This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
For detailed stats and odds, check out the Fantasy Champions League: Wednesday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EST)
3:00 p.m: Tottenham v. Dortmund
3:00 p.m: Ajax v. Real Madrid
FORWARDS
Son Heung-Min, TOT v. BVB ($8,300): Son has been awesome since returning from the Asian Cup, scoring three goals on 14 shots (four on target) in three starts, and there's no question he's the best attacker for the English side since Harry Kane remains sidelined due to injury. Paying down for Fernando Llorente ($7,100), who has a goal and three assists in his last three games (one in each of his last three appearances), is theoretically an option, but his floor and ceiling don't match what Son can do.
Vinicius Junior, RM at AJA ($6,200): Vinicius provides some very cheap exposure to the attack with the highest implied goal total, and while he's probably unlikely to play a full 90 minutes because of the plethora of attackers Real Madrid have at their exposure, his cheaper price helps mitigate that risk. He's been very active of late through shots and fouls drawn, and while his finishing could certainly use some work, his floor is solid. There are probably going to be a few Real Madrid stacks given their expected dominance of Ajax, with Karim Benzema ($8,200), who had three goals on nine shots in his last three games, probably the safest in terms of minutes. The riskier move would be paying up for Gareth Bale ($10,000), who has had some
For detailed stats and odds, check out the Fantasy Champions League: Wednesday Cheat Sheet.
MATCHES (EST)
3:00 p.m: Tottenham v. Dortmund
3:00 p.m: Ajax v. Real Madrid
FORWARDS
Son Heung-Min, TOT v. BVB ($8,300): Son has been awesome since returning from the Asian Cup, scoring three goals on 14 shots (four on target) in three starts, and there's no question he's the best attacker for the English side since Harry Kane remains sidelined due to injury. Paying down for Fernando Llorente ($7,100), who has a goal and three assists in his last three games (one in each of his last three appearances), is theoretically an option, but his floor and ceiling don't match what Son can do.
Vinicius Junior, RM at AJA ($6,200): Vinicius provides some very cheap exposure to the attack with the highest implied goal total, and while he's probably unlikely to play a full 90 minutes because of the plethora of attackers Real Madrid have at their exposure, his cheaper price helps mitigate that risk. He's been very active of late through shots and fouls drawn, and while his finishing could certainly use some work, his floor is solid. There are probably going to be a few Real Madrid stacks given their expected dominance of Ajax, with Karim Benzema ($8,200), who had three goals on nine shots in his last three games, probably the safest in terms of minutes. The riskier move would be paying up for Gareth Bale ($10,000), who has had some major performances in the Champions League in his career, but he's also sparingly played lately because of a variety of injuries, and his chances for 90 minutes seem really low.
Dusan Tadic, AJA v. RM ($7,700): Ajax are likely to be the team least considered since they are the biggest underdog while hosting Real Madrid, and while Tadic shouldn't get much consideration in cash games, he's surely a viable GPP option while fading Los Blancos. He has six goals and three assists in his last six Eredivisie matches, and he has a relatively decent floor, averaging 2.8 shots, including 0.5 on target, 5.9 crosses and 1.5 fouls drawn per 90 minutes this season. You'll likely need a goal out of him simply because you'll end up fading a solid goal scorer if you use a roster spot on Tadic, but he bagged two goals at home against Manchester United in Ajax's last group stage match, so he's hardly overwhelmed by a big opponent.
MIDFIELDERS
Hakim Ziyech, AJA v. RM ($7,600): Ziyech led all players on the slate in shots during the group stage, and it might be impossible to find a higher floor, as he averaged 5.00 shots, including 2.20 on target, 5.20 crosses, 2.40 fouls drawn, 1.20 tackles won, 1.20 interceptions and 1.00 fouls committed per 90 minutes. Those averages are actually down from what he does in the Eredivisie, and while he'll be facing a far stronger test Wednesday, Ajax will surely come out swinging at home since it'll be their best opportunity at a round of 16 win.
Toni Kroos, RM at AJA ($6,700): Kroos is the primary set-piece taker for the biggest favorite on the slate, one that is playing away, though that obviously didn't deter the oddsmakers much. He hasn't been that great of a fantasy scorer this season, and he's made the scoresheet just once in 16 La Liga starts, which was an assist against Villarreal on Jan. 3. But, he could be popular in cash games purely because of his set pieces. Luka Modric ($6,000) could be a viable pivot from Kroos, as he has two goals on nine shots, two assists on 14 chances created and 23 crosses in his last five starts, though those tend to come when he's on corners, which likely won't be the case if Kroos starts.
Jadon Sancho, BVB at TOT ($4,700): Sancho isn't a huge fantasy-point scorer, but there's a clear path to getting on the scoresheet, as he has a role on set pieces that has helped him create at least two chances in six of his last seven starts, a span that has also seen him score two goals and assist two others. Dortmund are away underdogs, but the match is still expected to be close enough to give Sancho a try, even in cash games, because of his low salary. If you don't want to believe in Dortmund, Ajax's Lasse Schone ($4,400) has had a pretty solid floor during Champions League play, though he's now facing his toughest matchup of the entire season.
DEFENDERS
Raphael Guerreiro, BVB at TOT ($5,000): Guerreiro has primarily played as an attacking midfielder this season, a spot that has been particularly fruitful of late, as he had two goals on eight shots (five on target) and two assists on 11 chances created in his last three games. He's not usually a high-volume crosser, but his partial role on set pieces and attacking position certainly put him in good spots to score points.
Kieran Trippier, TOT v. BVB ($5,400): On the other side of Guerreiro's match is Trippier, who also has a role on set pieces (his share for Spurs is much bigger than Guerreiro's for Dortmund) and could be a prolific open-play crosser if Llorente starts because he's a big target in the box. Trippier had at least seven crosses in each of his last four starts, but he took only one shot in that span, as his upside is definitely more assist-based than goal-based. However, with the soft pricing on Wednesday's slate, there could be plenty of people pairing Guerreiro and Trippier. One potential cheap alternative is Jan Vertonghen ($3,300), who usually starts as a center-back but might be a left-back if Danny Rose ($4,100) is unable to play. Rose makes a lot of sense on his own, but Vertonghen provides even more salary relief (if you even need it) and actually sent in 14 crosses in his recent start at left-back, with Llorente's big head the target for those attempts.
Sergio Ramos, RM at AJA ($4,600): The Real Madrid fullbacks aren't cheap, though Sergio Reguilon ($4,900) isn't bad if he starts in place of Marcelo ($6,700), who is wildly overpriced for how he's been playing this season. The biggest selling point for Ramos is that he takes penalties for Real Madrid, giving him an upside few defenders, let alone center-backs, can match. It's a bit of a stretch, for sure, and if you're someone who really only likes to play full-backs, Nicolas Tagliafico ($4,500) isn't bad considering how many different ways he scores fantasy points.
GOALKEEPER
Thibaut Courtois, RM at AJA ($5,500): Courtois is the most expensive goalkeeper on the slate, but he also understandably has the highest win and clean sheet odds. His save upside is usually pretty low, but Ajax are likely to come out firing as they try to make a statement against the three-time reigning champions. However, Courtois comes in with clean sheets in two of his last four starts, and with a number of viable value plays at other positions, it's shouldn't be a stretch to reach up for the Real Madrid shot stopper.
