DraftKings DFS Soccer: Tuesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Ajax vs. Napoli
• 3:00 pm: Club Brugge vs. Atlético Madrid
• 3:00 pm: Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Tottenham Hotspur
• 3:00 pm: FC Porto vs. Bayer Leverkusen
• 3:00 pm: Inter Milan vs. Barcelona
• 3:00 pm: Liverpool vs. Rangers FC

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Tuesday's six-game Champions League slate features Liverpool as big favorites at home against Rangers and their 2.66 implied goal total is considerably higher than the rest. They're also underpriced for the most part, making it one of those spots where you're going to want multiple pieces in cash games. Consider that Barcelona have the next highest total around 1.8 for their away matchup against Inter Milan. Robert Lewandowski ($10,800) and Ousmane Dembele ($10,000) are the most expensive players on the slate. There are times you might consider Dembele for his floor but not when Salah is cheaper and in a better spot. 

Mohamed Salah, LIV vs. RAN ($9,000): If you played Saturday's Premier League slate, you'll remember that Salah was popular at $9,300 with Liverpool having a 2.15 implied total against Brighton. I didn't agree with it in that instance as there were other places to spend salary and I don't view the Brighton matchup as one to just blindly jam Liverpool. He was underpriced, though, so it still made some sense. He's even more underpriced now and this is a much better spot. He should absolutely be priced above Lewandowski, as not only does he have a higher floor but his -160 goalscoring odds are better than Lewandowski's of -130. There aren't really any midfielders to spend for on this slate,either, and all of that should lead to Salah being a priority in cash games/optimal builds. 

Luis Diaz, LIV vs. RAN ($8,500): The second forward spot is more interesting and debatable. Diaz has played at least 89 minutes in seven consecutive starts and he has +120 goal odds. You could also consider Diogo Jota ($7,500) and his -130 goal odds or whoever else starts up front for Liverpool. Jota specifically has less of a floor and gets subbed early but the price discount might be enough. You'll have to weigh those options against set-piece takers such as Son Heung-Min ($8,900) and Steven Berghuis ($8,300). Son has started to lose out on half of the corners to Ivan Perisic so I probably wouldn't go there, but the salary is rather affordable and we know he also has plenty of goal upside to go along with the floor. Speaking of floors, I'd be confident enough that 90 minutes of Diaz would be on par with anyone in this range based on the matchup. 

If you're looking elsewhere besides Liverpool for GPP targets, the Ajax-Napoli matchup has the second-highest total on the slate. It's filled with talented players on both sides and likely goes overlooked for the most part. 

If you'd rather pair Salah with a cheap forward instead, there aren't many options. Evanilson ($4,800) would be fine at home against Leverkusen. He's coming off a goal last Friday in Porto's 4-1 win over Braga. I'd probably go even cheaper to Ansgar Knauff ($4,100), assuming he starts on the right wing for Frankfurt at home against Tottenham. Frankfurt may be underdogs, but a matchup at home against Antonio Conte's Spurs is never anything to fear.

MIDFIELDERS

I don't think any of the midfielders stand out from a point-per-dollar value perspective. Piotr Zielinski ($8,400) is the most expensive and probably overpriced considering he rarely plays 90 minutes and Napoli are away underdogs. Ivan Perisic ($7,300) is probably the first one you'd consider now that he seems to be splitting corners with Son. It isn't encouraging that he's been subbed at 55 and 71 minutes in his last two starts, however.

Jesper Lindstrom, SGE vs. TOT ($5,800): Lindstrom doesn't play 90 minutes, either, but he's gone at least 74 in each of his last five starts. One reason for highlighting him is that he's cheaper than the other set piece takers I just mentioned. The main reason, at least for me, is that he's the most talented of this group. He's scored in back-to-back games and looks like a player who's destined for a bigger club in the near future. It's possible that Stephen Eustaquio ($5,600) has a higher floor, though, and the same can be said for Otavio ($5,300). Porto is a tough spot to predict, as they have multiple players who've taken sets recently. It was always pretty easy to roster Otavio in the past because he took most corners and almost always played 90 minutes. He's been subbed early in both UCL games this season, however. If Otavio doesn't start, Eustaquio is probably a better cash-game option than Lindstrom. Of note, Otavio came off the bench in Porto's recent league match and figures to be in the XI Tuesday and possibly ready for a full 90. Harvey Elliott ($5,000) continues to prove that he shouldn't be rostered in cash games yet people continue to force him in these spots. It might be more acceptable this time based on the plus matchup and true lack of opportunity cost at the position. I'd consider all of the Liverpool midfielders as GPP options only. If James Milner ($4,700) starts, he's always an early-sub risk.

Casper Nielsen, BRU vs. ATL ($4,000): Nielsen usually plays 90 minutes or close to and he continues to take a few corners. There's also a chance he gets more set pieces without Andreas Skov Olsen in the squad. Rostering Nielsen here is really about the lack of options at midfield combined with the need to spend up at forward and defender. Even Gavi ($3,500) or Fabinho ($3,300) would be fine. 

DEFENDERS

Trent Alexander-Arnold, LIV vs. RAN ($7,000): It feels like I write the same thing every week. Alexander-Arnold is just too cheap. Liverpool are in a great spot and even if he was $8,000, we'd be rostering him without hesitation. 

Kostas Tsimikas, LIV vs. RAN ($7,300): Tsimikas is a bit of a different story, as he's played longer than 59 minutes just once this season. If he does play 90, though, you're definitely going to want him in cash games. He put up 26 fantasy points in the previous gameweek against Ajax on the back of 14 crosses. He disappointed a lot of people over the weekend and it's a big risk for that type of salary. Nahuel Molina ($5,200) takes corners for Atletico when Yannick Carrasco and Antoine Griezmann aren't on the pitch. He took four of them and had 10 crosses against Sevilla on Saturday. It's a favorable matchup away to Brugge, as well. James Tavernier ($4,300) is unusually cheap but the matchup away to Liverpool is especially tough. He takes corners and penalty kicks for Rangers, but they're unlikely to take many of those in this spot.

GOALKEEPERS

Alisson, LIV vs. RAN ($5,900): Liverpool's clean sheet odds are so much better than the rest that it makes Alisson a bit underpriced. He's worth it if you can afford it. 

Kevin Trapp, SGE vs. TOT ($4,300): The decision for me in the cheap range is between Trapp and Simon Mignolet ($4,400). Brugge's 21-percent clean sheet odds are better than Frankfurt's 19 percent, but Trapp is likely to face more savable shots against Spurs than Mignolet will against Atletico. It's a tough decision and there is no correct answer. As always, play any keeper you want who correlates with the rest of your lineup.