DraftKings DFS UCL Picks for Wednesday, March 5

The biggest outlier in the odds is the Benfica and Barcelona total. With an implied goal total over 3.5, that match will likely be the one to target for Wednesday's three-game DraftKings slate.

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Bayern Munich vs. Bayer Leverkusen
• 3:00 pm: Benfica vs. Barcelona
• 3:00 pm: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Liverpool

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Raphinha (BAR at BEN, $10,000)

It'll be a decision between Raphinha and Mohamed Salah ($10,400), but I'm leaning set pieces in an expected higher-scoring match. Salah has had a great floor from open play this season, but Liverpool aren't expected to dominate possession in Paris and I'm not sure I want to risk that. Then again, Salah has been amazing this season and shouldn't be faded in any spot given his form.

Raphinha's production has slowed down compared to earlier in the season, but he's still ripping shots and taking sets to go with a goal and assist in his last five starts. He'll likely hit a 10-point floor and that makes him more likely to surpass Salah if both find the scoresheet.

Kerem Akturkoglu (SLB vs. BAR, $5,200)

Barcelona are favored, but they're on the road and are at risk of allowing goals to anyone because of their high line. Akturkoglu is cheap enough that the matchup doesn't matter and he's also in play for a few set pieces. It was barely a month ago that Benfica scored four goals in this matchup with three of them coming in the first half. Akturkoglu didn't score any of those and only had 4.9 DraftKings points, yet I'm willing to spend down and hope he does a little more while going close to 90 without Angel Di Maria available.

The Rest

Vangelis Pavlidis ($7,200) bagged a hat trick in that last meeting and is also priced too cheap in this spot. He's a great tournament option if others are going to focus on Barcelona players or someone from the PSG-Liverpool match. At +175 to score, Pavlidis isn't far behind the top players on this slate.

Robert Lewandowski ($9,600) and Harry Kane ($8,400) of course deserve consideration and are always in play to score. If the game gets wild, Lewandowski is most likely to score a hat trick and he's taken 15 shots in his last three starts.

Lamine Yamal ($7,600) is less likely to score and hasn't made the scoresheet as much as his teammates, but he's active and it wouldn't be surprising if he broke the slate. He has the quality to break things open as much as anyone.

MIDFIELDERS

Joshua Kimmich (BAY vs. LEV, $7,300)

Outside of a 17-minute red card in DFB Pokal, the home team has been the better one in recent matchups between these teams. While that doesn't mean goals, it means possession, corners and sometimes a high volume of shots. I'm not overly worried about the Kimmich injury if he starts and he's cheap enough (compared to the Celtic games where he was $9,000) that I prefer him over Michael Olise ($8,800), though you could play both.

Orkun Kokcu (SLB vs. BAR, $6,200)

Without Di Maria, Kokcu has been awesome thanks to a split of sits. Even without goals in recent games, he's taking shots and creating chances, resulting in a floor near 10 points. If you don't like Benfica as much as me, there are plenty of other routes like the aforementioned Olise.

The Rest

Florian Wirtz ($7,400) and most Leverkusen players are GPP-only options in this spot. They're not going to get a ton of shots or set pieces, so their points will only come from goals and assists. Dani Olmo ($7,000) is also in this range, but it's unlikely he'll go more than 70 minutes.

Dominik Szoboszlai ($6,000) is at a reasonable price and with Cody Gakpo not 100 percent, there's a chance he's in a more attacking position, which has led to better numbers in recent matches. I'm not huge on Liverpool players in cash games, but Szoboszlai is cheap enough to consider in all formats.

The PSG midfielders are always great tournament options because they can pop on the scoresheet against anyone. Good luck picking between the bunch with Fabian Ruiz ($4,900) and Joao Neves ($4,800) both below $5,000.

DEFENDERS

Achraf Hakimi (PSG vs. LIV, $6,400)

There isn't a correct answer for the top defender on this slate, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold ($5,800) having to deal with Bradley Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, I'm on Hakimi, who will be running at old Andrew Robertson ($4,400). I'm not sold on Liverpool floors unless they go down early, and even then, they aren't going to go crazy with this being the first leg.

Nuno Mendes ($5,300) is similarly fine if you're in my line of thinking on PSG. I never want to play Bayern Munich full-backs, while the same goes for the Leverkusen ones in Bayern. Alejandro Grimaldo ($5,900) is extremely hard to fade given his upside, but even at home in the prior meeting when he had five corners, he still managed just 9.1 floor points. If he's going to be popular and he's not likely for 10 points, then I don't need to pay for him.

That leaves center-backs and players like Alvaro Carreras ($4,600) and Jules Kounde ($4,200). I like Kounde more than most, but away from home, I'd rather play him for $3,500.

GOALKEEPER

Matej Kovar (LEV at BAY, $3,900)

The Leverkusen goalkeeper seems like the best and easiest move because of price. The next closest in price is Anatolii Trubin ($4,200) and he's prone to allowing five goals. Kovar could have the benefit of a more defensive match in which Bayern Munich control possession and ping a few shots from distance. The other options are Manuel Neuer ($5,400), who probably won't get as many save opportunities, and the PSG and Liverpool goalkeepers in a match that could feature goals, as well.