This article is part of our DraftKings Fantasy Soccer series.
MATCHES (EST)
- 3:00 pm: FC Porto vs. Juventus
- 3:00 pm: Sevilla vs. Borussia Dortmund
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Cristiano Ronaldo, JUV at POR ($10,300): Ronaldo is Wednesday's Lionel Messi, the most expensive player on the slate who will also be the most popular. Juventus aren't huge favorites, but Ronaldo is always the most, or at least one of the most, popular players whenever he's active, and playing away to Porto shouldn't change that. The Juventus attack hasn't been dominant this season, but Ronaldo has the highest anytime goal scorer odds and comes in with at least five shots (22 in total) in each of the past four games.
Erling Haaland, BVB at SFC ($8,900): If Ronaldo is Wednesday's Messi then Haaland is Wednesday's Kylian Mbappe, the expensive attacker playing away against a good team who has elite goal-scoring potential and will be overlooked in cash games and many GPPs. Jadon Sancho ($9,000) is the more likely cash-game play for Dortmund, but up against a tough Sevilla team, it doesn't seem like the best use of funds, especially if you're spending up for Ronaldo. Instead, many fantasy players seem likely to pair Ronaldo with Federico Chiesa ($8,300) or Federico Bernardeschi ($6,200) depending on who starts because they'd likely take set pieces.
Mehdi Taremi, POR v. JUV ($6,500): While there could be some who like Dortmund against Sevilla, Porto really represent the leverage play because
MATCHES (EST)
- 3:00 pm: FC Porto vs. Juventus
- 3:00 pm: Sevilla vs. Borussia Dortmund
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS
Cristiano Ronaldo, JUV at POR ($10,300): Ronaldo is Wednesday's Lionel Messi, the most expensive player on the slate who will also be the most popular. Juventus aren't huge favorites, but Ronaldo is always the most, or at least one of the most, popular players whenever he's active, and playing away to Porto shouldn't change that. The Juventus attack hasn't been dominant this season, but Ronaldo has the highest anytime goal scorer odds and comes in with at least five shots (22 in total) in each of the past four games.
Erling Haaland, BVB at SFC ($8,900): If Ronaldo is Wednesday's Messi then Haaland is Wednesday's Kylian Mbappe, the expensive attacker playing away against a good team who has elite goal-scoring potential and will be overlooked in cash games and many GPPs. Jadon Sancho ($9,000) is the more likely cash-game play for Dortmund, but up against a tough Sevilla team, it doesn't seem like the best use of funds, especially if you're spending up for Ronaldo. Instead, many fantasy players seem likely to pair Ronaldo with Federico Chiesa ($8,300) or Federico Bernardeschi ($6,200) depending on who starts because they'd likely take set pieces.
Mehdi Taremi, POR v. JUV ($6,500): While there could be some who like Dortmund against Sevilla, Porto really represent the leverage play because so many people will be interested in Juventus. Sevilla v. Dortmund is expected to be higher scoring, so if you want to go the contrarian path and play as if Porto v. Juventus goes off, Taremi should certainly be part of that if he starts. If not, Moussa Marega ($6,000) will get some attention, though Luis Diaz ($5,800) may be the more fruitful option.
MIDFIELDERS
Alejandro Gomez, SFC v. BVB ($8,000): Gomez was a fantasy star while with Atalanta, and while he doesn't have quite as much freedom with Sevilla, he has been taking their set pieces recently and would surely be a popular play in cash games because of that role. The midfielder pool is actually pretty weak overall, and Gomez becomes a fairly easy play salary-wise for those who don't try to combine Ronaldo and Haaland or Ronaldo and Sancho.
Rodrigo Bentancur, JUV at POR ($3,800): Given the lack of exciting midfielders on the slate, it seems entirely possible that people will just start jamming Juventus pieces because they think they should beat Porto and they're kind of cheap. Bentancur could have a role on set pieces, though it's unlikely, while guys like Weston McKennie ($5,000) and Adrien Rabiot ($4,100) will be interesting for fantasy players who have a little more salary. Of course, Sevilla's Ivan Rakitic ($4,900) could be a better play even in a matchup against Dortmund, who has slightly more expensive options like Giovanni Reyna ($5,600) and Julian Brandt ($5,300). Also, don't play Emre Can ($4,300).
DEFENDERS
Raphael Guerreiro, BVB at SFC ($5,800): While I called Ronaldo Wednesday's Messi and Haaland Wednesday's Mbappe, Guerreiro is not Wednesday's Angelino or Trent Alexander-Arnold. He sometimes has a role on set pieces, though Sancho has been taking almost everything recently. Guerreiro always has upside because he's a defender MUCH more interested in attacking than defending, but a tough Sevilla defense probably limits him more than we want.
Danilo, JUV at POR ($4,200): Juan Cuadrado (thigh) is out, which could allow Danilo to start at right-back in a reasonable matchup. Alex Sandro ($5,300) is still the better of the two, but he probably isn't worth the increase in salary. Then again, he could be a decent spot in the utility because the midfielders in his price range don't really offer much anyway. Or, for those who just want to spend down, Matthijs De Ligt ($3,600) and Giorgio Chiellini ($3,000) have the best clean sheet odds.
GOALKEEPER
Wojciech Szczesny, JUV at POR ($5,300): I am stealing the reasoning for paying up for Szczesny from Luis Pacheco, who explained it on our video/podcast today: because there are so few players on the slate who have clear paths to even 10 fantasy points, why not pay up for Szczesny, who can get there with a win and clean sheet? There are plenty of people who hate paying up for goalkeepers, but the two matches are expected to be close, and Szczesny is only $200 more than Bono, the other favorite on the slate, while Marwin Hitz is only $800 less and Agustin Marchesin $1,000, which isn't a significant discount against a Ronaldo-led side.
