DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Picks

MATCHES (ET)

• 3:00 pm: Paris Saint-Germain vs. Real Madrid
• 3:00 pm: Sporting CP vs. Manchester City

For detailed stats and odds, check out the

DraftKings Fantasy Soccer: Tuesday UCL Cheat Sheet

FORWARDS

Lionel Messi, PSG v. RMA ($9,800): Messi's form has been improving, totaling assists in three-consecutive games and scoring double-digit fantasy points in nine straight. He hasn't been scoring as many goals since arriving at PSG, but it's worth noting he's hit the woodwork seven times already. He's been splitting set pieces with Angel Di Maria ($7,500) and has +115 goalscoring odds in a home matchup against Real Madrid. Kylian Mbappe ($9,200) makes for a great tournament option, as I'd expect Messi and Riyad Mahrez to be more popular in this range. Mbappe has scored in three of his last four games and is averaging more than five shots per game in his last five.

Riyad Mahrez, MCI at LIS ($9,000): Mahrez failed to score against Norwich City over the weekend but prior to that, he'd scored goals in each of his last seven matches. His +110 goal odds are ever so slightly tops on the slate. He continues to share set pieces and have penalty-kick responsibility, which has been important in recent weeks as many of his goals have come from the spot. Manchester City are the biggest favorite on the slate and have the highest-implied goal total for a matchup away to Sporting Lisbon. Phil Foden ($8,000) splits sets with Mahrez and De Bruyne, but he hasn't taken a corner in the last two. Not only will he be less popular, but he's considerably cheaper, making him a good option for GPPs. The same goes for Karim Benzema ($8,200), who I'm expecting to go overlooked on this slate. He's coming off a hamstring injury and Real Madrid are underdogs on the road, but he always seems to score in these spots. His strike partner Vinicius Junior ($7,700) has been incredible this season. He has 14 goals and eight assists across all competitions while proving to be a nightmare for opposing defenders. That form has seen him emerge as one of the best players in the world and he makes for a great tournament option since he won't be as popular as the rest in this range. Raheem Sterling ($7,600) should also be considered in GPPs, as he's coming off a hat trick Saturday and is the cheapest of Man City's attackers. 

MIDFIELDERS

Kevin De Bruyne, MCI at LIS ($8,800): De Bruyne has been in great form having scored at least 23 fantasy points in five of his last six games. He's still splitting set pieces and has been filling up the stat sheet with goals, assists, shots, chances created and crosses. He should be raring to go after being rested against Norwich on Saturday. On a slate with so much elite talent and so many players that we love to roster in DFS, De Bruyne is still the top option for me. Keep an eye on the formation as there's chance he lines up as a false nine, which would give him even more goal upside.

Toni Kroos, RMA at PSG ($6,800): Kroos continues to take the majority of set pieces for Real Madrid, though he doesn't have a monopoly anymore with Marco Asensio ($7,000) taking at least three in each of his last three starts. Nevertheless, Kroos has scored at least 9.5 floor points in nine consecutive games. He's a safe option for cash games but might lack the upside for tournaments considering that he has just one goal and one assist in his last 12. Tournament options in this range include Pedro Goncalves ($6,900) and Pablo Sarabia ($5,700). They split set pieces for Sporting Lisbon and both have attacking upside, as well. They will mostly go overlooked in a tough matchup against Man City. Looking cheaper, there isn't much. Marco Verratti ($4,500) and Luka Modric ($4,300) are similar options. Either could come up with an assist so I'd lean towards pairing them with someone in tournaments. Rodri ($3,300) is especially cheap and can always be rostered in lineups that are heavy on Manchester City. His cheap salary makes it easier to afford the likes of Messi, Mahrez and De Bruyne. 

DEFENDERS

Joao Cancelo, MCI at LIS ($6,300): There are no defenders with set-piece responsibility on this slate, but Cancelo has the highest floor and most upside. City also have the best matchup and highest-implied total. Cancelo took six shots in his last match against Brentford as he put up a massive 18 floor points. He has two goals and eight assists this season in all competitions. That type of upside in a plus matchup makes him standout at the defender position, which lacks appealing options. 

Achraf Hakimi, PSG v. RMA ($4,300): All of the full-backs in the PSG-Real Madrid match are relatively cheap. None of them necessarily stand out from a DFS perspective, but Hakimi is the most talented, offensively, of the bunch. Nuno Mendes ($3,900) has been impressive but rarely offers attacking upside. You could argue that Ferland Mendy ($3,400) is the best option of the group, specifically because he's the cheapest. It might make more sense to roster Ruben Dias ($2,900) instead. The Manchester City center-backs are too cheap and there isn't there much opportunity cost at the position, making them look even better. Keep an eye out for the formation, as it's possible that Aymeric Laporte ($3,000) or John Stones ($3,200) starts at full-back with Kyle Walker suspended. 

GOALKEEPERS

Ederson, MCI at LIS ($5,900): Manchester City have the best clean-sheet odds on the slate at 47 percent, which is considerably higher than any other team. It's also possible that Ederson has more save upside than usual in an away matchup in Europe. He's worth spending for if you can afford it, especially if you're fading Mahrez or De Bruyne. 

Antonio Adan, LIS v. MCI ($3,600): Adan is quite cheap and he probably has the most save upside on the slate against Manchester City. That means he'd also have the most downside and a wide range outcomes but the risk is worth it for tournaments.