This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Soccer series.
Champions League group stages are winding down and after Wednesday there's just one more matchday before the Round of 16. Wednesday's slate is quite interesting as Bayern and Arsenal lead in terms of win odds, but Bayern have nothing to play for as they have already locked in first place in their group.
MATCHES (ET)
- 3:00 pm: Arsenal vs. Lens
- 3:00 pm: Bayern Munich vs. FC Copenhagen
- 3:00 pm: Benfica vs. Inter Milan
- 3:00 pm: Real Madrid vs. Napoli
- 3:00 pm: Real Sociedad vs. Red Bull Salzburg
- 3:00 pm: SC Braga vs. Union Berlin
For detailed stats and odds, check out the
FORWARDS/MIDFIELDERS
Jude Bellingham, RMA vs. NAP ($23): There's some cheap value on this slate that will allow you to pay up for one or two of the top-priced options. Bellingham continues to churn out production and I feel his minutes are much more secure than Harry Kane ($24) in a game that doesn't matter for Bayern. Real Madrid only need a draw to lock up first in the group, but with their injury situation I think starters like Bellingham should play much of the game.
Bukayo Saka, ARS vs. LEN ($22): Arsenal lead their group, but this game means a lot if they want to lock up advancement to the Round of 16. Saka has a strong floor with a split of sets and also carries assist and goal upside. You can also look at teammate Leandro Trossard ($19) who expects to be on sets, as well.
The Bayern options are tough to decipher on this slate because they get the best matchup but have nothing to play for. I've already mentioned Kane is tough to get to at that price, but if you want to go to them I would look at cheaper options such as Leroy Sane ($21), set taker Joshua Kimmich ($19), Thomas Muller ($16), Serge Gnabry ($17) or Leon Goretzka ($15). There could be some rotation, which would make it easier to fit their pieces in, but all the mentioned options are in play for tournament lineups.
If you opt for a more balanced build, some mid-range options that make sense are Bruma ($18) and Ricardo Horta ($17) for Braga who are favored at home against Union Berlin. Ander Barrenetxea ($16) is a decent look for Real Sociedad and has some upside. Brahim Diaz ($16) looks to start against Napoli and has a decent minutes floor with their injuries.
Simon Bokote Banza, BRA vs. FCU ($11): I mentioned the amount of value on this slate and Banza looks to start up front for Braga who are favorites against Union Berlin. He has some of the best goalscoring odds at +160 and is extremely cheap. You can also go to Umar Sadiq ($11) at the same price with similar goalscoring odds. Another GPP option priced all the way at the bottom of the position is Casper Tengstedt ($8), who is projected to start for Benfica.
DEFENDERS
Christopher Trimmel, FCU at BRA ($11): Union Berlin are slight underdogs, but Trimmel has a strong set-piece floor and is priced in the midrange of defender. Noussair Mazraoui ($13) is a decent option for Bayern. On the other side of the Braga-Union Berlin match is Cristian Borja ($10) for the favored side. He has been pretty attacking in their league matches, he just hasn't been able to show it in most matches in the Champions League and I like him here with Braga being the favored side.
Jonathan Gradit, LEN at ARS ($11): Lens will be on the defensive much of this match, making Gradit and teammate Kevin Danso ($12) strong floor plays. You can also look to the Copenhagen side for center-backs as they go up against the biggest favorite in Bayern. Kevin Diks ($10) and Denis Vavro ($11) are my favorites on that side. Lastly, Red Bull Salzburg's combo of Strahinja Pavlovic ($11) and Kamil Piatkowski ($7) have some appeal going up against Real Sociedad.
GOALKEEPER
David Raya, ARS vs. LEN ($13): Raya and Arsenal are the slate's second-biggest favorite and have the best clean sheet odds. I like that they have something to play for over someone like Manuel Neuer ($14) for Bayern. I think with the value on the slate, you can afford any defender with them all being so close in price, so it's not a bad idea to correlate your goalkeeper with one of your defenders. Alejandro Remiro ($12) is also a strong option as Real Sociedad are strong favorites and actually have slightly better clean sheet odds than Bayern. If you need a cheaper option, Matheus ($10) is at home for the favored Braga side.
