This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 3:00 pm: Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain
- 3:00 pm: RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool
FORWARDS
Lionel Messi, BAR vs. PSG (€32): Messi has been ruthless over his last eight appearances, netting 10 goals and tacking on three assists. His ability to skate through the opposition is worth sitting down on the couch with a bag of popcorn to marvel at. He's the focal point of the Barcelona attack and has the highest anytime scorer odds on the slate. On a condensed two-gamer, fading Messi is ill-advised.
Mohamed Salah, LIV at RBL (€30): Salah is in good form coming into the UCL Round of 16, scoring four goals in his last four outings. He continues to lead the Premier League with 17 goals, and with Liverpool favored on neutral ground he figures to be heavily involved on the attacking end. Per usual, all of the Liverpool triumvirate are in play here, but I'll give the nod to Salah as the primary penalty taker combined with his recent run of strong performances.
Pedri, BAR vs. PSG (€16): Pedri is more of a salary relief shout than anything. The 18-year-old doesn't score or assist often, but on a micro slate, he's in play as a value option on the biggest favorite. We may not need the salary relief from Pedri if we fill the forward slots with the heavy hitters listed above.
MIDFIELDERS
Marcel Sabitzer RBL vs. LIV (€20): The midfield options are extra thin on this two-gamer, but the Red Bull Leipzig midfield comes with some potentially serviceable targets. Sabizter scored in his last start, and he's not shy about creating chances or firing off a shot when the opportunity arises. He doesn't regularly light up the stat sheet by any means, but the RB Leipzig captain is worthy of consideration given the lack of options to pull from.
Christopher Nkunku, RBL vs. LIV (€19): Nkunku's salary continues to rise, but he's still simply too cheap to scroll past. He asserts his presence on set pieces and in open play, and he has the ability to make life difficult for Liverpool in their Round of 16 opener. Expect him to be the most popular midfielder in both cash and tournaments Tuesday.
Leandro Paredes, PSG at BAR (€11): Paredes stands to benefit from the injury woes of Neymar and Angel Di Maria. Although he didn't score or assist, he still topped eight points in his last outing, highlighting his ability to get it done across multiple categories. At this price, he's one of the top values to help fit in the heavy artillery.
DEFENDERS
Angelino, RBL vs. LIV (€22): Angelino's lofty salary is justified because he's arguably the most dangerous attacking defender on the slate. He's scored three goals and added three assists in the six UCL games leading up to the Round of 16, and he's a menace down the left flank who will be difficult to contain Tuesday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV at RBL (€19): Alexander-Arnold is mostly splitting set pieces with fellow defender Andrew Robertson (€18) these days, and both are in play on this shortened slate. Alexander-Arnold's toolbox comes with multiple weapons to fill up the stat sheet, and in a game that could feature goals, he's a player you don't want to be caught without if Liverpool gets going.
Ozan Kabak, LIV at RBL (€10): Kabak is here mostly as a reminder that we'll need some salary relief if we're going to be jamming in the high-priced priority players. There could be additional value options that arise once starting lineups are announced, but if it comes down to it, Kabak may be someone we have to plug in simply to fit the desired plays into our build.
GOALKEEPER
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, BAR vs. PSG (€14): Considering ter Stegen is still priced as a backup, he's a no-brainer with Barcelona tipped as the biggest favorite on the slate. Facing a PSG side that will be missing a pair of key attackers in Neymar and Angel Di Maria, he won't have nearly as much trouble keeping the French side at bay.
