This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (ET)
- 3:00 pm: Borussia Dortmund vs. Manchester City
- 3:00 pm: Liverpool vs. Real Madrid
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Diogo Jota, LIV v. MAD ($16): Mohamed Salah ($22) has the best odds to score on the slate, but it's not by much. Jota remains my favorite Liverpool forward because he's priced like a defensive midfielder who scores once in a while. In three appearances since the break, he has 10 shots (three on target) compared to 14 for Salah, who has played 60 more minutes. Sadio Mane ($18) is rested after coming off the bench over the weekend, but he's been worse than the other two at getting looks on net. There's a path to using two or three Liverpool forwards, but the latter route will likely only be used by Reds supporters. There is a situation in which Liverpool come out swinging and bag two or three goals against a depleted Real Madrid back line. That said, some said that about the first leg and Real Madrid did whatever they wanted and Liverpool was lucky to get one shot on target. Even with injuries, Real Madrid's compact midfield has been enough to keep teams at bay, as seen in the win over Barcelona on Saturday. Still, Liverpool are down two goals and will be attacking, so the opportunities will be there and Jota comes at a discount.
Riyad Mahrez, MCI at DOR ($21): Kevin De Bruyne ($23) is the most expensive player on the slate, but similarly to Salah, I'm not sure he's worth it. He scored in the first meeting but also had a floor of just six fantasy points. He usually puts in his best fantasy performances when he has an overload of set pieces, something that may not happen with Man City up a goal on aggregate. That leads me to Mahrez and Phil Foden ($17), who have had similar floors and have been just as potent. Mahrez has at least 12 fantasy points in his last nine starts and had a floor of 17 points in the first meeting because in addition to creating chances, he had a few defensive stats, something De Bruyne doesn't do consistently. De Bruyne is safer because of set pieces but without them, I think Mahrez is on the same level and you can save money if needed. The same goes for Foden, who has one goal and three assists in his last three starts, hitting a floor of 20 points in the first leg. Similar to Jota, he's a player who is cheaper than he should be. Otherwise, I'm about done using Ilkay Gundogan ($15) as his shine has worn off, and Rodri ($9) is a punt for salary relief.
Karim Benzema, MAD at LIV ($21): Backing Benzema in this spot may be the best GPP move because some will be turned off by his performance in the first meeting and that Liverpool are favored in need of a two-goal win. Despite not scoring in the first leg, Benzema still had a floor of 17.3 points from two shots on target and two chances created. Throw out that performance and he's made the score-sheet in each of his last eight appearances, including a goal in El Clasico. Even if Liverpool control possession and stay in the attack the majority of the match, there will be counter opportunities and Benzema will be the guy up front to pounce them in. Vinicius Junior ($19) could be popular after his brace, but Marco Asensio ($17) may be the better play. Asensio has scored in four of his last five appearances and totaled six shots in the first match. Liverpool could end up advancing, but their back line still has some issues and no matter who advances, Real Madrid will get chances to score; it depends on if they convert them at the same rate as the first leg.
Erling Haaland, DOR v. MCI ($20): It doesn't show in the numbers, but Haaland was a menace in the first leg, creating almost every decent chance Dortmund had while disposing of Man City's top defender Ruben Dias numerous times. If he does the same, there could be more chances for him to hit the back of the net. More than anyone on this slate, he's in play for a brace because of how active he is for Dortmund up front. Of course, that's only useful in tournaments because he had a floor of four points in that first meeting, and if he doesn't make the score-sheet, he'll be a waste of money. Unfortunately, Marco Reus ($16) may not play, meaning Haaland will be surrounded by a lot of unusable fantasy players. At best, you could save money and hope Jude Bellingham ($9) or Giovanni Reyna ($8) get enough defensive stats or have a shot on target to be relevant.
DEFENDERS
Alvaro Odriozola, MAD at LIV ($6): Similar to Manuel Akanji ($8) last week, Odriozola comes in at near minimum price as an expected starting defender. Odriozola came on for the injured Lucas Vazquez over the weekend and Real Madrid don't really have anyone else to play at right-back. Given his limited playing time this season, it'll be hard to trust him for much, but he's cheap and should get work against a team in need of goals. Mateu Morey ($7) is the only other expected starter at less than $8. I also like Eder Militao ($8), who should see a lot of defensive work in this matchup.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV v. MAD ($14): There isn't one defender who stands out if you have money to spend, but Alexander-Arnold is the best upside play. It'd be smart to stack him with at least one Liverpool forward, as you're playing him for upside and not his defensive floor. In a perfect scenario, you could stack Liverpool and they'd rack up 10-plus corners, which could lead to a bunch of chances created for Alexander-Arnold, pushing his floor above 20, something Joao Cancelo ($15) can't do.
GOALKEEPER
Ederson, MCI at DOR ($13): Every team on the slate has an implied goal total of at least one, so no goalkeeper stands above the rest. If you have money, spend on Ederson, but he isn't a must. Sure, he has the best odds to win and secure a clean sheet, but that only got him 10.5 points in the first leg. The best strategy is to correlate your goalkeeper with whoever you're using at forward. It's as simple as that.
