DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.

MATCHES (EDT)

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Neymar, PSG at BAY ($10,700): Neymar is the most expensive player on the slate, but he comes in with one of the highest floors and ceilings. Paris Saint-Germain are slight away underdogs in a match that is expected to be high scoring, so Neymar will surely be a target. Angel Di Maria ($9,200) is a cash-game possibility because he shares set pieces with Neymar, though the $1,700 difference in salary may not be enough for many to fade the latter. On the GPP side, Kylian Mbappe ($9,600) is always a consideration whenever he's on the slate, and after scoring four goals on 10 shots in the two legs against Barcelona in the previous round, a matchup against a banged up Bayern Munich shouldn't be a huge concern.

Leroy Sane, BAY v. PSG ($8,000): The Bayern Munich attack has a gaping void to fill thanks to the injury absence of Robert Lewandowski (knee), though the oddsmakers still have them as favorites and their implied team total is the highest on the slate. Sane, Kingsley Coman ($7,700) and Thomas Muller ($9,000) are each very capable attackers, with Sane the more productive recently in terms of shots and chances created. We are also likely to see Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting ($6,700) start for Lewandowski, though he's by far the most

MATCHES (EDT)

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Neymar, PSG at BAY ($10,700): Neymar is the most expensive player on the slate, but he comes in with one of the highest floors and ceilings. Paris Saint-Germain are slight away underdogs in a match that is expected to be high scoring, so Neymar will surely be a target. Angel Di Maria ($9,200) is a cash-game possibility because he shares set pieces with Neymar, though the $1,700 difference in salary may not be enough for many to fade the latter. On the GPP side, Kylian Mbappe ($9,600) is always a consideration whenever he's on the slate, and after scoring four goals on 10 shots in the two legs against Barcelona in the previous round, a matchup against a banged up Bayern Munich shouldn't be a huge concern.

Leroy Sane, BAY v. PSG ($8,000): The Bayern Munich attack has a gaping void to fill thanks to the injury absence of Robert Lewandowski (knee), though the oddsmakers still have them as favorites and their implied team total is the highest on the slate. Sane, Kingsley Coman ($7,700) and Thomas Muller ($9,000) are each very capable attackers, with Sane the more productive recently in terms of shots and chances created. We are also likely to see Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting ($6,700) start for Lewandowski, though he's by far the most goal dependent of the group.

MIDFIELDERS

Joshua Kimmich, BAY v. PSG ($6,900): Even though Bayern Munich will be without Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry (illness), they have more than enough firepower to justify getting their set-piece taker at less than $7,000. Kimmich seems to have regained a monopoly of free kicks for Bayern Munich, and he's likely to be one of the most popular players in cash games because of it. He makes sense in tournaments too, though the goal upside may lie more with Leon Goretzka ($6,300), who has a decent floor but really can't be a cash game alternative to Kimmich because he's only $600 less.

Otavio, POR v. CHE ($3,900): Porto are big underdogs in Sevilla (a neutral site for both legs), and they'll have to play the first leg without regular set-piece taker and leading UCL goal-scorer Sergio Oliveira, who is suspended for yellow card accumulation. That brings Otavio into the conversation because he's likely to take over on dead balls and he's cheap. You can question how many set pieces Porto will win as decent underdogs, though we've done that in every round and they continue to advance. The benefit this time is that Otavio is cheap, which is likely to make him one of the more popular players in cash games.

DEFENDERS

Reece James, CHE at POR ($5,900): Chelsea's set-piece situation can get a bit cloudy, but James took 10 corners in their last match, which will likely make him a target for cash-game players. Chelsea went down a man early in that game, and it's possible James wouldn't have gotten as many opportunities if Hakim Ziyech ($8,300, midfielder) wasn't sacrificed for more defensive help, but we go by what we've seen recently and that's James on corners. Granted, he's a solid contributor in open play too, but the potential for Chelsea's set pieces are his price seem much more attractive than paying up for Mason Mount ($8,500), especially with Kimmich and Otavio likely taking up some midfield spots.

Thilo Kehrer, PSG at BAY ($2,900): Paris Saint-Germain will be without both of their regular starting fullbacks, which means Kehrer and Abdou Diallo ($2,800) could both start. Neither are great attackers, but they are outside players who cost less than $3,000; that's it. If you don't want to trust them, the Porto duo of Zaidu Sanusi ($4,100) and Wilson Manafa ($3,600) may be able to produce a little more, but you're really just playing them for the salary savings, and if that's the goal then just save the additional $1,000 with Kehrer or Diallo.

GOALKEEPER

Agustin Marchesin, POR v. CHE ($4,000): There are attacking players worth prioritizing on the slate, so it doesn't seem like most people will pay up for a goalkeeper. If they do then it'll be Edouard Mendy ($5,500), but just one goal allowed and he's unlikely to make value. Instead, Marchesin is the cheaper goalkeeper in the match with the lowest total, and the salary savings will be justified by the improvements at the other positions.

Want to Read More?
Subscribe to RotoWire to see the full article.

We reserve some of our best content for our paid subscribers. Plus, if you choose to subscribe you can discuss this article with the author and the rest of the RotoWire community.

Get Instant Access To This Article Get Access To This Article
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only Soccer Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire Soccer fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew M. Laird
Andrew is a former RotoWire contributor. He was the 2017 and 2018 FSWA Soccer Writer of the Year. He is a nine-time FSWA award finalist, including twice for Football Writer of the Year.
Premier League Bets: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Fulham vs. Southampton
Premier League Bets: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Fulham vs. Southampton
Premier League Preview: Tottenham vs. Liverpool Predictions, Odds, & Notes
Premier League Preview: Tottenham vs. Liverpool Predictions, Odds, & Notes
Premier League Bets: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
Premier League Bets: Picks, Odds & Predictions for Crystal Palace vs. Arsenal
DraftKings EPL DFS Preview for Saturday, Dec. 21: A GPP Win for Christmas
DraftKings EPL DFS Preview for Saturday, Dec. 21: A GPP Win for Christmas