DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Bayern Munich vs. Dynamo Kyiv
• 3:00 pm: Benfica vs. Barcelona
• 3:00 pm: Juventus vs. Chelsea
• 3:00 pm: Manchester United vs. Villarreal
• 3:00 pm: Red Bull Salzburg vs. Lille
• 3:00 pm: VfL Wolfsburg vs. Sevilla

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Wednesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Robert Lewandowski, BAY vs. DYK ($11,500): Lewandowski is -340 to score anytime and Bayern Munich are -1000 favorites at home against Dynamo Kyiv. Those are some of the biggest numbers you'll see in the Champions League, so I'd expect that he's the most popular player on the slate. Lewandowsi had his streak of 19 consecutive games with a goal snapped last Saturday, and he's a massive favorite to get back on track Wednesday. I'm planning on rostering him, but fading can make sense as well. Considering his salary, it will likely take more than one goal to beat you in tournaments and there are plenty of other good options. Cristiano Ronaldo ($10,000), who is -120 to score at home against Villarreal, has four goals in four matches and Manchester United will be desperate for a win after losing to Young Boys last time out. Memphis Depay ($9,500) has been a bright spot through Barcelona's recent struggles. He's scoring goals and taking most of the set pieces and will be less popular than usual because of the spot that Bayern are in.

Leroy Sane, BAY vs. DYK ($8,300): Sane is back in form with two goals and five assists in his last five matches. He was unlucky not to score against Barcelona two weeks ago when he looked like the most dangerous player on the pitch. Take your pick between him and Thomas Muller ($8,500), who's also been scoring goals of late. Bayern are expected to score three goals against Kyiv and we've seen them blow teams away in these spots many times. There isn't much that stands out in the lower range. The Benfica v. Barcelona match has two cheap center forwards, though Roman Yaremchuk ($5,900) and Luuk de Jong ($5,300) are goal-dependent GPP options. Pedri ($4,800) would have more of a floor; he took a few corners for Barca before missing the last three matches through injury.  

MIDFIELDERS

Joshua Kimmich, BAY vs. DYK ($8,200): Kimmich has the highest floor of any midfielder on the slate in his role as the majority set-piece taker for the massive favorite. Sometimes I feel like he lacks the upside for tournaments, but he's scored three goals in the last two Bundesliga games and has considerable assist equity in such a good spot for Bayern. Serge Gnabry ($8,000) has goal-scoring odds of -125, the highest of any midfielder. He might be an even better option than Sane and Muller for tournaments considering he's cheaper and only midfield eligible. Bruno Fernandes ($9,100) was back on corners for Manchester United over the weekend and won't be as popular as he should be with everyone spending salary on Bayern. Looking elsewhere, Red Bull Salzburg are the third-biggest favorite at home against Lille. Nicolas Seiwald ($5,100) takes their set pieces while Luka Sucic ($6,500) and Brenden Aaronson ($6,200) have more goal upside. 

Xeka, LIL at RBS ($4,000): Xeka has been taking the majority of corners for Lille. He might not offer much upside but the salary is still a bit too cheap for a matchup against Red Bull Salzburg. He's more appealing because the cheap salary makes it easier to afford Bayern Munich players or whoever else you're spending up for. It might make more sense in tournaments to take a chance on Noah Okafor ($3,500) playing forward for home favorite Salzburg.

DEFENDERS

Juan Cuadrado, JUV vs. CHE ($5,800): The expensive defenders who take set pieces will be less popular than usual with people spending up at other positions. Cuadrado would be my favorite of the bunch if he lines up in midfield, without the injured Paulo Dybala in the lineup. Marcos Alonso ($5,900) and Alex Telles ($5,700) should have a share of corner kicks. In GPPs, I'd prefer the less popular Alejandro Grimaldo ($5,500) playing in midfield at home against a suspect Barcelona defense.

Sergino Dest, BAR at BEN ($3,700): Because Luuk de Jong has been playing center forward, Barcelona are crossing more than ever. Dest on the left and Oscar Mingueza ($3,200) on the right are quite affordable and allow for salary to spent elsewhere. If you want to avoid Barca, Niklas Sule ($3,000) is pretty cheap for his clean sheet equity and the amount of possession and chances to score from set pieces that Bayern are likely to have. 

GOALKEEPERS

Geronimo Rulli, VIL at MU ($3,900): I mentioned in yesterday's article that paying up at keeper isn't as appealing on these big Champions League slates. That being said, Manuel Neuer ($5,900) has better than 50 percent odds to keep a clean sheet, and if you're fading some of the expensive Bayern Munich chalk, it could be wise to spend that salary on 10-14 points at the GK position. Otherwise, spending down makes more sense. Manchester United have three players in Ronaldo, Bruno and Paul Pogba who love to take long shots, and that's great for the opposing keepers' save upside, making Rulli my preferred choice. If you'd rather target a match with a lower total, Koen Casteels ($4,600) and Wojciech Szczesny ($4,300) are options.