corners. But even if you take away their upside (which you shouldn't), both Robertson and Alexander-Arnold often have floors around 15 fantasy points, and that sometimes reaches 20 if there's enough defensive work. Lisandro Martinez ($14) is another high-end option I'd consider if he starts over Nicolas Tagliafico.

GOALKEEPER

Agustin Marchesin, POR v. MAR ($11): Marseille have yet to score in the Champions League and have just 11 goals in eight Ligue 1 matches. The loss of Pepe definitely hurts Porto's back line, but Marseille have the second-lowest implied goal total and that's good enough if you need to save money at goalkeeper. If you don't, Ederson has the best odds to win and secure a clean sheet against Olympiacos, who were already held scoreless at Porto. If you want to take advantage of FanDuel pricing, Kjell Scherpen ($5) is expected to start against Midtjylland because Ajax's top two goalkeepers tested positive for COVID-19.